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The official Marvel page for Hulk (Bruce Banner). Learn all about Hulk both on screen and in comics!
- In Comics Profile
Dr. Bruce Banner lives a quiet life, until he saves the life...
- In Comics Full Report
A revived Betty came to Banner in the guise of the...
- On Screen Profile
Dr. Bruce Banner lives a life caught between the soft-spoken...
- On Screen Full Report
Not Easy Being Green. Bioscience genius Dr. Bruce Banner...
- In Comics Profile
The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of The Incredible Hulk (May 1962).
- Overview
- History This is an abridged version of Bruce Banner's history. For a complete history, see Bruce Banner's Expanded History Early Years
- Personality
- Incarnations
- Attributes
- Paraphernalia
- Notes
- Trivia
- See Also
The angrier I get the stronger I get! I'm the strongest one there is! Hulk Smash!
—Bruce Banner
Dr. Robert Bruce Banner, Ph.D. a.k.a. the Hulk, is an American theoretical physicist, famed for his work in the fields of nuclear physics and gamma radiation. He was recruited by General Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross and the U.S. Army to develop the first Gamma Bomb. During its first live test he was bombarded with a massive dose of gamma rays while saving Rick Jones, a kid who had made his way onto the test site. He was mutated into a green behemoth, the living personification of rage, fueled by pure physical strength and would come to be known as the near-mindless "Incredible Hulk". Fearful of the damage that Hulk could inflict, as well as fleeing from the military, he went on the run.
In the years that followed, Bruce became a loner, occasionally joining together with other heroes but more often struggling to be left alone. He was a founding member of the Avengers, "Earth's Mightiest Heroes", as well as the group of outsider heroes known as the Defenders, but would not remain with either group for long. Over the years, the Hulk's personality changed drastically, owing to Banner's undiagnosed dissociative identity disorder. At times intelligent, other times savage, the one constant was his quest for solitude and peace in a world that would not leave him alone.
Early Years
Robert Bruce Banner is the son of Dr. Brian Banner, an atomic physicist, and his wife Rebecca. Although Rebecca deeply loved Bruce, who returned her affection, Brian hated Bruce, and was driven by an insane jealousy of Bruce for being an object of Rebecca's love. Further, Brian believed that his radiation work had altered his DNA and given him a mutant son. These factors led to Brian abusing Bruce physically. One of the people who helped Bruce cope with Brian's tantrums was his paternal cousin Jennifer Walters, with whom Bruce used to spend summers in the public library reading for hours, losing themselves in books. Bruce's life reached a turning point when Brian murdered Rebecca, and he was placed in a mental hospital. After that, Bruce was raised by his aunt and father's sister, Susan Banner, who understood his great pain and rage over his childhood sufferings. Susan raised Bruce with love and care, as if he were her own child. Susan never wanted to deal with her brother after what he had done to Bruce and Rebecca. Bruce, grew up as a highly withdrawn, intellectually gifted youth, in fact, a child prodigy. His father's abuse caused Bruce to start to develop dissociative identity disorder which would go undiagnosed for years, partly due to the fact his D.I.D. was suppressed. The first sign that Bruce was developing mental problems due to his childhood abuse manifested when Bruce began talking to an imaginary friend he called the "Hulk", as a way with coping with his childhood abuse, his mother's death and his loneliness. He had even begun to mutter to himself in conversation with his imaginary friend. Concerned, his Aunt Susan took him to mental health professionals who assured her that these were merely coping mechanisms and they would eventually go away. Unfortunately for the world, they never did and the Hulk endured as Banner's imaginary friend for years. Bruce also began secretly working on explosives in an abandoned warehouse as the Hulk suggested that they blow up the school as a means of venting his frustrations. Bruce, however, changed his mind and refused to blow up the school, which did not sit well with the Hulk. Over the next few nights, unknown to Bruce, when he slept, the Hulk took control of his body and planted a bomb in the school set to go off in the morning. When Bruce realized what had happened he rushed to the school to try and disarm it but found that nobody would listen to his warnings. Crashing into the boiler room, Bruce managed to get down into the basement in just enough time to disarm it. Caught down in the boiler by some of his fellow students, they immediately figured out what Bruce had done and jumped him. The principal then closed the school for the day and locked Bruce down in the boiler room where he was beaten until the authorities arrived. After Bruce was released from the hospital, Bruce's aunt moved him and her out of town in order for Bruce to avoid jail time. Unknown to Bruce, his aunt was approached by Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross, a representative of the military who pointed out to her that the bomb, while sophisticated, was not constructed properly, but the work impressed the military who informed Susan Banner that they would invest in his education in the hopes that he could become a great weapons designer who could work for the military.
Education
After graduating from Science High School, Bruce studied nuclear physics in Navapo, New Mexico, at Desert State University as the star student of Professor Herbert Josiah Weller. Later he dated a girl named Susan Jacobson, but their relationship soon became rocky when Bruce lacked any sort of intimacy and she broke it off after one night where he tried to force himself upon her. He also studied for a time at Harvard University.[citation needed] He later transferred to Pennsylvania State University where he briefly worked with Canadian student Walter Langkowski finding a similar interest in gamma radiation. He also worked with Peter Corbeau, and Raoul Stoddard. It was during his time at Penn State that Banner found inspiration from noted scientist Albert Einstein and like the famous scientist, bought a wardrobe consisting entirely of purple suits. As a young student, Bruce first met another student with a brilliant mind; Tony Stark. Ever since, they both attended Dr. Derenik Zadian's "Forward Thought Conference" at Oxford University. This would lead to a life-long scientific rivalry between the two. They also became best friends. They eventually teamed up and joined the Avengers.
Desert Base
Bruce obtained his doctorate in nuclear physics at Caltech, alongside Philip Sterns, who later became Madman. Eventually, as an adult and a genius in nuclear physics, Banner wished to pursue philanthropic brands of science, but couldn't receive any financial funding for his projects, and thus in lack of other options, went to work at a United States Defense Department nuclear research facility at Desert Base, New Mexico. There Banner met General Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross, the Air Force officer in command of the base, and his daughter Betty Ross. Banner and Betty eventually fell in love with each other. Banner designed and oversaw construction of the "Gamma Bomb" or "G-bomb," a nuclear weapon possessing a high gamma radiation output. After fifteen years of confinement, the doctors believed that Brian was ready to rejoin society. Despite his reluctance, Bruce let his father temporarily stay with him. During this time, Brian began acting strange, causing tensions to escalate between the two. After Brian lashed out at his son, blaming him for his insanity, Bruce left to visit his mother's grave since it was the anniversary of her death. Brian followed him and started harassing Bruce, calling him a mutant and a monster. The confrontation quickly became physical, and Brian knocked Bruce down. While on the ground, Bruce pushed him back with his foot. Brian stumbled back and the impact of his head on Rebecca's gravestone killed him. To cope with killing his own father, Bruce blocked the memories of Brian's stay with him and his subsequent death, making himself believe that, as the two of them fought at Rebecca's grave, Brian had simply beat him and left, later being killed by muggers.
When I was four, I saw my father kill my mother. And years later, I killed him. I didn't mean to. But I did it. I've got that kind of anger inside. That kind of capacity. But you... you have your own problems. And your Hulk's gonna have his own problems as a result. And you may not love everything you learn about yourself. But you're not a... you're not a monster. You're not me, Amadeus. You're not me.
—Bruce Banner
Bruce Banner suffered severe trauma as a child inflicted by his father and repressed it in his subconsciousness. This abuse resulted in the young Bruce Banner developing both anger issues and dissociative identity disorder, and the early emergence of several alternate personalities.[378] Indeed, each aspect of his complex mind, concerning the at least three primary Hulk identities, represents a peculiar manifestation of Banner's multifaceted Freudian psyche. This condition was compounded later in life by the traumatic explosion that triggered his initial transformation into the Incredible Hulk, and further stimulated the emergence of other aspects of his personality. Following his gamma accident, many of his alters now take Hulk forms, though some, like Joe Fixit, can remain in human form when they switch.[384]
It was revealed by Doctor Samson that exposure to concentrated levels of gamma energy brings about the expression of the deepest parts of the collective unconscious. In this process, the darkest, most deeply buried sense of self dictates the subject's mutation. Particularly in the case of Bruce Banner, it stimulated the expression of a repressed fury that played an essential role in his transformation into the Hulk. Banner became an obsessive-compulsive person. He finally sublimated his grief and rage over his childhood, diverting the drives spawned by his sufferings into the relative safety of science.
