Marvel Returns to Planet Hulk for the Story's 20th Anniversary

It's hard to judge it's been 20 years since Marvel published the archetypal Planet Hulk storyline. This hugely influential communicative saw Hulk dragged crossed abstraction to conflict for his beingness connected the wartorn satellite of Sakaar, yet rising from gladiator to king. That travel has had a profound power connected Marvel's comic publication line, including paving the mode for 2007's World War Hulk crossover, and its power tin beryllium felt successful the MCU adjacent now.

To observe Planet Hulk's 20th birthday, Marvel has reassembled immoderate of the archetypal originative squad - including writer Greg Pak, creator Carlo Pagulayan, and exertion Mark Paniccia - to trade a caller escapade acceptable connected Sakaar. Return to Planet Hulk #1 is simply a one-shot peculiar that takes spot during the archetypal storyline. It promises to adhd adjacent greater extent to a modern Marvel classic.

To larn much astir however this peculiar connects to the archetypal run, IGN spoke with Pak via email. Check retired an exclusive preview of Return to Planet Hulk #1 successful the slideshow assemblage below, past work connected to larn more:

20 years ago, Pak couldn't person known conscionable however large an interaction Planet Hulk would person connected the Marvel Universe. We asked him wherefore helium thinks Planet Hulk has resonated truthful powerfully implicit the years.

"It's ever a small presumptuous for a writer to speech astir what makes their ain enactment popular, ha ha!" Pak tells IGN. "But, of course, we wouldn't beryllium anyplace without the unthinkable art, coloring, and lettering of Carlo Pagulayan, Aaron Lopresti, Ladronn, Chris Sotomayor, Randy Gentile, Joe Caramagna, and everyone other who worked connected the book."

Pak continues, "I deliberation there's besides ever foodstuff successful a communicative successful which the strongest leader is someway the biggest outcast and underdog. And there's a tremendous feeling erstwhile a quality thought of arsenic a monster has the accidental to measurement up for others and go a existent hero. So Planet Hulk delivers connected each that vicarious glory. But it's besides a Hulk story, which means it's astir the terms of anger, nary substance however righteous that choler is. So it's besides a tragedy, and I deliberation that's honestly a immense portion of its attraction. It's emotionally earthy and honorable and I deliberation folks person appreciated that. I'm besides enormously grateful to each the Hulk writers and artists who preceded america and laid the groundwork for this benignant of communicative and each the readers who embraced it truthful wholeheartedly. You ne'er truly cognize however a publication volition beryllium received, and erstwhile everything truly hits, and it's overwhelming successful the champion of ways to cognize however overmuch the communicative has meant to truthful galore people. THANK YOU!"

Pak reveals that helium was the catalyst down Return to Planet Hulk, arsenic helium reached retired to Marvel aft realizing the 20th day was approaching and processing the nugget of an thought for a mode to revisit the archetypal book.

"The satellite of Planet Hulk is ever kicking astir determination successful the backmost of my head," Pak says. "So erstwhile I realized that the 20th day was coming up, I changeable a enactment disconnected to Marvel and aft a portion Mark Paniccia, the superb exertion of the archetypal Planet Hulk run, reached retired and said they had this one-shot approved. The large situation was figuring retired a spot successful the storyline wherever an untold communicative could really work. The archetypal communicative is precise tight, and we didn't privation to adhd thing that didn't supply further resonance."

Pak continues, "Eventually we realized determination was a saccharine spot soon aft the extremity of contented #95, the 4th section successful the saga, wherever the Hulk has freed the enslaved gladiators but hasn't rather settled into his relation arsenic an existent leader. This felt similar a large spot to research the Hulk's conflicted ideas -- the anticipation that helium mightiness garbage this telephone to adventure, this request to beryllium a leader -- successful the deepest wasteland of the Twisted Wood. It's beauteous darn large -- dontcha situation miss it!"

Art by Carlo Pagulayan. (Image Credit: Marvel)

As anxious arsenic Pak was to revisit the Planet Hulk setting, helium was besides adamant that helium wouldn't bash truthful without his archetypal collaborators connected board. Luckily, Pagulayan and Paniccia were lone excessively blessed to instrumentality to Sakaar with him.

"This was key," Pak says. "Mark and I were heavy arsenic thieves passim that full run, and I couldn't conceive of doing thing similar this without him. And Carlo and Aaron Lopresti tag teamed connected the creation passim the storyline. Carlo drew those archetypal 4 issues and it feels truthful large to get him drafting this 1 changeable that follows instantly aft them. Watching those pages rotation successful was honestly surreal -- felt similar we were each transported 2 decades backmost successful time."

Naturally, the flashback premise allows Pak to reconnect with immoderate of the cardinal characters from the archetypal Planet Hulk run. Don't expect large players similar the Red King oregon Hulk's bride-to-be Caiera to amusement up, however. Given that this contented takes spot reasonably aboriginal successful the Planet Hulk saga, it's not the close clip for those characters to amusement up.

"The communicative we tackled didn't extremity up including Caiera oregon the Red King -- it's a spot aboriginal successful the epic for them," Pak says. "But I tin tease that we research an full assemblage of creatures connected Sakaar that we didn't person the accidental to research truthful profoundly successful the archetypal storyline. That's a thrill and adds different nuance to however the Hulk is perceived connected Sakaar and however helium perceives himself."

Return to Planet Hulk #1 volition beryllium released connected October 8, 2025. You tin preorder a transcript astatine your section comic shop.

In different Hulk news, Mark Ruffalo precocious revealed helium hasn't work a publication for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, contempt pervasive rumors that Hulk volition look successful the sequel.

Jesse is simply a mild-mannered unit writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intelligence thicket by following @jschedeen connected BlueSky.