WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Immortal Hulk #45 by Al Ewing, Joe Bennett, Ruy Jose, Belardino Brabo, Paul Mounts and VC's Cory Petit, on sale now.
The Hulk has gone through some truly gruesome transformations over the years, and with them, he has taken on many incredible forms. Most recently, that had all led to garnering him "Immortal" status, though thanks to the recently returned U-Foes, that moniker seems to have been more of a name than anything else. Yet somehow, even after suffering a shockingly brutal end, the Hulk has found a way to get back up by merging all of the best parts of his worst selves into a new kind of Hulk that the world has never seen before. The idea of a merged Hulk is nothing new, but this version of the Hulk is something completely different.
Death of the Immortal Hulk
A few weeks ago, the Hulk suffered his most gruesome death yet at the hands of the U-Foes. After unleashing a torrent of pathological cruelty upon the already diminished hero, X-Ray stepped up to finish the job with more cosmic rays than the Hulk could ever have hoped to absorb. Once the hero's body had burned away completely, his consciousness transferred back to the Below-Place where he, alongside Joe Fixit, found himself staring down a massively transformed Leader. Somewhere among the chaos, Bruce Banner's own consciousness could hear the others crying out. A new Hulk emerged, red with fury and more than able to rip through the afterlife, even without the use of the Green Door. This new Hulk appears to be the latest merged Hulk, carrying on and warping a legacy that barely even resembles the Hulk.
How Professor Hulk Merged Two Hulks
During 1991's Incredible Hulk #377 by Peter David and Dale Keown, the Green and Grey Hulks were at odds within Bruce Banner's mindscape, each looking to become the prominent personality. Facing not only each other but the ghost of Bruce's father, Brian, as well, it took putting their fists aside and reconciling their differences to overcome the odds at hand. After coming to accept one another, the two personalities merged with Bruce to become the Professor Hulk. This suave and intelligent version of the hero would not only astound readers during his time in the limelight, but he would also end up being the template for the most recent evolution of the character on the silver screen.
The influence of David and Keown's Professor Hulk on the final form of the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is undeniable. While the rage might be tempered allowing for a level head to prevail, that very same anger that fuels the Hulk is still waiting to be unleashed from just under the surface. Years of hard work and self-reflection have allowed Mark Ruffalo's Hulk to flourish as more than a brawling brute packed inside a timid scientist turned accidental experiment. This Hulk is just another example of how much good can come of the character finding peace with their various selves, but as Immortal Hulk has recently shown, that very same idea can produce something terrible as well.
The Deadliest Hulk of Them All
The Red Hulk that appears to save the childlike Hulk in the Below-Place is not exactly the Red Hulk, but something very similar. While X-Ray continues unleashing torrents of Cosmic Rays to subdue the Hulk's unstoppable healing factor, this Red Hulk is quite literally punching his way out of the Below-Place. What emerges in the real world is an entirely new kind of "Merged Hulk," bearing a near demonic visage pulsing with red veins. From the looks of things, this Red Hulk personality is fueled by the very same Cosmic Rays that would otherwise be lethal to the hero, while also carrying the combined might and intelligence of the Green Hulk and Joe Fixit. It is yet to be seen, but there is a good possibility that the currently incapacitated Devil Hulk is somewhere in the mix as well, judging by the sheer ferocity on display. It looks like the Immortal Hulk might actually be unkillable than anyone thought.