© Marvel Comics
The Incredible Hulk comic debuted in 1962. Conceived by writer Stan Lee, the muscular Hulk is the alter-ego of Dr. Robert Bruce Banner, a shy physicist. Lee did not want The Incredible Hulk to be associated with any specific ethnic group and instructed artist Jack Kirby to colour the superhero grey. He also felt grey was “scary and chilling.”
When the first issue went to print, they found it challenging to maintain a consistent grey colour throughout the comic. As a result, the Hulk unintentionally appeared in a range of grey tones – even looking, at times, greenish-grey. Concerned about the fluctuating colouring, the team decided to make the Hulk an acidic green in future comics. Lee explained that Dr. Banner’s ongoing gamma exposure had caused the colour change.
A collector recently purchased a rare original copy of Marvel’s The Incredible Hulk - Vol. 1 for US$490,000. That’s a lot of green for some grey.
© Marvel Comics