Because of that, Banner is often trying to hide his emotional damage, resulting predominantly in social isolation. Banner became a highly withdrawn intellectual unable to cope with emotions. In the course of his life, Banner has also been pursued by the destruction that Hulk causes, which culminates in more complications in his life. However, Bruce Banner is a self-sacrificing and heroic person. For example, he was willing to sacrifice himself along with the Earth's heroes to suppress the menace of Onslaught.[237] Endowed with a super-genius intellect, he is also one of the most brilliant and resourceful minds on Earth. Banner has constantly undertaken a career as a super-hero while trying to find a cure for his condition.
However, an obscure and malevolent side of the Banner's persona has also been explored. For example, when Banner was temporarily separated from the Hulk, he demonstrated to be extremely sadistic and insane.[411] When Banner and Hulk were reunited, Banner's standard personality came into effect again, with no traces of this morally distorted side. More recently, Banner's psyche was fractured into several domains following a particular incident involving the Hulk. As a result, Banner's behavior was drastically altered, contrasting with his standard personality and leading to the unfolding of a potential large-scale event.[400] It was later revealed that Banner's radical conduct was a result of the manifestation of a malefic Hulk personality.[396]
You... can't... break... a... man... who's... already... been... broken.
—Bruce Banner
The Hulk initially is characterized as a separate entity from Bruce Banner, a distillation of his human anger that gradually develops its own personality and memories separate from Banner's. Banner suffers from "Dissociative Identity Disorder," which stems from the abuse he suffered as a child. Bruce also has developed anger issues from his abuse as a child. The Hulk has many incarnations, each representing a different aspect of Banner's psyche; there are hundreds or possibly thousands of other personalities of the Hulk, but only a few major versions have been seen to date.
•Bruce Banner - Bruce Banner is the emotionally repressed core personality, possessed of genius intellect. Banner can transform into the different versions of the Hulk, whereas his alter egos seem to be able only to transform into Bruce Banner.
•Savage/Child Hulk - The Savage or, more accurately described, "Child" Hulk is the most common version of the Hulk, and is one of the earliest known alters, existing and fronting since Bruce was just six years old. It possesses the mental capacity and temperament of a young child and typically refers to himself in the third person.[362] The Savage Hulk is the reflection of the young child abused by his father, which is the source of extreme rage and resentment from which his dynamic strength is derived. Samson theorized that the Savage Hulk represents Banner's unfettered id, seat of his survival instincts and childhood desires, always trying to get his way. He is in a constant infantile state of narcissistic innocence, resulting in a simple-minded baby-talking creature seeing the world only as an extension of himself. The Savage Hulk is portrayed as a lonely childlike being longing for friendship, acceptance, and love. In fact, he is naive, innocent, and kind. He often claims that he wants to be left alone, but this is because he is constantly attacked without the capacity to understand why. He really wants to be liked and is very loyal to his friends. The Savage Hulk is usually depicted as green-skinned and heavily muscled with a loping, ape-like gait. While in a functionally calm emotional state, or at least as calm as the Hulk can be, the Savage Hulk is stronger than the Gray Hulk. While angry, he has the potential for limitless strength, depending on the height of his temper.
•Gray Hulk/"Joe Fixit" - The Gray Hulk worked for a time as a Las Vegas enforcer named "Joe Fixit." The Gray Hulk has average intelligence, although he occasionally displays knowledge and intellectual ability normally associated with Banner. He is cunning, crafty, hedonistic, arrogant, and distant, with a hidden conscience; various psychological assessments of the Hulks have identified this Hulk as the personification of the moody teenager that Banner never allowed himself to be. In most of his Las Vegas appearances, he appeared only at night. According to the Leader, the Gray Hulk persona is strongest during the night of the new moon and weakest during the full moon. This aversion to sun/moon light vanished when the Gray Hulk's night-induced transformation trigger was later removed. Although he is the smallest of the Hulks, the Gray Hulk towers over the average human. He prefers to dress in tailored suits. Joe Fixit's base strength level is also the lowest of the three primary Hulk incarnations. Following the Devil Hulk's takeover of the other Hulk personas, Joe gained the ability to manifest in the body of Bruce Banner, with the only noticeable difference in appearance being Banner's eye color changing from brown to gray.[370] This form of Joe can operate during the day time, which has led to his self-given nickname "Sunshine Joe."[376] When Xemnu mentally attacked Banner, he mentally imprisoned the Gray Hulk in Banner's mindscape in amber.[383] After Xemnu was defeated, Gray Hulk was freed from his prison.[384] While down in the Below-Place, exposure to cosmic rays to Hulk's corpse unexpectedly allowed Gray Hulk to transform into a Red Hulk, presumably giving him the same powers as well as the ability to smash through the Red Door. He was also able to take over the body of the Savage Hulk.[390] After opening up to Betty, Joe express regret for being selfish in the past, especially for leaving Bruce Banner in the Below-Place. After Betty left, Joe decided to stop hiding and rescue Bruce Banner.[393] He eventually traveled to the Below-Place with Jackie McGee using the Forever Gate, rescued Banner, and reunited with him while also retaining his Red Hulk form.[413]
Powers
There ain't many around who can describe what it feels like to get hit by the Hulk... Simple fact bein' there ain't many around who can survive to tell the tale. There ain't 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. —Wolverine Gamma Mutate Physiology: Due to Bruce Banner being exposed to the Gamma Bomb's radiation, culminating in his transformation into a powerful monster, the gamma radiation mutated the Hulk's body and fortified his cellular structure, adding over 800 lbs of bone marrow and muscle tissues to his body.[439] In addition, during times of stress the Incredible Hulk's adrenaline level escalates, causing a corresponding escalation of brute strength. Thus, the madder Hulk gets, the stronger Hulk gets.[440][441] Echoing Marvel's understanding, Spider-Man once created a hierarchical system regarding pure physical power in which the Hulk occupies the first place, surpassing Thor and Hercules.[442] Amadeus Cho, who is renowned for his ability to compute data flows, stated that even a team comprised of Hercules would be worthless against an enraged Hulk.[443] A configuration of heroes including Thor, held as inferior in sheer power to the raging Hulk, didn't dare to directly engage him in battle.[302] A totally animalistic Hulk, while weakening, was stated and demonstrated as an even match for an ensemble of Avengers composed of powerful heroes, such as Hercules, Wonder Man and Iron Man.[444] The Hulk was described as God's counterweight to balance creation with destruction, embodying the benevolent destruction. The Incredible Hulk was for several times described as one of the physically most powerful beings in the entire Marvel Universe,[257][445][446][447][448] and as one of the most powerful beings to ever walk on planet Earth,[449][450][451] with the potential for limitless levels of strength and durability (since it scales directly with his strength).[452] The Hulk, in the full exercise of his potential, was described as the most powerful mortal entity in entire existence,[453] and his maximum known strength level ranges beyond the limits of virtually any other known humanoid being.[441] The Hulk's vast physical might has even been described as powerful enough to ravage entire worlds.[454] Moreover, the Hulk was also stated to be an Omega Level Threat by both the Initiative[455] and Mister Fantastic,[456] and even "the Original Omega Level Threat" by Gyrich. At some point, the Hulk was stated to be the strongest hero in the world.[430] Additionally, Hulk was referred as the strongest member of an Avengers team featuring Hercules.[457] Doctor Strange has even referenced the Hulk as one of the most powerful beings in the whole existence.[409] Gamiel probed the Hulk's untapped potential and reasoned that he is the pinnacle of the Human Species.[458] When he was a nexus being, Apocalypse declared the energy provided by the Hulk could be employed to prevail over the Celestials. Upon performing experiments and measuring the power level of numerous individuals, They Who Wield Power concluded that the Hulk is more powerful than Thor and Hercules.[459] According to Kang the Conqueror, the Hulk is the strongest Avenger, and the gamma irradiated heart of an alternate Hulk endows a robot based on the Hulk with raw force to overpower the classic formation of the Avengers.[460] In a canonical scaling, the Hulk's potential was established as superior to the collective power of four of the most powerful Avengers.