Why Marvel Owned the Hulk Hogan Name for 20 Years

One of the weirdest stories connecting comic books and professional wrestling started more than two decades before Hulkamania ever ran wild.

Most fans assume the name “Hulk Hogan” was created in the 1980s, but Marvel had already published a character with that exact name years earlier. In Gunsmoke Western #66 from 1961, there was an outlaw gunslinger named Hulk Hogan. He was nothing more than a villain in a Western story, and I’m sure nobody at Marvel thought that name would come back to haunt them.

A year later, Marvel introduced The Incredible Hulk. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the Hulk made his debut in 1962, originally with gray skin before becoming the green powerhouse we all recognize today. From that point on, the word “Hulk” became one of Marvel’s most valuable trademarks.

Here’s another fun coincidence. Spider-Man’s very first appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15 also featured a wrestler named Crusher Hogan, the aging grappler Peter Parker defeats to win a little prize money. Looking back, it feels like Marvel and wrestling were crossing paths long before anyone realized it.

And to bring this story full circle, Crusher Hogan eventually made it to the big screen, although comic fans may have noticed one important change. In Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man (2002), the character was renamed Bone Saw McGraw and was played by none other than wrestling legend “Macho Man” Randy Savage.

It was the perfect casting choice. Savage had the larger-than-life personality, booming voice, and intimidating presence to make the wrestling exhibition one of the movie’s most memorable scenes. While the name Crusher Hogan disappeared, the character’s role remained the same: the overconfident wrestler who underestimated a young Peter Parker and learned the hard way that Spider-Man was the real attraction.

Looking back, it’s funny how these wrestling and Marvel connections keep coming together. Marvel had Crusher Hogan, a forgotten outlaw actually named Hulk Hogan, in a 1961 Western comic, a legal battle over Terry Bollea becoming Hulk Hogan, and then Randy Savage stepping into the role that Crusher Hogan inspired on the big screen. Sometimes, pop culture writes stories that are stranger than fiction.

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Bollea was building a name for himself on the wrestling circuit. After appearing on a talk show alongside Lou Ferrigno, the television star of The Incredible Hulk, promoters joked that the wrestler was even bigger than the actor. Before long, “The Hulk” became part of his identity, and Hulk Hogan was born.

When the WWF exploded in popularity in 1984, Marvel wasn’t exactly thrilled. The company believed the use of “Hulk” infringed on its trademark and was prepared to challenge it. Instead of dragging the fight through the courts, Vince McMahon and Marvel worked out one of the most unusual licensing deals in entertainment.

Marvel allowed the WWF to keep using the name Hulk Hogan, but the company kept ownership of the trademark. For the next 20 years, Marvel reportedly collected a $100 royalty for every Hulk Hogan match. Even Hogan merchandise carried trademark notices acknowledging Marvel’s ownership of the name.

Think about that for a second. Every time Hulk Hogan walked down the aisle, ripped his shirt, and dropped the leg on an opponent, Marvel was reportedly getting paid.

The story didn’t end there. Marvel even slipped a Hulk Hogan-inspired wrestler into Marvel Comics Presents #45, a little reminder that the licensing agreement connected the two worlds in a very real way.

Finally, in 2005, Terry Bollea purchased the rights to the Hulk Hogan name from Marvel, ending a deal that had lasted two decades.

I’ve always loved little pieces of pop culture trivia like this. A forgotten outlaw from a 1961 Western comic, a gamma-powered superhero, and the biggest professional wrestler of the 1980s all ended up sharing the same history. You really couldn’t make this stuff up, and that’s probably why it’s such a great story.