Imitation is sometimes the easiest way to guarantee success. While some may say that it is the sincerest form of flattery, others claim it is just a step below straight up copying. Regardless of your opinion, few would argue that drawing inspiration from an established character is a tradition in the comic book industry. It seems like every character can trace their origin back to another, even when that inspiration wasn't even a comic book character in the first place, like Batman with Zorro, Darkseid with Thanos, Swamp Thing with Man-Thing. The similarities and concepts that run through the industry are a natural part of any successful creation, and as such, the more successful the creation the higher the possibility of imitation.
If the number of imitators can be a gauge to a character's success, then The Incredible Hulk is clearly one of the most successfully developed characters of all time. The jade giant has spawned radioactive offshoots from both within and outside the Marvel Universe. Running the gamut of characters, the Hulk's imitators include friends, enemies, family members and poorly thought out copycats. While some have stood the test of time, just as many have disappeared. Below is our list of the best and the most forgettable examples, and even one that inspired the Hulk himself. Will we ever see another Hulk inspired property become as endearing as the original? Based on this list it is only a matter of time before we see a new form hulking through your comic pages.
20 SUCCESS: A-BOMB
Rick Jones, sidekick extraordinaire, is one of the cornerstones of the Marvel Universe. Not due to cosmic rays, or a natural mutation -- Rick's innate ability is a penchant of finding himself at the Hulk's side. It was Rick who trespassed onto the testing facility that created the Hulk, and since then he's fought along side Captain America, Captain Marvel, and the Hulk himself.
While Rick has been exposed to gamma radiation numerous times, the results have not always been positive. He's had cancer, become a Hulk-ish creature in his own right, and most recently became the hero known as A-Bomb by receiving a treatment of the Abomination's blood. While he's back to being human, you can't go too far in the Marvel Universe before running into Rick Jones.
19 DISAPPEARED: BLOCKBUSTER
Some of the best imitations are those that don't take themselves too seriously. Such is the case with the Julius Schwartz and Carmine Infantino villain, Blockbuster. Not much more than a regular skinned Hulk, the monstrosity was brought in to battle the Caped Crusader and Robin.
Cared for by his brother, Blockbuster was the result of Mark Desmond's experimentation on himself. A chemist by trade, he always desired to be more physically intimidating. The resulting experiment left Mark with incredible power, but basically mindless and naturally aggressive.
18 SUCCESS: DOC SAMSON
Dr. Leonard Samson is one of the premier psychiatrists in the Marvel Universe. Always up to a challenge, he takes it upon himself to help his friend and fellow professor, Bruce Banner. During one of Banner's attempts to strip himself of the gamma radiation that plagues him, Samson becomes exposed himself, resulting in his gaining immense strength and a green tint to his hair.
Inexplicably, Samson's hair length has a direct correlation to his power. Thus, if you cut his hair he loses his strength. As Samson has matured as a character in the Marvel Universe, so has his dependence on his hair length. While he is no longer held hostage by the length of his hair, the good Doc still sports those luscious flowing green locks.
17 DISAPPEARED: BAT-HULK
The concept of a serum or radiation to increase a character's size is nothing new in the world of comics. In Brave and the Bold #68 "Alias the Bat-Hulk", the Caped Crusader is exposed to chemical toxins designed by the Joker. The resulting muscle bound behemoth is referred to as the Bat-Hulk. Beyond his massive strength he can literally melt things with a single touch.
This one-shot, written by Bob Haney, is perfectly inline with the wacky adventures he would put Bruce Wayne through in the pages of Brave and the Bold. Such irreverent humor would come to personify the acclaimed writer and his Bat-Hulk is an excellent example of his creativity.
16 SUCCESS: RED SHE-HULK
Elizabeth "Betty" Banner is the longtime love interest and wife of Bruce Banner. As expected, her proximity to the Hulk has caused her much torment and anguish. For a time Betty had been turned into Harpy, a gamma radiated monster intent on ending the Hulk. After a tumultuous relationship where she momentarily had married another, Betty finally married Bruce, only to eventually be stopped by the Abomination.
Not one to stay gone, Betty reappeared as the Red She-Hulk. This new gamma powered version of Betty is a vengeful beast, and far from the mild mannered quiet girl that had fallen in love with Bruce. Yet, she has stayed devoted to helping Bruce time and again.
15 DISAPPEARED: MAUL
Created by Jim Lee as part of his initial WildC.A.T.s team for Image, Maul acted as the team's muscle and scientist. At first glance, Dr. Jeremy Stone enjoys a multitude of similarities with Bruce Banner. They are both scientists, and they both get dumber when they lose their temper. However, while Banner is typically all or nothing with his Hulk transformation, Maul's can vary by degrees.
