Hulk is a character.
The Hulk is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby , the character first appeared in the debut issue of The Incredible Hulk ( May 1962 ) . Mark Ruffalo . Ruffalo gained international prominence by portraying the Marvel Comics character the Hulk in The Avengers ( 2012 ) and Avengers : Age of Ultron ( 2015 ) . A superhero ( sometimes rendered super-hero or super hero ) is a type of heroic stock character who possesses supernatural or superhuman powers and who is dedicated to fighting crime , protecting the public , and usually battling supervillains . Superhero fiction is the genre of fiction that is centered on such characters , especially in American comic books since the 1930s .