There have been many different iterations of the Hulk over the years, with the debut of the crimson-tinged Red Hulk being a similar yet completely separate take on the character that fans hadn’t seen before. Commanding a unique power set with a secret identity who is decidedly not Bruce Banner, how exactly did Red Hulk get his signature scarlet hue, and what makes this colored version of the Jade Giant stand out from his predecessor?

Crashing onto the scene in 1962 thanks to Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Bruce Banner, aka the original green Hulk, is a ferocious monster who famously becomes stronger the angrier he gets — a staple power detail that’s been riffed on or repurposed each time a new Hulk makes their debut.

Currently, having multiple colored Hulks in continuity — like Joe Fixit’s Grey Hulk, the Uni-Power-imbued Blue Hulk, the solar-powered Orange Hulk, and more — Marvel...