A closer look
The most iconic color association in superhero history was born entirely from cheap ink and malfunctioning printers. Stan Lee originally wanted his tragic atomic monster to be a neutral, somber grey so he wouldn't be associated with any specific human ethnicity. Unfortunately, the cheap printing presses of the era couldn't keep the grey consistent, making him look pale, silver, or wildly blotchy. In sheer frustration, they just changed his pigment to bright green because it was vastly easier to mass-produce.
