With the new Captain America: Brave New World D23 trailer, Marvel provided clear look Red Hulk. Now it’s clear that this Hulk will not be dancing like She-Hulk. The trailer also revealed the real identity of Red Hulk, who is General Thunderbolt Ross. He spent most of his adult life dedicated to capturing or killing the Hulk but, in a strange twist of fate, he ended up becoming what he hated. Let’s dive into the article and find out: Who is the Red Hulk?
As a powerful anti-hero and sometimes villain, Red Hulk stands out among Marvel’s Hulk characters. He possesses the raw, destructive power associated with Hulks but retains a darker, angrier nature. Unlike Bruce Banner’s Hulk, Red Hulk has military tactics and strategic skills that make him a formidable opponent, even among other Marvel superheroes and villains.
The Real Identity of Red Hulk
The Red Hulk first appeared in Hulk #1 in January 2008, created by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness. However, as most of us know, the Red Hulk is none other than General Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross, who was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appeared in The Incredible Hulk issue #1 in May 1962. If you know anything about Thunderbolt Ross, you are aware of his deep-seated hatred for Bruce Banner and the Hulk, having been humiliated and vanquished by Banner and/or the Hulk numerous times over the years. This, combined with Ross’s jealousy of the Hulk’s power and his desire for it, creates a fierce rivalry, one of the biggest, if not the biggest, that Hulk has with anyone. Ross has been there since the beginning—I’m referring to issue one of The Incredible Hulk, which made Thunderbolt Ross the ideal candidate to become the Red Hulk. Let’s discover what happened.
Red Hulk, in his red-skinned form, represents a unique and dark transformation that symbolizes Ross’s unyielding anger and need for control. The name “Red Hulk” itself reflects not only his gamma-induced power but also the intense emotional and psychological conflicts that transformed Ross from a military general into a Hulk. His journey into becoming Red Hulk was fueled by resentment, desperation, and a deep-rooted obsession with defeating the Hulk once and for all. Red Hulk’s origin, character, and abilities made him an immediate sensation among fans and solidified him as a prominent figure in the Hulk mythos.
The First Appearance of Red Hulk in Marvel Comics
Ross’s transformation into Red Hulk in the comics was groundbreaking. In his debut, fans were unaware of Red Hulk’s identity, creating a major mystery around this new, sinister Hulk. Ross’s reappearance as Red Hulk signified a darker, more violent counterpart to the Hulk. While Bruce Banner’s Hulk may have aimed for survival and acceptance, Red Hulk seemed motivated by vengeance and power, making the character’s comic book debut highly impactful. This transformation revitalized the Hulk franchise, giving new life to both Ross’s character and the Marvel universe’s exploration of gamma-induced heroes and villains.
Red Hulk’s Transformation Process
Ross would then just be around in the comics. He did a little bit of this and a little bit of that until his daughter, Betty, died of radiation poisoning. Ross, of course, blamed the Hulk for her death. Then, as he was drinking his sorrows away in a bar, he was approached by the Leader and MODOK, who offered him a deal he couldn’t refuse. They offered him the power to defeat the Hulk and promised to use their technology to bring his daughter Betty back to life. Ross had preserved Betty’s body in hopes he could one day revive her. He accepted their offer, and they delivered on their promise. After seizing the opportunity to siphon power from the Hulk, they transferred it into Ross, transforming him into a red version of the Hulk.
Red Hulk’s transformation involved the combination of scientific manipulation and Ross’s intense emotional drive. By working with villains like MODOK and the Leader, Ross allowed himself to be transformed into a super-powered being with abilities far beyond those of a regular human. This transformation into Red Hulk came with new powers and abilities, such as absorbing radiation, increasing his strength with rage, and even taking down superheroes like Thor by absorbing their power sources. Unlike the green Hulk, Red Hulk could also transform back into Ross at will, maintaining his personality and tactical awareness. However, his power came with a unique drawback: the more he exerted himself, the hotter his body became, eventually leading to overheating, a critical weakness Red Hulk faced in battles. This distinctive trait added a new dimension to his powers, creating a dynamic, complex, and dangerous character within Marvel’s roster of Hulks.
