| The Leader | |
|---|---|
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:The_Leader_(Samuel_Sterns).jpg) Variant cover art of Skaar: Son of Hulk #6 (Dec. 2008), art by Francis Tsai | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Tales to Astonish #62 (December 1964)[1] |
| Created by | Stan Lee (writer) Steve Ditko (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Samuel Sterns |
| Species | Human mutate |
| Team affiliations | Intelligencia Humanoids Freehold / New Freehold Riot Squad Lethal Legion Thunderbolts[2] |
| Partnerships | Abomination Madman |
| Notable aliases | The Red Leader[2] |
| Abilities |
|
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.[3][4] 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 will return in Captain America: Brave New World (2025). In 2009, the Leader was ranked as IGN's 63rd Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.[5]
- ^ Rovin, Jeff (1987). The Encyclopedia of Super-Villains. New York: Facts on File. p. 186. ISBN 0-8160-1356-X.[1]
- ^ a b Thunderbolts (vol. 2) #6. Marvel Comics.
- ^ DeFalco, Tom; Sanderson, Peter; Brevoort, Tom; Teitelbaum, Michael; Wallace, Daniel; Darling, Andrew; Forbeck, Matt; Cowsill, Alan; Bray, Adam (2019). The Marvel Encyclopedia. DK Publishing. p. 211. ISBN 978-1-4654-7890-0.
- ^ "The Definitive Ranking of the Hulk's 20 Most Powerful Enemies". 17 January 2019.
- ^ "The Leader is number 63" Archived May 11, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. IGN. Retrieved July 28, 2020.