Red Hulk

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The Red Hulk is an alias that is used by different fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. While the first two were created from members of the United States army, the third one is a form of Hulk's Joe Fixit personality.

The first incarnation of Red Hulk (also known as Rulk)^[1] first appeared in the Hulk series that debuted in 2008.^[2] The 2010 "World War Hulks" storyline reveals that this being is United States Army General Thunderbolt Ross,^[3] the father-in-law and longtime nemesis of the original Hulk (Bruce Banner).^[4] The story line reveals that Ross was given the ability to transform into Red Hulk by the organizations A.I.M. and the Intelligencia and that he did this in order to better fight the original Hulk.^[3]

The origin of the second Red Hulk appears in the 2017 debut issue of U.S.Avengers. Four-star General Robert Maverick is selected for his genetic profile to create a being who is "halfway to a Hulk". A device called the Hulk Plug-In, created by Avengers Idea Mechanics (a legitimate technology company created from the remains of the defunct supervillain organization Advanced Idea Mechanics), is implanted in Maverick's wrist. When triggered, it turns him into a variation of Red Hulk for one hour approximately every day and a half. Unlike the original Red Hulk, Maverick retains his mustache in his Hulk form and wears his sunglasses. He joins the U.S. Avengers.^[5]

Hulk's Joe Fixit personality later gained the ability to transform into his version of Red Hulk form when in the Below-Place.^[6]

Red Hulk has superhuman strength, durability, and endurance, comparable to that of the Hulk. He is capable of absorbing radiation, which his body can metabolize for increased strength. Unlike the Hulk, increased anger does not make him stronger but causes him to emit increasing heat. The upper limit of this heat has not been specified. When fighting the Hulk, during Red Hulk's first story line, this heat created an aura of light around the two behemoths and melted the desert sand on which they stood into a glass disc at least dozens of feet in diameter. At this level, Red Hulk weakens and is vulnerable to being knocked unconscious by the Hulk.^[7][8]

In the unified Marvel 2099 reality of Earth-2099, a space explorer named Ross Romero is dispatched with his crew by Alchemax to explore a rogue planet that appeared around the Sun. When the planet attacked his crew and one of them abandoned Ross on the planet, he worked to survive on it. One day, he ate a red fruit that appeared before him and it transformed him into the 2099 version of Red Hulk as he figures out that the planet he's stranded on is Ego the Living Planet who empowered him as his last act. Ego's pursuer Terrax the Planet Hunter arrived after killing the crew member that abandoned Ross and fought Ross' Red Hulk form. Red Hulk defeats Terrax the Planet Hunter who finds himself unable to manipulate Ego's soil. Now with his new powers, Red Hulk leaves Ego to protect the galaxy as he taps into Hyperspace and heads into the unknown.^[9]

The 2015 "Secret Wars" story line features the Battleworld domain of Greenland and contains some Red Hulks who are part of the different Tribal Hulks. One Red Hulk rules Greenland as the Red King. A variation of Captain America called the Captain is sent into Greenland by God Emperor Doom and Sheriff Strange to kill the Red King, who is holding Bucky Barnes prisoner.^[10] After the Red King reveals to that group that he already killed Barnes,^[11] the Captain kills the Red King.^[12]

Red Hulk will appear in his live-action debut in the 2025 Marvel Cinematic Universe film Captain America: Brave New World.^[13]