[461] Furthermore, Umar the Unrelenting has insinuated that the rampaging Worldbreaker Hulk was a potential threat to the Universe's plane of existence, presumably referring to galaxies being gradually destroyed.[305] Banner even upheld the principle the Hulk is stronger than Hercules,[462] while the Thing and Hercules have jointly proposed that Hulk really was the strongest one there is.[463] Nick Fury's intel has also classified him as Power Level 10+,[464] the highest level in their scale of measurement, whereas as the Merged Hulk he was described as member of the Omega-class entities by Doctor Octopus.[465] •Transformation: The process by which Banner usually transforms into the Hulk is presumably the result of the chemical catalyst, adrenaline (a.k.a. epinephrine). As in normal human beings, Banner's adrenal medulla secretes large amounts of adrenaline in time of fear, rage, or stress, which hormonally stimulates the heart rate, increases blood-sugar levels, and inhibits sensations of fatigue. Whereas the secretion heightens normal physical abilities in normal human beings, in Banner's case it triggers the complex chemical-extra-physical process that transforms him into the Hulk. The total time of transformation falls anywhere from twenty-five seconds to five minutes,[439] depending on the initial adrenaline surge, which will be determined by the original stimulus.[439] Soon after the transformation, the amount of adrenaline in the Hulk will return to more normal, reduced levels.[439] However, there have been instances in which Banner became the Hulk without any discernible increase in heart rate or adrenal levels, suggesting that the true trigger mechanism into the Hulk is far more psychological than physical. When the Hulk transforms back into Banner, the excess muscle mass and energy is lost, presumably going back to the same place he derives it. As the Hulk's transformation is mostly a stress reaction, it is virtually impossible to attack, wound or sedate him in his human form without the Hulk erupting almost instantaneously in self-defense.[333] As gamma mutates and their appearance/abilities are affected by their minds to become "metaphor people"; Banner's Hulk form, and to an extent his abilities, change depending on which Hulk/alter is in control. Joe Fixit is weaker but more intelligent and cunning while only coming out at night, the Green Scar is full of wrathful fury while being able to erupt with gamma energy, and the Devil Hulk is more attuned with the mystical nature of gamma allowing him to perform impossible feats like overloading Vibranium, being alive and able to move while dismembered, or smelling lies and seeing into people's souls. The madder he gets, the stronger he gets! —Iron Man •Unlimited Strength: The Hulk possesses the capacity for essentially limitless physical strength. In proportion to his rage, it grows geometrically and exponentially towards infinity, but never reaches it.[466][116][467][121][131][324][468][459][469][470][471][472] Jack Kirby revealed that since the conception of the character he intended the Hulk to have unlimited strength.[473] In actuality, though the highest hierarchical challenges mentally imposed by Banner to the Hulk may not reflect the real characters' power level, it was implied that the Hulk's ultimate potential truly has no limits. Banner has personally reinforced that the Hulk has incalculable strength.[474] In effect, upon actually estimating the Hulk's raw potential, the virtually omniscient cosmic entity Beyonder stated outright that the Hulk's strength is intrinsically limitless. The Hulk's uttermost potential is indeed infinite, with no finite element inside.[467] This statement has been endorsed by the cosmic entity Stranger, who deduced that Hulk's capacity for strength is, for all practical purposes, unlimited.[131] The knowledgeable Doctor Samson has also postulated that the Hulk can increase his strength ad infinitum,[212] and the genius Leader has regularly confessed the Hulk's endless strength.[107][109][116] The Hulk's boundless strength was further supported by the Mad Thinker's inability to calculate its limits,[324] several experts have effectively failed to determine the precise magnitude of the Hulk's brute power,[116][121][459][470] he was designated as one of the strongest beings to ever live supplied with bottomless power,[475] and Hulk's power has been consistently described as immeasurable.[476] Hulk's rage, the foundation of his unfathomable strength, is also described as unlimited.[440][469][477] The Hulk's reputation extends beyond even Earth, with the Skrulls proclaiming him as the strongest mortal on Earth,[478] the alien tyrant known as Kurrgo enunciating that he is the strongest of all the Earth's creatures,[479] the cosmic wanderer Silver Surfer recognizing him as the strongest mortal he ever confronted,[133] and the Supreme Skyfather Odin reflecting that he is the strongest mortal Thor has ever faced. However, each of the primary Hulk's personalities possess a base strength level. While functionally calm, the Gray Hulk persona is the weakest whereas the incarnation commonly referred to as the "Green Scar" is the physically strongest of all primary Hulk's incarnations. After being exposed to the energies from the exploding core of the ship that originally brought the Hulk to Sakaar, the Green Scar's base strength level was dramatically increased. The persona known as the Immortal Hulk is also substantially stronger than most incarnations and presumably rivals the Green Scar, being able to effortlessly outclass the combined might of an Avengers team consisting of powerful heroes. However, while in an enraged state, adrenaline surges through the Hulk's body, magnifying his extraordinary physical strength drastically beyond his standard levels. The Hulk's astronomical strength is directly proportional to his level of anger, excitement, and stress. The Hulk also grows stronger the more radiation[480][481][482][483] and the more dark magic[484][485] he catalyzes. Finally, as Amadeus Cho theorizes, Bruce Banner subconsciously restrains the Hulk's maximum potential because he quantifies and calculates the external variables so that the Hulk could never hurt innocents. Cho corroborates this thesis with a logical analysis of all the Hulk's historical conflicts.[486] However, if the suppression of Banner's restrictions occurs, the Hulk can neutralize this limitation, such as when he becomes the Worldbreaker.[433] The Hulk has also performed impressive feats of strength in his career. •Superhuman Leaping: The Hulk is able to use his highly developed leg muscles to leap great distances. As the Hulk becomes enraged, his strength increases considerably, which means he can jump farther than usual. The Hulk has transposed about 1,000 miles with a single leap,[487] and in a single leap he jumped on top of Mount Olympus from ground level.[488] On more than one occasion, the Hulk has nearly jumped into the Earth's orbit.[489] The Hulk even managed to reach Mars' orbit with a single bound. [490] The Hulk also shows incredible precision with his ability to aim his jumps and landings. He grabbed missiles on multiple occasions and landed on islands barely visible from the height that he fell from.[487] While calm, the Hulk's leap has been measured to reach 473 mph.[491] •Superhuman Strength Utilizations: The Hulk can inhale great quantities of air for several effects. For example, he can expel the air at enormous speeds to knock down forests[492] and armed troops. This resource also enables the Hulk to defeat several superhuman opponents, such as Mister Fantastic.[493] The Hulk can slam his hands together to create a tremendously powerful sonic vibration that propagates through the air and has been compared to the strongest hurricane in history.[494] This thunderclap has been powerful enough to disperse Sandman's attacks,[495] snuff out Johnny Storm's flame ability,[454] and severely debilitate the Red Hulk.[432] The Hulk can also hit the ground with his hands or legs to create violent tremors that thwart opponents[496] and destroy structures,[163] being able to produce destructive shockwaves by stomping his foot.[441] He could also create shockwaves with enough power to shatter glass jars by simply snapping his fingers while possessed by the One Below All.[436] Examples of the Hulk's Strength Demonstrations The Hulk's feats are categorized according to their power output. •According to Umar the Unrelenting, devastating the entire realm of the Dark Dimension, frequently ruled by Umar and/or also by Dormammu (Extreme rage. Presumably she referred to the gradual destruction of the multitude of planets and astronomical bodies that were being destroyed from the central point in which the Hulk was. The Dark Dimension is the synthesis of the largest domain with numerous pocket dimensions. This was off panel and likely a hyperbole, but it emphasizes a destruction on large scale, not an irrelevant one, and resulted in banishment).[497] Destroying a planet and a surrounding moon as a side-effect of a direct collision with the Red She-Hulk (Class B. The energy required to effectively destroy the nearby moon would destroy multiple planets).[433] Disintegrating highly powerful beings such as the Bi-Beast, Arm'Cheddon, and an enhanced Fin Fang Foom (Extreme rage. This was also an indirect consequence in consonance with the secondary effect described up above. Arm'Cheddon is durable enough to withstand blasts supplied with the ability to destroy multiple galaxies. Whilst Fin Fang Foom's durability is phenomenal; sufficient to withstand Iron Man's blasts at forty times its capacity).