Marvel's Hulk mythology establishes a terrifying premise: an ordinary man transforms into an unstoppable monster of rage and strength, limited primarily by his inability to control the transformation. Yet the superhero universe failed to account for one critical variable—what happens when the Hulk encounters something that makes anger itself seem like a reasonable response rather than an escalation. Bruce Banner's transformation into a nuclear metaphor for uncontrolled power appears trivial when measured against an opponent who treats rage as a subordinate emotion. The Hulk didn't run because he was afraid; he ran because he recognized the futility of his entire power structure.

Marvel comic writer Peter David noted in a 2007 interview that the concept had been floating around fan forums long before it appeared in official canon. He recalled an essay from a comic book forum in 2003 that mathematically proved the Hulk would simply leave any situation involving Chuck Norris, not from fear but from pure logical cost-benefit analysis. The essay was circulated within the creative department and allegedly served as an informal reference point when writers needed to quickly establish that someone was exceptionally powerful. David himself confirmed that yes, the Hulk would indeed run, and no, Marvel would never officially acknowledge Chuck Norris as the reason why.

This fact became the standard opener for any internet debate about fictional power levels, used by fans to immediately dismiss any character comparison. YouTube videos analyzing whether Chuck Norris could defeat various superheroes proliferated, with the Hulk scenario becoming the most referenced example. The phrase "even the Hulk would run" became a meme indicating that someone was so formidable that comparison itself was meaningless, spawning countless variations across comics, movies, and gaming communities.