The possibility of Hulk dying hasn’t been a big deal for several years; Marvel Comics‘ most monstrous hero has been effectively immortal since a complex retcon in 2018. That status quo has shifted, however, with the Jade Giant dead, his immortality removed, and an even stronger villain taking his place.
The current volume of the Incredible Hulk comic has come to center around a creature known as the Mother of Horrors. Somehow born without the involvement of the One Above All, who created the Marvel multiverse, the Mother of Horrors gave birth to two children and plotted to take over all reality. Only her eldest child, a skin-walker who came to be known only as The Eldest, escaped punishment.
The Mother of Horrors was locked within the lowest level of reality, the Below-Place, and could only be freed by the power of that realm’s master – the One Below All. This cosmic avatar of rage and hate was the spiritual father of the Incredible Hulk and opposite of the One Above All. It was this connection to the One Below All that made the Hulk (and all other gamma-powered mutates) effectively immortal. It also made him a target of the Eldest, who became convinced that by possessing Hulk’s body, she could free the Mother of Horrors.
The Eldest finally got her chance in The Incredible Hulk #30 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Nic Klein. Possessing the body of The Abomination, Eldest confronted the Jade Giant within the Below-Place. However, rather than trying to fight Hulk, she magically ripped the essence of Bruce Banner from Hulk’s body. This psychic shock seemingly killed Hulk’s spirit while leaving his body intact. This paved the way for the Eldest to become a new being and an even more powerful villain.
New Infernal Hulk Explained
To the Eldest’s dismay, the Mother of Horrors was dead in her cell. When her mother did not answer her demands that she rise, the Eldest began to devour her body. This gave her the power of the Mother of Horrors in addition to the strength of Hulk’s body. She became a new being dubbed the Infernal Hulk, as the closing narration noted that the One Below All was gone along with the Mother of Horrors. “All that remains… is Hulk.”
This kicks off a new Infernal Hulk series, starting in November. The new series will find Eldest using their newfound power to revive the old world of ancient nightmares by turning heroes into beasts. However, Bruce Banner is still alive and ready to turn his world-shaping mind toward stopping this new threat.
The Incredible Hulk #30 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
