Top 10 Hulk Facts

Script written by Clayton Martino
 

Top 10 Hulk Facts

 
The Hulk is one of the most easily recognizable characters in the Marvel universe, but did you know he wasn’t always green? Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Hulk Facts. For this list, we are putting the focus more on real world facts as opposed to looking at specific plot points that occurred in the films or comics.  
 

#10: Many Aliases

Most people are familiar with the classic version of the Hulk who typically only says “Hulk smash” before destroying anything and everything in his immediate vicinity. To keep the character fresh, however, Marvel has created a few different aliases for the Hulk, including the popular Joe Fixit. Fixit was a grey version of the character who retained the smarts of Banner, and even worked as a mob enforcer in Las Vegas. The Hulk would also at one point become the third incarnation of War, one of the Horsemen of Apocalypse.
 

#9: Lots of Powers

Everyone knows that the Hulk is exceptionally strong, but he does have a range of powers that you may be unfamiliar with. For instance, he can leap extremely large distances, and once jumped into orbit. He can also breathe underwater thanks to a special gland. One of the strangest powers, however, has to be his ability to see ghosts, because comic books are weird. He can also heal himself quicker than any other character in the Marvel universe – including Wolverine, which is why, as exciting as their fights always are, Wolverine never really stands a chance.
 

#8: Jaws Nearly Played Him on Television

Before CGI took over the film industry, studios relied a lot more heavily on makeup, prosthetics and practical effects. Several actors were considered to play the role of the Hulk in the live-action television series, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, although he was deemed too short for the role. The studio ended up choosing Richard Kiel, best known as Jaws from the James Bond films. Kiel was eventually let go, however, because he wasn’t bulky enough for the role, and Lou Ferrigno was cast instead.
 

#7: He Left The Avengers for 50 Years

Although the Avengers originally assembled to help stop the Hulk, who was being manipulated by Loki, the Hulk was a founding member of the team. He wouldn’t last long, however. The team, consisting of Iron Man, Wasp, Ant-Man, and Thor, were fearful of Hulk’s destructive tendencies and uncontrollable power, and distanced themselves from him. Feeling unwanted, the Hulk would leave the team at the end of the second issue, and wouldn’t rejoin until half a century later.
 

#6: Bruce Banner Was Renamed David Banner

While the live-action television series made several changes from the source material, perhaps the most obvious one was Banner’s name change. Although he was known as Bruce Banner in the comics, his name was changed to David Banner in the show, allegedly because viewers don’t like alliterative names. According to Stan Lee, however, the name was changed because the show’s executives considered the name Bruce to be too gay, a fact that was confirmed by the show’s star Lou Ferrigno.
 

#5: Originally Transformed by the Sunset

Almost everyone knows the drill – Bruce Banner gets angry and transforms into the Hulk, typically going on a destructive rampage. This wasn’t the case in the original story, however, as Banner would transform into the Hulk at sunset before changing back to human form at dawn, regardless of whether he was angry or not. This is likely because Lee drew inspiration from the “Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”, where Jekyll transforms into the brutish Hyde at night. 
 

#4: Marvel vs. Ed Norton

Out of all the Marvel heroes to receive their own stand-alone film in MCU’s Phase 1, the Hulk was the only one who didn’t get a sequel, yet. In fact, the role was recast for 2012’s “The Avengers”, with Mark Ruffalo taking over from Ed Norton. Marvel and Norton had come to blows over the film, largely because the studio cut out a suicide driven subplot that Norton himself had written into the screenplay. Frustrated over his lack of creative control, something which Marvel had allegedly promised him, Norton refused to promote the film, and was eventually let go by the studio. 
 

#3: The Red Hulk

One of the most popular recent storylines in the comics has revolved around the strange Red Hulk. A much more violent and sadistic version of the Hulk, the Red Hulk killed Abomination, one of the Hulk’s greatest enemies. The Red Hulk was also capable of reverting the Hulk back to Bruce Banner by absorbing his gamma radiation. After months of speculation, the Red Hulk’s identity was eventually revealed to be General Ross – that’s right, the man who had been attempting to destroy the Hulk for years eventually became one.
 

#2: Originally Grey Not Green

The original version of the Hulk was far from the version we know and love today. As previously stated, Banner only changed to the Hulk at night, but that wasn’t the only major difference – the Hulk was originally grey, not green. Stan Lee eventually changed the colour, however, not for plot reasons, but because the printers could not maintain a consistent shade of grey. He chose green because it was a much easier colour to print, and that’s how the Hulk’s iconic colour was created.
 
 
Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honourable mentions:
 
Inspired by Jekyll and Hyde
 
His Friends Exiled Him to Space
 
He Hates Freddie Prinze, Jr.
 
He’s Been on The Cover of Rolling Stone
 
Originally Cancelled After Just Six Issues
 

#1: Lou Ferrigno Has Been in Every Live Adaptation

Arguably Ferrigno’s most famous role, the buff body builder played the Hulk in the live-action television series from 1978-1982. He has since appeared in every single live adaptation of the character. He had a cameo in the 2003 film as a security guard and provided the voice for the Hulk in the 2008 film. He also appeared in “The Avengers” – that’s right, it’s Ferrigno who utters the classic line “puny God” after throwing Loki around like a rag doll.  
 
Do you agree with our list? What is your favourite Hulk fact? For more great Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.