Ever since the Hulk debuted in the pages of Marvel Comics all way back in May 1962 in his solo series The Incredible Hulk #1, he has been a major fixture of the Marvel Universe. Yet the character has undergone many changes over the years, one of the most notable being he was originally grey in his first appearance, but due to a coloring error in the printer, Marvel changed him to his signature green tone in his second issue. Yet the idea of other colored Hulks became a significant part of the character's mythology. In 2008, as part of a promotional push for the Marvel Cinematic Universe film The Incredible Hulk, Marvel introduced a new mysterious Red Hulk in Hulk Vol. 3 #1 in January of that year.
The Red Hulk referred to an abandoned idea from the 1978 television series The Incredible Hulk, where the show's creator, Kenneth Johnson, originally wanted to make the Hulk red to signify rage, which Marvel rejected. In the 17 years since his debut, the Red Hulk has become a significant part of the Hulk mythology. The Red Hulk has since been included in Avengers: Earth Mightiest Heroes, Avengers: Assembled, Hulk: Agents of S.M.A.S.H. and is set to make his MCU debut in Captain America: Brave New World.
Yet the Red Hulk itself can cause confusion. Is this another form of the Hulk or a different character? Even the trailer for Captain America: Brave New World highlights this with someone saying, "Since when were they red?" about a Hulk. Here are the significant differences between the classic Green Hulk and the newer Red Hulk.
Captain America: Brave New World Fantasy Adventure Action Release Date February 14, 2025 Director Julius Onah Writers Dalan Musson, Malcolm Spellman Prequel(s) Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War Franchise(s) Captain America, Marvel Cinematic Universe Cast See All Anthony Mackie Sam Wilson / Captain America Harrison Ford Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross / Red Hulk Liv Tyler Betty Ross Giancarlo Esposito Sidewinder
Powered by Expand Collapse Green Hulk and Red Hulk Aren't the Same Person Close
Getting it right out of the way, Red Hulk is not the same person as the classic Green Hulk (who we will just call the Hulk).
The classic Hulk everyone knows is Doctor Bruce Banner, a gamma scientist who was transformed into the Incredible Hulk after being exposed to high levels of gamma rays. He debuted in The Incredible Hulk #1. While the Hulk is typically portrayed as a mindless monster driven by anger, the Hulk has taken on many different personas that stem from childhood trauma. 1978's Incredible Hulk #227 established that the Hulk's separate identities were not due to the mutation affecting his brain, but because Banner had dissociative identity disorder, with the Green Hulk representing Banner's repressed childhood rage and aggression while the original Grey Hulk, later criminal Joe Fixit, representing Banner's repressed selfish urges.
As for the Red Hulk, the character most commonly associated with the character is General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, who also originally debuted in The Incredible Hulk #1 back in 1962. The Red Hulk debuted in January 2008, but the character's identity remained a mystery for two years until Hulk Vol. 3 #23 in June 2010.
Ross and Red Hulk are not two separate consciousnesses like Bruce Banner and the Hulk, but one mind. After years of hunting Bruce Banner and the Hulk, Ross willingly allowed himself to become the Red Hulk. He agreed to be transformed by The Leader and M.O.D.O.K's Intellegncia group into the Red Hulk. Ross became the Red Hulk out of a new power, in his own view, to protect others from threats like the Hulk. Bruce Banner became the Hulk due to an accident and has spent most of his life trying to cure himself.
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Posts Anger Is the Source of the Hulk's Strength, While It Is the Red Hulk's Weakness Close
On the surface, both the Hulk and Red Hulk have very similar powers. Both turn from ordinary humans into massive figures with super strength and advanced healing and can leap great distances. One of the significant differences between the Hulk and the Red Hulk is how they generate their strength. The Hulk gets stronger and angrier, so the longer a fight goes on, the more powerful he becomes.
On the other hand, Red Hulk grows stronger by absorbing energy. Since the Hulk gives off low levels of gamma radiation, the Red Hulk does become stronger when he fights the Hulk. Red Hulk also gives off his own form of radiation, a yellow glow that results in firey eyes that can become so hot he can turn sand into glass and melt objects he touches.
On paper, Red Hulk would be more powerful than the Hulk in many ways. The Hulk is normally a raging monster, while Red Hulk maintains Ross' military tactical expertise. While the Hulk does have personas that could, on paper, match Red Hulk in that respect, be it the Professor Hulk or the warrior Worldbreaker Hulk, the classic Green Hulk facing off against the traditional Red Hulk should put him at a disadvantage. Even with one of his other personas, Red Hulk is a military genius, while Smart Hulk's intelligence would lie in the fields of science.
However, anger is a key difference between the two Hulks. Where anger is the source of the Hulk's strength, it is a major weakness for the Red Hulk. As mentioned earlier, the angrier the Hulk gets, the stronger he becomes, so the key to defeating him is often to calm him down. When the Red Hulk's anger increases, so does his body temperature, and the character's physiology lacks a cooling mechanism to deal with the excessive heat build-up. His getting angrier actually weakens him, and that increase in body temperature can cause him to lose focus, eventually leading to loss of consciousness. Yet, it is worth noting that when the Red Hulk is unconscious, he does not revert to his human form the same way the Hulk does.
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One of the biggest differences between the Hulk and The Red Hulk is exactly how they are perceived both by the people of the Marvel Universe and also by fans. The Hulk is a misunderstood outcast treated like a villain at times, but is one of Marvel's greatest heroes. Meanwhile, Red Hulk originally started out as a villain who has since been reformed and fought alongside the heroes, but is still associated by fans as a Marvel villain -- hence why he is an antagonist in Captain America: Brave New World, while the Hulk is one of the Avengers.
The Hulk was a founding member of The Avengers in the comics, and even though he left in the second issue, he is still an honorary member of the team and recently became a more active part of the group, particularly following the comics trying to follow the MCU model. The Hulk has also been an honorary replacement member of The Fantastic Four and has even worked alongside other misfit and outcast heroes like Doctor Strange, Namor, and The Silver Surfer to form The Defenders. During the Red Hulk's original run, he was part of his own villainous team to counter The Defenders, aptly called The Offenders.
The Red Hulk also led his own version of The Thunderbolts, which consisted of fellow anti-heroes like The Punisher, Elektra, Deadpool, and Agent Venom. This is one reason many fans think the upcoming MCU Thunderbolts* will be named after Thunderbolt Ross, even though Marvel Studios has denied this. Red Hulk also served as a member of The Avengers, which Bruce Banner recommended to Captain America. Despite having served as a hero in the Marvel Universe, Red Hulk is still considered by many fans more of a Marvel villain than a hero, even though he has not been one for quite some time.
The Hulk and Red Hulk have a lot in common, but the two characters are very different. While the Red Hulk might have more powers on the surface, and his merged mind makes him a deadly threat, Bruce Banner and the Hulk are reluctant heroes, ones feared by the world, but they will also protect and save others. There is a reason why when Loki threatened Tony Stark with an army, all he had to say was, "We have a Hulk," and everyone knew the odds were in the Avengers' favor. It will be interesting to see how Harrison Ford's Red Hulk will factor into the future of the MCU and if he will ever get the chance to fight Mark Ruffalo's Hulk.