According to Cinema Blend, that all changed when Terry's star began to rise, starting with his Oscar-snubbed 1982 performance at the beginning of Rocky III. Now billed as "The Incredible Hulk Hogan," Terry was picking up steam and becoming a national sensation by 1984. Marvel, quite suddenly, saw dollar signs.
And that's how it came to pass that in July of 1984, Hulk Hogan came to an arrangement with the comic book giant: in exchange for their permission to use the name they'd licensed decades prior, Hogan would pay $100 to Marvel for every time he appeared in the ring. Additionally, .009% of all Hulk Hogan merchandise earnings would go to Marvel, and all Hogan-related toys and clothing would feature a label reading "Hulk Hogan is a trademark of the Marvel Comics Group, licensed exclusively to TitanSports, Inc." Whether or not this carried over to Bollea's chain of Pastamania restaurants is, unfortunately, unclear.
The grand total paid by Hogan for his ring appearances is estimated to be around $600,000. The merchandising money shelled out is incalculable. The contract expired twenty years later, but it couldn't save Hulk Hogan from the most painful jab of all: being beaten senseless by the actual Hulk in the pages of Marvel Comics Presents #45.
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