Donny Cates has said that the Hulk becomes a “Smashtronaut” in his upcoming new ongoing series with artist Ryan Ottley, but has also refuted claims it’s set in outer space despite how much the “Smashtronaut” sounds like a punny take on ‘Astronaut.’ And now with the just-revealed description of February 2022’s Hulk #4, we have a better idea of where he is going.
The Marvel Multiverse.
In a ship called… get this… Starship Hulk.
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In what could be a bizarre contender for our list of the best superhero rides of all time, the Starship Hulk – piloted by Bruce Banner – is traveling across the Marvel Multiverse to an all-new, all-different alternate Earth where Thunderbolt Ross is president – and has an army of gamma-powered mutates supporting him.
Hulk is the latest Marvel Comics series to take up exploring the Marvel Multiverse in the wake of the MCU’s multiversal shenanigans getting underway with Avengers: Endgame, Loki, What If…?, and the upcoming big-screen Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
In addition to Hulk, the Marvel Comics ongoing series Avengers Forever (opens in new tab), as well as the limited series Maestro: World War M, Dark Ages, and even Avengers: Tech-On Avengers are all exploring the idea of the modern Marvel Multiverse, and that’s without mentioning the expansion of the What If..? as a line of comics.
While the Hulk is venturing out into the Marvel Multiverse and this strange version of Earth he’s found, the bigger mystery of the series will be how Hulk became a “Smashtronaut.” Those questions will begin to get answered in November 24’s Hulk #1. The aforementioned Hulk #4 goes on sale on February 16, 2022.
Look for all of Marvel Comics’ February 2022 schedule of releases soon on Newsarama.
Make sure you’ve read all the best Hulk stories of all time.