The One-Below-All

• Core Identity: The One-Below-All is the supreme embodiment of rage, destruction, and entropy in the Marvel Multiverse, serving as the malevolent, demonic shadow and dark inverse of the ultimate creator-god, one-above-all.
• Key Takeaways:
• The True Source of Gamma: It is the ultimate source of all Gamma radiation across the multiverse. This power is not merely radiation but a form of “satanic, divine science” that corrupts, mutates, and resurrects, always connecting its victims back to its own consciousness through the Green Door.
• The Hulk's Dark God: The One-Below-All is intrinsically linked to Bruce Banner and all Gamma mutates, whom it views as its potential avatars and vessels. It seeks to use the Hulk, its most powerful creation, as the “Breaker of Worlds” to destroy the current universe and reign supreme in the next.
• Ultimate Cosmic Evil: As the polar opposite of the loving, creative One-Above-All, it represents pure nothingness and malice. It resides in the Below-Place, the lowest layer of reality, and its sole desire is to unmake all of creation and reduce everything to silence and solitude.
• Comic vs. MCU Distinction: The One-Below-All is a central antagonist in the Earth-616 comic universe, specifically within the Immortal Hulk saga. It has not appeared, nor has it been mentioned, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

The One-Below-All is a relatively recent, yet profoundly impactful, addition to Marvel's cosmic hierarchy. It was created by writer Al Ewing and artist Joe Bennett and first fully conceptualized in their seminal series, The Immortal Hulk #5, which was published in September 2018. While the concept of a “hell” or underworld existed in Marvel comics for decades, and the Hulk's connection to Gamma radiation was well-established, Ewing and Bennett's run retroactively framed these elements through a new, terrifying lens. They re-contextualized the Hulk not as a monster born of a scientific accident, but as a supernatural, quasi-immortal being tied to a primordial, Lovecraftian entity. The Immortal Hulk series was a critical and commercial success, celebrated for its unique blend of body horror, psychological drama, and deep exploration of Marvel's cosmic lore. The One-Below-All was the narrative engine of this success, providing a singular, overarching threat that unified decades of Hulk continuity into a cohesive and terrifying mythology. This creation provided an ultimate antagonist for the Hulk, elevating him from a simple brute to a figure of cosmic, almost biblical, significance.

The origin of The One-Below-All is not an event, but a fundamental state of being, tied to the very structure of the Marvel Multiverse itself.

In the prime Marvel continuity, The One-Below-All is not a creature that was “born” or “created” in a conventional sense. It is the necessary and equal counterpart to the One-Above-All. When the supreme creator-god said, “Let there be light,” this act simultaneously cast a shadow. The One-Below-All is that shadow. It is the negative aspect of the supreme being, the destructive principle required to balance the creative one. It resides in the Below-Place, the deepest, most fundamental layer of reality, a metaphysical basement beneath all other hell dimensions. This realm is a place of utter coldness and silence, populated by the tormented souls of Gamma mutates and those it has ensnared. From this prison, it endlessly seethes with hatred for all of existence. Its primary means of influencing the physical universe is through Gamma radiation. Every Gamma bomb, every reactor meltdown, every stray particle is a microscopic piece of its power, a keyhole through which it can peer. Its connection to humanity, and specifically to Bruce Banner, was facilitated by a cruel twist of fate. Bruce's abusive father, Brian Banner, was a physicist who worked on nuclear projects. In his own tormented psyche, Brian sensed the malevolent entity in the “light” of the radiation he studied. He became a conduit for its influence, which fueled his paranoia and rage, leading him to abuse his son. When Bruce was later caught in the Gamma Bomb explosion, it wasn't just a scientific accident; it was a cosmic event. The One-Below-All, which had already touched the Banner family line through Brian, found in Bruce the perfect vessel—a being of immense rage and sorrow, capable of channeling nearly infinite amounts of its power. This event installed a metaphorical Green Door in Bruce's psyche, a permanent gateway to the Below-Place that allows any Gamma mutate to be resurrected after death, but at the cost of being forever tethered to The One-Below-All's will. A significant retcon introduced in the Defenders Beyond series (2022) further clarified its cosmic role. It established that The One-Above-All and The One-Below-All are the “Alpha and the Omega” of the Beyonders, the enigmatic beings who exist outside the multiverse. This positions the two entities not just as good and evil, but as the fundamental principles of creation and destruction upon which all of reality is built.

