Don't Make the Hulk Angry: The Marvel Hero Is About to Copy Wolverine's Goriest Kill

In a preview for The Incredible Hulk #21 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Danny Earls, the Hulk is fighting a giant wolf-like monster called Vârcolac. This beast was awakened by the Eldest (the leader of all Earth’s monsters under the Mother of Horrors) to not only kill Hulk, but also take back the godskin of Lycana which was stolen by the Hulk’s sidekick, Charlie Tidwell. The godskin of Lycana has transformed Charlie into a winged wolf-like monster herself, granting her strength akin to the Hulk’s, making her a worthy sidekick.

However, in this preview, Charlie is nowhere to be found, and the Hulk has to fight Vârcolac solo. At first, it seems the Hulk is way outmatched here, as Vârcolac is throwing the Jade Giant around like a ragdoll before literally eating the Strongest Avengers. Vârcolac craves blood above anything else, and Hulk’s irradiated gamma blood is the tastiest of all. However, Vârcolac doesn’t have much time to enjoy his meal, as the Hulk begins the process of ripping this monster open from the inside to free himself.

The Hulk Claws His Way Out of the Beast that Ate Him, Just like Wolverine

Wolverine Tore the Hulk Open from the Inside After He was Eaten in Old Man Logan

The preview ends before readers can see what happens, but it’s clear that the end result will be just as gruesome as one could imagine. Except, fans don’t really have to imagine it, do they? All they have to do is flip through the issues of Old Man Logan, as Wolverine did the exact same thing the Hulk is doing in this preview.

When Wolverine clawed his way out of Hulk’s stomach in Old Man Logan, he introduced perhaps his goriest move of all time. Exploding from the belly of a monstrous beast after being eaten is truly grotesque, making any killing-attack Wolverine has ever done since then pale in comparison in terms of pure gore. And now, the Hulk is making that move his own, and while fans will have to wait until this full issue is released to see it, it’s sure to be gruesomely spectacular.

The Hulk is Redeeming His Gruesome Defeat to Wolverine

Using Wolverine’s Gory Move Against Another Threat Lets the Hulk Redeem Himself

It’s interesting that Hulk is using the same move Wolverine used to kill him in Old Man Logan against an enemy in his own solo series. Sure, these are two totally different versions of the Hulk, but from the meta perspective, this can be seen as something of Hulk’s redemption. Losing to Wolverine after he ate the X-Men hero in such a brutal way is something fans will never forget, even if it was technically a different Hulk. But now, Hulk has the chance to do that same thing to his own enemy, effectively reclaiming the attack that killed him.

It’s cool that the Hulk is using Wolverine’s goriest move to kill a powerful monstrous enemy in The Incredible Hulk #21, and arguably even cooler when considering this allows the Hulk to redeem himself from his most gruesome loss. However, regardless of Wolverine’s influence, this upcoming Hulk comic is sure to be one fans of gore won’t want to miss, as he’s about to explode out of this wolf-monster’s throat - and it’s going to be awesome.

The Incredible Hulk #21 by Marvel Comics is available January 15, 2025.