Why The Infernal Hulk 'Is the Biggest, Most Shocking Status Quo Change in Hulk’s History'

Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Nic Klein’s The Incredible Hulk has easy been 1 of Marvel’s champion ongoing comics of late. Like Immortal Hulk earlier it, the bid stands retired by reexamining the franchise done a distinctly horror-tinged lens. The bid present reaches a large turning constituent successful The Incredible Hulk #30, arsenic Bruce Banner and his change ego face the terrifying unit known arsenic The Eldest.

Banner and Hulk alike volition beryllium profoundly transformed successful the aftermath of that battle. So overmuch truthful that Marvel is relaunching the bid with a caller rubric and a caller #1 issue. The Incredible Hulk is becoming The Infernal Hulk, and the Marvel Universe is astir to fearfulness the Hulk successful a mode it ne'er has.

IGN spoke with Johnson via email to larn much astir this large shake-up. Check retired an exclusive preview of The Infernal Hulk #1 successful the slideshow assemblage below, and past work connected to find retired however Hulk’s presumption quo is being profoundly altered.

It’s not uncommon for Marvel to relaunch monthly titles, adjacent successful the midst of a originative team’s ongoing run. It’s bully concern to springiness readers a caller jumping-on constituent (and Johnson assures america that The Infernal Hulk #1 is astir decidedly that). But successful this case, Johnson reveals that helium and Marvel editorial saw an accidental to bespeak a large presumption quo alteration for the bid and usher successful what helium calls the “second act” of his and Klein’s ongoing Hulk saga.

“We knew from the opening we wanted to archer a communicative that took Hulk, Banner and the different characters done intolerable trials and tremendous change, and that would impact the larger Marvel Universe much and much arsenic it went on. Infernal Hulk is the Second Act of that story,” Johnson tells IGN. “The rubric alteration isn’t a relaunch, we conscionable privation to bespeak the monolithic presumption quo alteration that happens successful this month’s Incredible Hulk #30. Although it enactment a batch of caller pieces connected the board, Incredible was precise overmuch astir Hulk, Eldest, and our POV quality Charlie Tidwell. Infernal is astir a monstrously leveled-up Hulk and the menace that helium present poses to the Marvel Universe. We’ve seen immoderate big-name cameos up until now, but successful Infernal Hulk, readers volition spot a batch much enactment with different characters and stories arsenic the Marvel Universe comes to recognize the information they’re in.”

While The Incredible Hulk #30 is inactive a mates of weeks distant from release, Marvel is already making it wide that the showdown betwixt Hulk and The Eldest doesn’t enactment retired successful Bruce Banner’s favor. That combat volition extremity with Banner and Hulk physically divided isolated and The Eldest present possessing the assemblage of the strongest Avenger.

The dynamic betwixt Banner and Hulk has evolved a large woody implicit the years, but this is simply a uncommon illustration wherever the 2 are not conscionable physically split, but diametrically opposed. Banner volition present beryllium forced to combat against his different half. Hulk’s spot is present being wielded by thing acold much terrible.

“We’ve been telling everyone who volition perceive that this is the biggest, astir shocking presumption quo alteration successful Hulk’s history, and that is 100% true,” Johnson says. “I person to beryllium cautious not to spoil anything, but: contempt their agelong and analyzable history, we’ve ne'er seen Hulk and Banner further isolated than they’re astir to be. Lots of Hulk fans person their favourite ‘alter’ from Hulk’s past that they emotion to see: Demon Hulk, Joe Fixit, the Green Scar and others. This caller Hulk that we’re astir to present is wholly antithetic and abstracted from each the others, and with precise circumstantial intentions for Earth. I deliberation this Hulk volition daze readers. And erstwhile readers spot what we person successful store for Banner, they’ll beryllium conscionable arsenic shocked.”

Art by Nic Klein. (Image Credit: Marvel)

If the rubric didn’t marque it clear, the caller bid volition proceed to thin heavy into the fearfulness elements of the Hulk franchise. If Hulk was scary before, he’s acold much terrifying present that he’s merged with The Eldest.

“From Incredible Hulk #1 to now, we’ve been telling a communicative successful which Hulk is the monster of Banner’s movie, the happening that stalks him from the shadows of his ain mind: similar the monsters of The Ring, oregon Smile, oregon It Follows,” Johnson says. “Hulk has lone been Banner’s nightmare up until now. But aft the events of Incredible Hulk #30, helium becomes the nightmare of the full Marvel Universe. This is simply a Hulk with a caller powerfulness acceptable and origins that necktie backmost to the foundations of the Earth. Readers volition not spot the precocious limits to what helium tin do. In fact, I’m anticipating immoderate rage tweets astir the awesome, unspeakable things we’ll spot him do. Stay tuned!”

As for wherefore helium and Klein person opted for specified a horror-focused attack to their Hulk saga, Johnson says that they saw a batch of untapped imaginable there, adjacent successful the aftermath of Al Ewing and Joe Bennett’s Immortal Hulk.

“Comics are a ace effectual mean for horror, and there’s a agelong contented of fearfulness comics, but successful caller years astir of the champion ones person been creator-owned,” Johnson says. “Bringing existent fearfulness comics to the Big Two is truthful unbelievably fun, particularly successful a publication similar The Incredible Hulk, which was meant to beryllium a monster publication since its inception. The Cronenberg-esque, ‘black science’ marque of assemblage fearfulness that we got successful Immortal Hulk was specified a joyousness to read, and present we’re exploring different kinds of fearfulness successful Incredible and Infernal: people horror, cosmic horror, the kinds of monsters that crawl retired of flooded caves, potter’s fields and forgotten temples. Hulk conscionable feels close successful stories similar that, and telling them has been insanely rewarding, particularly alongside a genius creator similar Nic Klein.”

Johnson continues, “Nic was calved to gully this book, and he’s doing the champion enactment of his already-legendary career. The transformations he’s fixed america since contented #1 person already changed the game, and I curse each contented he’s been turning successful lately has been amended than the last. It's absurd however bully helium is, and he’s getting adjacent amended close successful beforehand of us.”

The Incredible Hulk #30 volition beryllium released connected October 15, 2025, followed by The Infernal Hulk #1 connected November 26. You tin preorder some issues astatine your section comic shop.

In different comic publication news, cheque retired our exclusive previews of Adventure Time: The Bubbline College Special #1 and Dracula: Book III - The Count.

Jesse is simply a mild-mannered unit writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intelligence thicket by following @jschedeen connected BlueSky.