EveryHulkfan knows about his alternate persona, ‘The Grey Hulk’, as well as Thunderbolt Ross' semi-villainous Red Hulk. Most have heard of the Enigma Force-infused Blue Hulk, andthe alt-universe Orange Hulk. However, the one Hulk that rarely gets mentioned is Nul, the Black Hulk, despite this incarnation of the Green Goliath being the key to understanding the franchise.
While Bruce Banner’s Hulk is known for breaking things with his fists, the Black Hulk breaks reality on every level just by existing…
Introduced as part of theFear Itselfevent,Nul is an ancient Asgardian demon known as the ‘Breaker of Worlds,‘banished outside of reality by Odin. During the comic event, Hulk picks up a hammer containing Nul’s soul and is possessed by the monster, becoming a force of epic destruction.
However, following the events ofFear Itself, Nul escapes after Hulk destroys its hammer, revealing the true nature of what Namor the Sub-Mariner christens"the Black Hulk."(Nul shouldn’t be mistaken for the Venom character Knull, aka the King in Black, though given their connection to the cosmic void, itispossible they’re different expressions of the same larger form of evil,known as the Anti-All.)
The Black Hulk Is the Ultimate Destroyer
His Entropy Powers Are Terrifying
Fully revealed in Matt Fraction and Terry Dodson’sDefenders Volume 4, fans finally get to see Nul’s true form and powers. The comic explains that rather than just being a monster, Nul is the embodiment of entropy, stating"his very being is a destructive act.“While the Black Hulk is as strong and invulnerable as the ‘Hulk’ name suggests, his unique powers are far more disturbing.
Anything the Black Hulk touches shatters and breaks, whether it’s concrete or Red She-Hulk’s unbreakable skin. At the same time, Nul’s presence on Earth-616 destabilizes reality itself. The longer Nul exists in its true form, the more other dimensions can break through to Earth, causing a slew of supernatural occurrences. At the same time, illnesses grow worse and technology begins to fail, while anyone in the Black Hulk’s vicinity begins to physically break down, with unexplained pain racking their body.
While Bruce Banner’s Hulk is known for breaking things with his fists, the Black Hulk breaks reality on every level just by existing, causing an avalanche of disasters (while also personally charging across the planet, destroying everything in his path.)
The Black Hulk’s ultimate goal is to destroy the Concordance Engine - a powerful artifact that anchors Earth-616 within the multiverse. Had it succeeded, Earth-616 would have collapsed, potentially beginning a chain reaction which would have damaged the multiverse itself, showing just how dangerous the Black Hulk truly is.
Fans can be forgiven for not knowing Nul exists, but this short-lived villain ended up being the perfect commentary on Hulk himself.
Hulk Smashes, But It’s Not As Simple As That
Some Things Should Be Destroyed
Ultimately, Nul hasn’t appeared in very many Marvel Comics, and fans can be forgiven for not knowing it exists beyond possessing Hulk inFear Itself. However, this short-lived villain ended up being the perfect commentary on Hulk himself, setting up the most significant development in his lore since the character was introduced.
Since 1962, Hulk has been linked to the act of destruction - even his catchphrase is"Hulk smash!“The Black Hulk took that theme and applied it to the biggest canvas possible, turning Nul into the embodiment of destruction and thus the Hulk’s dark reflection. Indeed, Nul is essentially how Bruce Banner sees the Hulk - a chaotic force of destruction which must be stopped at all costs.
However, just by existing, Nul makes it clear how different Hulk actually is. Nul destroyseverything, with a stated end of total oblivion. In contrast, the Hulk’s destruction is targeted. Despite his monstrous appearance and gruff personality, Hulkisa hero, and when he smashes something, it’s usually something that’s making the world a worse place.
This concept was expressed in Al Ewing and Joe Bennett’sImmortal Hulk, where (as the Devil Hulk persona), Hulk reveals his new mission to ‘destroy the world.’ However, Hulk later elaborates that what he truly wants is to destroy the worldas it currently is, clearing the way for something better. Hulk’s destruction is ultimately a radical force for good - something that goes against the status quo but is still beneficial.
This idea of destruction as a necessary act is key to unlocking the Hulk mythos, lending the character purpose on many levels and explaining why he’s a constant outsider even in a world of impossible beings. The existence of the Black Hulk, contrasted against Bruce Banner’s Hulk, reveals that at its best, theHulkfranchise isn’t about destruction - it’s aboutwhatis destroyed andwhy.
The One-Below-All Was the Perfect Follow-Up to Nul
Immortal Hulkdoesn’t stop with exploring the Devil Hulk’s motives. Binding together pastHulklore, the seriesintroduces the One-Below-All. This eldritch abomination exists in a Hell-like realm below reality, seeking not just to destroy the universe or multiverse, but to halt the eternal cycle of creation. In its final twist,Immortal Hulkreveals that the One-Below-All is an alternate persona of Marvel’s supreme being, the One-Above-All - essentially god’s Hulk.
InImmortal Hulk, the One-Below-All’s motives are explained, as the entity describes its abiding disdain and hatred for all things outside itself. The One-Below-All wants to be alone in the multiverse, unbothered by any other form of life or thought. It destroys out of jealousy, hatred and solipsism, again contrasting Hulk’s benevolent destruction of what is harmful.
Marvel recently brought back Nul’s weapon, suggesting we’ll see the Black Hulk again soon.
Ewing took this deep lore of the Marvel Universe one step further inDefenders #5(with Javier Rodriguez), revealing that in the earliest form of the multivere, reality was simply the staging ground for a battle between the heroic Lifebringer and nihilistic Anti-All. This deep dive suggests that at the heart of Marvel’s reality is a battle between good and evil better described as ‘being vs nothingness.’
This ‘big idea’ at the heart of Marvel’s cosmos makes Hulk an even more tragic figure. In a multiverse built on the idea of ‘life vs destruction’, Hulk has the unenviable task of destroying on behalf of life - an antihero destined to be hated by the less tarnished champions of life and creation, but one who’s still necessary.
While Ewing has shaped much of this characterization in recent comics, Nul the Black Hulk set up this contrast between the Hulk’s heroic destruction and actual,harmfuldestruction years earlier. Now, there are signs that Marvel isn’t done with this impactful villain…
The Black Hulk Could Still Return
Nul Recently Re-entered Marvel Lore in the Weirdest Way
Defendersis a confusing comic, with most of the narrative taking place in an alternate timeline that eventually erases itself. Because of that, fans aren’t sure where Nul currently is, with the prevailing theory being that he was destroyed by the Concordance Engine’s protector. However, Marvel villains have suffered far more definitive fates and still returned.
Indeed, Nul recently re-entered Marvel lore in a strange way. The current run ofAvengers(from Jed MacKay and Francisco Mortarino) has introduced a rival team of heroes known as the Twilight Court. One member - the genetically engineered Asgardian Galehaut - wields the Hammer of Nul,having acquired the weapon through unknown means.
Currently, it doesn’t seem like Nul is possessing Galehaut, though she’s clearly drawing on an echo of his power. Hopefully, this reintroduction leads to the Black Hulk manifesting again, as there’s still alotthat can be done with such a thematically complex villain - one who destroys the world simply by existing in it.
The Black Hulk is often forgotten inthe mix of alternate-color Hulks, but the living embodiment of destruction is one of the more interesting dark reflections of Bruce Banner’s other self, introducing concepts that have come to defineHulklore in the years since.