As Dr. Stone grows bigger he will get stronger, while his intelligence will proportionally degrade. Thus, he can adjust his physical needs accordingly so that he doesn't go full "dumbest Avenger". It also creates an interesting dynamic as he can become super intelligent by becoming even smaller, something he's tried but can't sustain.
14 SUCCESS: ABOMINATION
In classic Silver Age fashion, the Abomination was created by Stan Lee and Gil Kane to act as a foil of the Hulk. Utilizing essentially the exact same process that created the Hulk, Emil Blonsky was exposed to even greater doses of radiation. A KGB agent, Blonsky's transformation into The Abomination produced a creature even stronger than the Hulk, and thus making him a worthy advisory.
While The Abomination has gone from an almost mindless monster to a sometimes sympathetic character, he has remained a thorn in the Hulk's side. No greater example of this was Blonsky's role in the demise of Betty Banner, an act that has left the Hulk scarred ever since.
13 DISAPPEARED: RAMPAGE
Introduced in 1987 by John Byrne as part of his Super-Man reboot, Rampage is the alter ego of soft spoken S.T.A.R. Labs scientist, Kitty Faulkner. First appearing in Superman vol. 2 #7, Kitty gained her powers in the classic comic book shtick of an experiment gone awry. Searching for a pollution free energy source, a mistake by a colleague caused the system to explode. When Kitty's hazmat suit fails, she absorbs a tremendous amount of radiation, leaving her as a huge, orange skinned behemoth, who for some reason has a red mohawk.
While Rampage has seen limited use after her initial Superman intro, she was a central character in the underappreciated late-'80s Starman run where she plays a love interest for the equally solar powered Will Payton.
12 SUCCESS: SOLOMON GRUNDY
This one is a cheat, because poor old Solomon Grundy actually appeared before Marvel's Jade Giant. Introduced to DC Comics in 1944, Solomon Grundy is part-zombie, a bit of Swamp Thing, and a generally miserable character through and through.
While he has battled Green Lantern, Superman, and a host of other DC heroes, he hasn't always been a trudging meandering monster. In the '90s Starman run, he's rather innocent and peaceful, and in other runs he's a bit of a mob boss. At the end of the day Solomon Grundy is big, strong, mean, and not that bright. All attributes that the Hulk has done better. While Grundy was first, Hulk is the strongest there is.
11 DISAPPEARED: PITT
Another Image/Hulk variation, Pitt goes a step further in its inspiration by being created by then Hulk penciler, Dale Keown. Keown had been part of an extremely successful Incredible Hulk run with writer Peter David. As Image Comics exploded in the early '90s, Keown joined the upstart company with his own creation.
An alien/human hybrid, Pitt is a genetically created monster whose link to his human brother, Timmy, brings him back to Earth. While the storyline is a distinct departure from his Hulk work, Pitt's monstrous size and overt muscularity have always brought comparisons to the Hulk run that Keown is famously known for.
10 SUCCESS: DOOMSDAY
Not all Hulk imitators reside within the halls of the Marvel Universe. When DC needed a large enough threat to end Superman, they wanted to differentiate this new foe from that of Superman's typical adversaries. Not intent with outwitting or outmaneuvering Superman, Doomsday's sole intent is to smash.
A predominantly violent character fueled by unstoppable anger, Doomsday is a genetically engineered ultimate smashing machine. Hailing from the depths of prehistoric Krypton, Doomsday is a mashup oh the Hulk's aggression and the looks of the Abomination. Given the importance of the "Death of Superman" storyline, Doomsday has become a staple of the DC Universe and is one of Superman's most iconic villains.
9 DISAPPEARED: SMASH
So what happens when you're hired to revamp Captain America for Marvel and subsequently get fired as the title flounders? You take your already penciled pages and craft a new storyline surrounding the characters. This is what happened when Rob Liefield and Marvel went their separate ways post "Heroes Reborn".
Instead of chucking the penciled pages, Liefield had his Agent America fight Smash who is, for all intents and purposes, a purple Hulk. Taking his cue from Rampage Jackson, Smash sported a large chain around his neck but for what it's worth, the Hulk looks great in purple skin.
8 SUCCESS: THE LEADER
Staying with the trend that the best villains are cut from the same cloth as their heroes, The Leader is one of the Hulk's classic rogues. When Samuel Sterns was exposed to gamma radiation his body didn't gain immeasurable strength. Instead, Sterns gained extreme intelligence. Empowered with this new level of super genius, he chose to go down the path of villainy, constantly clashing with the Hulk time and again.
