We know the members of the Avengers are easily distinguishable thanks to the flashy colors of their suits and their unique character designs.
You can't deny though that among the Earth's Mightiest Heroes, one stands out because of his imposing appearance.
Of course, we're talking about Bruce Banner aka the Incredible Hulk. But why exactly is Hulk's skin color green?
More importantly, of all colors, why does the Hulk turn green whenever Bruce Banner transforms into the rage-filled hero? Surely, turning Red would make a lot more sense for this transformation.
Well, here’s all you need to know about why the Goliath is green.
Stan Lee Originally Pictured Hulk In A Different Color
Surprisingly, green wasn’t the first color that came to mind for Marvel legend Stan Lee. According to Marvel Comics’ history, Hulk was initially supposed to be gray.
Before Hulk was the green-skin-colored, purple-panted hero Marvel fans have known him to be, he was originally a gray-skinned, blue-pants-wearing monster.
This is because Stan Lee wanted the hero to not be identified by any ethnicity. He wanted Hulk to be recognized as just Hulk.
Unfortunately, a little ink printing mishap happened to The Incredible Hulk #1 comics, which rendered Hulk's gray skin from a lighter shade to a darker one, nearly turning him black in the next pages.
The printing quality wasn't as consistent back then, after all.
Stan made a quick decision to change Hulk to green for easier printing in the next issue.
It wasn't that the color green made Hulk 'easier' to print, per se, but rather, other colors (such as orange, for example) presented other heroes they had already embedded into the Fantastic Four.
Stan later said in an interview, “[Green] turned out to be a great choice. By making him green, I was able to give him nicknames like, 'The Jolly Green Giant' or 'The Green Goliath'. So, I'm very glad we made him green.”
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The Incredible Hulk’s Marvel Origins
Canonically, there's a scientific explanation behind the Hulk gaining his Green skin when he transforms, though.
As you may well be aware, his origins came from his exposure to gamma rays and knowing how popular culture generally displayed gamma rays — they usually emanated green light, thus turning Hulk green when he gained his superpower.
In the comics, before turning into Hulk, Dr. Bruce Banner was recruited under General Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross to create the nuclear weapon, the Gamma Bomb.
While Banner was running the first test on site, he had to save a colleague from the gamma-ray explosion.
Because of this explosion, Banner exposed himself to the gamma radiation, leading him to become the green-skinned superhumanoid we know today.
As for the Marvel Cinematic Universe's version, though, instead of building a 'Gamma Bomb', Banner was recruited by Ross to replicate the Super Soldier Serum that Steve Rogers was injected with back in World War II.
Banner decided to test his serum on himself with the use of gamma radiation to activate its effects, and lo and behold, Mark Ruffalo's The Hulk was born in the MCU.
Jennifer Walters from She-Hulk: Attorney At Law shared blood with her cousin, Bruce Banner, when she was seriously injured, thus leading the blood transfusion to see She-Hulk in green skin, too, when she transforms.
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Hulk Ventured Off To Other Colors, Too
Do you think Marvel stopped at a gray and green Hulk? Oh, no. He also turned into a Red Hulk, which was created through the combo of gamma radiation and cosmic rays.
The Red Hulk in question here is none other than General Thunderbolt Ross himself, who we might see soon in Armor Wars, Captain America: Brave New World, or even in Thunderbolts.
There had also been an Orange Hulk, aka ‘Solar Hulk’, in an alternate universe from Marvel Universe’s Earth-616.
This Hulk gets his powers from the sun’s rays and has a more villainous intent compared to the others.
There was a Blue Hulk, also called Captain Universe, who bonded with the Uni-Power, which earned him his title.
As a cosmic entity, Captain Universe is the most powerful Hulk version he could ever be. At least, in contrast with Solar Hulk, this Hulk has heroism marked all over him.
Brown Hulk had the worst experience of all Hulk versions.
As a trauma response from suffering his father’s abuse, Bruce Banner created Devil Hulk, the inner workings of Banner’s mind this Hulk version is said to possess Banner’s dangerous lengths of strength and intelligence in one.
Last but not least, a Black Hulk exists, too, and as the color suggests, this Hulk leans on the villain’s side where his evil mind is ruled by hatred, and his Black skin is decorated with glowing red scars all over his body.
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