12 Strongest Hulk Rivals in Marvel Lore, Ranked by Power Level

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Bruce Banner’s Hulk is famously the Strongest One There Is – and a title like that attracts a lot of rivals for the crown. While Hulk has a lot of friends and allies in the superhero community, he also has more than his fair share of longstanding rivalries. These aren’t the usual hero vs villain grudge matches where lives are on the line, but they’re also not the type of fights where anyone is pulling their punches.

Here are Hulk’s 12 strongest rivals in Marvel Comics – regular opponents who don’t want Hulk dead (at least not most of the time), but who wouldn’t mind taking a few chunks out of the Green Goliath for past sins and old injuries.

12

Wolverine, aka James ‘Logan’ Howlett

Wolverine’s First Ever Appearance Was Up Against Hulk

While today he’s an iconic part of the X-Men franchise, Wolverine was originally introduced in Incredible Hulk #180 (from Len Wein and Herb Trimpe) as a rival to the Hulk. The two have clashed many times since, with iconic instances including The Incredible Hulk #340 and the miniseries Ultimate Wolverine vs Hulk, where the Jade Giant famously tore Wolverine in half and threw his legs miles away.

While Wolverine has done some impressive damage to Hulk with his unbreakable adamantium claws, he’s never really been in Bruce Banner’s league. Wolverine tends to tangle with Hulk to take the heat off others, with his healing factors allowing him to (barely) survive their frequent clashes. However, it’s thanks to Wolverine that Marvel fans know what it’s like to be punched by the gamma-powered hero. In Wolverine: Origins #28 by Daniel Way and Mike Deodato Jr., Logan explains:

There’s no pain at first. It’s like he hits ya so damn hard ya actually leave yer own body. It’s when ya come back that ya feel the pain. An’ ya realize yer goin’ toe-to-toe with a walkin’ earthquake.

11

Iron Man, aka Tony Stark

Bruce AND Hulk Have an Issue with the Armored Avenger

Tony Stark is one of Hulk’s most persistent rivals – it’s no coincidence that one of Tony’s most iconic inventions is his Hulkbuster armor; a suit designed purely to take down his sometime ally. Tony and Bruce actually knew each other well before the Hulk, meeting as genius students in their youth, as seen in Original Sin: Hulk vs. Iron Man #3.1 by Mark Waid, Kieron Gillen and Mark Bagley. They met again when Tony was brought in to advise on the gamma bomb project under General Ross, where Bruce was enraged by the playboy billionaire’s critique of his work.

In fact, Original Sin: Hulk vs. Iron Man #3.4 reveals that Tony sent Bruce an email warning him about issues with the bomb’s yield, which Bruce deleted immediately out of anger. Had Bruce looked over Tony’s notes, he’d have prevented his later transformation into the Hulk – something that Tony has vowed never to tell his frenemy, as he knows Bruce’s self-loathing would consume him. Instead, Iron Man takes every opportunity to try and reign in Banner’s monstrous form, usually getting his latest armor totaled in the process.

10

Sasquatch, aka Walter Langkowski

Bruce Banner and Sasquatch Went to University Together

A member of the Canadian superhero team Alpha Flight, Sasquatch got his powers from a unique combo of gamma radiation and mystic energy, connecting him to the godlike ‘Great Beast’ known as Tanaraq. Like Tony, Walter Langkowski has been a rival of Bruce since they were young – the two met at university, where Langkowski’s interest in Bruce’s work turned him onto gamma research and his eventual transformation. While Bruce considered Langkowski a friend, he was also enraged by his interest in gamma, seeing Langkowski as a carefree jock who was trying to horn in on his life’s work.

Sasquatch and Hulk have clashed many times, especially because Sasquatch is one of the few people strong enough to restrain the Hulk… at least for a little while. While Sasquatch may lack Hulk’s A-tier strength, he does have razor-sharp claws and teeth to make up for it.

