While every Hulk
is born through exposure to extreme amounts of gamma radiation, not every Hulk ends up with the same powers.
In addition to their shared immortality, these avatars of the One-Below-All are each bestowed unique gifts of destruction. While gamma mutates’ may possess many different infernal blessings, fortunately, these powers can be categorized into more specific classifications.
These powersets are certainly open to alterations depending on the story and writer, but overall consistency is kept in mind. Sure, every Hulk is prone to some mindless smashing; Many gained the propensity after absorbing
Bruce Banner’s runoff gamma
energy. But what we’re talking about is what makes them different.
Emboldened by its user’s gamma physiology, each power is designed to reap different types of destruction. Remember, on the cosmic scale, Hulks aren’t accidentally made, they are avatars of the One-Below-All’s destructive nature. These profane gifts are designed to unify the world’s intended destroyers.
There are certain gamma mutates that won’t be discussed in this article. Artificially created mutates like Amadeus Cho, Weapon H, and American Kaiju’s specialized abilities rely on other augmentations applied to their physiology. The Hulk’s children, Skaar, Lyra, and Hiro-Kala will also not be mentioned explicitly. Most of their unique abilities are due to their maternal heritage rather than from their gamma exposure.
Gamma Power: Energy Conversion
Notable Wielders: Hulk (Bruce Banner) & Red Hulk (Thaddeus Ross)
Gamma-mutates like Banner and Ross are sub-conscious conduits of energy. In their Hulk forms, their bodies process the mutates’ raw emotions and transform them into measurable units of energy. For Bruce Banner, his physical strength is proportionate to his anger. Regardless of which alter is forwarding, every gamma-infused
version of the Hulk
possesses this quirk. In far future variants of the green behemoth, his size can rival that of Galactus. A version of this power pushed to its maximum potential can be seen in Immortal Hulk #25 – by Al Ewing and Joe Bennet – where Hulk evolved into the terminal annihilator.
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Mutates like Red Hulk
, and to some degree Red Harpy, process their anger differently. Bruce Banner and his Hulks are unmatched in strength, something Ross has learned the hard way many times. However, “Thunderbolt” Ross operates more like a battery. His body can absorb various energies (primarily gamma) which he then irradiates as heat. The heat Red Hulk releases is noticeable to all around him. Like the Hulk, Ross’s irradiated heat is proportionate to his anger. However, his body can’t handle an infinite amount of energy; pushing too hard could transform him into a living gamma bomb.
Gamma Power: Transformation Augmentation
Notable Wielders: A-Bomb (Rick Jones) & She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters)
For the most part, a gamma mutate only has one powered-up form. However, both A-Bomb and She-Hulk can push their transformations a step further.
This category is admittedly a bit broader. The unique abilities these mutates have are directly linked to their transformative abilities. For the most part, a gamma mutate only has one powered-up form. Obviously, there are exceptions, mainly that of the Hulk, but it is a consistent standard. However, both A-Bomb and She-Hulk can push their transformations a step further. When Rick Jones was fueled by gamma energy the first time, he possessed a second power to turn invisible. Unlike the other Hulks, A-Bomb could rely on natural camouflage to gain a stealthy advantage.
The true stand-out polymorphic gamma mutate has to be She-Hulk. Since the beginning, Jennifer Walters has exhibited near-seamless transitions between her human and Hulk forms. Where many of the other Hulks writhe in agony, burst through flesh, or exhaust themselves, She-Hulk treats her transformations like changing clothes. In
Sensational She-Hulk
#36 – by John Byrne – She-Hulk’s body modifies to take on the form of a woman she attempted to swap minds with. It was a one-and-done trick of hers that required some alien intervention, but it shows that her gamma powers hold the capacity for Skrull-esque shapeshifting abilities.
Gamma Power: Animal Biology
Notable Wielders: Abomination (Emil Blonsky), Betty Ross (Red Harpy), & Leonard Samson (Doc Sasquatch)
It’s been theorized, both on and off the page, that the specific nature of a Hulk’s powers is defined by their psyche. Banner and Ross’s minds are filled with hate, thus
their Hulk bodies manifest
that hate physically. However, in these mutates’ cases, their traumas have turned them into animals. Abomination is a semi-aquatic reptilian creature, capable of breathing underwater and entering a pseudo-death stasis. Betty Ross’s desires to escape and destroy the Hulk manifested as avian attributes, granting her flight and razor-sharp talons. However, if there is one mutate that proves this theory, it’s Doc Samson.
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Before Samson took the body of Walter Langkowski, Walt’s gamma exposure linked him to a mystical being named Tanaraq. When he transformed, Tanaraq’s body would physically replace Walt’s own. However, after Samson takes Walt’s body, the Sasquatch form becomes permanent and takes on a gamma-green shade. While it’s unclear, it’s assumed that
Samson’s Sasquatch
form is now completely independent from Tanaraq. Due to gamma energy’s mystical properties, it’s hard to get a clear definition, but it seems that Samson’s Sasquatch form is merely a manifestation of Langkowski’s previous connection to Tanaraq.
Uncategorized Gamma Powers
Stockpile (Dionne Forteans), Abomination (Reginald Fortean), the Leader, & Del Frye
After everything, there are a few gamma mutates who don’t fall under any particular category. Reginald Fortean, vaguely similar to Doc Samson, gained his current powers from a separate mutate’s body. After willingly absorbing into the Abomination’s corpse, Fortean gained the power to generate acid, something
Abomination could never do
. Similarly, his daughter Dionne had pieces of the Abomination corpse grafted onto her, resulting in an entirely different mutation. Unlike her father or Abomination, Dionne’s Hulk form is that of shambling sentient mud. Her amorphous body can absorb any type of matter into itself, transforming the material into similar mud.
It’s here that the inhuman nature of the gamma mutates’ cosmic purpose can be seen.
The Leader is another mutate with a completely unique power of his own. Forgoing a physical transformation, Samuel Sterns’s brain rapidly developed, granting him super genius intelligence, telepathy, and telikinesis. However, these aren’t his true gifts from the One-Below-All. Sterns has the ability to devour a person’s mind and absorb their knowledge. After abandoning his body in the Below-Place, this ability manifested in an ultimate form devoid of any human resemblance. It’s here that the inhuman nature of the gamma mutates’ cosmic purpose can be seen. Puck of Gamma Flight theorized that these may be the mutates’ true forms.
The most peculiar transformation, however, is Del Frye’s. After Del’s father injected a gamma serum into his son,
Del’s Green Door opened
. However, instead of being gifted a complete Hulk body, Del is stuck halfway in the Below-Place. Unlike any other gamma mutate, he can open his Green Door to let spectral forms of others pass through. At the cost of his visible humanity, Del is the closest link to the One-Below-All next to Bruce Banner. As children of Marvel’s ultimate Devil, every Hulk and their destructive powers ultimately serve the One-Below-All’s terrifying quest to obliterate all of existence.
Hulk
The Hulk, a Marvel Comics superhero created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, is physicist Bruce Banner transformed by gamma radiation. He morphs into a giant, green-skinned creature of immense strength and invulnerability when angered. Struggling with his transformations, Hulk allies with other heroes, battling villains while balancing his intellect with uncontrollable rage, making him a central figure in Marvel’s universe.