As of now, The One-Below-All does not exist within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The MCU's explanation for the Hulk's origin remains purely scientific. In The Incredible Hulk (2008), Bruce Banner's transformation is the result of an experiment combining super-soldier research with gamma radiation, with no supernatural or cosmic undertones. However, the introduction of more complex cosmic and mystical concepts in the MCU's later phases (like the Multiverse, Celestials, and various gods) leaves the door open for a potential adaptation. Several fan theories and potential avenues exist for its introduction:

• The Leader's Return: Samuel Sterns, a character who was exposed to Banner's blood and began mutating at the end of The Incredible Hulk, is confirmed to return in the film Captain America: Brave New World. In the comics, Sterns becomes one of The One-Below-All's most devoted disciples. His return to the MCU could be the catalyst for introducing the darker, supernatural side of Gamma radiation.
• A Future Hulk Project: Should Marvel Studios produce a new standalone Hulk project, adapting elements of the critically acclaimed Immortal Hulk storyline would be a natural direction. Such a project could delve into the psychological horror of Banner's condition and reveal a terrifying, unseen intelligence behind his powers.
• Multiversal Lore: With the MCU's exploration of the multiverse, a version of The One-Below-All could be introduced as a threat from another reality, or as a fundamental constant across all universes, similar to its comic book counterpart.

Crucially, any MCU version would likely need to simplify the complex theology of the comics. It might be portrayed less as a literal “dark god” and more as a sentient, malevolent energy source or a dimension of pure evil that Gamma radiation provides access to.

The One-Below-All's power is absolute within its domain and its influence is one of the most insidious in the cosmos. It is not a being that engages in physical combat; it is a fundamental force that corrupts reality itself.

• The Dark Reflection: It is a perfect inversion of the One-Above-All. Where the creator is associated with light, love, and creation, The One-Below-All is darkness, hatred, and destruction.
• Abstract Embodiment: It is the personification of entropy, nihilism, and cosmic rage. It has no true form of its own, but often manifests to its victims using the face of someone they fear or resent. Its most common guise is a twisted, demonic version of Bruce Banner's abusive father, Brian Banner.
• Ultimate Goal: Its sole, patient desire is to bring about the end of the current (Eighth) Cosmos. It seeks to corrupt the Hulk, its ultimate weapon, into the “Breaker of Worlds.” Its plan is to have the Hulk shatter the final barriers of reality at the moment of universal heat death, allowing The One-Below-All to kill the final cosmic survivors (like Galactus and Franklin Richards) and descend into the nascent Ninth Cosmos as its sole, unopposed god.

• Gamma Radiation Manipulation: Its most profound power is its absolute control over Gamma energy across the entire multiverse. It can use Gamma to:
• Mutate: Induce transformative and often horrific changes in living beings.
• Corrupt: Bend the minds and souls of Gamma mutates to its will, amplifying their negative emotions like rage and fear.
• Resurrect: Through the Green Door, it can resurrect any deceased Gamma mutate, pulling their soul back from the Below-Place into a reformed body. This process is deeply traumatic and reinforces its control.
• Possession and Mental Influence: The One-Below-All can possess individuals, especially those touched by Gamma or with deep psychological trauma. Its primary method is to wear down its victims' psyches. It possessed Samuel Sterns, turning him into a prophet of the Below-Place, and puppeteered the soul of Brian Banner for decades. It can project its consciousness through any source of Gamma energy, effectively seeing and hearing through it.
• Reality Warping (within the Below-Place): Within its own dimension, its power is absolute. It can alter the landscape, manifest illusions, and subject souls to eternal, personalized torture. It can reshape the very substance of this “hell” at will.
• Cosmic Awareness: It possesses a vast, nigh-omniscient understanding of the universe, particularly concerning the nature of life, death, and the cosmic cycle of destruction and rebirth. It is aware of the previous iterations of the multiverse and the cosmic beings that inhabit them.
• Immortality and Invulnerability: As a fundamental cosmic principle, The One-Below-All cannot be destroyed by conventional means. It can only be opposed, contained, or balanced. So long as there is darkness and destruction, it will exist.

Since the entity does not exist in the MCU, it has no established powers. If it were to be adapted, its abilities would likely be focused on the aspects most relevant to a cinematic narrative:

• Projected Powers: An MCU version would likely have its power tied directly to the Hulk's transformations. It could be portrayed as an intelligence that influences Hulk's rage, making him more powerful but also more destructive and monstrous.
• Psychological Manipulation: A cinematic adaptation would almost certainly lean into the horror elements, with the entity tormenting Bruce Banner through nightmares and hallucinations, perhaps manifesting as twisted versions of his personal enemies like General Ross or even his own father.
• Resurrection: The concept of the Green Door and Hulk's immortality could be a major plot point, introducing a supernatural element to his powers that mystifies other characters like Doctor Strange or the Sorcerers of Kamar-Loom. This would fundamentally change how the Avengers view the Hulk—not as a friend with a condition, but as an unwilling avatar for something ancient and terrifying.

The One-Below-All does not form alliances; it uses and corrupts. Its network is one of master and pawn, god and unwilling disciple.