Red Hulk vs Hulk – The Ultimate Rivalry
After the emergence of the Hulk, Ross was placed in command of Operation Greenskin, an operation whose sole purpose was to capture the Hulk. Then, during a period when the Hulk was presumed dead, Ross discovered that Hulk and Bruce Banner were actually one and the same. After numerous failures to capture the Hulk, Ross illegally made a deal with the Abomination to take down the Hulk. The Abomination failed in his attempt, which set in motion a series of events that ended with General Ross being relieved of his command of Project Greenskin and having a nervous breakdown. At a point, the Illuminati got frustrated and decided to send Hulk into space. They launched Hulk into space, where he started a new life on Sakaar. This is the story of World War Hulk.
The Red Hulk vs Hulk rivalry became one of Marvel’s most intense showdowns. Although Red Hulk was initially designed to be Hulk’s equal in strength, his powers differ in that Red Hulk absorbs radiation, enhancing his strength in short bursts. Red Hulk’s tactics and powers, however, come with a price; he overheats if he exerts himself for too long. The dynamic between Red Hulk vs Green Hulk reveals the deep-seated jealousy, anger, and vendetta General Ross has harbored toward Banner, which makes each encounter personal and explosive.
Is Red Hulk Stronger Than Hulk?
Ross’s jealousy of Hulk’s strength and his ultimate transformation into Red Hulk beg the question: Is Red Hulk stronger than Hulk? On the surface, Red Hulk appears to be an equal match for Hulk due to his own enhanced strength and ability to absorb gamma radiation, even directly from Hulk. This allows Red Hulk to grow stronger in the short term by siphoning energy from Hulk, giving him a slight edge in battle.
However, Red Hulk’s power comes with limitations. Unlike Banner’s Hulk, whose strength increases proportionally with his anger, Red Hulk’s strength has a unique caveat: the angrier he becomes, the more his body temperature rises, eventually leading him to overheat. This overheating causes Red Hulk to weaken and eventually pass out if he exerts himself too long. So, while Red Hulk may be stronger than Hulk in short bursts, Hulk’s limitless potential for rage ultimately makes him a formidable and likely unbeatable opponent over time.
Red Hulk’s Powers and Abilities
Red Hulk’s powers and abilities are largely similar to the Hulk’s, with a few minor changes. For example, as we all know, the Green Hulk grows stronger as he becomes angrier. However, the more radiation the Red Hulk is exposed to or consumes, the stronger he becomes, and he can even absorb a variety of other types of radiation, including cosmic radiation. What’s weird about this is that the Green Hulk is constantly emitting radiation, so when the Red Hulk battles the Green Hulk, he gains strength by absorbing Banner’s radiation. The difficulty is that the Red Hulk has a much larger energy output than the Hulk. So, the more enraged he becomes, the hotter he becomes, which means that if the Red Hulk becomes overly angry and continues to exert himself, he will overheat and eventually pass out. What I mean is, as one of you pointed out in a previous Red Hulk episode, the Red Hulk throttles like a PC with a faulty cooling system.
Another distinction is that Red Hulk doesn’t go through the amnesia phase. He is fully under General Ross’s control. When he becomes Red Hulk, he is still General Ross and can switch at will. This makes him very powerful because he can execute all his battle experience in a fight as Red Hulk. The Red Hulk is essentially the same as the basic Green Hulk, with a few minor modifications. The argument is that the Red Hulk is extremely powerful; he was able to use his radiation absorption to drain the Odin force from Thor throughout their fight, making himself stronger and Thor weaker. He was also able to drain all of the Power Cosmic from the Silver Surfer, nearly killing him in the process. So you might be thinking, “What, he sounds stronger than the normal Banner Hulk?” And, yes, in the short term or at the base level, he is, but remember that he ultimately overheats, so Green Hulk is still as strong as ever.
The Red Hulk weakness, which causes his body to overheat, adds an important vulnerability to his power set. This overheating issue sets him apart from Hulk, making it possible for Hulk or other powerful characters to eventually overpower him if he can be forced to push himself to his limits.
Is Red Hulk a Villain or Anti-Hero?
