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Hulk has been a massive staple of Marvel Comics for well over sixty years, and in all that time the strongest Avenger has seen plenty of changes. What began as one man being changed by Gamma radiation has turned into a complex web of Hulk lore that encompasses many characters and spans multiple planets. Now, it looks like Marvel is gearing up to reinvent Hulk in a huge way.
Although everyone on Earth knows the Hulk, both as a hero and a giant green menace, his presence isn’t limited to one planet. Marvel is quickly approaching the twentieth anniversary of Planet Hulk, one of the Green Goliath’s most massive and far-reaching stories. The anniversary coincides with the Hulk heading back to space in Jonathan Hickman, Iban Coello and Federico Vicentini’s Imperial.
In an interview with IGN, Jonathan Hickman, the writer behind X-Men’s huge Krakoan era and ongoing Ultimate Universe initiative, discussed how he’s getting ready to sink his teeth into the franchise’s “cosmic” line-up with Imperial, turning the Hulk from hated Earth antihero to powerful ruler of Sakaar.
It’s becoming clear that Marvel sees Hulk’s future in the stars, and that Imperial isn’t just getting a Hulk cameo, but redefining the character as a space-based hero.
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Marvel’s upcoming Imperial miniseries will shake-up everything happening in space, sending several characters, including Hulk, Black Panther and Professor X, to fill a power vacuum created when several galactic leaders are assassinated. Imperial’s launch happens to closely coincide with Planet Hulk’s upcoming anniversary and presents the perfect way to honor one of his most transformative stories to date. Planet Hulk, written by Greg Pak and drawn by Carlo Pagulayan and Aaron Lopresti, focused on Bruce Banner being exiled in space by the Illuminati. He crashed on the planet Sakaar and was forced to fight in Gladiator-style combat until a massive rebellion led to him becoming King.
Given that Planet Hulk was such a pivotal story for the character and pulled in huge cosmic names like Silver Surfer, it’s only fitting that Imperial is bringing back Hulk’s rule over Sakaar. Hickman assures fans:
All I’ll say there is we’re coming up on the twentieth anniversary of Planet Hulk and Marvel doesn’t usually let those opportunities pass by.
While the original Planet Hulk saw Hulk in exile, Imperial sees him voluntarily return to space with allies She-Hulk and a young Hulk who could either be his son Skaar or Amadeus Cho’s Brawn. Fans might have imagined Hulk’s stay in space would be an extended holiday, but Hickman invoking Planet Hulk makes it way more likely that Marvel is planning a totally new status quo for the Jade Giant. That’s great news for everyone who loved Planet Hulk, which has endured as one of the character’s most beloved stories.
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The X-Men’s Krakoan era and Marvel’s ongoing (and massively popular) Ultimate Universe initiative both show exactly what can happen when a creative team are willing to make sweeping changes. X-Men history was changed forever with Jonathan Hickman’s revamp of the franchise, which kicked off a years-long era filled with rich lore and expansive stories for many beloved characters. Likewise, the Ultimate line has been highly praised for its unexpected turns and unique takes on many well-known faces. Now, Hickman is set to take that energy to the stars wth Marvel’s cosmic line-up, including Nova, Star-Lord, and more.
With Marvel’s current focus on creating a limited number of strong books, the goal is a “small, tight line of books” that readers can go for without getting overwhelmed, and that’s good news for Hulk fans. It’s becoming clear that Marvel sees Hulk’s future in the stars, and that Imperial isn’t just getting a Hulk cameo, but redefining the character as a space-based hero.
Imperial Isn’t Just Sending Hulk to Space – It’s Making Space His Home
Hulk’s Bond to Sakaar Deserves Some Major Stories
Hulk is about to be in the middle of a cosmic shake-up that will turn him into one of the most powerful people in the galaxy. Hulk’s return to Sakaar pays off just how beloved Planet Hulk has become in the years since it was published. Coinciding with that story’s anniversary means that this isn’t just a ‘Hulk in space’ story – it’s essentially guaranteed that Imperial will explore Hulk’s relationship with Sakaar in particular, and what it means to return as ruler years after essentially abandoning the planet that loved him.
Planet Hulk was one of the most pivotal Hulk stories in history, and it’s past time to revisit it. Hulk has been grounded for too long, and if Imperial sticks the landing, it can bring back an era that made many fans lifelong fans of the Hulk.
Check out Imperial #1 on June 4, 2025 from Marvel Comics.
Source: Jesse Schedeen, IGN
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