The Hulk first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 (cover dated May 1962), written by writer-

editor Stan Lee, penciled and co-plotted by Jack Kirby,[6][7] and inked by Paul Reinman. Lee cites
influence from Frankenstein[8] and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in the Hulk's creation:

It was patently apparent that [the monstrous character the] Thing was the most popular character
in [Marvel's recently created superhero team the] Fantastic Four. ... For a long time, I'd been
aware of the fact that people were more likely to favor someone who was less than perfect. ... It's
a safe bet that you remember Quasimodo, but how easily can you name any of the heroic,
handsomer, more glamorous characters in The Hunchback of Notre Dame? And then there's
Frankenstein ... I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the Frankenstein monster. No one
could ever convince me that he was the bad guy. ... He never wanted to hurt anyone; he merely
groped his torturous way through a second life trying to defend himself, trying to come to terms
with those who sought to destroy him. ... I decided I might as well borrow from Dr. Jekyll and
Mr. Hyde as well—our protagonist would constantly change from his normal identity to his
superhuman alter ego and back again.[9]

Kirby, commenting upon his influences in drawing the character, recalled as inspiration
witnessing in person the hysterical strength of a mother lifting a car off her trapped child.[10][11][12]

Lee has also compared Hulk to the Golem of Jewish mythology.[8] In The Science of
Superheroes, Gresh and Weinberg see the Hulk as a reaction to the Cold War[13] and the threat of
nuclear attack, an interpretation shared by Weinstein in Up, Up and Oy Vey.[8] This interpretation
corresponds with other popularized fictional media created during this time period, which took
advantage of the prevailing sense among Americans that nuclear power could produce monsters
and mutants.[14]

In the debut, Lee chose grey for the Hulk because he wanted a color that did not suggest any
particular ethnic group.[15] Colorist Stan Goldberg, however, had problems with the grey
coloring, resulting in different shades of grey, and even green, in the issue. After seeing the first
published issue, Lee chose to change the skin color to green.[16] Green was used in retellings of
the origin, with even reprints of the original story being recolored for the next two decades, until
The Incredible Hulk vol. 2, #302 (December 1984) reintroduced the grey Hulk in flashbacks set
close to the origin story. An exception is the early trade paperback, Origins of Marvel Comics,
from 1974, which explains the difficulties in keeping the grey color consistent in a Stan Lee
written prologue, and reprints the origin story keeping the grey coloration. Since December
1984, reprints of the first issue have displayed the original grey coloring, with the fictional canon
specifying that the Hulk's skin had initially been grey.

Lee gave the Hulk's alter ego the alliterative name "Bruce Banner" because he found he had less
difficulty remembering alliterative names. Despite this, in later stories he misremembered the
character's name and referred to him as "Bob Banner", an error which readers quickly picked up
on.[17] The discrepancy was resolved by giving the character the official full name "Robert
Bruce Banner."[1]

The Hulk got his name from a comic book character named The Heap who was a large green
swamp monster.[18]
Series history

The Hulk's original series was canceled with issue #6 (March 1963). Lee had written each story,
with Kirby penciling the first five issues and Steve Ditko penciling and inking the sixth. The
character immediately guest-starred in The Fantastic Four #12 (March 1963), and months later
became a founding member of the superhero team the Avengers, appearing in the first two issues
of the team's eponymous series (Sept. and Nov. 1963), and returning as an antagonist in issue #3
and as an ally in #5 (Jan.–May 1964). He then guest-starred in Fantastic Four #25–26 (April–
May 1964), which revealed Banner's full name as Robert Bruce Banner, and The Amazing
Spider-Man #14 (July 1964).[19]

The Incredible Hulk #1 (May 1962). Cover art by Jack Kirby and Paul Reinman.

Around this time, co-creator Kirby received a letter from a college dormitory stating the Hulk
had been chosen as its official mascot.[8] Kirby and Lee realized their character had found an
audience in college-age readers.