9

Doc Samson, aka Leonard Samson

This Former Romantic Rival Stole Hulk’s Powers

Superhero psychiatrist Doc Samson is one of Hulk’s closest allies, but they’ve also been trading blows since they first met. Before gaining powers, Leonard Samson came up with a cure for the Hulk, draining Bruce Banner’s gamma powers via the cathexis ray projector (the same device later used to create the Red Hulk.) Once Bruce was ‘cured,’ Leonard stole his powers by exposing himself to Bruce’s gamma, becoming Doc Samson, and attempted to woo Betty Ross. Enraged at the apparent loss of his great love, Bruce reclaimed his powers, once again becoming the Hulk, though Samson kept enough gamma to retain his superstrong, green-haired form.

Doc Samson is incredibly powerful and highly intelligent, able to use his gamma powers in unique ways because of his genius – for example, focusing his rage into a ‘psychic shotgun’ which he can use to defeat telepaths who intrude on his mind. However, he isn’t as strong as the Hulk at his base strength, and often fights the Green Goliath as a stall while trying to reason with him.

8

The Thing, aka Benjamin ‘Ben’ Grimm

Hulk’s Most Iconic Rival, But Not His Strongest

Hulk’s most iconic superhero rival, the Thing first met Hulk in 1962’s Fantastic Four #12 (Stan Lee and Jack Kirby), and they’ve been trading blows ever since. The Thing has never been Hulk’s equal in strength, but Ben Grimm’s incredible willpower allows him to hold his own for longer than pretty much any other rival Hulk regularly faces. Hulk and Thing have at times loathed each other and at times enjoyed an uneasy alliance, with each fearing what the other reveals about their own monstrous transformation.

While the Thing is a hero, series like Immortal Hulk (Al Ewing and Joe Bennet) have observed that he has a blind spot for the Hulk, often creating conflict where it doesn’t need to occur due to his desire to prove himself. On rare occasions, Thing has beaten the Hulk, though always with the odds stacked in his favor – for example the recent Fantastic Four #13 (Dan Slott and Sean Izaakse), where the Thing knocked out Hulk with his most intense punch of all time, shattering the rocks of his arm, only for it to be revealed that Hulk lost because he was being controlled by the villainous Puppet Master.

7

Namor the Sub-Mariner, aka Namor McKenzie

The Defenders Teammates Aren’t Exactly Friends

Along with Doctor Strange and Silver Surfer, Hulk and Namor make up the core membership of the Defenders – an iconic ‘non-team’ who often unite in extreme circumstances, despite not actually wanting to work together. Namor and Hulk have traded blows countless times, with Namor seeing Hulk as beneath him and the Jade Giant bristling at the Atlantean ruler’s disdainful attitude. Namor isn’t quite as strong as Hulk, but when submerged in water he comes within a hair’s breadth, often taking the advantage due to his familiarity with fighting underwater and Hulk’s need to breathe.

6

Red Hulk, aka General Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross

Hulk’s Oldest Enemy Is Now His Sparring Partner

Once Hulk’s most tenacious enemy, Thunderbolt Ross later became the Red Hulk, gaining a new perspective on what it means to be a gamma monster. While Ross and Banner still despise each other on a personal level, Red Hulk and Hulk have become grudging allies, working together to battle shared enemies like the Leader. Despite this, the two take every opportunity to fight, with Ross admitting that when it comes to the Hulk, he has a gigantic hole in his judgment.

Red Hulk isn’t quite as strong as the Hulk, but he does have two major advantages. First, the angrier he gets the more heat he exudes, and he can even explode like an atom bomb when his heat reaches its zenith. Second, he can absorb gamma energy, allowing him to drain Hulk’s strength and use it as his own.

5

Juggernaut, aka Cain Marko

The Unstoppable Juggernaut Has Beaten Hulk in the Past

Juggernaut has been both villain and hero during his time in Marvel Comics, and has long been one of the only characters who can actually hope to beat Hulk in a fight. While Juggernaut isn’t as strong as Hulk, he packs a major punch, and possesses the unique power of magic momentum, making it impossible to stop his forward movement once he reaches a certain speed. This power has allowed him to take Hulk down despite the fact that Bruce Banner’s other half is the stronger being. Juggernaut has beaten Hulk in a fight before (see 2020’s Juggernaut #2 by Fabian Nicieza​​​​​​​ and Ron Garney), but generally with some sort of advantage, like having his sidekick D-Cel on hand to slow Hulk down.