• The Hulk (Bruce Banner): The Hulk is The One-Below-All's most important and powerful piece on the cosmic chessboard. It views Banner's fractured psyche (with its multiple Hulk personas) as the perfect vessel to manipulate. The “Devil Hulk” persona, initially thought to be a malevolent aspect of Bruce, was revealed to be a protective identity trying to shield Bruce from The One-Below-All's ultimate influence. The entity's entire plan hinges on breaking Banner's spirit and taking full control of the Hulk's limitless power.
• Samuel Sterns (The Leader): While the Hulk is its fist, The Leader is its mind and prophet. After his own death and resurrection through the Green Door, Sterns gained a direct line of sight into the Below-Place. Unlike others, he was not horrified; he was enthralled. He embraced The One-Below-All's nihilistic philosophy and sought to become its primary avatar, even attempting to steal its power for himself by taking control of Brian Banner's soul, which acted as a gateway.
• Brian Banner: Bruce's abusive father is The One-Below-All's ghost. After his death, his soul was trapped in the Below-Place and molded into a direct puppet for the entity. It used Brian's form to torment Bruce and act as its primary mouthpiece, embodying the personal trauma that makes Banner so vulnerable to its influence.
• Gamma Mutates: Every being empowered by Gamma, from the Abomination and She-Hulk to the Red Hulk and Sasquatch, is a potential pawn. It can corrupt them, as it did with Walter Langkowski (Sasquatch), turning his powers into a direct conduit for its presence.

• The One-Above-All: Its direct antithesis. They are two sides of the same coin, the creator and the destroyer. The One-Above-All seems to operate through subtle influence and free will, whereas The One-Below-All acts through corruption, control, and overwhelming force. Their conflict is the ultimate engine of the Marvel cosmos.
• The Living Tribunal: As the ultimate arbiter of cosmic law and balance, the Living Tribunal's existence is a direct impediment to The One-Below-All's goal of total annihilation. The entity's plan to unmake the universe is the greatest possible crime against the cosmic order the Tribunal is sworn to protect.
• The Beyonders: The Defenders Beyond series established that the One-Above-All and One-Below-All are intrinsically linked to the Beyonders, serving as their “crown” and representing the fundamental duality of their nature—the capacity for both creation and destruction. This links the entity to some of the most powerful and enigmatic forces in Marvel lore.

The One-Below-All's narrative is, thus far, almost entirely contained within one masterpiece of a storyline.

This 50-issue epic is the definitive story of The One-Below-All.

• Premise: The storyline begins with the discovery that Bruce Banner can no longer die. Every time he is killed, he inevitably resurrects at nightfall as a new, cunning, and terrifyingly powerful version of the Hulk. This “Devil Hulk” is on a mission to punish those who have misused power.
• The Arc: The story unfolds as a series of horror-tinged mysteries. Journalist Jackie McGee investigates the Hulk's apparent immortality, leading her and Bruce to uncover the existence of the Green Door and the Below-Place. They learn that every Gamma mutate is connected to this dimension and that a malevolent intelligence rules it. The One-Below-All's influence is shown corrupting other Gamma beings like Sasquatch and turning them into monstrous puppets.
• The Confrontation: The Leader, having also accessed the Below-Place, becomes the entity's chief agent. He orchestrates events to break Banner's spirit and mind, culminating in a final, climactic journey into the Below-Place itself. There, Banner and the various Hulk personas (Savage Hulk, Joe Fixit, and Professor Hulk) must confront the entity, which wears the face of Brian Banner.
• Resolution and Aftermath: The One-Below-All reveals its grand plan: to possess the Hulk at the end of time and use him as the “Breaker of Worlds.” However, in a moment of cosmic revelation, the Hulk personas merge with Bruce's core identity, and with help from the Fantastic Four and the cosmic entity Metatron, they realize the Hulk's true purpose. He is not the “Breaker of Worlds” for the sake of destruction, but the “Breaker” who can shatter the chains of the old universe to allow the new one to be born free. They reject The One-Below-All, robbing it of its chosen vessel. While it is defeated and sealed away from Banner for the time being, the entity remains a fundamental, inescapable part of reality, waiting for its next opportunity. The event permanently redefined the Hulk's powers, origin, and place in the Marvel Universe.

As a multiversal constant and a fundamental principle of reality, The One-Below-All does not have “variants” in the traditional sense, such as different versions of itself on different Earths. There is only one One-Below-All, and its Below-Place sits beneath all realities. However, its influence and ultimate form can be seen as alternate versions.

• The Breaker of Worlds: This is the future, successful version of The One-Below-All. In visions of the end of the Eighth Cosmos, it is shown having successfully taken control of the Hulk's body. This ultimate form is a colossal, green, skeletal figure of unimaginable power that will destroy the final remnants of life and hope before descending into the Ninth Cosmos. This is less a “variant” and more of a “final form” or a potential future.
• Multiversal Avatars: While the entity itself is singular, its method of influence via Gamma radiation is multiversal. This means that in any alternate reality where a Gamma event occurs (such as in the Ultimate Universe or Age of Apocalypse), The One-Below-All has a foothold. The Hulk of Earth-1610 or any other reality is, knowingly or not, a potential door for the same single entity.
• Samuel Sterns's Form: When The Leader attempted to usurp The One-Below-All's power, he began to physically merge with the essence of the Below-Place, creating a grotesque, green, multi-limbed form. This can be seen as a temporary, incomplete variant of the entity's physical manifestation, a flawed attempt to create a body for the formless evil.

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