A year and a half after The Incredible Hulk was canceled, the Hulk became one of two features
in Tales to Astonish, beginning in issue #60 (Oct. 1964).[20]

This new Hulk feature was initially scripted by Lee, with pencils by Steve Ditko and inks by
George Roussos. Other artists later in this run included Jack Kirby (#68–87, June 1965 – Oct.
1966); Gil Kane (credited as "Scott Edwards", #76, (Feb. 1966)); Bill Everett (#78–84, April–
Oct. 1966); John Buscema (#85–87); and Marie Severin. The Tales to Astonish run introduced
the super-villains the Leader,[3] who would become the Hulk's nemesis, and the Abomination,
another gamma-irradiated being.[3] Marie Severin finished out the Hulk's run in Tales to Astonish.
Beginning with issue #102 (April 1968) the book was retitled The Incredible Hulk vol. 2,[21] and
ran until 1999, when Marvel canceled the series and launched Hulk #1. Marvel filed for a
trademark for "The Incredible Hulk" in 1967, and the United States Patent and Trademark Office
issued the registration in 1970.[22]

Len Wein wrote the series from 1974 through 1978, working first with Herb Trimpe, then, as of
issue #194 (December 1975), with Sal Buscema, who was the regular artist for ten years.[23]
Issues #180–181 (Oct.–Nov. 1974) introduced Wolverine as an antagonist,[24] who would go on
to become one of Marvel Comics' most popular characters. In 1977, Marvel launched a second
title, The Rampaging Hulk, a black-and-white comics magazine.[3] This was originally conceived
as a flashback series, set between the end of his original, short-lived solo title and the beginning
of his feature in Tales to Astonish.[25] After nine issues, the magazine was retitled The Hulk! and
printed in color.[26]

In 1977, two Hulk television films were aired to strong ratings, leading to an Incredible Hulk TV
series which aired from 1978 to 1982. A huge ratings success, the series introduced the popular
Hulk catchphrase, "Don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry", and broadened
the character's popularity from a niche comic book readership into the mainstream
consciousness.[27]

Bill Mantlo became the series' writer for five years beginning with issue #245 (March 1980).
Mantlo's "Crossroads of Eternity" stories (#300–313, Oct. 1984 – Nov. 1985) explored the idea
that Banner had suffered child abuse. Later Hulk writers Peter David and Greg Pak have called
these stories an influence on their approaches to the character.[28][29] Mantlo left the series for
Alpha Flight and that series' writer John Byrne took over The Incredible Hulk.[30] The final issue
of Byrne's six issue run featured the wedding of Bruce Banner and Betty Ross.[31] Writer Peter
David began a twelve-year run with issue #331 (May 1987). He returned to the Roger Stern and
Mantlo abuse storylines, expanding the damage caused, and depicting Banner as suffering
dissociative identity disorder (DID).[3]

In 1998, David killed off Banner's long-time love Betty Ross. Marvel executives used Ross'
death as an opportunity to pursue the return of the Savage Hulk. David disagreed, leading to his
parting ways with Marvel.[32] Also in 1998, Marvel relaunched The Rampaging Hulk as a
standard comic book rather than as a comics magazine.[3] The Incredible Hulk was again
cancelled with issue #474 of its second volume in March 1999 and was replaced with new series,
Hulk the following month, with returning writer Byrne and art by Ron Garney.[33][34] New series
writer Paul Jenkins developed the Hulk's multiple personalities,[35] and his run was followed by
Bruce Jones[36] with his run featuring Banner being pursued by a secret conspiracy and aided by
the mysterious Mr. Blue. Jones appended his 43-issue Incredible Hulk run with the limited series
Hulk/Thing: Hard Knocks #1–4 (Nov. 2004 – Feb. 2005), which Marvel published after putting
the ongoing series on hiatus. Peter David, who had initially signed a contract for the six-issue
Tempest Fugit limited series, returned as writer when it was decided to make that story the first
five parts of the revived volume three.[37] After a four-part tie-in to the "House of M" storyline
and a one-issue epilogue, David left the series once more, citing the need to do non-Hulk work
for the sake of his career.[38]

Writer Greg Pak took over the series in 2006, leading the Hulk through several crossover
storylines including "Planet Hulk" and "World War Hulk", which left the Hulk temporarily
incapacitated and replaced as the series' title character by the demigod Hercules in the retitled
The Incredible Hercules (Feb. 2008). The Hulk returned periodically in Hulk, which then starred
the new Red Hulk.[39] In September 2009, The Incredible Hulk was relaunched as The Incredible
Hulk vol. 2, #600.[39] The series was retitled The Incredible Hulks with issue #612 (Nov. 2010) to
encompass the Hulk's expanded family, and ran until issue #635 (Oct. 2011) when it was
replaced with The Incredible Hulk vol. 3, (15 issues, Dec. 2011 – Dec. 2012) written by Jason
Aaron with art by Marc Silvestri.[40] As part of Marvel's 2012 Marvel NOW! relaunch, a series
called The Indestructible Hulk (Nov. 2012) debuted under the creative team of Mark Waid and
Leinil Yu.[41] This series was replaced in 2014 with The Hulk by Waid and artist Mark Bagley.[