Hulk’s Darkest Persona Just Got a Devastating Upgrade

Warning: contains spoilers for Immortal Hulk #45

If there’s one thing the Hulk is known for outside of his strength, it’s his many big personalities. From the skeptical Bruce Banner to the lovable child-like Hulk, Marvel’s great green brute is brimming with character, and the darkest of them all is the morally and physically gray Joe Fixit. Though he has spent much of Immortal Hulk depowered, he just received a bigger power upgrade than any Hulk before him.

That power-up will prove more necessary than ever as the Hulks face their biggest threats of all time. The Immortal Hulk series from writer Al Ewing and artist Joe Bennet has recently seen Bruce Banner abducted by the Leaders, the Devil Hulk killed, and even the standard Hulk was reduced to just skin and bones. As if all that wasn’t enough, a battle with the insidious U-Foes left the Hulk only a charred corpse. All seemed lost as Hulk and Joe Fixit woke up in the Below Place underneath a massive version of the Leader. If there’s one thing readers should know about the Hulk though, it’s to never count him out for long.

Now, in Immortal Hulk #45, Joe and Hulk are given a brief glimmer of hope when a Green Door appears in the underworld. Though they try to take it as they have done countless times before, the Leader reveals that he controls the doors now. With a flip from green to red, the two remaining Hulks are barred from leaving the Leader’s twisted Hell. He unleashes a horde of unspeakable horrors on the duo. All genuinely seems lost as the creatures tear into Hulk. Then Joe’s eyes glow red. With a burst of confidence, Joe turns into the Red Hulk and absolutely demolishes the nightmares sent to maim him. He smashes the demons and makes his way to the Red Door. Back in the mortal plane, the U-Foes recoil in horror as the charred body of Hulk reanimates and heals. Joe Fixit is back as a gray and red Hulk, and he’s ready to destroy those who hurt him most.

The thing that makes Immortal Hulk such a refreshing take on the character is all the many ups and downs Hulk experiences. With everything that’s happened to Hulk, he’s been at such a disadvantage for so long that it’s incredibly refreshing to see him headed for a legitimate win. This feels especially well earned because Joe Fixit in particular has spent so long being depowered. From a character perspective, it works too. Though Joe isn’t necessarily evil, he is almost always motivated by his own self-interests. While this has extended to much of Immortal Hulk, that started to change when only the standard Hulk and Joe were left. As the adult of the situation, Joe was forced to become a protector.

Though it’s unknown exactly how powerful Joe’s new red and gray Hulk form is, readers have every reason to believe Joe will deliver an epic beatdown to the U-Foes. Readers can expect fireworks as Hulk is finally able to fight back against some of his most powerful foes.

About The Author

Evan Mullicane
(362 Articles Published)

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Evan D. Mullicane is an editor, critic, and author based out of California’s Bay Area. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from San Francisco State University in 2016. In his free time, he enjoys reading graphic novels and writing fantasy.

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