The Leader has remained an endearing villain in the Marvel Universe. With his signature massive cranium and brain, he is one of the most visually striking characters always ready to go all-out against his gamma radiated brethren.
7 DISAPPEARED: HULK 2099
Part of the initial group of reimagined heroes for Marvel's 2099 line, Hulk 2099 shares many of the characteristics of the Earth-616 Bruce Banner. Unlike the regular Hulk though, this new Hulk could control his transformations and would retain a large portion of his intelligence post transformation. He also wielded significantly large claws.
While the 2099 line eventually folded, the characters remained in limbo for quite some time. A later revisiting of the universe brought Hulk 2099 back to the forefront, but he was eventually offed. The character has popped up a few more times in the Exiles and Batteworld universes, but has not seen any sustained success.
6 SUCCESS: RED HULK
General Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross has been chasing the Hulk since day one. Besides being entrusted by the U.S. Government to track down the green behemoth, it doesn't help that Bruce Banner went on to marry his daughter Betty. While Ross hasn't always been completely cutthroat with the Hulk, he took it a step further when he submitted himself to experimentation exposing his body to gamma radiation.
As the Red Hulk, Ross gained the physical tools to finally confront the Hulk on a personal basis. Instead of getting stronger as his temper rises though, the Red Hulk's body temperature rises. He can use this heat ability to fire heat waves, absorb different types of radiation, and even burn out infection from his body.
5 DISAPPEARED: BRIAN BANNER
Brain Banner, the father of Bruce Banner, was not what you would call a good dad. Uncaring towards his son and wife, Brian had been exposed to radiation at his job. Having never wanted children, he hated young Bruce and considered him a monster born of the radiation within himself.
While never obtaining real life powers, Brain was nevertheless fundamentally evil. Having ended his wife Rebecca, Brian was accidentally taken out by Bruce years later at the site of her gravestone. Even after demise, Brian has tormented Bruce taking the guise of the Devil Hulk and Guilt Hulk, facing off against his son in Hell itself.
4 SUCCESS: THE TOTALLY AWESOME HULK
Amadeus Cho, a 19-year old Korean American boy, is the 8th smartest person in the world. He also has an obsession with the Hulk. Having made himself a part of the Hulk's world, he finally got his ultimate wish when Banner had absorbed a lethal amount of radiation. Cho, using nannites, was able to channel the Hulk persona from Banner into his own body.
In addition to gaining the Hulk's strength and power, Cho had to deal with the darker side of having the Hulk within him. After battling with the growing darkness within him, Cho has since expunged some of the Hulk persona from within. This new version is far tamer and goes by the name Brawn.
3 DISAPPEARED: THE HULK GANG
In the "Old Man Logan" storyline by Mark Millar, the Hulk family had taken a strange and rather unnerving turn. Intent on maintaining the purity of their gamma radiated bloodline, Bruce Banner and Jennifer Walters has produced offspring, which had in turn produced more children.
While calling them Hillbillies is a disservice to the moniker, the resulting genetic misfits were in charge of the entire west coast of the United States as they patrolled the skies in a repurposed FantastiCar. So much inbreeding though had left these genetic offshoots as poor caricatures of the grandfather, allowing Wolverine to dispense of the lot once and for all.
2 SUCCESS: SHE-HULK
Jennifer Walters, once a shy meek attorney, came to transform to the She-Hulk after receiving a blood transfusion from her cousin Bruce Banner. After being exposed to his radioactive blood, the gamma radiation brought forth her inner desires to be an ideal woman. Her resulting mutation caused her to gain Amazonian size and strength, yet allowed her to maintain her intelligence.
After making to conscious decision to remain in her She-Hulk form, Jennifer has gone on to join numerous teams, including the Avengers and the Fantastic Four. When not found on the battlefield, She-Hulk can be found in the courtroom, defending the superheroes of the Marvel Universe.
1 DISAPPEARED: SKAAR
When Earth's greatest minds decided it was time to finally address the Hulk problem, they concocted a plan to shoot him nto space. There, he would be transported to a pristine world where he could finally live in peace. Unfortunately, the Hulk never made it, landing instead on Sakaar, a desolate war torn planet with a ripe and thriving gladiatorial tradition.
After leading a revolution and becoming ruler of the planet, The Hulk and his queen, Caiera, become pregnant. His joy is short though, as she perishes in a mistaken explosion. Before dying she protects her unborn child Skaar and, feeling betrayed, he travels to Earth to end his father. Ultimately though, Banner is able to depower his son and give him the gift of a normal and tranquil life.