The saga of the Emerald Goliath changes forever with the arrival of the Infernal Hulk, a creature more powerful than ever.
For years, Hulk seemed immortal. Since Marvel transformed him into a practically immortal being in 2018, the green giant has survived all kinds of threats. However, that era has come to an end: the incredible hulk is deadand his disappearance has unleashed an enemy as ancient as it is terrifying, known as Hell Hulk.
Death of the immortal monster
In the last issues of the series, written by Philip Kennedy Johnson and designed by Nick Kleinthe story revolves around an entity called the Mother of Horrorsa cosmic being who was born without the intervention of One above allthe creator of the Marvel multiverse. This creature had had two children and intended to dominate all of reality, to the point of confining it to the universe Sub-placethe lowest level of existence.
The only one of his descendants who managed to escape was The majora shapeshifter who grew up obsessed with freeing her mother. Convinced that the key was in the body of the Emerald Giant, whose connection with… One above all granted him immortality: the creature began its hunt.
Infernal Hulk, the birth of a new monster
It all culminates in The Incredible Hulk #30When The majorthat inhabits the body of Abominationface the Emerald Goliath within the Nether Place. Instead of fighting, rips Bruce Banner’s soul from Hulk’s bodycompletely separating the two. This break causes the spiritual death of the heroleaving his body empty and vulnerable to his enemy.
But the Hulk’s fate couldn’t be more grisly. After finding out that his mother had died in his prison, The Elder devours the body of the Mother of Horrorsfusing his power with the green monster’s physical strength. This is how it was born the Infernal Hulka fusion of hatred, madness and cosmic power. The narrator sums it all up with a chilling phrase: “The One beneath it all is gone…along with the Mother of Horrors. All that remains…is the Hulk.”
The dark legacy of One Below All
For veteran readers, the One above all was one of the creepiest concepts in the Marvel Universe. This being, as opposed to the One Above All, represents the very core of anger, destruction and desperation. He was also the source that transformed the Hulk and other gamma mutants immortal entities. Now that it’s no longer there, that immortality has been brokenleaving Bruce Banner as vulnerable as any human being.
However, his mind is still active. Although his body was destroyed, The flag surviveswilling to face the monster that brings with it his power, but not his humanity. Marvel has already announced that this story will continue in a new collection titled Hell Hulkwhich will debut in November 2025.
The return of horror in Marvel comics
Against Hell Hulkthe publisher promises a new phase of cosmic horror within the Marvel universe. The new villain will try to “revive the old world of nightmares” and turning heroes into beastsrewriting the rules of gamma power and fear. The tone is reminiscent of the characters’ darker sagas, such as Immortal Hulk by Al Ewing, but on an even more apocalyptic scale.
Fans of the classic comic Emerald Giant will find a mix between here metaphysical terror and existential tragedywith a typical dose of brutal action. Marvel seems willing to explore a demonic version of the hero which once symbolized the repressed anger of humanity.
The end of the Hulk… or a new beginning
The closure of The Incredible Hulk #30 makes it clear the hero myth has changed forever. The Emerald Giant is dead, but in his place is something worse. But his hellish version promises to be a series that not only redefines the character’s legacy, but also opens the door to a new phase of horror in superhero comics.
With this move, Marvel once again demonstrates its ability to reinvent its icons, transforming a story of strength and redemption into a cosmic nightmare where the monster within finally wins the battle.
