This Is The Most Dangerous Version of the Hulk (And We’ve All But Forgotten About Him)

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Worthy of the Hammer of Nul

Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics

Nul is different from most alternate versions of the Hulk, as while he is a version of Bruce Banner, he isn’t an alternate personality from within his own mind. Nul was actually created during the events of Fear Itself. This comic saw the Serpent, brother of Odin, self-proclaimed All-Father and Asgardian God of Fear, be freed from his prison after centuries of being trapped. Once again free to feed on the people of Midgard’s terror, the Serpent sent seven hammers to powerful beings around the world. Once picked up, they were forcibly transformed into the Worthy, monstrous versions of themselves under the Serpent’s control, with their only mission to spread death and destruction, fear, across the globe.

The Hulk touched one of these hammers and was transformed into Nul. Not only were any senses of heroism or basic desire to live stripped away, turning the Hulk into a maniacal beast set only on killing and destroying as many things as possible, but the hammer also magically enhanced his strength. The Hulk is already capable of leveling the world, but Nul was even stronger than that, dedicated to bringing the world down at any cost. The only person who actually managed to do anything to Nul was Thor, who launched him across the world with a full power attack, where he landed in Romania. Unhurt by a direct hit from the God of Thunder, Nul simply tore into the surrounding area, attracting the attention of Dracula and his army of vampires. Even the immortal bloodsuckers and their hundreds of imported monsters were nothing but paste in Nul’s way, not even slowing him down. They attempted to trap him in an adamantium net fitted with gravity amplifiers that made Nul a hundred times heavier than normal, but even that he tore through like air. He was only stopped when a vampire conjured an image of Betty telling him to fight the hammer’s influence, letting Hulk manifest and smash the Hammer of Nul, freeing himself. Unfortunately, that was far from the end of Nul.

Unrestrained Death and Destruction

Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics

Hulk smashing the hammer might have freed himself, but it inadvertently unleashed the spirit of Nul onto the world. Now unbound by needing a host and having absorbed the powers of the Hulk, Nul manifested as a massive black creature that vaguely resembled the hero he once possessed. He mindlessly sought destruction on the largest scale possible, and thus was drawn to the Concordance Engine. Concordance Engines were devices created by the Beyonders to help them shape the multiverse, and have limitless reality-shaping capabilities. They are nigh-omnipotent and react to the will of those near them, once bringing Doctor Strange’s dead lover Martha back to life because he thought of her while standing close to one. The Defenders reformed specifically to fight Nul, but even the likes of Doctor Strange, Red She-Hulk, and the Silver Surfer could barely even slow him down. He evolved to become the spirit of Death itself, his very presence making those near him sick and weak. Nul was only defeated by the power of the Concordance Engine itself, when the Engine’s protector Prester Omega used it to erase Nul from existence.

Nul was, without a doubt, one of the most dangerous and powerful versions of the Hulk there ever was. He was actually unstoppable by everyone and everything without access to the Enigma Force, which is about as unstoppable you can be without being a Beyonder. And yet, despite how insanely powerful and terrifying he was, Nul is practically all but forgotten about now. I guess it just goes to show that it doesn’t matter how monstrous you are, if you don’t have anything to set you apart from the other fifty unstoppable Hulks, you’re just doomed to be forgotten. He’s definitely a strange variant, but a fun one nonetheless.

Which version of the Hulk is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!