While the most familiar form of theHulkfor fans of theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)may be the Green Goliath himself, there have been numerous varieties and shades of the Hulk over the years. Before the MCU began, Hulk was already a popular superhero who had received numerous adaptations.The Incredible HulkTV series ran for years, and even branched off to include three movie sequels which all starred Lou Ferrigno as the live-action Hulk in a time when special effects were not in regular circulation.
Then, in 2003, Ang Lee’sHulktook things a step further with a massive behemoth once visual effects had caught up. Then, in 2008,The Incredible Hulkbecame the second film in the MCU, though the cast and story did end up being distant from the other storylines over time. Still, this movie introduced the Hulk, and since that time, the MCU has built out the lore around the character, and produced several variants of theHulk in a range of different colors.
Why Hulk Is Green
Bruce Banner’s Mutation Comes From Gamma Radiation
First up, there is the Hulk. After Bruce Banner becomes infected with gamma radiation, his body is transformed, with a separate persona taking up residence inside his mind until it can be unleashed. This alter ego was a massive green monster whose strength and size made him a terrible threat. In addition to being extremely large and muscular, especially compared to the relatively average Bruce Banner, Hulk sports agreen color that is distinctly different from his mortal counterpart. And while no explicit reason for the color change is given, the comics suggest the green hue comes from the gamma radiation.
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Irradiated objects are often depicted as bright glowing green, and so it makes sense to continue that idea here with the Hulk. However,Bruce Banner’s Hulk is not the only Green Giant in the MCU. Banner’s cousin, Jennifer Walters, also transforms into a green She-Hulk after beinginfected with Banner’s blood. Then, there is Skaar, the mysterious son of the Hulk who hails from Sakaar, and bears a striking resemblance to his father. Then, again inShe-Hulk: Attorney at Law, HulkKing transforms into a green Hulk being, thanks to Jen’s blood.
Why Red Hulk Is Red
Thaddeus “Thunerbolt” Ross Got A Makeover
Next up,Captain America: Brave New Worldputs a brand-new version of the Hulk into the MCU. The Red Hulk appears to have a similar physique to the classic Hulk, however, his skin burns hot, and he has a bright red color that sets him apart. In the comics, this is due to the transformation being the result of gamma radiation combined with cosmic rays, the same energy that gave The Fantastic Four their powers. However, in the MCU, whenThaddeus Ross transforms into the Red Hulk, there is no indication whatsoever that cosmic rays had anything to do with the color change.
However, the party responsible forturning President Ross into the Red Hulkremains the same in the comics and the MCU. The Leader, aka Samuel Sterns, uses his considerable intelligence, which was increased due to exposure to Bruce Banner’s blood, to slowly turn Ross into the Red Hulk. While Ross believes Sterns was providing him with pills to extend his life,Sterns had also laced the pills with gamma radiation that combined with his blood, and over time, turned him into a monster. As far as why he is red, no reason is given, but it could be the slow change process combining with his blood, and thus having a red shade.
Why Abomination Is Greenish Gray
Another Hulk who has connections to both Bruce Banner and Thaddeus Ross is Emil Blonsky. In 2008sThe Incredible Hulk,Blonsky is an elite soldier who Ross assigns to capture Bruce Banner. Blonsky is an impressive specimen, and he has a highly decorated career, but when it comes to fighting the Hulk, he struggles to simply keep himself from being brutally beaten and killed. In order to even out the odds, Ross gives Blonsky a chemical compound meant to replicate Banner’s gamma radiation, and combined with experimental super soldier serum.
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However, when Blonsky gets a taste for that power, he forces the dosage to be drastically increased, which in turn changes him from a super human soldier, into a true Abomination. While theAbomination has a similar size and physique to the Hulk, he is decidedly more scary, with large bone protrusions, and a gray color that makes him distinct from his new blood brother. Potentially, the compound of super soldier serum with gamma was responsible for the color change, but it’s interesting to note that gray was actually the original color of the Hulk in the comics before he was ultimately changed to green.
The MCU Also Has A Purple Hulk
What If The Hulk Was Purple?
The live-action movies certainly provide a spectrum of colors, but one Marvel animated series takes things a step further by introducing a purple Hulk. InWhat If…?, a series which reimagines alternate versions of the MCU stories and characters, there is one episode that sees Happy Hogan wielding the power totransform into a monstrous purple Hulk. Within the episode, it’s revealed that Hogan was transformed thanks to Banner’s blood, but again, the reasons for why he is purple are not revealed.
The live-action movies certainly provide a spectrum of colors, but one Marvel animated series takes things a step further by introducing a purple Hulk.
It’s possible that different genetic markers can cause people to transform differently, or potentially being at another point in the multiverse, in a setting that is equivalent to hundreds of years earlier, the purple shade is a result of Hogan’s environment. Either way, it’sone of the most extreme variantsof the character in the MCU to date.
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Hulk’s Comic Variants Go Way Back In Marvel Lore
Looking beyond the MCU,variations on the Hulk’s colorshave long been a part of the comic books, with many variations on the traditional green being explored. Typically, the comics provide a reason behind drastic color changes, but it’s also not unusual to have a variant color with little to no details of how or why. In Marvel Comic’s history, there have beenyellow, orange, blue, white, and even skin-tone Hulksappearing the stories over the years.
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Sometimes the color change is reflective of a change in the power set, like the Orange Hulk being able to absorb energy from the sun, or the Blue Hulk fusing with the Enigma Force and gaining extraordinary powers. While all of these variants have the potential to appear in the MCU, the Multiverse Saga is fast approaching its end, and that is likely to be the most effective set of stories to have variantHulk’s, but anything can still happen in the MCU.
