The Story
Bruce Banner is a brilliant nuclear physicist overseeing a gamma bomb test when teenager Rick Jones drives onto the test site on a dare. Banner rushes onto the field to pull Jones to safety and shoves him into a trench, but takes the full blast himself. That night, as the sun sets, Banner transforms for the first time into a towering, gray-skinned brute with none of his own restraint. The issue also introduces General "Thunderbolt" Ross, his daughter Betty Ross, and the Soviet villain the Gargoyle, who Banner's alter ego ultimately helps rather than fights.
The gray skin didn't last. Printing issues made the color inconsistent panel to panel, so Marvel switched the Hulk to green starting with issue #2, and green is the shade that stuck for six decades of stories, films, and toy lines. The core idea introduced here, a mild-mannered scientist who becomes a rage-fueled monster he can't fully control, became one of Marvel's most durable premises, and the character would go on to found the Avengers alongside Iron Man and Thor.
For collectors, The Incredible Hulk #1 is a top Silver Age Marvel key. This issue is the print origin; the first Hulk NFT is the character in figure form.
The Collectible
A high-grade physical Incredible Hulk #1 is a major-money key issue in any comic market, and clean copies with the original gray coloring are especially scarce. The VeVe edition keeps the Kirby art pristine and, after the January 2026 Collect migration, self-custodies on-chain. The Classic Cover reproduces the original front, while the Rare Hero Variant and Ultra Rare Vibranium Variant carry exclusive new art by Alex Saviuk and Rachelle Rosenberg that no printed copy has.
The Drop
VeVe released The Incredible Hulk #1 on July 8, 2023 at $20, in five cover variants running Common through Secret Rare. The character's sustained popularity through MCU films and streaming series kept the waitlist competitive, and the release distributed close to full on drop day.
Edition Breakdown
| Tier | Editions | Cover |
|---|---|---|
| Common | 6,000 | Classic Cover |
| Uncommon | 2,250 | Vintage Variant |
| Rare | 1,000 | Hero Variant, exclusive cover |
| Ultra Rare | 500 | Vibranium Variant, exclusive cover |
| Secret Rare | 250 | True Believer Variant |
10,000 editions total with 1 burned, so 9,999 circulate at an 8.5% market fee. The 250 Secret Rare copies are the scarcest point in the run.
Market Context
When this dropped in July 2023, the Hulk's cultural footprint across film and streaming kept collector interest strong, and secondary prices have generally held since, particularly for the Rare and Ultra Rare editions with their exclusive art. The January 2026 Collect migration moved every edition to self-custody on-chain, with no further minting possible.
Collector's Note
Bruce Banner's transformation from scientist to gray monster is one of Marvel's foundational origin stories, and this is the issue where it starts. Even Common editions represent ownership of that debut, while the Rare and Ultra Rare tiers carry exclusive art worth hunting. Copies are listed on the VeVe secondary market, sometimes below retail. New to VeVe? Take $10 off your first purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Incredible Hulk #1, cover-dated May 1962. Stan Lee wrote it and Jack Kirby drew it. It is the first appearance of the Hulk, Bruce Banner, Betty Ross, and the Gargoyle.
Gray. Printing inconsistencies made the gray tone vary panel to panel, so Marvel switched the character to green beginning with issue #2, and green became the standard color used ever since.
10,000 across five tiers: 6,000 Common, 2,250 Uncommon, 1,000 Rare, 500 Ultra Rare, and 250 Secret Rare. One has been burned, so 9,999 circulate.
Yes. Collectors list copies on the VeVe secondary market, sometimes below retail. Prices vary by tier, with the 250-edition Secret Rare the scarcest.
They use VeVe-exclusive art by Alex Saviuk and Rachelle Rosenberg, created for this drop and not printed on the original 1962 issue.
