10 Mind-Blowing Facts You Didn't Know About Stan Lee

There are a few facts about the Incredible Hulk that everyone knows. For example, everyone knows that he started out grey and that his color was only changed because it was either A: cheaper to use green or B; the grey caused serious problems at the printers - It's B, just in case you were wondering - but did you know that Bruce Banner's alter ego was more steeped in literature than he was credited for?

According to Stan himself in the book 'Origin of Marvel Comics', this is how the Hulk came to be:

"For a long time, I'd been aware of the fact that people were more likely to favor someone who was less than perfect... It's a safe bet that you remember Quasimodo, but how easily can you name any of the heroic, handsomer, more glamorous characters in The Hunchback of Notre Dame? And then there's Frankenstein... I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the Frankenstein monster. No one could ever convince me that he was the bad guy... He never wanted to hurt anyone; he merely groped his torturous way through a second life trying to defend himself, trying to come to terms with those who sought to destroy him... I decided I might as well borrow from Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as well—our protagonist would constantly change from his normal identity to his superhuman alter ego and back again."