[433] Overpowering and destroying Onslaught's physical form (Extreme rage, indicative of maximum known strength level. Onslaught created a second sun, while in a previous and much weaker incarnation defeated the fully powered Unstoppable Juggernaut. Not even the conjugated efforts of the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men were effective. Onslaught incorporated a massive quantity of power from Omega Level Mutants Franklin Richards and Nate Grey. Thor Odinson, who integrated the Avengers, can annihilate a vast part of Eternity and carry a multi-galaxy sized beast).[498][237] Rupturing the space-time continuum with a single punch (Extreme rage, indicative of maximum known strength level).[423] Shattering a glass wall tempered with the Negative Zone particles (Class A. The Hulk traversed a cosmic barrier obstructing his way, and deflected adamantium bullets while heavily sedated).[333] •The shockwaves from the Hulk's collision with Ironclad reached an infinite number of Dimensions through the Crossroads nexus, creating cataclysmic upheavals and unimaginable destruction (Extreme rage. This feat can be harmonized with the Hulk's established power level by interpreting it as a cumulative destruction tending to infinity. Hence, instead of an expressly infinite number of dimensions, the amplitude of the destruction tends to infinity. All feats that seemingly transcend the ordinary levels and rise to infinity, being consistent, must be reevaluated).[499] The Hulk and Umar shake the universe by engaging in a sexual intercourse during a period of around six minutes (Hence the physical effects resulting from this event propagate from the Dark Dimension directly to the universe, affecting the Marvel Universe on a large cosmic scale during a six minute period of time. As it shook the universe, and likely also the Dark Dimension, so it is functionally equivalent to at least a multi-galaxy scale destruction. This presumably involved a Ripple effect gradually tending to infinity, a vast fragment, rather than entire universes).[500] Upon being drained by the newly devised Iron Man's armor, specially designed for that end, generating a Physical Force with potency equivalent to one hundred thousand exploding suns (Extreme rage. The Hulk's gamma energy, rising anger, raw strength and dynamic durability, are correlative and directly proportional. Thus, the Hulk's gamma energy, increasing anger and vast durability, are comparable to his brute power. The Hulk, in a fierce battle against Thor Odinson, later released the exceeding gamma radiation in a massive but significantly weaker explosion).[403] Supporting and rising up despite being pushed down with a force equivalent to the energy created by a star and supernova simultaneously (Class A. It has at least about 460.000 times the mass of the Earth and carries enough kinetic energy to destroy a solar system).[501] Seriously injuring Arm'Cheddon, who withstood the Silver Surfer's energy blast at twice its maximum level (Extreme rage. The Silver Surfer can emit a destructive blast powerful enough to completely encompass innumerable galaxies,[502][503] rivaling Thor's great power).[305] •Rupturing the Spacetime continuum with a powerful blow (Extreme rage, indicative of maximum known strength level. Not even Kang the Conqueror's Time-Ship could penetrate through it, requiring an extremely angry Hulk). Generating a Physical Strength more than one hundred times superior to Hercules' immense strength (Class A. As Hercules had fought without holding back before,[212] it refers to Hercules' maximum strength potential, rather than merely portraying the maximum strength that Hercules had already demonstrated. It is a consolidated fact that the Hulk's durability scales directly with his strength,[452] both being proportional to his rage.[504] Therefore Hulk was endowed with a degree of strength of similar magnitude).[505] Pushing two spheres of matter and antimatter apart and throwing one into outer space (Class C. It represented a threat to the planet).[506] Ripping apart an enormous device designed to fight against the Celestials (Class A. By leveling down, it can plausibly be classified as a herald tier feat).[507] Destroying an asteroid twice the size of the Earth with a single punch (Class B. Self-explanatory).[508] Holding together the tectonic plates of a planet to keep it from collapsing (Class C. Self-evident). Overpowering a field of energy endowed with sufficient power to alter the orbit of a planet (Class C. Self-evident).[131] Overpowering enhanced and gigantic incarnations of the Bi-Beast and the Wendigo (Class A. Both are regular foes of the Savage Hulk and were vastly enhanced).[509] Overpowering a team of several Avengers, including Wonder Man, Rogue, Thor (Jane Foster) and Hercules (Class A. These heroes, which included Rogue after assimilating a large fraction of the Hulk's power, are established top tier characters, with the exception of Wonder Man. Even the combined assault of Jane Thor and Hercules proved to be completely ineffectual against the mighty Hulk).[356] In a furious state, though still subconsciously suppressed, penetrating a barrier with a mighty blow which only Black Bolt's sonic scream can pierce (Class A. A mere whisper from Black Bolt was powerful enough to knock out a reasonably angry Hulk. In a later circumstance, he could slightly stagger an amplified Galactus with a catastrophic shout).[145] •Gradually provoking the extinction of Nightmare's Dream Dimension (Extreme rage. This Hulk self was completely deprived from Bruce Banner's psyche, and being a manifestation of sheer rage, the Hulk's power resembled exactly his power in the Real World. Therefore the Hulk couldn't directly manipulate and alter reality to amplify his strength, and both realms interacted, allowing Spider-Man to be killed and preserving the power hierarchy. This Dimension is one of the Splinter Realms and resides beyond the small pocket dimensions, thus being much larger).[510][511][512] Overpowering a group of several heroes, including Thor (Jane Foster) and the Thing (Class A. Thor (Jane Foster) is an established top tier character).[354] Overpowering the combined efforts of the X-Men, including a significantly weakened Juggernaut and Colossus, and breaking both arms of Colossus with ease in the process (Class B. This group consisted of some planetary threats, since Juggernaut was weakened).[483] Overpowering the Juggernaut before an outside interference changed the course of the battle (Likely Class A. The full extent of power that was at disposal to the Juggernaut has yet to be revealed. However, it is presumably comparable to the power exerted by his classic incarnation).[513] Overpowering Colossus in another encounter (Class C. Colossus scales with the Thing, who is a regular rival of a suppressed Savage Hulk, although inferior).[514] Lifting a "chunk" of Las Vegas and landing it perfectly on the ground with ease (Class D. Self-explanatory).[509] According to Kang the Conqueror, the Hulk is the strongest Avenger, and the gamma irradiated heart of an alternate Hulk endows a robot based on the Hulk with enough power to outclass the classic formation of the Avengers. Iron Man is not knocked out, but is overpowered, recognizes the Hulk's superior power and adopts an evasive posture until the team finds a strategic way to defeat the Hulk robot.[460] •Denting Ultron's Primary Adamantium shell in a weak Banner-dominated persona (Class A. Primary Adamantium is regarded as virtually indestructible). Smashing Adamantium (Class C. Secondary Adamantium).[470] Crunching and twisting an Adamantium alloy around Blastaar, imprisoning and leaving him unable to break out, and throwing the sphere from New York to the Mid-Atlantic (Class C. Secondary Adamantium).[515] Snapping Adamantium netting (Class C. Secondary Adamantium).[516] Shattering M.O.D.O.K's Adamantium and steel alloy armor by just flexing his muscles (Class C. Secondary Adamantium).[517] Briefly knocking down Thanos with a sequence of powerful blows (Class A. The required power output to knock Thanos down should be at least on this scale).[518] Destroying the Crypto-Man after it was boosted with physical strength superior to that of Thor Odinson (Extreme rage, as the combat resulted in the eventual death of Jarella. Thor's striking power and brute strength are on this level. As the robot had originally absorbed and incorporated half the full strength of Thor, while its raw power was doubled and later amplified even further, thus it was equipped with physical power exceeding Thor's full potential strength).[519] •Tearing Dracula's Adamantium netting with ease (Class C. Presumably Secondary Adamantium, which is far weaker than Primary Adamantium).[312] Ploughing through Vector's telekinetic repulsion while he was repelling reality itself (Class A. Vector is an occasional foe of the Hulk, and rivals an enraged Hulk).[499] Bending the Silver Surfer's board after hitting the opponent with it (Class A. Norrin's board is as invulnerable as the Silver Surfer himself).[520] Driving Wolverine's claws back into his own skull, and therefore damaging Adamantium with Adamantium (Class A. This feat is regarded as impossible through conventional means).[521] Overpowering a power-draining mechanism which contained much of the combined power of the Hulk himself, Doctor Strange, the Silver Surfer and the Sub-Mariner, and no other Defender could break out of (Class A. The Hulk and the Defenders were drained of their power, but the Hulk's rage increased exponentially in order to save them).