Planet Hulk Explained: What Is The Marvel Comics Storyline? - IGN

Home » Comic Planet Hulk » Planet Hulk Explained: What Is The Marvel Comics Storyline? - IGN

Maybe your like

Focus ResetIGN LogoSkip to contentIGN PlusHomeSearchReviewsNewsGuidesInteractive MapsPlaylistDiscoverStoreRewardsVideosPrivacy PolicyTerms of UseMore

News

All NewsColumnsPlayStationXboxNintendoPCMobileMoviesTelevisionComicsTech

Reviews

All ReviewsEditor's ChoiceGame ReviewsMovie ReviewsTV Show ReviewsTech Reviews

Discover

World of Warcraft: Midnight HubPercy Jackson World GuidePreordersBest Tech for GamingPlanet PokemonVideo Game TrailersMovie TrailersTV TrailersKingdom Come Deliverance IIUniversal Studios Hollywood HubDiscover Universal Orlando ResortUpcoming GamesUpcoming MoviesUpcoming TV Shows

Videos

Original ShowsPopularTrailersGameplayAll VideosHulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.Planet HulkPlanet HulkThe Super Hero Squad ShowThor: RagnarokPlanet Hulk Explained: What Is the Marvel Comics Storyline?

Everything you need to know about the iconic Hulk story that partially inspired Thor: Ragnarok.

Jesse Schedeen AvatarBy Jesse SchedeenUpdated: Oct 30, 2017 10:30pm UTC0 commentsWhile Thor: Ragnarok may be named after a certain Asgardian thunder god, this new MCU film also focuses a great deal on Hulk. In the process, Ragnarok draws heavily from one of the most popular and influential Hulk storylines in Marvel's history - Planet Hulk.What exactly is Planet Hulk, and how is it informing the latest Thor movie? Read on to learn everything you need to know about this critical Hulk saga.

A Visual History of Hulk

Click through for a visual history of the Hulk!Hulk is one of many iconic heroes created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in the heyday of their partnership. While the basic look of the character emerged more or less intact, Kirby originally envisioned a completely different color scheme for Hulk - grey skin, blue pants and an orange shirt. However, because of the limitation of color printing in the 1960s, Kirby eventually decided a green and purple color scheme was best, and Hulk switched looks after a few issues. However, this behind-the-scenes switch-up eventually inspired the notion of Hulk having multiple personalities and manifestations.View 41 ImagesOnce the new color scheme was solidified, Hulk emerged with a look that hasn't really fundamentally changed in the decades since. That said, Kirby did tend to draw Hulk in a more grotesque and monstrous fashion than most artists that followed him. The enlarged forehead and purple shorts are hallmarks of Kirby's issues. Hulk was among the first wave of Marvel heroes to make the jump to animation in 1966's The Marvel Super Heroes. The show's crude animation style consisted mainly of lifting panels directly from the comics, so in a way this is the most comic-accurate Hulk we've ever seen on television.Herb Trimpe is among the most influential Hulk artists to tackle the character in Kirby's wake. Trimpe helped define Hulk's look in Marvel's Bronze Age comics, transitioning the character from his early, monstrous appearance to a more muscular and superhero-worthy appearance.Sal Buscema was another highly influential Hulk artist in the 1970's. Buscema's Hulk continued that trend towards a sleeker, more muscular powerhouse of a character, while also boasting shaggy hair and a generally unkempt, savage quality.

The Basics

Planet Hulk served as a major chapter in Hulk's growth as a character in the mid-2000s. This yearlong story saw Hulk dragged away from Earth and crash-land on the alien world of Sakaar. There, Hulk was forced to battle for his life in a gladiatorial arena, all for the amusement of Sakaar's bloodthirsty emperor, a tyrant known as the Red King.However, Hulk being the strongest one there is, it wasn't long before he found himself turning the tables on the Red King and leading the brave warriors of Sakaar in open rebellion. Over the course of Planet Hulk, the Jade Giant became a monarch, grew stronger than ever and even found love. But sadly, as with pretty much everything in the tortured monster's miserable existence, it wasn't to last. By the time Hulk returned home to Earth, he was madder and stronger than ever, and ready to take out his wrath on the heroes who banished him in the first place.

