The Leader (Samuel Sterns) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Leader first appeared in Tales to Astonish #62 (December 1964), created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko as the archenemy of the Hulk. He has mainly appeared in Hulk-related comic books over the years and was one of the featured characters in the Marvel NOW! Thunderbolts relaunch.
Sterns worked as a janitor in Boise, Idaho when he was exposed to gamma radiation. This mutated him into a green-skinned, super-intelligent entity who named himself the Leader, embarking on a career of attempts at world domination. He is repeatedly foiled by the Hulk, who overcomes all of the Leader's schemes, as well as his artificial henchmen known as the Humanoids. Sterns would later be further transformed, causing his cranium to change into the shape of an oversized brain. As part of the Intelligencia, he is an integral part of the Hulked Out Heroes storyline.
The character has been adapted from the comics into various forms of media, including television series and video games. Samuel Sterns made his cinematic debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film The Incredible Hulk (2008), portrayed by Tim Blake Nelson, and returned in Captain America: Brave New World (2025). In 2009, the Leader was ranked as IGN's 63rd Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time."The Leader is number 63" . IGN. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
Publication history The character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #62 (December 1964), and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
Fictional character biography Born in Boise, Idaho, Samuel Sterns lived in the shadow of his brilliant brother Phillip, and he worked in a menial capacity for a chemical plant where Phillip was employed as a researcher. While Sterns was transporting radioactive materials, an explosive accident bombarded him with gamma radiation, which turned his skin green, abnormally enlarged his cranium and brain, and granted him a superhuman intellect that reflected his subconscious desire to be smarter than his brother.Tales to Astonish #63. Marvel Comics.
Renaming himself the "Leader", he forms an espionage ring to overthrow the United States federal government and enlists the Chameleon to steal high-level secrets.Tales to Astonish #60-63. Marvel Comics. After his plans are duly thwarted by the Hulk, the Leader takes an interest in the Hulk's abilities and captures him with a new invention, the android "Humanoids".Tales to Astonish #62-64. Marvel Comics. However, the Hulk breaks free and destroys the Leader's laboratory, forcing his retreat.Tales to Astonish #68-69. Marvel Comics. The Leader then switches tactics by manipulating the Hulk into helping him steal the Watcher's "Ultimate Machine", a device containing all knowledge in the universe.Tales to Astonish #73. Marvel Comics. After obtaining the device and visualizing its contents, the Leader apparently dies of shock, with even his enhanced brain unable to comprehend the knowledge that the Ultimate Machine contains.Tales to Astonish #74. Marvel Comics.
The Leader is later resurrected by a Humanoid designed specifically to do so. Months later, he resurfaces to engage in a number of plots against the Hulk, including an alliance with General Ross.The Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #115-117. Marvel Comics. He also attempts to steal the U.S. Army's Tripod Observation Module (TOM), nicknamed the Murder Module and then, with the help of the Rhino, interrupts the wedding of Bruce Banner (the Hulk's alter ego) and Betty Ross by shooting Banner with a ray which restores the Hulk to his savage state,The Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #123-124. Marvel Comics. gamma-irradiates Manhattan's water supply to transform its inhabitants into loyal servants,The Incredible Hulk Annual #11. Marvel Comics. and clashes with the Hulk and the Avengers twice.The Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #278-284. Marvel Comics. Eventually, the Leader's mutation destabilizes and he reverts to the form of Samuel Sterns. He convinces the Gray Hulk to transfer the gamma radiation from the recently Hulk-like Rick Jones into himself, and the Leader is restored with a new appearance and a psychic link to Rick.The Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #342. Marvel Comics. The Leader subsequently detonates a gamma bomb in a small Arizona town, killing over 5,000 people. The survivors, now enhanced, provide him with valuable research subjects and a group of superhuman enforcers called the Riot Squad.The Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #344-345. Marvel Comics. With their help, he builds a self-sufficient society called "Freehold" in Alberta, populated with civilians dying from radiation poisoning. When the Leader's brother Philip Sterns becomes the Madman, the Leader deems him a threat and sends the Hulk to eliminate him.The Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #366. Marvel Comics.
When Freehold is targeted by Hydra, the Leader sends his followers to invade the covert Pantheon organization and coerce them into aiding Freehold. To the Hulk's chagrin, the Leader and the Pantheon's head Agamemnon ultimately form an alliance. At the same time, the Leader is experiencing Rick's grief over the recent death of his girlfriend Marlo Chandler. The Leader offers to revive Marlo by using the power of his follower Soul Man, hoping to use Rick as a pawn against the Hulk and taking the opportunity to analyze Soul Man's power in a bid to achieve immortality.The Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #397-399. Marvel Comics. Marlo's revival is interrupted by a two-pronged attack on Freehold by the Hulk and Hydra, and the Leader is apparently killed in the crossfire.The Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #400. Marvel Comics. The now-incorporeal Leader controls his follower Omnibus and attempts to throw the world into a state of war. Omnibus is eventually exposed by his fellow Freehold citizens, exiled into the Arctic, and is eaten by a polar bear.The Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #442. Marvel Comics.