[522] Employing his hand to easily block Thanos' mighty energy blast, and knocking the Mad Titan down with formidable blows (Class A. Thanos has Herculean durability and frequently withstands powerful blows, such as a casual but exceptional blast from the Skyfather Odin, without even flinching or moving).[523] •Destroying the Hammer of Nul (Class A. The Hulk was mystically enhanced).[314] Breaking off solidified Adhesive X from his entire body with no leverage (Class A. This had never been done with physical force, before or after).[524] Performing a potent thunderclap that destroyed Dark-Crawler's pocket universe (Variable. Pocket universes, even though comparatively small, are still immense in size).[162] Shrugging off the combined efforts of Namor and Silver Surfer to restrain him (Class A. Silver Surfer is a herald tier character, and was not considerably restricting his power in this context).[525] Holding a 150 billion ton mountain which was dropped on them by Molecule Man when no other hero could even react (Class D. Self-evident).[526] Matching Thor numerous times.[527][528][529][530][531][532][533] (Class A. Including fracturing his skull and causing damage. Thor has incredible feats and massive power, such as being reputed by Eternity as a potential threat to a large fragment of the entity, and physically carrying the multi-galaxy sized Midgard Serpent,[534] both incidents corresponding to the ability to destroy countless galaxies). •Injuring Hercules with three punches (Class A. Hercules' durability is on this scale).[279] Matching a ten times stronger than normal warrior's madness Thor Odinson, a state which inconceivably increases his great strength (Extreme rage. Thor regained his full power right before engaging the Hulk in battle, then undergoing the warrior's madness in the process. During the combat, the Hulk became totally insane, incarnating the Maestro persona, but he reclaimed his sanity. Thus Hulk was almost identical to Thor in brute power, who became ten times tougher).[535] Hurting Gladiator with a few enormously potent blows before finally knocking him unconscious (Class A. The raw power required to damage and overpower Gladiator in battle should be at least on this scale. Before entering the factory).[536] Stopping a strike from Red Norvell's equal copy of Mjolnir in midair with only one hand (Class A. Red Norvell is practically equivalent to Thor in raw power).[537] While Hulk was holding back, he battled Superman and pushed him to his limits (Class A. Superman is one of the most iconic and powerful top tiers of the DC comics).[538] Applying force to the space-time structure in order to prevent the Defenders from being absorbed into a fissure (Class A. The Silver Surfer was helpless, despite being totally able to move in black holes without the board).[202] •Matching the full power of the Sentry and defeating the latter. So generating Physical Force corresponding to one million supernovas (Class A. The Sentry stated outright that for the first time in his career he released his full might. According to Reed Richards, the Sentry had never manifested so much power before this ferocious battle against the Incredible Hulk. Given the fact the Hulk's strength and durabitlity are variables growing at the same rate, thus these attributes were jointly elevated to this level).[283] Almost breaking the entire East Coast and threatening to break the planet by the emission of energy from his body (Extreme rage, but he constrained himself. At this point, the Hulk became superior to the Sentry, and superior to heavy hitters such as the classic Juggernaut. Both faced the restrained Green Scar persona and ultimately failed to conquer a victory. Thus, the Hulk's raw strength further extrapolated the power of the previously defeated heroes).[283] Bringing the Juggernaut to his knees upon striking him only two times (Class A. The Juggernaut has exceptional durability and a personal force field. Cain is a herald tier character).[226] Shattering the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak (Possible Class A. Its raw power is inconsistent).[539] Matching the Super-Adaptoid, who had acquired raw power from one hundred heroes like Iron Man and Vision (Likely Class A. Iron Man constantly faces the Hulk, but he is inferior to the herald tiers. It is plausible that one hundred heroes combined reach this power level).[540] •While holding back, without accessing the Worldbreaker mode, Hulk sent Zeus flying with one powerful hit (Class A. Zeus is a powerful skyfather, and only herald tier characters can knock him down while enhanced and amplified by energy).[488] Destroying the latest Hulkbuster Armor, throwing the She-Hulk miles away with a single punch, and overloading Black Panther's Vibranium Panther Habit, which was believed to be impossible (Class A. She-Hulk was enhanced above normal levels, the Hulkbuster is herald tier level, and the Panther Habit is extremely durable). Knocking the Silver Surfer out with only three punches (Possible Class B. They were both weakened by the passage through the black hole). Matching two Avengers teams during a prolonged period of time in spite of becoming increasingly weaker due to the physical separation from Bruce Banner. (Extreme rage. The group was later explicitly intending to kill the Hulk, and consisted of highly powerful individuals such as Hercules, Captain Marvel, Iron Man, Wonder Man, Namor, and the She-Hulk).[444] •Overpowering the Invisible Woman, the Thing and the Human Torch (Class B. None of them were above planetary level)[541] and afterwards matching the combined forces of the Avengers and the Fantastic Four (Class A. Thor was among them).[542] Matching the Scarlet Witch, prior to House of M, and Wonder Man, Iron Man, and the Vision, while the narration establishes the Hulk's power is even greater than their combined might (Class B. Iron Man on a regular basis faces the Hulk, but he is inferior to the unrestrained herald tiers. Wonder Man was always recognized as near the power level of a suppressed Thor, and Wanda was not manifesting her full potential).[461] When the Thing's sheer strength was almost doubled, the Hulk still had the upper hand (Class C. The Thing rivals a restrained Savage Hulk, being able to stagger and even hurt some incarnations of the Green Goliath).[479] Easily defeating the Hulkbuster Iron Man (Class A. The Hulkbuster is powerful enough to engage Hulk in battle).[543][278][337] •Closing the doors to a nuclear reactor core that Thor and the Thing together could not budge (Class A. Thor is extremely powerful, and hence this feat is classified on this scale).[244] Overpowering the combined efforts of Iron Man, Wonder Man, Hercules, and Namor to pin him down despite becoming gradually weakened due to the physical separation from Banner (Class A. Hercules is a herald tier character).[440] Subjugating a wet and all-out Namor in battle during a brief period of time (Class C. Namor, while in his native element, is recurrently portrayed as near the Hulk's, Hercules' and Thor's suppressed power level).[544] Overcoming his own strength, that was redirected against him (Class A. Self-explanatory).[151] Stopping the Juggernaut's charge and crumpling his helmet (Class A. The Hulk's physical power was amplified by Celestial technology, enabling him to successfully neutralize the Juggernaut's near unstoppable charge).[545] Matching Drax the Destroyer (Class A. This incarnation of Drax is a top tier, and his vast power was further magnified since he was in possession of the Power Gem).[546] •Breaking through heavy duty blast doors capable of withstanding a nuclear strike with a punch (Class D. Self-explanatory).[178] Punching away and knocking out the immovable Blob, and punching Unus the Untouchable's force field with such force that the force field hit Unus himself and knocked him out (Class B. These characters were powerful, but below the top tiers).[547] Picking up and throwing the immense dragon Fin Fang Foom directly to the Moon (Class D. This was a reasonable feat given Foom's considerable size).[146] Throwing the Soul Gem through the interior layers of the planet K'ai, into its core (Class D. This was less impressive and should be around this level).[548] Easily damaging and almost destroying Iron Man's armor (Class B. Iron Man, in conventional armors, sometimes faces a restrained Hulk on equal grounds and even subjugates him, but is considerably inferior overall. However, he can temporarily rival the vast power of the top tiers by absorbing or redirecting energy).[442][549][550][551][552][212] Ripping through a bunker designed to withstand the explosion of several thousands of megatons in magnitude (Class D. Self-explanatory).[553] •Thor has admitted that Hulk could be stronger than himself,[531] that compared to himself there appears to be no limit to the Hulk's great strength,[530] and that he never could beat the Hulk.[311] The Mad Titan Thanos compared the Hulk's ever increasing strength to that of the former Champion of the Universe, Tryco Slatterus, when Tryco was wielding the Power Gem, and said that he had avoided a confrontation with the Hulk in the past because of this. Kang the Conqueror regards the Hulk as the strongest Avenger ever, and the victory of a robot powered by all the Hulk's abilities over the Avengers (including Thor Odinson and Iron Man) gives credibility to this understanding.