4

Hercules Panhellenios

The Greek God Is a Close Friend of Hulk… Who Has Hit Him a LOT

Marvel’s God of Heroes, Hercules possesses just slightly less strength than Hulk’s base power, but he tends to be the far more skilled combatant. Hercules is surprisingly sympathetic to the Hulk, seeing him as an honorable warrior and sensing a commonality in the immense losses both have suffered over their lives. However, Hercules is also an ancient warrior who loves to spar, leading to plenty of battles between the two. While Hercules has never beaten Hulk as badly as his father Zeus did, he has beaten Hulk in the past – most drastically in Maestro #3​​​​​​​-4 by Peter David​​​​​​​ and Germán Peralta.

Hulk’s Other Personas Are His Biggest Critics

When Bruce Banner transforms into the Hulk, his body is taken over by an alternate persona with a different intelligence level, set of drives, and even array of memories. However, the classic ‘Savage Hulk’ isn’t the only alternate persona dwelling within Bruce Banner. Other personas that Bruce can manifest include Joe Fixit (aka the Gray Hulk), Doc Green (aka the Merged Hulk), the reptilian Devil Hulk, and the towering Guilt Hulk, who believes itself to be Bruce’s father, Brian Banner.

Several of these personas co-exist within Bruce’s mind, arguing and fighting over the best course of action, and over the years they have manifested in different bodies, often trading blows. Even without the other Hulks, the Savage Hulk would always name Bruce Banner as his #1 enemy, seeing the scientist as his jailer and torturer – someone who is constantly trying to destroy him, or else imprison him in the dark of Bruce’s subconscious. Recently, Hulk has tried to turn the tables, locking Bruce away and refusing to let him reclaim his body.

2

Thor Odinson

The Avengers Heroes Have Been At Each Other’s Throats Since the Beginning

Easily Hulk’s most powerful superhero rival, Thor and Hulk have been at odds ever since 1963’s Avengers #1. Depending on the era, Thor has been both slightly weaker and slightly stronger than Hulk, and the two have engaged in a host of brutal battles, with each earning a healthy quota of victories. Immortal Hulk revealed that Thor secretly fears that Hulk is the first truly manmade god, labeling him “Midgard’s God of Wrath.”

More recently, Hulk managed to steal Thor’s powers and hammer, though like many of their battles, that clash ended with the two parting ways with a level of mutual respect, with Thor hoping that Hulk can make a life somewhere he won’t unleash destruction on innocents.

1

The Champion, aka Tryco Slatterus

Marvel’s Strongest Man Loves to Prove Himself Against Hulk

While the Champion is no hero, he’s also not a typical supervillain. Tryco Slatterus is one of the Elders of the Universe – a group of alien beings from the earliest civilizations to exist, with each obtaining immortality and dedicating eternity to a particular pursuit or obsession. The Champion has dedicated his life to physical conflict, often challenging the universe’s strongest beings to gladiatorial combat. Usually wielding the Power Stone, the Champion is the universe’s most physically powerful being, with millennia of experience fighting the galaxy’s most impressive gods and monsters.

While the Champion has no particular desire to kill the Hulk, he has kidnapped him many times in order to face him in combat, with the 2017 miniseries Thor vs. Hulk: Champions of the Universe (Jeremy Whitley, Simone Buonfantino and Alti Firmansyah) seeing Hulk and Thor forced to compete for the ‘honor’ of fighting Tryco Slatterus. The Champion has little animus towards Hulk, seeing him purely as an opportunity to prove his own status as the strongest man alive. Their fights usually end in a stalemate, but Champion has also won using his extensive powers, and has shown he can force Hulk to revert to his human form at will.

Those are Hulk’s 12 strongest rivals in Marvel Comics – the ‘enemies’ who don’t want him dead, but wouldn’t mind knocking him on his butt. Let us know in the comments which of Hulk‘s other rivals should be included on this list, and who should be higher or lower in our strength ranking.

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