With the upcoming release of She-Hulk, it is obvious that Hulk comics have been a fertile breeding ground for exciting Marvel characters. Aside from the big green guy himself, tons of memorable Marvel icons have gotten their start in the pages of The Incredible Hulk and other Hulk series.
From future superhero mainstays such as Wolverine to iconic modern villains such as Weapon H, many of Hulk's supporting characters have become fixtures in the Marvel Universe. Even though many have debuted there, only the best of the best have taken their place in the annals of comic book history.
Wendigo - The Incredible Hulk #162 (1973)
Featuring a sad origin like The Hulk himself, the Wendigo is a Marvel villain ripped straight from ancient indigenous folklore. Created by a curse that is inflicted upon someone who commits cannibalism, Wendigo has gone through several different human hosts over the decades.
Initially fighting The Hulk when he was on an excursion in Canada, the vicious snow creature has returned frequently to vex other members of the Marvel Universe. Shifting his focus from the big green monster, Wendigo became one of the staple villains of the Canadian super-team Alpha Flight, and even lead a siege on Las Vegas.
Constrictor - The Incredible Hulk #212 (1977)
Some of Marvel's best characters are anti-heroes, and often those complicated figures start out as full-fledged baddies. Constrictor came onto the Marvel scene as a violent mercenary who ran afoul of The Hulk in the 1970s.
Equipped with a serpentine costume and energy whips, Constrictor defected from the ranks of S.H.I.E.L.D. after having a nervous breakdown while on a mission. Despite his turn towards criminality, Constrictor could never find the right outfit to run with, and he even tried to do the right thing on occasion. While he wasn't the most powerful villain in Marvel history, Constrictor's dark backstory and complicated emotional state made him one of the most interesting.
The Rangers - The Incredible Hulk #265 (1981)
Even though many standalone characters got their start alongside The Hulk, several notable teams also debuted in the pages of Hulk's books. The Rangers essentially assembled on accident when a distress call to The Avengers was intercepted by a rag-tag group of Southwestern heroes.
Called upon to stop the rampaging Hulk, the cowboy super-team banded together and eventually formed a cohesive group. While they never had their own standalone book, The Rangers appeared frequently in Avengers comics, and were even called upon to defend Texas as part of the Avenger's 50 state initiative.
Sabra - The Incredible Hulk #250 (1980)
Comic books are usually an escape from the real world, but Marvel has always excelled at bringing real life problems into their stories. Ruth Bat-Seraph, a.k.a. Sabra is an Israeli mutant who uses her powers to fight terrorism in her home country and abroad as well.
Initially battling The Hulk because she thought he was a terrorist sympathizer, Sabra eventually became an ally to the big green monster on the streets of Tel Aviv. It wasn't long before Sabra became an important fixture in the Marvel Universe, and she has popped up on numerous occasions including as a vocal supporter of the X-Men and their defense of the mutant cause.
Lyra - Hulk: Raging Thunder #1 (2008)
Unlike the She-Hulk of Marvel's main timeline, Lyra had none of the tongue-in-cheek energy of her Earth-616 counterpart. The child of Thundra and The Hulk, Lyra's powers were a mix of both, but with a strange twist. Unlike Banner who becomes stronger the angrier he got, Lyra actually grew weaker.
Sent to Earth-616 to mate with Norman Osbourne, Lyra was eventually disgusted by her potential mate and rebelled against her mission. Partnered up with the original She-Hulk, Lyra went on a dangerous mission to rescue her mentor, and together they fought Red She-Hulk, one of her most powerful villains.
Thunderbolts - The Incredible Hulk #449 (1996)
Similar to DC's Suicide Squad, the Marvel anti-hero group Thunderbolts was made up of mostly reformed ex-cons. Originally assembled by Baron Zemo in attempt to do evil, the gang eventually figured out the Baron's plan and actually became a force for good in the Marvel Universe.
Generally considered a super-team that is cooler than The Avengers, Thunderbolts eventually earned their own ongoing series that ran for several volumes. What made The Thunderbolts such a compelling team is that they tried to do what was right, but often did it differently than the typical do-gooder teams. Over the years, the team has formed and re-formed several times with an alternating roster of Marvel heroes and villains.
Weapon H - Totally Awesome Hulk #21 (2017)
While most of the characters that debuted in the Hulk comics made their start years ago, Weapon H is a newcomer to the Marvel Universe. Weapon H was created when Clayton Cortez found himself the subject of a Weapon X experiment that combined the DNA of both The Hulk and Logan together to create a brand new superhuman.
Blending the elements of both characters together, Weapon H became a nearly unstoppable force of nature. After a failed attempt to integrate into society, Clayton's frequent transformations made him a danger, and he embraced his life as a superhuman. Though he is relatively new to the Marvel Universe, Weapon H has been the subject of standalone books as well as recently becoming a member of Wolverine's Savage Avengers stable.
Doc Samson - The Incredible Hulk #141 (1971)
Originally a brilliant psychiatrist by the name of Leonard Skivorski, the superhuman known as Doc Samson was born out of scientific curiosity and jealousy. Devising a way to cure Betty Ross of her crystalline affliction, Skivorski perfected a ray that would also cure The Hulk. After intentionally exposing himself to a fraction of the Hulk's gamma rays, Doc Samson was born.
Humanoid in appearance but with green hair and incredible strength, Doc Samson got the best of both worlds compared to Bruce Banner. After feuding with Hulk for a while, Samson became a hero in his own right and even appeared in massive storylines like Civil War. While he is an integral part of The Hulk's mythos, Samson is still one of the best characters not in the MCU.
The Leader - Tales To Astonish #62 (1964)
Mostly remembered as one of The Hulk's oldest rivals, Samuel Sterns rose to infamy under his other title, The Leader. Starting as a simple factor worker, Sterns was exposed to radiation that left him transformed into a green being with superhuman intelligence and evil ambition.
Intentionally positioning himself as Hulk's arch-nemesis, The Leader used his superior mental powers to vex his foe. While he has mostly stuck to pestering Hulk, The Leader has also run across several other members of the Marvel Universe and has proven to be a worth adversary. Unlike most Hulk villains that attempt to match him in strength, The Leader is fascinating because he often tries to outsmart the big green monster.
Wolverine - The Incredible Hulk #181 (1974)
Long before he became a beloved member of the X-Men, fans got their first glimpse of the mutant known as Wolverine in the pages of The Incredible Hulk. While traversing the wilds of Canada, Banner was beset by a yellow clad, sharp clawed foe that gave him one heck of a fight.
After starting as a mercenary and villain, Wolverine disappeared for quite a while before returning as a member of the X-Men. Despite his transformation into a hero, he kept his grumpy attitude, and is still one of Marvel's most prickly characters. From his humble beginnings as a costumed baddie of the week, Wolverine has ascended to be among some of the most popular comic book characters of all time.