[460] In a simulation operated by Iron Man, portraying Tony's common modus operandi in battle, the Hulk was considered too strong to confront directly, even when Iron Man's armor is functioning at extreme levels, reducing drastically its energy reserves in the process.[554] After an initial sequence of fast and high-powered blows from Iron Man, Tony's energy reserves begin to reduce substantially, allowing the Hulk, who had endured the initial assault, to react, get angry and subjugate Iron Man.[551] •Superhuman Stamina: The Hulk's body counteracts fatigue poisons that build up in his muscles during physical activity. In fact, the Hulk was capable to leap endlessly during an entire day without showing any signs of fatigue.[541] In an enraged state, the Hulk is capable of exerting himself at peak physical capacity for several weeks before fatigue begins to really affect him.[555] However, just like his vast physical strength, the Hulk's stamina does increase as he becomes angrier.[445][556] In an enraged state, the Hulk was able to successfully stalemate the warrior's madness Thor,[535] a state which temporarily enhances Thor's strength and stamina to 10 times that of his normal state in exchange for adversely affecting his intelligence.[557] A giant robotic Sentinel has calculated the Hulk's stamina as almost unlimited.[558] The Hulk, while in his Nul persona, also fought Thor until Thor collapsed exhausted on the ground.[311] •Superhuman Durability: In addition to immense strength, the Hulk's body possesses a high degree of resistance to physical injury. The gamma radiation that served as the catalyst for his current state fortified his cellular structure, endowing him with high degree of resistance to injury, pain, and disease.[559] The Hulk has survived tremendous amount of punishment throughout his career. The Hulk's skin is impervious to conventional blades, Adamantium and Vibranium being strictly the few known metals that can effectively pierce and penetrate his skin. The Hulk was even able to remove Adhesive X from his body without any injury.[524] This invulnerability extends to the optic system since bullets,[560] grenade shrapnel,[561] Hawkeye's arrows,[562] and even the Valkyrie's enchanted blade Dragonfang[563] did not penetrate nor damage it. The Hulk is capable of withstanding high caliber bullets, powerful energy blasts,[564][565][515] pressures extremes, falls from orbital heights,[566][567][311][489] maximized heat without blistering, maximized cold without freezing, and also massive impacts. The Hulk has withstood several times the impact of ground zero nuclear explosions,[568][569][105][182][570][571] the Human Torch's Nova Blast,[572][482][352] with a maximum temperature of one million degrees Fahrenheit, and also the crushing pressures of 100Gs[116] without suffering damage or harm. In fact, when the Maestro's Dog O' War, a robot claimed to be able to crush Adamantium in its jaws in 7.3 seconds, had Hulk's exposed neck in its jaws, it was unable to even lacerate his skin before being ripped apart.[573] In another monumental example of his durability, the Hulk even withstood being subjected to a mechanism capable to easily soften and manipulate Adamantium.[324] The Hulk was also able to withstand a planet-devastating impact,[480] a planet-shattering impact at point blank range,[508] the Galaxy Master's planet-destroying strongest attacks,[445] even when their potency was later amplified ten times,[574] a colossal blow from a Phoenix-empowered Cyclops,[575] phenomenally powerful blows from the extremely powerful Zom-empowered Doctor Strange,[576] and a mighty blast from a somewhat hungry Galactus.[577] The Hulk even withstood exposure to magical energy calculated as over 100 times more powerful than Hercules' strongest blows,[578] and also the overwhelming pressure and kinetic energy of a literal supernova bursting on his body.[501] Upon being drained by Iron Man, while wearing the most recent Celestial armor crafted by himself, Hulk withstood extraordinarily powerful blasts with potency of one hundred thousand supernovas.[403] In addition, Hulk withstood Sentry's vastly powerful attacks, equal to one million supernovas.[283] The Hulk even withstood a few of the incredibly powerful blows from Zeus when relatively calm.[488] In a moderately angry state, the Hulk was unfazed by Thing's most potent punch.[192] The full force of Cyclops' optic blasts, estimated by himself to be powerful enough to rip a small planet in half,[579] only caused minor damage,[483] while previously his ultimate blast was completely ineffective against the Hulk.[564] Furthermore, the Hulk has withstood multiple blows from beings such as Thor[530][533][535] and the Abomination[580][581][582] on a regular basis. The Hulk's durability, like his physical strength, is fueled by rushes of adrenaline while angry.[556] This was again exemplified when Wolverine stated during World War Hulk that the Hulk's skin was harder to damage,[483] when the Hulk withstood a blast from Captain Marvel twice as powerful as a blast that had previously harmed him,[504] and when during a fierce fight against Colossus he noticed that the harder he hits the Hulk, the less it seems to hurt him.[514] This was further exemplified when Wolverine's[583] and Black Panther's[584] claws failed to hurt the Hulk. •Retroactive Immortality: For all intents and purposes, the Hulk cannot permanently die. The exact nature of this ability is unknown; however, it is suggested that every time the Hulk or Banner is killed since the day that Bruce was hit with the Gamma Bomb, the Green Door is opened and allows him to "walk through" in order to successfully enable self-resurrection. It is suggested that it is his other self who walks through, as Banner would rather be at peace than be revived as the Hulk. It was initially theorized that damaging the hypothalamus, an area in the forebrain which controls the nervous system as well as emotions, can effectively kill the Hulk, but subsequent resurrections have proven it impossible to prevent a gamma mutate's revival even with their brain completely destroyed.[360] Following his resurrection by the Challenger,[355] if Banner should die, he would self-resurrect by transforming into the Hulk at nightfall. Although said power was seemingly lost after the Leader was separated from the One Below All, which successfully shut down all Green Doors. However, Banner seems to have regained what was lost after having been stabbed in the heart with a cutting knife,[585] with the very embodiment of Death itself stating he and his counterpart were beyond her reach during a confrontation against the Hulk.[586] •Self-Regeneration Manipulation: As a Gamma Mutate with a connection to the Below-Place, Bruce Banner/Hulk learned he possessed an autonoetic commandeering of his own recovery rate and extremital prehensility of his individual biomass, as had others in the past,[587] once having been pulled apart and put in a collective of several different jars only to compel his body to come back together by sheer force of will.[436] •Regenerative Healing Factor: Despite the Hulk's high resistance to physical harm, it is possible to cause the Hulk injury. However, the Hulk is capable of regenerating damaged or destroyed areas of his entire body with much greater speed and efficiency than an ordinary human. In fact, the Hulk was able to systematically regenerate his internal organs and tissues in an alternate reality.[588] He was also able to literally rip off a large fraction of his head allowing it to completely regrow.[589] In a notorious episode, the Maestro persona molecularly rebuilt his body after being atomized.[590] The Hulk also demonstrated his exceptional healing capacity when, during a battle with Vector, all of his skin and most of his muscle mass were extracted from his body. The Hulk regained his mass and healed within only seconds.[591] Even the Omega-Level biokinetic Elixir's death touch could only retard him temporarily.[431] Most extreme depictions of his healing factor also include reintegrating members isolated from his body.[436] The Hulk's regenerative healing factor also enables him to resist to physical transmutations.[592][593][594][494][483] Additionally, the Hulk heals faster and more extensively the madder he gets.[556] For example, the Scorpion (Carmilla Black) once injected into Hulk's body a chemical substance that counteracts his healing factor. Amadeus Cho then caused the Hulk to get enraged enough for his immune system to repel the substance.[486] Combined with the Hulk's superhuman durability, it makes him exceedingly difficult to defeat or incapacitate, as noted by Wolverine during their second battle.[556] •Disease Immunity: The Hulk is completely invulnerable to all known Earth-based diseases and viruses, including AIDS.[222][595] He can operate under intense conditions for prolonged periods of time due to his body not developing fatigue toxins quickly. •Decelerated Aging: For all intents and purposes; the Hulk lives indefinitely. Because of an enhanced healing factor, derived from the properties of gamma energy that empowers him, the Hulk has a prolonged lifespan. A possible future persona, the Maestro, was in his physical prime despite being over one hundred years old.[573] In another alternate future it is implied that the Hulk's body effectively lasts forever,[588] further proven when both that world's Bruce Banner and Mister Immortal were seen as the only two left alive to witness the end of the universe.