Captain America Brave New World is set to release in no time, and even though the selling point of this movie should be Anthony Mackie’s Captain America, fans seem to be more excited about watching The Red Hulk in action. Moreover, the Red Hulk is being played by Harrison Ford, which is a cherry on top for the upcoming project. However, with the introduction of this character, you must be wondering if there’s a difference between Red Hulk and Bruce Banner’s Hulk, and you would be surprised to know there are plenty. So, let me tell you about the differences between Hulk and Red Hulk!
1. Intelligence Level
When talking about the differences between the two beasts, one of the biggest ones is the IQ level of both beasts. In his human form, Bruce Banner is a world-renowned scientist, but when he turned into the Hulk, his IQ is reduced significantly, and all that’s left is basic speech and rage. However, in the case of Red Hulk, the IQ situation is much better. When Thaddeus turns into the Red Hulk, he still has total control over his mind, and considering his military training, he plans his tactics and thinks before he acts even as the Red Hulk.
2. Moral Dynamic
Another noticeable difference between them is the difference in moral dynamics. When Bruce Banner turned into The Hulk, it did not happen because he wanted it to, but Bruce has always been a hero at heart. He has never used his powers to hurt anyone and he has put himself in harm’s way more than once for the interest of others. However, with Red Hulk, the case is the opposite.
Ross turned himself into the Red Hulk for the sole purpose of killing the Hulk as he blamed him for the death of his daughter, Betty. In Marvel comics, the Red Hulk has been a villain but sometimes also the hero. He has been the leader of Thunderbolts as well a part of the Avengers from now and then. So, his morality is rather questionable.
3. Acceptance Towards Hulk
When it comes to acceptance, Bruce Banner never wanted to be Hulk. He turned into the green monster because of an accidental exposure to Gamma Radiation that completely changed his life. Even though he eventually embraced the Hulk, Bruce would not miss a chance to let go of his alter ego.
On the other hand, Thaddeus Ross became the Red Hulk of his free will. He made himself go through the process of change and turned himself into the Red Hulk. To him, it was an enhancement rather than a burden.
4. Origin
If we talk about the origin story, Bruce Banner was a renowned scientist and an expert in Gamma Radiation. He was hired by the government to work on a project involving Gamma radiation under the charge of Thaddeus Ross. However, being the expert, Bruce was made in charge, and Ross did not like that. On top of that, Banner was also dating Thaddeus’ daughter, Betty. However, an accident occurred turning Bruce into the Hulk.
Talking about Thaddeus Ross, Betty died because of radiation poisoning, and he blamed it on Bruce. To take revenge on Bruce and kill him, Ross allied with M.O.D.O.K. and The Leader to use Gamma Radiation mixed with cosmic rays on himself and get powers equivalent to that of the Hulk. However, that procedure turned Ross into the Red Hulk.
5. Control Over Hulk
Another Major difference between the Hulk and Red Hulk is that when Bruce turns into the Hulk, he loses control over himself and is fuelled only by anger and rage which sometimes makes him a threat to everyone around him. However, in the case of Red Hulk, Thaddeus has total control over his mind and can still think rationally.
6. Combat
The combat style of both the characters is a major difference between the two. In the case of Hulk, he fights instinctively and only acts on his anger. Basically, Hulk just throws hands, which makes him susceptible to a well-planned and tactical attack. However, in the case of Red Hulk, Thaddeus Ross is a seasoned soldier, and since he is in control even as the Red Hulk, he can plan his attack and act tactically.
7. Weaknesses
Both the characters have a different set of weaknesses as well. In Hulk’s case, his weakness is that he is essentially dumb. If someone can manage to outsmart him, they might have a chance against Hulk. However, in the case of Red Hulk, his power is his weakness. When he gets too angry, he literally starts overheating and turns back into his human form.
8. Powers
Just like weaknesses, Hulk and Red Hulk have a different set of powers as well. In the case of Hulk, his power is brute force. He is quite literally invincible to every weapon one can come up with and paired with his agility and stamina, it’s really difficult to out-fight the Hulk. On the other hand, while the Hulk depends completely on his strength, the Red Hulk has a set of other powers as well.
In the case of the Red Hulk, since his powers come from cosmic rays his skin gets hot when he gets angry. His skin can reach such high temperatures that he can turn anything he touches into ashes. In Marvel comics, he also has heat vision which gives him an upper hand against his enemies.
9. Alter Ego
This difference is as obvious as daylight, but both the Hulk and the Red Hulk are two completely different persons. A lot of people think that Red Hulk is just a variant of Hulk Bruce Banner turns into, but in truth, Bruce Banner is just Hulk while the Red Hulk is General Thaddeus Ross. He is also the archnemesis of Bruce, not just as their Hulk forms but also as people since Ross wanted his daughter to marry a military man, but she chose Bruce Banner.
10. Purpose
Another difference between The Hulk and Red Hulk is their purpose. When Bruce Banner turned into the Hulk, he had no idea what to do with this new identity. He looked at it from the POV of a curse for a very long time until he found his purpose to save lives and be a hero. Eventually, he even became an Avenger giving him all to make the best out of the cards life had dealt him.
However, in the case of Ross, he turned himself into the Red Hulk with the sole purpose of killing the Hulk. For a very long time, he attempted to take Hulk down but eventually had a change of heart. His attempt at redemption did not last very long, and he again tried to kill Bruce at his and Betty’s wedding. However, things did not go as he planned and eventually, Ross met his death.
Shashank Shakya
Shashank Shakya
