10 Fights That Permanently Changed Hulk’s Powers in Marvel Lore

There are few Marvel characters physically stronger than The Hulk, but physical power can only take one so far. In a world where there are people who can fly and fire beams out of their eyes or even warp reality, having super strength simply isn’t enough. That’s why, over the years, Hulk has evolved due to a few key fights.

While the Hulk is renowned for his physical strength, he can do a lot more than just that, as well as be able to apply his physical strength in fun and new ways. Over the years, Hulk has learned from the various fights he’s been in, and he’s mastered a few skills that let him use his impressive strength to the fullest. This includes things like creating sonic booms from his claps or even the ability to see ghosts. These are the ten unique and useful abilities that Hulk has gained over his decades in comic books.

10 Hulk’s Sonic Boom Clap Was One Of His First Moves

The Incredible Hulk #4 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

One of the most iconic powers of the Hulk has always been that he can slap his hands together and create a giant shock wave that ripples out in front of him. It’s one of his most consistent long-range attacks, and he has used it many times over the decades. This ability was first used way back in The Incredible Hulk #4 where Hulk used it to disperse a rowdy movie production crew who decided they wanted to use the Hulk for their next horror movie. Naturally, the Hulk took offense to this and used his incredible strength to disperse them with ease.

Over the years, this move has been Hulk’s signature ability for dealing with enemies that he can’t immediately pummel or for numerous enemies that surround him. It’s a fantastic ability and one that Hulk learned very early on in his career.

9 The Hulk Can Breathe Underwater

The Incredible Hulk #77 by Peter David and Lee Weeks

Regardless of how powerful the Hulk is, one would think that the easiest way to kill him would be to simply drown him. After all, it’s worked on other Marvel heavy hitters, such as Wolverine. If someone can’t be beaten physically, depriving them of oxygen is a fantastic way to kill them, but this doesn’t work on the Hulk. It was revealed that anytime the Hulk is in space or underwater, his body develops a gland that allows him to find the oxygen he needs. Be it drawing it out from water or allowing him to hold onto it longer when he’s in space.

While most people view Hulk as just a big strong brute, that’s really not what makes him terrifying. What makes Hulk terrifying is the fact it’s practically impossible to kill him, he can’t be drowned, and he can’t die of suffocation in outer space either.

8 The Hulk Can See Ghosts

Immortal Hulk #0 by Peter David and Adam Kubert

One of the more bizarre powers of the Hulk is the fact he can see the ghosts of people. This ability has a heartbreaking origin as it was developed after Bruce Banner killed his father. Worried that his father’s ghost may come back to harm Bruce, Hulk developed the ability to see ghosts as a means to protect him. It’s unclear what exactly Hulk intended to do if Brian Banner returned, but it’s surprisingly a sweet reason to develop such an ability. This power has had other uses as well, as it’s allowed Hulk to perceive people’s astral form, such as Dr. Strange.

While this ability isn’t often used, it’s a surprisingly powerful tool in Hulk’s arsenal. In a world where people come back from the dead all the time, being able to detect spirits is immensely useful, and detecting astral forms means even the strongest magical users can’t sneak up on him.

7 Hulk Learned How To Use Kung Fu

Hulk #12 by Gerry Duggan and Mark Bagley

The Hulk is infamous for using more brawn than brain. His entire catchphrase is “Hulk smash.” That doesn’t exactly leave much room for technique or skill, and it’s not like he really needs it when he has such overwhelming physical power. But Hulk’s fighting style isn’t because of a lack of skill, but more so due to his mentality. Often, when the Hulk is going berserk, he’s in his Savage Hulk personality, which is little more than a raging child. His other personalities, such as Doc Green, are more than capable of using actual fighting styles along with his overwhelming strength.

This was best shown when Doc Green sought out Danny Rand and asked him to teach him kung fu. This resulted in a Hulk who still had his overwhelming strength but was also able to use and direct that strength with purpose.

6 Hulk Is Completely Immortal

Civil War II #3 by Brian Michael Bendis and David Marquez

When they call him the immortal Hulk, they aren’t kidding. During Civil War II, Hawkeye attempted to kill the Hulk and it didn’t work. There was a vision of the Hulk going on a massive rampage, and to make sure they didn’t come to pass, the Avengers stopped by and confronted Bruce Banner. During this heated exchange, Hawkeye shoots an arrow into Bruce’s head, seemingly killing him. Hawkeye did this because, as he claimed, he saw a “flicker of green” in Bruce’s eye, and Bruce had previously requested that Hawkeye kill him if he ever changed again.

