8 Things About the Hulk That Make Absolutely Zero Sense

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The Marvel universe is full of outlandish characters and unanswered questions, and Hulk is at the center of several of the latter. From its perpetually sliding timescale to the world’s minimal worry about endless consecutive catastrophes, there’s a lot about the Marvel universe that doesn’t really make sense. Diving into Marvel lore requires a fair deal of suspension of disbelief. It wouldn’t be as exciting otherwise, after all.

Hulk is an inherently bizarre character. Whereas heroes like Spider-Man, Captain America, and Iron Man are regular humans with superpowers, Hulk is a virtually invincible Gamma monster that spawns from within Bruce Banner’s body. On top of that, Immortal Hulk reveals that Hulk is forever tied to the Below-Place, making Hulk a mystical character as well. It’s only natural for Banner and Hulk to challenge suspension of disbelief in more ways than one.

8

Where Does Hulk’s Mass Come From?

Bruce Banner’s Hulk Transformation Breaks The Laws Of Physics

From a real-world scientific standpoint, Bruce Banner’s transformation into the Hulk breaks basic physical laws. Banner weighs around 130 pounds, while the Hulk can exceed 1,000 pounds. No known biological process can instantaneously generate hundreds of pounds of muscle and bone. Conservation of mass and energy would require an external source, yet Banner grows without consuming anything.

Marvel’s Immortal Hulk storyline reveals that the Hulk’s transformations are linked to the Below-Place, a mystical realm so closely tied to all gamma mutates that it negates their death. Hence, it’s likely that Hulk draws his extra mass from there. However, there are multiple theories about the origin of Hulk’s mass. One of them claims that Gamma energy becomes dense enough to solidify, and another one attributes it to the “Godpower Theory” that encompasses all superpowers.

The “Godpower Theory” states that many superpowers operate on a reality-warping level. If this is accurate, then Hulk doesn’t absorb energy or matter, but instead rewrites reality itself to transform his body. The same logic applies to mutants who manipulate fire, weather, or magnetic fields despite gaining their powers from a mere gene. Like Hulk, Mister Fantastic and Ms. Marvel may literally create new mass out of nowhere to extend and stretch their bodies.

Hulk Can’t Really Be Immortal If Bruce Banner Isn’t

According to Immortal Hulk, Gamma mutates’ souls pass through the Green Door and return from the Below-Place every time they die, which makes them practically unkillable. But while Hulk’s body constantly regenerates and resurrects indefinitely, his immortality might be one-sided. Bruce Banner’s body is bound to grow old and break down, which raises the question of whether he can age and die apart from Hulk.

Hulk’s healing factor theoretically shields Bruce Banner from cellular degeneration, disease, and organ failure. In theory, that should also keep Banner from dying, even at an advanced age. However, even with a perfect immune system, human bodies eventually wear out. If Hulk and Banner share the same vessel, it’s unclear what will happen when Banner’s body can’t go on any longer.

Future Marvel timelines offer contradictory answers. Maestro is a future version of Hulk who not only survived civilization’s collapse, but grew much stronger than his present-day counterpart. Meanwhile, Old Man Logan portrays an older Hulk who has let himself go, which suggests that he ages similarly to humans, just on a larger scale. Other future timelines omit Hulk entirely, implying he either dies, becomes dormant, or merges with Banner in a way that ends both.

6

Why Is The World So Comfortable With The Hulk Roaming Free?

Regular People Are Way Too Forgiving Of The Hulk’s Destructive Nature

Hulk has often been unfairly persecuted, but there’s no denying that his rampages have left massive destruction and loss of life in their wake. Cities have been leveled, countless civilians have been endangered, and Hulk’s lack of control presents an ongoing threat. While Hulk has saved the world many times, the fact that there are rarely lasting security measures to contain him when Bruce Banner loses control makes little sense in a world filled with advanced tech and government oversight.

Despite Hulk’s heroism, his actions during events like World War Hulk are extreme enough to justify retaliation. After being exiled by the Illuminati, Hulk returned more powerful than ever, conquered Manhattan, and nearly killed several major heroes. Even though he was provoked, this level of vengeance should have triggered global outcry and long-term consequences. Yet Hulk often returns to Marvel’s hero roster as if nothing happened.

The world’s selective forgiveness isn’t unique to Hulk. Characters who’ve committed atrocities, from the Winter Soldier and Venom to Magneto and Doctor Doom, often receive seamless redemption arcs. From a practical perspective, this happens in order to maintain an entertaining status quo. If real-world logic applied, more than half of Marvel’s heroes would already be permanently locked up. Hulk being allowed to walk free is one of the milder examples.

5

Why Aren’t Gamma Transformations More Popular Than The Super Soldier Serum?

Villains And Organizations Should Have Prioritized Gamma Soldiers Long Ago

Throughout the years, countless villains and organizations have obsessed over recreating Project Rebirth. Meanwhile, Gamma radiation has been proven to create beings exponentially more powerful than Steve Rogers, yet few villains seem interested in replicating the Hulk. While Banner’s accident is far more volatile and frightening, it’s odd that so many people continue to chase a serum that merely enhances a human rather than producing a near-unstoppable force.

One argument is that Hulk’s power isn’t replicable because of Bruce Banner’s repressed rage and trauma. Still, all other Marvel Gamma mutates possess immense strength, durability, and healing without the same downsides. World War Hulks is one of the rare times when a villain has tried to weaponize Gamma transformations on a large scale. As one would expect, the Intelligencia confirmed that creating new Hulks is potentially more effective than creating Super Soldiers.

