HULK #4 covers by Ed McGuinness

By Jim Beard Some Hulk fans see red, others go green; HULK #4 clears plenty of room for both. Writer Jeph Loeb brings home the bacon in HULK #4, on sale June 25, giving Marveldom Assembled two Hulks for the price of one: the new Red Hulk and the original Green. That means big trouble for the Earth, of course! For the past few issues of HULK, the new scarlet brute's been tearing up the town, abolishing the Abomination and altercatin' with A-Bomb, among other atrocities. But will he finally meet his match in the One, the Only, the Green Hulk?

HULK #4 interior page

"The Red Hulk is all about strategy," says Loeb. "As we've pointed out, he's brutal because he likes it. The Abomination was dead from the beating and then [Red] shot him. "The Green Hulk has the disadvantage that he doesn't really know what the heck he's dealing with, where the Red Hulk has been waiting for this." Loeb remains mum on the true identity of the Red Hulk, despite rampant rumors among readers. The behemoth seems to possess a keen sense of tactics, leading some fans to believe a military personage lurks beneath the crimson exterior. Others declare that an old Hulk-foe like Doc Samson may be the answer to the gamma-spawned mystery.

HULK #4 interior page

Regardless, the Red Hulk's cut a swath of destruction across the globe, from Canada to Russia to New York and beyond, and his real self could be the least of his opponents' worries. Despite the danger, some witnesses to the coming fight might just feel like tempting fate and insinuate themselves into the melee. "Well, we know that there's A-Bomb out there somewhere, unless he dies in the Harpy incident," says the writer. "But that would be kind of lame, right? And one thing HULK isn't is lame!"

HULK #4 interior page

Like his green doppelganger, Red's powers extend to titanic strength and stamina, and the frightening ability to shed incredible doses of gamma radiation as he gets angrier. The original Hulk must fight more cunningly than ever before to beat this monstrosity. And if cunning fails, well, when it comes to citing the distinct advantages the Green Hulk possesses in a fight, the famed scribe Loeb defines succinct. "The angrier the Green Hulk gets, the stronger he is," Loeb points out. "Kind of like Ali vs. Foreman for you boxing fans." To continue with the boxing metaphor, will Loeb make like Cosell and predict a winner in the HULK #4 match? "What's the old saying?" he asks. "'It doesn't really matter who wins the fight—the Earth itself loses!'" Witness this tussle of titans for yourself in the pages of HULK #4, on sale June 25. For a deeper look into the events of HULK #1-#3 and a ring-side seat for a Red Hulk vs. She-Hulk throwdown, pick up a copy of KING-SIZE HULK #1, now on sale!