The public perception of the Hulk and the reality of his portrayal in Marvel Comicsare two entirely different things. While fans of the MCU might only know Hulk as the childlike brute who speaks little and is quick to anger, the reality is that the comics has shown there are far more than two personas lurking in the mind of Bruce Banner.

One of the most prominent is the Grey Hulk. With the intelligence of Bruce Banner, a portion of the Childlike Hulk’s strength, and a lack of morals, the Grey Hulk, or Joe Fixit as he’s often known, isn’t just a fan-favorite; he’s one of Marvel’s deadliest Hulks.

Grey Hulk Needs To Make His MCU Debut

The Grey Hulk was technically introduced in 1962’s Hulk #1, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Unlike the common understanding of the character now, this first appearance of the character was far more of an outright villain, whose only acts of heroism were done out of self-interest.

Lee and Kirby would quickly change the Hulk’s color to green in Hulk #2, due to Marvel Comics having difficulty publishing the exact grey color Hulk had been in the first issue.

Though this grey Hulk and the eventual classic green Childlike persona that fans were familiar with were initially treated as the same being, this would get retconned by writer Peter David. David reinvented Bruce Banner, confirming that the character suffered from Dissociative Identity Disorder, with one of his personas being the Grey Hulk.

Grey Hulk would famously go on to work for the mob and indulge in many of the vices that Bruce was too moral for and that the Childlike Hulk was too innocent for. Unfortunately, despite his popularity with fans, Joe has never been seen in the MCU.

Why Joe Fixit Needs To Make His MCU Debut

Hulk is set to return in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, possibly as the film’s main villain, and this would be the perfect opportunity for the MCU to introduce the Joe Fixit persona.

The Childlike Hulk is far too innocent and beloved by fans to realistically be the main villain of a big Spider-Man film.

Joe, on the other hand, is the kind of scheming and conniving foe who could match Peter’s intelligence. Additionally, with Punisher set to appear in the film as well, it would make sense for Frank Castle to want to take the Grey Hulk out if he’s taking over New York’s criminal underground like Kingpin often does.

All of the pieces are in place for Grey Hulk to make his cinematic debut. The MCU has done a disservice to Hulk by not showing the character’s rich psychological complexity. The Grey Hulk is an important part of Marvel Comics history, and he absolutely should make his debut in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

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  Alias

  Robert Bruce Banner

  Created By

  Stan Lee, Jack Kirby

  Franchise

  Marvel

  First Appearance

  The Incredible Hulk (1962)

  Alliance

  Avengers, Defenders, Horsemen of Apocalypse, Fantastic Four, Pantheon, Warbound, S.M.A.S.H., Secret Avengers

  The Hulk, a Marvel Comics superhero created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, is physicist Bruce Banner transformed by gamma radiation. He morphs into a giant, green-skinned creature of immense strength and invulnerability when angered. Struggling with his transformations, Hulk allies with other heroes, battling villains while balancing his intellect with uncontrollable rage, making him a central figure in Marvel’s universe.