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Hulk #3 sees both Banner and the Hulk imagining a dark, primordial new mystery villain, but there’s a huge chance that is a new face for an old foe.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Hulk #3, on sale now from Marvel Comics.
The late 2021 relaunch of Hulk seemingly expunged the development of Al Ewing’s Immortal Hulk, but more and more, it seems to now be building upon some of the elements of that story. The biggest proof of this may be in the series’ third and newest issue, where the jade giant is vexed by a threat even bigger than himself.
Hulk #3 (by Donny Cates, Cliff Rathburn, Frank Martin, and VC’s Cory Petit) saw both Banner and the Hulk imagining a dark, primordial new mystery villain, but there’s a huge chance that is a new face for an old foe. This powerful “anti-Hulk” seemed to have thematic elements of the Devil Hulk, Guilt Hulk, and Bruce Banner’s father Brian, though it could of course be a new character entirely. Here’s what this evil new being does, and how he could be an old threat reborn.
The Anti-Hulk Scares Both Banner and Hulk
In Hulk #3, Bruce Banner is briefly shown hallucinating about the vast damage that the Hulk has done. Observing the copious carnage that he had unwittingly wrought, Banner screamed that none of this was his intention. Unfortunately, his cries are met with the blackened malice of a dark and perilous giant creature, who crushed the far weaker Banner in his grasp.
Banner woke up, revealing that this harrowing event was all just a dream, though it’s not the end of this nightmare. The Hulk’s constantly fighting psyche also encountered this new, grimacing, and menacing monster, though it isn’t quite as antagonistic. Hulk questioned what the monster is, but it ominously disappeared when he gave chase. This doesn’t give any further indication as to who this person may be or represent, though Hulk fans should likely have a pretty good idea of who it is.
Is the New Anti-Hulk Devil Hulk, Brian Banner, or Something Else?
This Anti-Hulk referred to Bruce Banner as a “weak boy,” and given his antagonistic and devilish appearance, it seems that he’s likely Brian Banner. Last seen with his psyche housed in Bruce Banner’s body, Brian Banner was Bruce’s evil father who horrifically abused him. He became a gamma ghost and had possessed numerous other gamma-powered beings in order to strike at his son before eventually having his spirit imprisoned in Bruce’s body. This most recent fate in Immortal Hulk is the most logical explanation for this Anti-Hulk’s identity.
There’s also the potential that this personality is the Immortal Hulk himself, formerly known as the Devil Hulk. This identity, however, was revealed to not be nearly as malevolent as originally believed and was actually much more of a protective father figure to Bruce than Brian was. Another possibility is the equally monstrous Guilt Hulk, though this persona was again related to the abuse suffered at Brian’s hands. The general design doesn’t resemble either of these Hulks, either, outside of maybe the face.
Other Anti-Hulks include Kluh, a clone of Joe Fixit/Grey Hulk created by Xemnu to beat the Hulk. This character hasn’t been seen in years, however, though this wouldn’t preclude him from coming back. The most logical explanation would still be on the side of Brian Banner, but this could also be a completely new personality of Bruce’s that reflects his own darker mentality since the start of the series. This would mean that it’s probably the Hulk equivalent of Knull already hinted at in future issues’ solicitations. If it is his own true inner demons and personal devil, this Anti-Hulk could push Bruce to seek more and more amoral aims that pit him against former allies. Unfortunately for him, he’s as much its target as the world at large.
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