While Bruce did seem dead for a time, the critically acclaimed Immortal Hulk series revealed that Hulk can’t die. Anytime Bruce dies, he just revives again when the Hulk takes over. This concept is related to the Green Door and how Hulk can simply return over and over, no matter how brutally he’s killed.

5 Even Tearing Hulk Apart Can’t Stop Him

Immortal Hulk #8 by Al Ewing and Joe Bennett

Another major bizarre ability of the Hulk is the fact he maintains complete control over his body, even if that body is cut up and separated. As revealed in Immortal Hulk #8 when a group of scientists capture and try to run experiments on Hulk. They manage to completely dissect him, separating his body and his organs, and horrifyingly, they all continue to work just fine. His heart continues to beat, his lungs continue to pump air, and he has full control over his hands and legs.

Even more concerning is no one has any idea how he’s doing this. The scientists have ruled out any form of psychic link between his body, and the way Hulk’s regeneration works isn’t similar to characters such as Deadpool or Wolverine. So, not only is this a terrifying ability Hulk has, but no one is sure why he has it.

4 Hulk Is Now Immune To A Classic Weakness

Immortal Hulk #45 by Al Ewing and Joe Bennett

With how powerful the Hulk is, there have been tons of people desperate to find any weakness that they can exploit. One of these weaknesses was cosmic radiation. It would almost instantly take Hulk down, and it was used several times against him, such as by the team U-Force. While trying to subdue the Hulk, they blast him with cosmic radiation, which does end up killing him. Unfortunately for them, when the Hulk regenerates, he’s completely immune to the radiation.

Not only does this give Hulk a new red cosmic form, but it renders him utterly immune to a major weakness he had prior. Considering just how powerful the Hulk is in general, removing any weakness is a major thing, since he already has so few of them. Where the U-Force easily beat Hulk the first time, in this rematch they were completely overwhelmed and easily defeated.

3 Hulk Can Blast Gamma Energy Out Of His Eyes

Hulk #5 by Donny Cates and Ryan Ottley

It’s no secret that Hulk and Bruce Banner share a body. The two can influence and control each other from the inside, and this was taken to a literal level in Hulk #5, where Bruce ends up operating the Hulk like a starship, complete with an engine room. It’s in this metaphysical engine room that the Hulk battles against monstrosities and horrors to power up the real-world Hulk. But when the engine room gets boosted to a difficulty level unlike anything Hulk has ever seen, he has to unleash everything he has just to survive.

This includes Hulk unleashing a massive blast of gamma radiation directly from his eyes to obliterate his foes. Hulk has never shown this ability in the real world and, due to the metaphysical nature of this story, it’s possible he never will.

Symbiote Spider-Man: Crossroads #4 by Peter David and Greg Land

Most versions of the Hulk revolve around physical power, such as Savage Hulk, Devil Hulk, and Green-Scar. But some of them focus on other things, such as Joe Fixit who primarily relies on being clever. That’s where Guilt Hulk comes in, a horrifying gray Hulk with a lizard-like appearance. While this Hulk is also unbelievably physically strong, it’s not the main source of power for this Hulk. His real power is his unbreakable will.

This was proven when Guilt Hulk came into possession of the Matrix Stone, an item that requires powerful will to use. Guilt Hulk states that this would be no problem for him at all, as he’s able to easily use and wield the Matrix Stone. Guilt Hulk is easily one of the more dangerous forms of Hulk, since not only does he have incredible physical strength, but he can’t be swayed or tricked from his goals at all.

1 Hulk Can Absorb Cosmic Power

Immortal Hulk #24 by Al Ewing and Joe Bennett

By far the most disturbing and destructive ability of the Hulk is the fact he can apparently consume celestial beings to gain their power. This was proven in Immortal Hulk #24, when Hulk consumed the embodiment of the universe and gained the power cosmic because of it. Hulk then entered the next iteration of the universe as a world-killer, someone who could easily travel through space and obliterate planets with a single punch.

This is the most destructive and dangerous that Hulk has ever become. He is such an overwhelming threat that he was honestly never defeated. There was no grand gathering of the Avengers or any other heroes. The only way this version of Hulk was “defeated” was by preventing this future from ever coming to pass. When it comes to abilities that Hulk has learned over the years, consuming cosmic power is definitely the most useful.