Major Characters

Hulk is the main protagonist of Planet Hulk, naturally. The story offers a fairly unique take on Hulk, as the intense radiation of his interstellar journey boosted Hulk's strength and gave rise to a new persona known as the Green Scar. While not as intelligent as Bruce Banner, the Green Scar Hulk proves cunning enough to unite a planet and become the new emperor of Sakaar. In the process, Sakaar's natives come to believe Hulk is the Sakaarson, a savior prophesied to rescue their world.
The Red King is the main villain of Planet Hulk. Like an old-fashioned Roman Emperor, the Red King lords over Sakaar and leads a hedonistic lifestyle while he forces slaves to fight and die for his amusement. His chief lieutenant is Caiera, a skilled warrior who eventually defects to Hulk's side and even falls in love with the refugee Earthling.Hulk also rallies a number of other strong, accomplished warriors to his side, including Miek, a Brood, Elloe Kaifi, Lavin Skee, Hiroim and Korg. Together, they form the "Warbound," a group of comrades honor-bound to fight alongside one another until death. Unfortunately, one of them ultimately betrays Hulk and his newfound empire.
Hulk grows close to Caiera.
Hulk grows close to Caiera.
Planet Hulk also features a memorable guest appearance by Silver Surfer, who is captured by the Red King and forced to battle Hulk in the arena.

Origin and Background

The Planet Hulk storyline ran in the pages of Marvel's monthly Incredible Hulk comic from April 2006 to May 2007. It was written by Greg Pak and illustrated by artists Aaron Lopresti and Carlo Pagulayan. Planet Hulk built on an earlier story where the Illuminati (a secretive group that included Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Mister Fantastic, Namor, Professor X and Black Bolt) tricked Hulk into boarding a space pod and exiled him from Earth. Their intent was to banish Hulk to a peaceful planet where he could finally be alone and no longer threaten humanity. However, his pod was knocked off course and landed on Sakaar instead.

Thor: Ragnarok's Comics Inspirations

THOR'S NEW LOOK: The most obvious departure for the Odinson in Ragnarok is his new haircut and modified costume, which will be the result of his time on the alien world Sakaar where he's forced into gladiator combat. He also loses his hammer Mjolnir, but both the cutting of Goldilocks', um, goldilocks and the separation from the hammer have their precedent in the comics. In recent Marvel stories, including The Unworthy Thor book, our hero got a similar makeover. And his hammer has been in the possession of his ex Jane Foster -- the current Thor -- for some time now. He's often used the battle axe Jarnbjorn in its stead, though in Ragnarok so far it looks like he's got a pair of swords, a mace, and a shield... which should do the job.View 8 ImagesSAKAAR, AKA PLANET HULK: The world of Sakaar in the film has been described as a barbaric planet that Thor is sent to after encountering the villain Hela (Cate Blanchett). It's there that he must fight in gladiator combat, and where he discovers his old friend the Hulk is doing the same. This is based on the beloved Planet Hulk story from the comics, of course. It should also be noted that the Sakaarans were used as background players in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie.GLADIATOR HULK: There have long been rumors that Marvel might turn Planet Hulk into a film for Mark Ruffalo's take on the character, but it looks like Ragnarok will be as close as we get to that. The comics version of the story was much more involved and had the Hulk not just fighting as a gladiator, but eventually becoming the new ruler of the planet and marrying and impregnating an alien named Caiera. In the film, he's the most successful of the gladiators. Ruffalo told EW that this Hulk "is much more of a character" than the one we've seen in the Avengers movies, adding that he's got swagger and "is like a god."HELA: Hela (Cate Blanchett), of course, is an age-old Thor villain, the Goddess of Death and ruler of the Asgardian underworld. How this typically metaphysical Marvel Comics concept will play out in the movie remains to be seen, although Blanchett has confirmed the whole Death Goddess part. In the film she's been locked away for thousands of years and is inadvertently released during Loki's reign over Asgard. Confusingly, in the comics she's the offspring of Loki... sort of. (Long story.) That probably won't play out in the movie. Probably...VALKYRIE: Valkyrie is an Asgardian warrior in the comics who has also been a member of the heroic Earthbound teams the Avengers and the Defenders. The movie version is played by Tessa Thompson (Westworld, Creed) and Thor runs into her on Sakaar, where she's been hiding out. “Thor is a bit of a fanboy for the Valkyrie, the elite women warriors,” Chris Hemsworth tells EW.Planet Hulk traces Hulk's meteoric rise from gladiator slave to rebel freedom fighter to emperor of Sakaar to fallen monarch. It's very much a tragedy in the way so many classic Hulk tales are, with the character finding purpose and a family on his new world and then losing it all by the end.Planet Hulk wound up impacting the larger course of the Marvel Universe in several key ways. It was immediately followed by a 2007 crossover storyline called World War Hulk, where Hulk and his Warbound return to Earth to exact vengeance on the Illuminati. In the end, Hulk is narrowly defeated by the combined might of SHIELD, the Sentry and Tony Stark's anti-Hulk satellite weapon. The character temporarily regressed to his usual savage state in the aftermath, though his intelligence and memories of his time on Sakaar have continued to ebb and flow in the years since.
Hulk eventually meets his son, Skaar.
Hulk eventually meets his son, Skaar.
The other big development involves the debut of Skaar, the son of Hulk and Caiera who survived his mother's murder on Sakaar. Skaar eventually made his way to Earth and reunited with his father (paving the way for Incredible Hulk to be temporarily renamed "Incredible Hulks").Pak is even currently writing a sequel. Planet Hulk II will return Hulk to the war-ravaged remnants of Sakaar. The big difference is that teen super-genius Amadeus Cho is currently serving as Hulk. It remains to be seen how this more intelligent, less experienced Hulk will fair on this harsh, bleak alien world.