He was placed under the care of Doctor Samson for a while. After becoming stable enough to return to active duty, he was appointed as the Pentagon special adviser on the Hulk. But when the Hulk was given a presidential pardon for all of his past deeds, it didn’t sit well with Ross. This led Ross, who still felt the Hulk needed to be dealt with, to resort to a shady approach. He entered into an alliance with MODOK, allowing MODOK to free Abomination from captivity to go after the Hulk. The plan failed, and Ross’s shady actions were exposed. Ashamed of his actions, he considered ending his own life, but instead, he deserted his post and became a drifter, only returning when he got word that his daughter Betty was going to marry Bruce Banner. He returned intent on stopping the wedding but was persuaded by Betty to let it happen.
Is Red Hulk a villain? While Ross’s transformation into Red Hulk was driven by anger and resentment, he ultimately operates as more of an anti-hero than a villain. Red Hulk’s alliances with antagonistic figures like MODOK and the Leader place him at odds with Marvel heroes, but his intentions are often rooted in a twisted sense of duty and personal justice. This moral complexity is one of Red Hulk’s defining characteristics, as he frequently operates in a morally gray area, unwilling to fully align with either heroes or villains. Despite his antagonism toward the Hulk, his anti-hero persona makes him unpredictable and driven by a unique code of honor.
The Appearance of Red She-Hulk
In Hulk volume 2, issue 22, the Red Hulk is doing his thing, as The Rock would say, delivering the smackdown on a number of other characters. However, near the end of the issue, the Red She-Hulk appears. That’s correct, there is a Red She-Hulk. But not only did she show up there, she showed up at the exact time, as the Red Hulk is saying to himself, “I push myself too hard, gotta get to Banner,” at which point someone kicks him in the face and he exclaims, “Not now, not her,” as we see Red She-Hulk say, “We took a vote. It is time for you to die.” The two then begin battling, but Red Hulk, having expended most of his energy, is easily defeated by Red She-Hulk. She-Hulk even states, “It’s the one advantage Green Hulk has over you. He grows stronger as he becomes angrier. But not you. You accumulate all that energy like a reactor, but without a cooling system.” Your body overheats. You didn’t realize that the madder the Red Hulk gets, the hotter he gets.
Anyway, she then begins to bash his face against her knee in MMA style, stating, “Let me draw off some of that excess energy. On second thought, I’ll just take it all,” she says as she drains the Red Hulk’s power. Red Hulk then urges, “Do it now. Take my life.” But she looks in his eyes, wide-eyed and shocked, and says, “I can’t,” to which he replies, “Why the hell not?” And on the final page of the issue, she replies, “Because you’re my father,” revealing that the Red She-Hulk is Betty Ross, General Ross’s daughter. She was revived as promised by the Leader but made her Red She-Hulk.
The introduction of Red She-Hulk brought a new twist to the Hulk storyline and added to the complex Hulk family dynamic. Betty Ross, transformed into a powerful Hulk herself, serves as both a foe and an ally to her father, Red Hulk. Her arrival in the series not only further develops her character but also reveals the ways Ross’s actions and alliances affect those closest to him. The Red She-Hulk storyline also underscores the tragedy and complexity of the Ross family, who are continually entangled with Hulk-related transformations and conflicts.
Red Hulk in the MCU
From the MCU perspective, evolving Red Hulk opens up many exciting possibilities. First of all, who will defeat him in Captain America: Brave New World? Please don’t say Sam Wilson will do it. If we look at the posters, we see Red Hulk bending his Vibranium shield, indicating his immense strength. It will be a big deal if he doesn’t defeat Sam Wilson. We only see one shot, so we don’t know if Red Hulk is under General Ross’s control. But if they show his overheating power, we know from the comics that Red Hulk is powerful but not for long. Once he starts to overheat, maybe they will exploit that weakness in the movie.
Given how they have brought Red Hulk into the MCU, it seems that his origin will differ from the comics. One common element in both the comics and movies is the Leader. The Leader has mind manipulation and control powers and, along with MODOK, turns Ross into Red Hulk in the comics. Most probably, he will do the same in the movie. In The Incredible Hulk, we saw him researching Hulk’s blood, and in the synopsis, we see he wants to turn the entire world into gamma monsters.