[371] •Body Part Autonomy: In spite of his nervous system being badly dissociated, Banner/Hulk can willingly control each of his individual body parts as if they were still part of his uniformly whole physiology.[436] Being able to operate his appendages and command his internal organs to move and act according to his will if he so chooses. •Superhuman Speed: Regardless of his size, Hulk's superhumanly strong legs allow him to run at speeds that are well beyond the natural physical limits of even the finest human athlete. In fact, the Hulk's speed is so relatively high that, while tunneling underground from Subterranea to California, the Avengers feared that the Hulk could fracture the San Andreas fault line in a matter of few hours.[164] In an excellent display of increased velocity, the Hulk easily outperformed an aircraft while on land,[326] and in another astonishing demonstration of ground speed, the Hulk crossed a vast distance encompassing several States in a matter of instants.[523] The Hulk's gigantic speed extends to his jumps, what allowed him to pursue and reach a space missile. The Hulk also possesses immense swimming speeds as well. He has been clocked to be swimming at 80 knots,[487] and has even matched Namor's underwater speed,[155] even while Namor was moving quickly enough to create a whirlpool,[136] much to the Atlantean king's surprise. Referring to Hulk's formidable speed, Banner pondered the Hulk is able to run at eye-blurring speeds and swim fast enough to build propulsion.[422] The Hulk has been fast enough to capture or intercept mortar shells and missiles shot at him.[542][596][597][598][599] The Hulk has also eventually been recognized to be extremely agile in proportion to his size.[182][119][541][600][440] In fact, his spectacular reflexes have even been described as "lightning-fast reflexes",[601][197] being quick enough to enable him to snatch a speeding hoverflier from the air.[602] More examples of the Hulk's prodigious combat speed include easily catching Captain America's shield throw,[554][562] catching an arrow fired by Hawkeye,[603] chasing Iron Man after he departed and grabbing him in midair,[604] hit Quicksilver while he was running at high speeds,[605][606] pursuing and touching the Silver Surfer while the Surfer was maneuvering at supersonic speeds.[607] The Hulk, while holding back tremendously against physically inferior opponents, has managed to hit both Daredevil despite his heightened senses and extraordinary reaction time[608] and Spider-Man despite Peter's remarkable reflexes.[609][610][611] Furthermore, the Hulk has easily dodged bullets and missiles shot from close range,[169][612][613] effortlessly captured a bullet in his teeth in mid-transformation,[614] and has regularly matched beings with virtually unparalleled combat speed such as Gladiator,[536] Sentry,[283] and the Silver Surfer.[565] The Hulk has also hit several speedsters, who were operating in an accelerated time flow, before they could even react.[615] •Reactive Adaptation: There were several events in the past where the Hulk not only faced extended periods of time in oxygen-deprived outer space without suffocating, but he also frequently spoke in these inhospitable habitats. It was theorized by an LMD of Nick Fury that the Hulk could adapt to the environment of space as an inherent property of his mutation. He based this thesis on accumulated data about the Hulk.[616] For example, Hulk can harmonize his biological structure with the depths of the ocean.[617] Fury's hypothesis has been confirmed, since it was stated that the Hulk can adapt to any environment, even airless space.[618] Therefore this evidences that the Hulk could adapt to a wide diversity of hostile habitats. It is plausible that this ability is enhanced and amplified by the Hulk's rage. Accordingly, it has also been stated that the Hulk does not always need to breathe.[333] •Underwater Breathing: The Hulk has been on the ocean floor a number of times. The Hulk is able to breathe due to his body developing a gland which creates an oxygenated perfluorocarbon emulsion which fills his lungs and equalizes the pressure.[173][184] He is therefore able to breathe fluid and avoid decompression and nitrogen narcosis. •Telepathic Resistance: In many instances the Hulk has demonstrated great psychic resistance as a side-effect of his innate rage and the multiple personalities inside his mind.[619][131][620][621][622][431] When in ideal conditions it is extremely difficult to enslave the Hulk mentally. In parallel, this ability increases with his rage. This was demonstrated when Psyklop managed to enthrall the Hulk initially with his hypnotizing power but was not able to subjugate an enraged Hulk.[619] In an example of his mental prowess, the Hulk was even able to survive using the Ultimate Machine, which contained the collective knowledge of an entire universe. While the Leader died, despite his heightened intellect, due to being unable to process the entirety of the information and having his brain overloaded, the Hulk was able to survive using it and find out that Rick Jones was in danger, after which he removed the device and leapt away.[623] In an astounding exhibition of his telepathic immunity, the Hulk proved to be unaffected by Xemnu's telepathic assault,[421] which has been powerful enough to mesmerize the entire human population,[624] put a mental block on Doctor Strange to prevent him from using his powers,[620] or even engage the enormously powerful Moondragon in battle.[625] The Hulk was also the only one able to remember the Sentry after Sentry had used his psionic powers to remove his memories from everyone on the planet. When highly powerful psychics, such as Professor X, could only utilize his psionic powers to find out that their memories had been radically altered and twisted.[626] The Hulk has withstood telepathic attacks from the powerful Stranger,[131] the Shaper of Worlds,[194] Professor X,[431] Selene,[627] Doctor Strange,[280] the Leader,[158] Mentallo,[628] the Ringmaster,[629] etc. •Extrasensory Perception: •Astral Form Perception: The Hulk has the unique ability of being able to see "astral forms," or ghosts,[630] and even physically interact with them.[631] This power has come in handy when working with his fellow Defender, Doctor Strange, who is able to leave his body in an usually invisible, ghost-like state better known as an astral form. Bruce Banner subconsciously feared his father's ghost would come back to haunt him, and so the Hulk developed this mechanism to allow him to look out for him. More recent events have shown that the power to see astral forms may now extend to Bruce Banner. However, it was suggested the clarity of the astral forms is diminished when compared to the Hulk's ability to view them. The Hulk's ability to see astral forms may go beyond just seeing individual spirits. The Hulk once experienced a whole town in the middle of the desert that then faded away into nothing. While it is possible it was merely a mirage, it is possible the Hulk was able to see a town that did not exist in our plane of reality that no one else could see. •Homing Ability: The Hulk also has a seemingly mystical homing ability that enables him to locate the area in New Mexico where Banner first became the Hulk.[207] This applies even if the Hulk is in another dimension. An image of the Maestro once explained to Bruce that the reason he was able to do that was because the Maestro's spirit was there, calling to him.[590] However, since the time Maestro was resurrected, the Hulk has continued to return to the gamma bomb site, suggesting that there is more to his ability than merely the Maestro's spirit. This homing ability has also been used to find people on rare occasions. For example, the Hulk was able to dig a tunnel underground exactly in the direction of Onslaught.[632] While it is possible that Onslaught was mentally leading the Hulk to him, there were other instances of the Hulk demonstrating this ability. The Hulk's instincts led him to Rick Jones[633] and Betty,[634] and the Hulk located the Abomination with no prior knowledge of his whereabouts.[580] The Hulk was also able to know that the Vision was approaching while inside an underground tunnel, even though he could neither hear nor see the intangible Avenger's approach.[164] •Gamma Radiation/Energy Manipulation and Emission: Not usually a power associated with the Hulk, but there is enough evidence that Hulk possesses at least a limited ability to manipulate forms of energy, particularly gamma radiation. The Hulk's body works like a "gamma battery" by constantly creating and radiating gamma energy.[138] The Troyjan emperor Arm'Cheddon once wanted to employ the Hulk's own gamma radiation to power machines to revive his dead son again. However, the Hulk outsmarted him by consciously force feeding his energy into these machines at a rate too fast for them to handle, and they promptly overloaded and exploded.[635] The Hulk also generated massive amounts of gamma radiation during World War Hulk,[283] and produced considerable quantity while in the Dark Dimension.[433] The Hulk has also shown the ability to redirect gamma rays unleashed towards him. When the Avengers used the Gammatron Bombarder device on him, the Hulk deflected the blast at the device and destroyed it.[164] During the battle against the Galaxy Master, Hulk resisted and reflected the enemy's "gamma bombardment" attacks, and further demonstrated a beam-shaped projection of gamma energy by using the accumulated gamma energy within himself against the entity.[574] The Hulk is also able to absorb gamma energy. As Bruce Banner, he absorbed the tremendous amount of energy stored aboard the Intelligencia's Helicarrier.[301] As the Hulk, he has demonstrated the ability to absorb gamma radiation as he drained the second Red Hulk,[357] Sasquatch,[364] and Rebecca Green[636] of their gamma energy. The Hulk even managed to absorb the gamma radiation of several nuclear bombs, which made him grow to a huge size, to the point where he became much larger than Fin Fang Foom.[497] The exact extent to which the Hulk controls his own gamma radiation, and also extrinsic sources of gamma radiation, has yet to be established. •Optic Blasts: After the malevolent personality known as Titan took control of the Hulk persona was about to fight The Abominations, the personality increased the Hulk's rage to a level that he projected huge amounts of energy from his eyes.[637] Even when the Titan persona lost control, Hulk was still able to fire blasts of energy from his eyes.[403]