Beyond the Comics

Planet Hulk has already been adapted for other media numerous times, most notably in the 2010 direct-to-DVD animated movie. That film sticks fairly close to the source material, though it ends on a happier note before Hulk's new life is cut short by disaster.
Beta Ray Bill fills in for Silver Surfer in the Planet Hulk movie.
Beta Ray Bill fills in for Silver Surfer in the Planet Hulk movie.
Elements of Planet Hulk have also been used in several animated series, including The Super Hero Squad Show, Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. and Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy.Clearly, Thor: Ragnarok is also drawing from this story. It too features Hulk fighting as a gladiator on the world of Sakaar and steadily growing in intelligence. The film also introduces Korg as one of Hulk's Warbound allies. However, there are a number of key differences between the two, such as the Grandmaster replacing the Red King as Sakaar's ruler and Hulk being a willing combatant rather than a slave.We're also not expecting that the film will focus on Hulk overthrowing the Grandmaster and becoming Sakaar's new ruler. Though you never know (maybe in a future movie?). Mark Ruffalo did recently say that Thor: Ragnarok is the start of a three-movie-long character arc for Hulk. Jesse is a mild-mannered writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.

Explained!

House of the Dragon: Cast, Time Period and Targaryen Family Tree ExplainedMar 30, 2022House of the Dragon: Cast, Time Period and Targaryen Family Tree ExplainedMar 30, 2022 - This song is all fire and no ice.Game of ThronesJesse SchedeenStar Wars: The High Republic ExplainedFeb 25, 2020Star Wars: The High Republic ExplainedFeb 25, 2020 - A new era of Star Wars is about to begin.Star Wars: The High RepublicJesse Schedeen

IGN LogoRecommends

Oscars Winners 2026: The Full List of Winners From the 98th Academy AwardsOscars Winners 2026: The Full List of Winners From the 98th Academy Awards191Nathan Fillion's Big Firefly Tease Is a Canon Animated Series With the Original Actors Reprising Their Roles — but It Needs a HomeNathan Fillion's Big Firefly Tease Is a Canon Animated Series With the Original Actors Reprising Their Roles — but It Needs a Home88Blox Fruits Codes (March 2026)Blox Fruits Codes (March 2026)10

In This Article

The Super Hero Squad Show
The Super Hero Squad ShowCartoon NetworkInitial Release: Sep 14, 2009

Where to Watch

Powered byApple TV StoreBuyGoogle Play MoviesBuyFandango At HomeBuyMoreComments

Tag » Comic Planet Hulk