Marvel Comics’ Hulk has powers far beyond his vast, incredible strength and near-indestructability – including what may perhaps be his most surprising power, the ability to view ghosts. Strange as it may seem, this power has tragic origins for the Hulk, connecting back to Bruce Banner’s complicated relationship with his father.

Immortal Hulk #0 – written by Peter David, with art by Adam Kubert – revealed the truth behind Hulk’s ability to see dead people, establishing it was born from the accidental murder of his father. While arguing with his father in front of his mother’s grave, Bruce Banner accidentally killed his dad by kicking him into a gravestone.

This action traumatized Bruce so much that he immediately repressed the memory. Later, Hulk would gain the ability to see the spirits of the dead.

Bruce Banner’s Killing Of His Own Father Made The Hulk Able To See Ghosts

Immortal Hulk #0 – Written By Peter David; Art By Adam Kubert, Mark Farmer, John Workman, & Dan Brown

Most Marvel readers know that Hulk’s father, Brian Banner, was a monster. When Brian Banner saw his son’s brilliance at a young age, he believed that Bruce was a monster and regularly beat both Bruce and his mother. Eventually, this escalated to the point that Brian murdered Bruce’s mother for trying to escape him. This instilled great fear of authority figures in Bruce, and this fear would eventually cause him to lash out. While Brian did go to an institution for murdering his wife, he was eventually released on good behavior, and that’s when he tried to kill Bruce again.

While the Hulk is often viewed as big and scary, at his core, the Hulk is simply a scared child who wants to be left alone by a world that seems to hate him. He was abused for most of his childhood by his father, and even killing the man wasn’t enough for him to be free. Hulk’s ultimate purpose is to watch over Bruce and to keep him safe. This why Hulk developed the ability to see ghosts. In the Marvel world, just because someone is dead doesn’t mean they’re truly gone, and Brian did return one day, so Hulk’s development of this bizarre superpower is not only heartbreaking, but justified.

One Of Hulk’s Most Unusual Powers Came From A Very Dark Place

Hulk Will Protect By Any Means Necessary

The tragedy of the Hulk is that he is essentially a traumatized child, one who now has the power to defend himself. He’s fully capable of destroying cities, but he ultimately wants to be left alone. Hulk wants to isolate himself from anything that could hurt Bruce. That’s why, for all the physical power and strength that the Hulk has, his strangest power is his most important. The ability to see ghosts is what allows Hulk to make sure that the person Bruce fears the most will never hurt him again.