Hulk

Vanguard Avengers

Vanguard · 750 HP · First appeared 1962 · Human

Origin

Bruce Banner first transformed in The Incredible Hulk #1 in May 1962, written by Stan Lee and drawn by Jack Kirby. The first issue had him gray, not green — the printer's ink was inconsistent, and the editorial team locked in the now-iconic green by issue two.

Comic history

Sixty years of Hulk stories have produced more emotional registers for one character than almost any other Marvel hero. Peter David's 1980s and 1990s run is the gold standard for the integrated, intelligent Hulk. Greg Pak's Planet Hulk turned him into a science-fantasy gladiator. Al Ewing's Immortal Hulk (2018–2021) reinterpreted the character through cosmic horror and remains one of the most acclaimed Marvel runs of the modern era. The Marvel Rivals Hulk is closer to the cinematic Banner — a scientist who turns when angry, with a costume designed around his physics labs.

Hulk in Marvel Rivals

In Marvel Rivals, Hulk is the only Vanguard with a transformation mechanic baked into the core kit. He starts as Bruce Banner with a Gamma Ray Gun and a comparatively fragile body. He charges his transformation, pops Hulk form, and gains the 750 HP and brawler ultimate that the role expects. The Banner-to-Hulk transition is the entire skill expression of the character — knowing when to commit, when to wait, and when to retreat to refresh the timer.

Abilities

Gamma Ray Gun is the Banner-form attack. Gamma Grenade is the displacement tool. Puny Banner, the ultimate, references the Hulk's most famous comic catchphrase about Loki and is the brawler-mode payoff: enormous melee throughput, area damage, and a knockback that scales with how close his target is.

Spotting Hulk in Rivaldle

Hulk's silhouette is one of the most recognizable in pop culture — wide shoulders, low center of mass, fists ready. The green palette in Pixelation Mode is essentially a tell. In Classic Mode, his eye color array (Brown and Green) is unusual and helps confirm the guess; very few heroes carry two eye colors. His 1962 origin places him in the dense first-wave Marvel cluster alongside Thor and Spider-Man, so origin year alone is not enough to pin him down.

Try the puzzle

Hulk is a possible answer in every Rivaldle mode. The fastest way to spot them is usually a combination of two columns in Classic Mode plus a quick read of the silhouette or pixelation. Once you get a feel for the database fingerprints — the unique species cell, the unique origin year, the unique HP value — most heroes can be solved in two or three guesses.

Play Classic Silhouette Emoji