Introduced in The Immortal Hulk series, One Below All represents the absolute opposite of creation—a dark, destructive force that lurks beneath reality itself. Unlike your typical villain, the One Below All is not motivated by revenge, conquest, or greed. It is destruction incarnate, the pure embodiment of entropy, malice, and cosmic annihilation.
But the One Below All isn’t just a monster lurking in the shadows. It’s deeply woven into the metaphysical DNA of the Marvel Universe, connecting everything from gamma radiation to the very balance of existence. And thanks to recent developments in The Incredible Hulk (2023–2024), we now have an even deeper, mythological understanding of its origin and purpose.
Let’s dig into the terrifying truth behind the One Below All—and why it might be the most powerful and important force in the Marvel cosmology.
The Origin of the One Below All: A Shadow of Divinity
The One Below All was first introduced in The Immortal Hulk #4 (2018) by Al Ewing and Joe Bennett. It resides in the Below-Place—the deepest layer of Hell in the Marvel multiverse—and is considered the dark reflection of the One Above All, Marvel’s supreme being and source of all creation, love, and light.
This duality suggests that the One Below All is not a separate entity but an aspect of the One Above All. In other words, just as light casts a shadow, the act of creation necessitates destruction. The One Below All is the cosmic embodiment of that inevitable decay.
A New Mythology: The Mother of Horrors and the Fall of a God
Marvel’s modern mythology took a profound turn in The Incredible Hulk (2023) by Philip Kennedy Johnson, where we’re introduced to the Mother of Horrors—a primordial being who predates even the Celestials and the One Below All itself.
Unlike the One Above All, she was not born from love or light, and she rejected the authority of the One Above All, seeing him not as a benevolent creator, but a tyrant. She claimed Earth as her own and seeded it with chaos and rebellion, giving rise to ancient beings like Cyttorak, Chthon, and the Elder Gods.
Her greatest act of defiance? She created Udru, a multi-eyed, multi-limbed god of vengeance—a divine weapon meant to challenge the One Above All.
In an uncharacteristic act of wrath, the One Above All responded by transforming into the One Below All, casting Udru down to Earth and corrupting the land around him. This wasn’t just punishment—it was the birth of destruction incarnate.
The One Below All and the Hulk: A Terrifying Connection
What makes the One Below All truly frightening is its link to gamma radiation—the very energy that powers the Hulk. In The Immortal Hulk, we learn that all gamma mutates are connected to the One Below All through the metaphysical construct known as the Green Door.
This Green Door acts as a spiritual gate between the living world and the Below-Place. When gamma-irradiated beings die, they don’t stay dead—they pass through the Green Door and can be resurrected, often changed, often corrupted. This explains not only the Hulk’s immortality but also the return of other gamma beings like Sasquatch and the Leader.
Through the Green Door, the One Below All can possess gamma mutates, transforming them into mindless engines of destruction. Its influence even reaches non-gamma beings, subtly manipulating them toward violence and chaos.
Power Beyond Comprehension
The One Below All isn’t just another cosmic villain—it’s one of the most powerful entities in all of Marvel. Consider its abilities:
- Gamma Radiation Source: It is the origin of all gamma energy and mutations.
- Possession: It can hijack the bodies and minds of gamma beings.
- Reality Warping: While not as direct as characters like Franklin Richards, its influence pervades reality via chaos and entropy.
- Omnipresence and Immortality: As an aspect of the One Above All, it exists outside time, death, and space.
- Supremacy over Hell: Even powerful demons like Mephisto acknowledge its terrifying might.
Hulk vs. Udru: A Clash of Gods
In The Incredible Hulk, the One Below All’s legacy is put to the test in a battle between the Hulk and Udru, the fallen god born of the Mother of Horrors. Udru, created to challenge the One Above All, is divine, powerful, and ancient—but not invincible.
Thanks to the metaphysical connection built by Al Ewing, the Hulk isn’t just strong—he is a cosmic balance. A creature of rage, yes, but also of rebirth and contradiction. This gives him the power to face Udru head-on. In a brutal, god-slaying showdown, Hulk tears out Udru’s eyes, drives a metal shard into his skull, and kills the divine.
This isn’t just a victory. It’s a statement: the Hulk is no longer just a superhero. He is a force of cosmic reckoning—an avatar of the One Below All.
Also Read: Godzilla vs. X-Men – A Kaiju-Sized Clash with Mutant Power
