No, Red Hulk’s Opposite Is Not the Hulk, And We Have Proof Now

While Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, aka the Red Hulk, may hate the Hulk more than anything else in the world, transforming himself into a reflection of the Hulk, the Green Goliath isn’t his opposite. Ross is no different from the Hulk, frequently giving in to his anger and responding with brute force. However, the son of Mephisto once revealed Ross’s true opposite, and it’s amazingly insulting.

In Venom (2011)’s “Circle of Four” story arc, Red Hulk, Agent Venom, X-23, and Alejandra Jones’s Ghost Rider have teamed up to put down Blackheart and stop his hellish invasion of Earth. When faced with the foul son of Mephisto, Blackheart reveals a sinister mystical mirror that reflects and creates the perfect antithesis of a person’s soul.

Keeping Ross’s immense strength and stature while reflecting his greatest fault, the demon Encephalon emerges from the mirror. What this creature represents proves that Red Hulk’s opposite isn’t the Hulk, it’s a version of himself that can process his fears and shame.

The Red Hulk’s True Opposite Is Himself

Venom #13-13.4 (2011): “Circle of Four” – Written by Rick Remender, Rob Williams, & Jeff Parker, Art by Tony Moore, Lee Garbett, Sana Takeda, Julian Tedesco, Lan Medina, Nelson Decastro, & Terry Pallot

Encephalon is a hulking brute, equally strong as Red Hulk. The wrinkled mass of walking brain tissue mirrors Ross’s strength equally but overcomes the soldier in a war of the mind. The demonic opposite is a powerful telepath that challenges the Red Hulk in a battle of mental fortitude, a test that proves difficult for him to handle. Underneath his mustache and patriotic vibrato, Thaddeus Ross is haunted by the fear that he is not respected and the shame he feels for selling out his convictions and morality to become a Hulk.

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Ross’s opposite is a version of himself that can face these fears and process his shame. One of his most prominent character traits is his short-sighted arrogance. Ross frequently fails to empathize with the Hulk, leading to him making decisions that ultimately betray the swiftness and safety of an operation. He doesn’t understand people, making him an ill-fit leader, something Ross has yet to emotionally process. Being faced with these fears and failures, the Red Hulk laments, missing his military days. But now he second guesses his leadership there too, dismantling the memory of the only place he felt belonged.

Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross Dedicated His Entire Life to the Military

He Sold His Soul and His Career For Vengeance

Thunderbolt Ross was born into a family with a long and proud tradition of military service. From a young age, Thaddeus committed himself to military training until finally serving in World War II. Quickly rising through the ranks, he was considered a war hero. Years later, his military service placed him in Los Alamos, the birthplace of the Hulk. Following years of dedication to stopping the gamma monster, Thaddeus was convinced by M.O.D.O.K. and the Leader to join their cause and capture Bruce Banner to remove all of his gamma radiation.

Selling out his values and partnering with murderous supervillains, all to reap revenge for the apparent death of his daughter, Ross absorbed Banner’s energy, transforming him into the Red Hulk. Replacing himself with an LMD, Thaddeus spent years as the Red Hulk, hiding his identity, while on a hellbent quest to serve his personal brand of justice. Eventually, his volatile ego consumed him when he staged a coup to take over the White House until being stopped by the Hulk. After years of indulging his craving for vengeance, Thunderbolt Ross was now a villain, losing all of his military respect.

Red Hulk Replaced Thunderbolt Ross’s Identity

The Gamma Hero Has Had Chances at Redemption Since

Thaddeus Ross’s opposite isn’t the Hulk, maybe Banner, but not the Hulk. Discarding everything he believed was right, he allowed himself to become like the Hulk, both in body and ego. The Red Hulk’s true opposite is himself. At least, a version of himself. A version capable of reflecting on his feats and failures. While Encephalon is a demon, twisted and malformed, it does perfectly reflect Ross’s current psyche. This demonic reflection has no true identity, instead consumed by thoughts and burdened with depressive doubt.

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In another way, Ross is still his own opposite when considering his fall from grace. Prior to joining M.O.D.O.K. and the Leader, he was a hero. He was a man who led with honor and put his life on the line to defeat Nazi Germany and who liberated a concentration camp. He once believed in order, but as the Red Hulk, he threw all of it away. Fortunately, Thaddeus has spent many more years making up for his failures, redeeming himself, and transforming the Red Hulk into a hero worth celebrating.

Red Hulk

Created as part of a Super Soldier program by Doc Samson and criminal think tank the Intelligencia, Red Hulk was imagined as an antiheroic and more volatile adversary for the Hulk. Boasting greater strategic intelligence, his true identity was revealed to be General Thunderbolt Ross in World War Hulks. After years of speculation, Red Hulk debuts in Captain America: Brave New World, played by Harrison Ford.