When Banner is dying from ALS, the Leader summons the Hulk to give him a cure in exchange for witnessing his ascension from the mortal plane.The Incredible Hulk (vol. 3) #30-32. Marvel Comics. However, he explodes in the process and is reduced to a disembodied head in a tank within a hidden California base.The Incredible Hulk (vol. 3) #75-76. Marvel Comics.
After the Leader regains his body through unknown means, he is captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. and brought to trial for his crimes, but his attorney manages to have him found not guilty by reason of insanity.She-Hulk (vol. 4) #20. Marvel Comics. Shortly afterward, the Leader discovers he is dying and builds a dome in a Nevada desert to survive.World War Hulk: Aftersmash! Warbound #3-5. Marvel Comics. Upon recovering, he joins the Intelligencia and takes part in the creation of the Harpy (Marlo Chandler), the Red Hulk (Thunderbolt Ross), the Red She-Hulk (Betty Ross), and A-Bomb (Rick Jones).The Incredible Hulk #604. Marvel Comics. However, when Ross discovers that Red She-Hulk is his daughter, he drains the gamma radiation from the Leader's body, depriving him of his super-intelligence and reverting him to his human form.Hulk (vol. 2) #23. Marvel Comics.
Subsequently, taken into custody so that he may divulge information on the Intelligencia's plans,Hulk (vol. 2) #28. Marvel Comics. Sterns is subjected to a dose of red gamma radiation by the Red Hulk, who intends to make Sterns his intelligence agent.Thunderbolts (vol. 2) #2. Marvel Comics. However, Sterns is shot and killed when the Punisher discovers him.Thunderbolts (vol. 2) #3. Marvel Comics. The Red Hulk further exposes his body to gamma radiation, which revives him and transforms him into the Red Leader.Thunderbolts (vol. 2) #4. Marvel Comics. Initially forced to work for Ross's Thunderbolts, the Red Leader manages to escape and begins to rebuild his criminal empire, but is recaptured. He makes a pact with Mephisto to free himself, and is later dragged to Hell.Thunderbolts (vol. 2) #20-22. Marvel Comics.
After escaping from Mephisto's captivity, the Red Leader is tracked down by "Doc Green", an ingenious and ruthless new personality of the Hulk, and is deprived of his powers. However, the Red Leader had previously taken possession of an artificial intelligence created by Banner, which restores his intellect, powers and original green-skinned complexion.Hulk (vol. 3) #13. Marvel Comics.
In the miniseries Hulkverines, the Leader is shown to be detained at Shadow Base Remote Facility 43B using Big Bob's Lumber Lounge in Akron, Ohio as a front. He is approached by Agent Castillo, who informs him that the Hulk has returned from the dead and they need his help to kill him. The Leader accepts, but stabs Castillo, stating that he would rather do it himself. The Leader arrives at the area where the Hulk and Weapon H are fighting each other, until Shadow Base agents led by Agent NG catch up to him. The Leader states to NG that he infected Weapon H with a gamma-altering virus.Hulkverines #1. Marvel Comics. The Leader brings out the Humanoids, only for them to be regressed back to their pods by reverse-engineered Humanoids when former Weapon X Project scientist Aliana Alba appears and advises the Leader to let her dispose of Wolverine. After a brief fight, the Leader explains that he was pursuing the Hulk, while Alba states that she was pursuing Wolverine. They come to a conclusion that they were manipulated by someone who wants Weapon H dead. This leads to them making plans to capture the Hulk to collaborate on a project.Hulkverines #2. Marvel Comics.
The Leader begins working on studying the Below-Place where gamma mutates travel to after dying and before resurrecting. He began to learn how to control the Green Door while in the Below-Place. He encountered Brian Banner, who wanted the Leader to help him escape the Below-Place. Instead, the Leader removed his skeleton for research. Following the Hulk's victory over Xemnu, the Leader had Rick Jones send a surge of gamma energy into the Hulk during a photo shoot, which caused him to release a blast of gamma energy where the survivors were saved by Rick Jones, who was mutated to an elongated and multi-limbed form. The Leader uses the Green Door to take over the Hulk and his Green Scar persona, but the Devil Hulk breaks free and confronts him. The Leader briefly distracts Devil Hulk by turning into Brian Banner before transforming into a crab-like monstrosity and grabbing Brian. With the Devil Hulk restrained, the Leader killed him and dragged his remains and Bruce Banner through the Green Door. Now in the Below-Place, the Leader is possessed by the One Below All and grows to a gargantuan size. The Savage Hulk, Joe Fixit, and Jackie McGee manage to travel to the Below-Place using the Fantastic Four's Forever Gate and confront the Leader, who is separated from the One Below All and loses his powers. After the Hulk personas talk with the One-Above-All, the Savage Hulk forgives Sterns for all he did. Sterns is returned to Earth with Jackie, Banner, and the Hulk personas, where he is shackled and presumably taken into police custody.The Immortal Hulk #34-36, 0, and 37-50 and King in Black: The Immortal Hulk #1. Marvel Comics.
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