Contains Spoilers for Hulk #10!The Hulk’s Gamma-powered punches are famous, but recent comics have revealed an entirely new capability of Gamma Rays which is much more suited to Bruce Banner’s smarts than Hulk’s brawn. Gamma Rays' ability to transfer information between minds is still mysterious, but the implications are huge.
The Hulk’s powers all revolve around Gamma Rays, which in the Marvel Universe often causes those exposed to them to mutate into monstrous forms. Hulk himself both emits and can absorb Gamma radiation, which has in the past powered him up considerably. The newest run of Hulk has seen the Hulk transform into a living spaceship, with disparate parts of his psyche having different roles as part of 'Starship Hulk.' Hulk’s first adventure had him transported to an alternate universe where he was beset by that universes’ Thunderbolt Ross and Bruce Banner. Hulk departed this universe after Ross dropped a Gamma bomb on him, with the brunt of the impact being absorbed by the inter-dimensional portal Hulk had traveled through originally. However, this burst of Gamma radiation has had unintended consequences.
In Hulk Vol 5 #10 by Donny Cates and Ryan Ottley, it’s revealed that Gamma Radiation somehow has the power to transfer information. The Gamma bomb dropped in #6 further mutated Gamma-irradiated outcasts exiled to their own 'Hulk Planet' by the alternate-universe Banner, and somehow gave them the intelligence to create an advanced society,. As Banner speculates, “(the bomb) must have advanced your mutations and… carried that other Banner’s computations and scientific data.” This new power is a huge deal, and here is shown to lead to the cultural and scientific evolution of an entire planet of beings. Bruce Banner is one of the smartest humans to ever live, so the ability to pass on his genius could be even more significant than his unrivaled strength as the Hulk.
Hulk Can Transmit His Genius
This new power touches on some real-life science. Gamma Rays are part of the electromagnetic spectrum, aka the EM spectrum, and sit at the top, with the shortest wavelength. On the opposite side, with the longest wavelength, are radio waves. This new function of Gamma radiation seems to mirror radio waves. Unlike radio waves, there’s no real-life way to specifically encode information into Gamma rays at present. In real life, sending Gamma Rays would be extremely dangerous to do on Earth, as full exposure to them is deadly. However, on a planet of already-irradiated creatures, it has major benefits. Hulk’s ability to absorb Gamma Radiation is such a key part of his powerset and history that if information is able to be transmitted through Gamma Rays, then a Hulk-like being acting as a receptor makes sense, especially given the mystic slant Marvel has recently put on gamma.
This revelation also raises a lot of questions, especially since Hulk is currently dealing with Tyrant - a dark presence within his mind which could also have been transmitted. In his recent battle against the One-Below-All, Hulk discovered that Gamma mutates can transmit their minds to new bodies after death, and are all connected by the energy. Information sharing isn't much of a leap from this idea, but it's a dark fact with so many evil beings tapped into Gamma, including the Leader and Abomination.
Hulk's powers continue to develop and reveal new mysteries, but the ability to transmit his scientific genius to an entire planet is a shocking development and means that - as the Hulk Planet's culture recognizes - Bruce Banner's powers are now verging on godhood.
Hulk #10 is available now from Marvel Comics.