From a real-world perspective, it’s clear that Hulk needs to stand out. If Gamma mutates became as common as Super Soldiers, they would undermine what makes Hulk and his supporting cast unique. A dozen gamma-powered individuals can feel distinct, whereas a full army of colorful monsters would become visually and thematically repetitive. Super Soldiers are easier to blend into stories and teams — they’re human-looking, relatively grounded, and easier to replicate.

4

Why Doesn’t Hulk End Every Major Battle In The Marvel Universe?

Hulk Could Do Much More For His Fellow Marvel Heroes

Hulk’s strength is famously described as having no upper limit: the angrier he gets, the stronger he becomes. In theory, this means that Hulk should be able to end most strength-dependent battles across the Marvel Universe all by himself. However, countless large-scale battles are resolved without Hulk’s help, even when sheer power could be the deciding factor.

Marvel often sidelines or weakens Hulk in order to keep the stakes high. If Hulk came in to save the day using his full strength, most stories would end too quickly and most heroes would lose their relevance. This same issue applies to other overpowered heroes like Sentry and the Scarlet Witch, who tend to be conveniently absent, unwilling to fight, or depowered.

It’s common for comic book heroes to stay out of each other’s stories unless they’re participating in a crossover story. Just like Hulk doesn’t defeat the Fantastic Four’s villains, Thor doesn’t show up in Hell’s Kitchen to end Daredevil’s problems, and DC’s Superman stays out of Gotham. Marvel and DC both rely on this separation to preserve the tone and structure of each character’s world. Still, the in-universe implications are rather comical.

3

Why Has Bruce Banner’s Attempts At A Cure Been So Easily Overshadowed By Other Characters’?

Bruce Banner May Not Have Been Trying To Get Rid Of The Hulk Hard Enough

Despite his genius-level intellect and extensive resources, Bruce Banner repeatedly failed to eliminate and suppress the Hulk in his early days. Banner’s struggle stemmed from the fact that the Hulk is an autonomous identity rooted in Banner’s psyche. Oddly enough, other brilliant minds like Doc Samson, the Leader, and Amadeus Cho have had far more success at stabilizing Bruce Banner’s and their own Gamma mutations.

In Incredible Hulk #141, Doc Samson successfully “cures” Bruce Banner of his monstrous alter ego and crafts a more stable Gamma transformation for himself. Amadeus Cho achieves a similar feat in 2015’s The Totally Awesome Hulk, using nanotechnology to siphon gamma radiation from Bruce. Compared to these characters, Banner’s continued failures at curing or even stabilizing the Hulk put his scientific talents in question.

Then again, Marvel needs to preserve tension around Bruce Banner’s duality, otherwise his story would conclude definitively. One possible in-universe explanation for Banner’s repeated failures is that, deep down, he doesn’t actually want to be cured. Subconsciously, Banner may be sabotaging his own efforts because the Hulk is the only release valve for his repressed emotions.

2

How Good Is Hulk’s Healing Factor?

Hulk’s Healing Factor Has Always Been Very Inconsistent

Hulk’s healing factor is described as one of the most powerful in the Marvel Universe, able to regenerate his body from even the smallest surviving tissue. In Incredible Hulk #398, it’s suggested that Hulk can recover from any possible injury, and in Immortal Hulk, he regenerates from being blown apart. Nevertheless, Hulk has been incapacitated by far less. Characters like Thor and the Thing, and even Captain America have landed hits that left Hulk unconscious.

In theory, an unstoppable healing factor should allow Hulk to shake off most attacks, avoid being knocked out, and spring up within instants if he is. Yet, it isn’t a rare sight to see Hulk beaten up and unconscious on the floor. There are moments when Hulk is taken off the board long enough for the rest of the plot to unfold, without his miraculous regeneration ever kicking in fast enough to make a difference.

Like other characters with healing powers, Hulk must remain vulnerable in order to maintain dramatic tension. Wolverine sometimes heals instantly from fatal wounds, while other times he takes hours to recover. Deadpool is famously hard to kill, but he isn’t exempt from defeat. Ultimately, their healing factor bends to the demands of the plot rather than strict logic.

1

What Exactly Dictates What Gamma Mutation A Person Will Develop?

Gamma Transformations Are Seemingly Arbitrary For Humans

In Marvel Comics, Gamma mutations result in a diverse array of physical forms, but there’s no clear, consistent explanation as to what determines their visual differences. Some Gamma mutates become massive and muscular like Hulk, others transform into grotesque monsters like the Abomination, and others like She-Hulk receive a more subtly enhanced physique. The origin point is typically the same, but the results vary wildly.

Bruce Banner’s many Hulks have their origin in Banner’s fractured psyche, hence why they display physical symbols of Banner’s identity. However, this framework doesn’t apply to other Gamma mutates. For instance, Emil Blonsky’s transformation into the fish-like Abomination and Rick Jones’ transformation into the blue, spiky, armored A-Bomb lack a compelling physical explanation. Hulk and Dr. Strange #1 explains that Gamma energy amplifies one’s traits and flaws, but the colors, textures, sizes, and shapes of the physical results remain unexplained.

This inconsistency likely stems from the fact that Marvel didn’t plan a unified Gamma mythology from the beginning. Hulk came first, and other Gamma-powered characters were added later, with some twists added to their physical appearance. As the roster grew, writers retroactively wove connections and explanations to justify these differences.

“}]] Some details about Hulk don’t line up.  Read More