The Hulk has always been a horror-centric superhero, and that makes it no surprise that Marvel Comics has published more than a few horror stories concerning the Green Goliath. Hulk was a horror monster from the start, a scientist caught in a gamma explosion who turned into a hulking monster he had no control over. It was clearly a spin on the Wolf Man or Jekyll & Hyde horror tale. That is why it is so surprising that most of Hulk’s stories are basic superhero tales, while his actual horror stories are a little rarer. That said, Marvel Comics has released some scary Hulk stories that have terrified fans over the years.
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From tales of demons and destruction to horrific cases of body horror, here is a look at the scariest Hulk stories for horror fans.
5) Maestro
While not a straight horror story, Maestro is a scary tale about what would happen if the Hulk maintained his immense intelligence and decided to use his destructive power and brains to take over the world. The story begins after a nuclear war wipes out most of humanity. Knowing he can’t stop them, Hulk goes into hibernation. When he wakes up and comes out, he finds remnants of society, and after one too many people attack him, he decides to take control.
The story takes some very dark turns. He kills many of his enemies and even orders the murder of Hercules when the Prince of Power returns to challenge him. He even almost killed his Earth-616 counterpart when he showed up via time travel. This Hulk was a true monster in every sense of the word, and what he did was horrific and terrifying, making readers know that Earth-616 is lucky that Hulk has remained a hero.
4) Old Man Logan
Hulk was a small part of Old Man Logan, but his role in this story was terrifying in every conceivable manner. Of course, the main hero here is Logan, who retired after he was tricked into killing the X-Men by illusions cast by Mysterio. Logan then married and had a family, but that is where Hulk came into the picture. The best way to describe it is if the mutants in The Hills Have Eyes were a hillbilly crime family.
In this world, Hulk married his cousin She-Hulk, and they had mutated kids. Hulk ran the West Coast, and he and his kids demanded everyone bow to their will. While Logan was on a trip, the Hulk family went to his home and murdered his family. This sent Old Man Logan on a journey for revenge, and he found the giant, mutated Hulk, who ate him. What happened next was one of the most horrific scenes in Marvel Comics.
3) The Infernal Hulk
Horror fans should find a lot to love about Hulk today. The current series of the title is running The Infernal Hulk storyline, which is pure horror. The entire theme of the new Hulk series is to put him into straight horror stories and adventures, where he battles demons, monsters, dark wizards, the Demiurge, Elder Gods, and more. He even returns to the realm where the One Below once emerged and where Gamma was born. For anyone who loves reading horror stories, the new Hulk series by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Adam Gorham has everything you could want and more.
2) Immortal Hulk
The idea of moving Hulk from a straight superhero novel to pure, unadulterated horror came with The Immortal Hulk. This series took the Jade Giant back to the beginning, where he revealed his true horror roots and developed into the terrifying Devil Hulk. This Hulk variant was ruthless and destructive, the most terrifying creation in Bruce Banner’s mind. This was also where Hulk turned into some of the best body horror in Marvel Comics history.
The Immortal Hulk used the idea of the Green Door, a metaphysical doorway that connects Earth to the Below-Place, where Gamme mutates go when they die. The door is also why they never stay dead and can often return to Earth by just passing through it again. This also introduced the One Below All and showed how terrifying it can be when the Leader takes control, but can’t actually control this demonic presence. Hulk died constantly in this series, and every time he returned, he became more monstrous. It was pure body horror and a terrifying tale.
1) The Incredible Hulk: The End
The scariest Hulk story in all of Marvel Comics showed what would happen when Hulk was the last being left alive on Earth. This story is titled Hulk: The End, and Peter David teamed with Dale Keown to show Hulk as the only person left alive on a planet. The most dangerous living beings remaining are mostly insects that feast on the flesh of animals, including Hulk.
There are some disgustingly gross horror moments here, such as when the insects eat Hulk to the bone, only for his regenerative healing factor to bring him back to life over time. There are also psychologically bleak horror moments, as Bruce Banner sometimes comes out and realizes he has nothing left and still can’t die. The art is incredible, and when it ends with Hulk offering one last gift to Banner, it culminates in a deeply touching yet equally horrific ending.
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