Marvel’s New Red Hulk Has the Most Disturbing Explanation for His Color

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Annihilation 2099 #3! When the original Red Hulk debuted in Marvel Comics, it was revealed that his red color was directly correlated with his Gamma Radiation Emission power, which makes his skin ‘red-hot’, with the temperature increasing the angrier he becomes. But now, with Marvel’s new Red Hulk, there’s another explanation behind his red color, one that is decidedly much more disturbing than that of his predecessor.

In Annihilation 2099 #3 “The Rage Reborn” by Steve Orlando and Pete Woods, the origin of the new Red Hulk of the 2099 reality is revealed. When Ross Romero is chosen by the company he works for, Alchemex, to go on a mission into outer space, he’s initially ecstatic to go, as traveling the cosmos has been his dream since he was a child. However, things quickly go horribly wrong the moment he and his team land on the celestial body they were sent to investigate, as it belonged to none other than Ego, the Living Planet.

Ross found himself stranded on Ego, who was dying after Terrax the Planet Hunter attacked him. In order to keep at least a piece of himself alive, Ego creates a piece of ‘fruit’ from his planetary flesh that he offers Romero just as the earthling was on the verge of starvation. When he ate it, Romero was flooded with Ego’s Power Primordial, which mutated him into the Red Hulk. However, it didn’t just mutate Romero, but also the red space suit he was wearing, which bonded to his flesh, giving his ‘Hulk’ form the iconic red color.

Red Hulk 2099 is Red Because His Red Space Suit was Bonded with His Flesh

When the Power Primordial surged through Ross Romero’s body, it couldn’t differentiate between his flesh and his space suit, so it mutated them together to create the aesthetic of Marvel’s all-new Red Hulk. What makes this transformation even more disturbing is that it seems Romero’s transformation is permanent, and he won’t be able to revert to his human form like the original Red Hulk.

This assumption comes from the source of his power, as he was imbued with the cosmic energy of an Elder of the Universe, not exposure to gamma radiation. Like Galactus creating Heralds by imbuing them with the Power Cosmic (such as the Silver Surfer), Romero was offered every bit of Ego’s Power Primordial, which seems to indicate that – like the Silver Surfer – Romero is now forever changed, with his space suit a permanent aspect of his new body.

This transformation, whether permanent or not, is unarguably a disturbing one, but the story behind Red Hulk’s 2099 character design makes it much more interesting. In the backmatter to Annihilation 2099 #3, readers are shown the character design notes written by artist Pete Woods, which gives fans a deeper insight into the inspiration behind Red Hulk’s final appearance. As it turns out, that inspiration came from the works of two of the greatest artists in science fiction: Jack Kirby and H.R. Giger.

From the notes of Pete Woods: The idea is that suit and Hulk are merged. An artist can draw the simpler Kirby-esque design from a distance but when we zoom in we pick up on the creepy Giger-like details.

The biomechanical nature of Red Hulk 2099 is reminiscent of H.R. Giger’s iconic style (which most fans will recognize in the Xenomorph design from Alien), and traces of Jack Kirby’s style can be felt upon looking at the entire design as a whole. Based on the inspiration behind Red Hulk’s new character design, plus the in-world explanation for why he’s red, it’s obvious why his origin is one of the most disturbing in Marvel Comics.

Annihilation 2099 #3 by Marvel Comics is available now.