5 Writers Who Made the Incredible Hulk One of Marvel’s Biggest Heroes

In 1962, the Marvel Universe’s most powerful and dangerous superhero was introduced: the Hulk. When mild-mannered scientist Bruce Banner was exposed to a gamma-bomb explosion, he discovered that whenever he became angry, he turned into a giant beast with incredible strength. Yet despite the Hulk at first seeming to be a straightforward big green monster who smashes everything in his path, he quickly proved to be actually a psychologically complex and morally nuanced character whose stories tackled themes of trauma, anger, and mental health. Of course, some of the most brilliant and innovative writers Marvel Comics has ever hired masterfully handled such sensitive topics. Without these writers, the Hulk wouldn’t be the mighty, complex hero he is today. 

Whether as a solo hero or an Avenger, the Hulk has made a name for himself as one of Marvel Comics’ greatest superheroes. To reach that status, he needed some pretty amazing writers who could explore his psyche and propensity for destruction and in his stories provide some pretty awesome devastation.

5) Greg Pak

One defining characteristic of the Hulk is that no matter how much good he does, humanity will always hate and fear him. Greg Pak took that dynamic to its most extreme yet logical conclusion with two of the most iconic Hulk storylines of all time: “Planet Hulk” and “World War Hulk.” In one of the biggest shifts in the status quo, the Illuminati exiled the Hulk to the brutal planet of Sakaar, where he went from gladiator to benevolent king. However, when an explosion from the Hulk’s spaceship killed his wife, he declared war on Earth. These events introduced many cool new characters, including Caiera, Korg, Meek, and the Hulk’s son, Skaar. Pak also helped child prodigy Amadeus Cho become the Totally Awesome Hulk and Bruce Banner’s successor. Overall, Pak depicted the Hulk as both a righteous hero and an unstoppable force of pure rage while also introducing some of his best side characters.

4) Bill Mantlo

Bill Mantlo may not be the most well-known Hulk writer, but his impact on the Jolly Green Giant’s lore is undeniable. Few writers explored the Hulk’s psyche more thoroughly than Mantlo. During his time writing Hulk stories, Mantlo had Banner briefly manage to take complete control of the Hulk’s body without losing his intellect. However, it wasn’t long before the Hulk resurfaced as a nearly mindless beast. Of course, Mantlo’s biggest contribution occurred in the “Crossroads” storyline, which revealed one of the darkest parts of the Hulk’s character. After having the Hulk go on an extradimensional journey, Mantlo debuts Bruce’s father, Brian Banner, who we learn regularly beat his son and ultimately murdered his wife. Mantlo revealed that the Hulk was a personification of Bruce’s suppressed childhood trauma and rage towards his monstrous father. Yet even after death, Brian Banner would frequently return to be one of the Hulk’s most terrifying villains. With the revelation of Bruce’s backstory, Mantlo made the Hulk a far more nuanced and tragic figure. 

3) Al Ewing

The Hulk has always been a horror-adjacent character, but Al Ewing took things to a new level. The writer of the masterful Immortal Hulk series, Ewing took big swings with the Hulk’s lore that more than paid off. Arguably his biggest contribution was the revelation of the origin of gamma radiation. Not only was it a deadly energy source, but it also tied directly to the One Below All: an eldritch entity that’s the dark reflection of the creator of the Marvel Multiverse. The One Below All seeks to end all of existence and chose the Hulk as its perfect vessel. Ewing also introduced the concept of the Below Place and the Green Door, which allowed not just the Hulk, but any gamma mutate, to resurrect themselves after death. Ewing also delved with far greater detail into the relationships and roles of the numerous Hulk personas that make up Bruce Banner’s psyche. Whether it’s cosmic, psychological, or body horror, Ewing excelled at reestablishing the Hulk as a terrifying monster.

2) Peter David

As a writer on the Incredible Hulk series for 12 years, Peter David left a near-unrivaled impact on the Jolly Green Giant’s lore. Along with striking a healthy balance of levity and seriousness in his stories, David’s biggest contribution was exploring and explaining the true nature of the Hulk’s existence. More specifically, David introduced the idea that the Hulk wasn’t just some green monster. Instead, it’s revealed that Bruce Banner suffers from dissociative identity disorder and that the Hulk is the physical embodiment of one of his split personalities and anger. David didn’t stop there. He added more Hulk personalities to the mix, such as the grey gangster Joe Fixit and the brilliant Professor Hulk. He also introduced the Hulk’s evil future counterpart, the Maestro, now one of the Jade Giant’s most powerful villains. Peter David turned the Hulk’s lore on its head in a way that still resonates today, as future writers continue to examine the fractured nature of Bruce’s mindscape and his relationship with the Hulk.

1) Stan Lee

The writer who started it all, Stan Lee forever challenged our understanding of the nature of superheroes by introducing the Hulk. Instead of a handsome, morally pure hero, the Hulk was a terrifying monster who was constantly hunted by the military and fought fellow heroes. The Hulk was one of the first anti-heroes Stan Lee created, and his shifts between hero and villain persist even today. Even after the original Incredible Hulk comic ended after only six issues, Stan Lee continued to chronicle the Hulk’s adventures and build his lore in the Tales to Astonish anthology series. Naturally, Stan Lee established Bruce Banner’s tragic accident that turned him into the unstoppable goliath. Lee also introduced many of the Hulk’s most important supporting characters, like She-Hulk, Betty Ross, Rick Jones, and General Thunderbolt Ross. He also established the Jolly Green Giant’s two archenemies: the Abomination and Leader. Without Stan Lee’s genius, we wouldn’t even have the Hulk.

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