Harrison Ford’s role as General Ross in the MCU adds a new layer of intensity to the Red Hulk character. As a high-ranking government official turned powerful anti-hero, Ross’s transformation into Red Hulk will bring major confrontations in future MCU storylines. Harrison Ford’s Red Hulk transformation is sure to bring the iconic character to life in new ways, expanding the Hulk mythos and potentially introducing thrilling battles against other heroes. With the Leader’s rumored involvement, the MCU may follow elements of Red Hulk’s comic origin or create an entirely new backstory that suits the cinematic storyline.
The Future of Red Hulk in Marvel’s Universe
The introduction of Red Hulk into the MCU paves the way for fresh storylines and potential Hulk-centric projects that involve both classic characters and new ones. The comic storyline of Ross battling both the Hulk and the Avengers could serve as inspiration for future films. Red Hulk’s distinct abilities, such as his overheating weakness, could create opportunities for suspenseful battles against other heroes, including Sam Wilson’s Captain America or even Professor Hulk.
Red Hulk’s potential storylines could also expand on his complex relationship with his daughter, Betty Ross, especially if Red She-Hulk is introduced. This would add an emotional and dramatic layer to Red Hulk’s story, exploring how his transformation impacts his family and his standing in the MCU’s hero community. Additionally, if the Leader uses Red Hulk as a means of spreading gamma-based transformations, there could be a storyline where heroes band together to stop a gamma virus outbreak, a concept seen in some of the Marvel comics.
As a character with conflicting morals, Red Hulk could align himself with different factions, adding an anti-hero presence that challenges traditional heroes and villains alike. His future in Marvel’s universe promises complex story arcs, alliances, and confrontations that will keep fans engaged and open up new directions for the franchise.
Key Comics and Storylines Featuring Red Hulk
Fans interested in exploring Red Hulk comics will find a wealth of storylines that delve into his origins, powers, and complex moral character. Essential readings include:
- Hulk (2008) by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness: This series introduces Red Hulk and unravels the mystery behind his identity.
- Fall of the Hulks and World War Hulks: In these crossovers, Red Hulk plays a central role and clashes with numerous Marvel heroes.
- Hulk of Arabia: This storyline explores Red Hulk’s journey across the globe and his complex loyalties.
- Red Hulk vs. Hulk (Green Hulk): Major confrontations between Red Hulk and Green Hulk are featured throughout these series, including instances where Red Hulk’s overheating weakness impacts the battle’s outcome.
These story arcs showcase Red Hulk’s evolution from antagonist to anti-hero and highlight his most memorable battles and alliances within the Marvel universe.
Frequently Asked Questions about Red Hulk
1. Who is Red Hulk in Marvel Comics?
Red Hulk is General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, a high-ranking military officer and longtime adversary of the Hulk. Created by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness, Red Hulk was introduced as a darker, more strategic version of the Hulk, retaining Ross’s military mind and discipline even in Hulk form.
2. Why is Red Hulk red?
Red Hulk’s color is the result of a unique gamma transformation engineered by MODOK and the Leader. His red hue represents his intense rage and contrasts with Hulk’s green, symbolizing Ross’s darker motives and his chosen transformation to gain power over the Hulk.
3. Is Red Hulk stronger than Hulk?
Red Hulk can be temporarily stronger than Hulk due to his ability to absorb radiation. However, his strength is limited by his tendency to overheat, which weakens him if he exerts himself for too long, while Hulk’s strength continues to grow with his rage.
4. Is Red Hulk a villain?
Red Hulk is more of an anti-hero than a true villain. Although he has opposed Hulk and allied with villains like MODOK, his actions are often driven by a personal vendetta or his own sense of justice, making him morally complex rather than outright evil.
5. Who is Red Hulk in the MCU?
In the MCU, Red Hulk will be portrayed by Harrison Ford, taking on the role of General Ross in Captain America: Brave New World. His introduction promises to expand the Hulk storyline, with Ross expected to transform into Red Hulk, adding a new layer of conflict.
6. What is Red Hulk’s weakness?
Red Hulk’s primary weakness is his tendency to overheat during intense battles. Unlike the Green Hulk, who grows stronger with rage, Red Hulk’s rising temperature eventually weakens him, causing him to lose power if he pushes himself too far.