Abilities
Super-Genius Intelligence: Doctor Bruce Banner is a super-genius in nuclear physics,[638] possessing a mind so brilliant that it cannot be measured by any known intelligence test. Hence he is capable of extraordinary feats of intellect, such as to successfully reprogram an advanced and especially sophisticated computer system (intended to be used to rule the world)[639] in a matter of seconds.[640] In effect, Banner even accomplished to infect a computer system with a virus which even Tony Stark, employing his skills, was unable to counteract.[641] Banner is regarded by Tony Stark as the most brilliant nuclear scientist (presumably on the planet),[192] and another description corroborates Tony's statement upon indicating that Banner is the greatest nuclear scientist in the world.[154] Banner also has expertise in several additional fields, such as biology,[642] engineering,[643] and architecture.[644] Banner was referred as the only true expert on radiation-based mutation.[645] He was once estimated as the fourth smartest person on the planet,[294] Doctor Doom considers him a genius unparalleled in certain fields,[181] Nick Fury reveres Banner's intellect as belonging to the same class of Reed Richards and Tony Stark,[464] the High Evolutionary reputed Bruce Banner as the only one in the world able to help him to terminate his own life,[594] M.O.D.O.K highly esteemed Banner by deeming him as the greatest threat among the eight smartest persons,[298] and even Reed Richards recognizes him as one of the most intelligent person on the entire planet.[296] This view is reiterated by Stark, who acknowledges Bruce as one of the smartest persons in the world.[463] Master Combatant: The Hulk is a skillful and capable warrior, demonstrating vast versatility and intuition in the battle, like anticipating and exploiting the weakness of Hyperion,[646] defeating Mister Fantastic by inhaling and expelling his malleable body after being enveloped by it,[493] and also utilizing the Blob's immobility against Blob himself.[647][630] The Hulk has consistently faced warriors with ample experience in combat, such as Thor,[528][529][535] the Executioner,[120][137] and Hercules.[122][648] As the Green Scar, he has had training in multiple combat arms, including broadswords, spears, and battle shields. As Doc Green, he received martial arts training from the expert martial artist Daniel Rand.[340] Indomitable Will: The Hulk has an enduring and unbreakable willpower under extreme conditions. If his loved ones are threatened or the battle is so heated that it requires his dynamic strength to be explored further, he will strive to subdue his foes no matter how powerful they are or how uneven are the odds. In one occasion, when the Defenders were captured and imprisoned in a power-draining machinery, the Hulk was the only one capable to unearth an unfathomable hidden willpower and increase his strength sufficiently to destroy the machinery and save everyone.[522] In a fierce battle against the Abomination, despite being initially overwhelmed by the superior might of the Abomination, once Betty was threatened his strength grew dramatically to overpower his foe.[471] In yet another combat against the Abomination, Blonsky's strength was restored to its original levels by the terrible Galaxy Master. Despite being initially subjugated, the Hulk's strength remarkably increased ensuring his victory.[574] Self-Restraint: When Banner is the Hulk, he can influence the Hulk's behavior to a limited extent. However, several facts indicate that Banner subconsciously restrains the Hulk.[237][486][433][581] For example, the Hulk asked for Jean Grey to psionically shut Bruce Banner off so that the Hulk's sheer power could be unleashed against the dread Onslaught.[237] Moreover, the Hulk has further stated that Banner's constraints prevent Hulk from destroying Earth.[581] In another occasion, Iron Man has also deduced that Bruce Banner exerts a moderating influence on the Hulk,[440] and Tony even declared that Hulk normally represses and regulates the potency of all his punches.[649] In a classical combat between Thor and the Hulk, at one point it is narrated that Banner was suppressed, though Banner's dominion over the Hulk in this issue has been unstable.[530] Doctor Samson has also pondered that, while extensive destruction has been caused by the Hulk, he never killed a single soul confronting the army.[650] The Immortal Hulk even recognized that Amadeus Cho's hypothesis about Banner exercising subconscious control on the Hulk is plausible, although it works only for the other classic incarnations of the Green Goliath.[371] In order to spare the civilians who were inside a building, Banner's subconscious influence oriented the Hulk to concentrate his battle against the Sandman outside said building.[173] Upon being subjected to Nightmare's machinations, the Hulk also aroused his uncontrollable inner savagery, revealing that Bruce Banner had lost ascendancy over the Hulk, and ultimately resulting in Banner's psychic suicide.[511] In yet another instance, Professor X, before an imminent confrontation between the Hulk and the X-Men, also scanned the Hulk's mind and discovered that Banner was in control and the Hulk posed no threat, which was soon confirmed by the team.[651] In fact, Banner has even stimulated the Hulk to hit the time barrier with the maximum strength he ever demonstrated, suggesting that Banner had never allowed the Hulk to exert so much strength before.[423] During a battle against Thor and Iron Man, Banner also stipulated that since Hulk thought he was in a simulation, he would not hold back, which manifests again that the Hulk usually restrains his power.[403] Multilingual: Banner learned Russian while getting his Ph.D.[621] He also speaks Austro-Bavarian.[640]
Weaknesses
Gamma Radiation Draining: The Hulk is sometimes portrayed as vulnerable to gamma radiation draining by sufficiently powerful energy manipulators.[468][652] Reverting to human form may be necessary for the Hulk to recharge his gamma energy.[653] However, the Hulk is eventually characterized as possessing high degree of immunity to this weakness.[654] For example, the mutant Darwin was unable to drain his gamma radiation, and Hulk deliberately transferred his energy into an entire race of absorbing entities without collapsing. Even previous to these events the Hulk has displayed this potential. For example, the Spaceknight Rom was unable to cure Banner from his condition,[655] and the Hulk intentionally overloaded the Armageddon absorption mechanism.[635] Cosmic radiation: Cosmic radiation is the "opposite" of gamma radiation.[656] X-Ray used this fact to weaken Hulk or even transform him back into Banner.[601][656] The U-Foes once even killed the Hulk with these "anti-gamma" rays and sent him to the Below-Place, but they made the mistake of constantly feeding him cosmic rays. The cosmic rays seeped into the Below-Place, got absorbed by Joe Fixit, and turned him into a Red Hulk. The Red Hulk then smashed through the Red Door that was keeping him in the Below-Place and Hulk came back to life, empowered by cosmic rays.[390] Gas Inhalation: Great doses of gas can temporarily neutralize the Hulk.[524][188][445] However, it is not an insurmountable obstacle, since the Hulk can dissipate the gas with a powerful thunderclap, destabilizing the opponent with the resulting shockwaves.[657][531] The Hulk has also occasionally resisted that.[658] Adamantium and Vibranium Blades: They have been shown capable of piercing the Hulk's skin; Wolverine, X-23, and the Black Panther's claws can pierce it.[431][545] However, as the Hulk's rage increases they become progressively less effective, reaching a stage where they are completely unable to harm him.[659][583][584] Adrenaline Suppression: Adrenaline inhibitors can be administered via syringes of Adamantium and Vibranium, aiming to revert the transformation. Amplified quantities can accomplish this purpose.[660] However, the Hulk has also withstood substances intended to sedate him by tactile contact.[661] Toxic Substances: Once, the Scorpion (Carmilla Black) injected him with a toxin especially designed to counteract the efficiency of the Hulk's healing factor. However, if the Hulk gets angry enough, he can nullify this effect, as he quickly demonstrated.[486] Rage Nullification: The Hulk's rage also can be neutralized; certain individuals can calm the Hulk down. Betty Ross[179] and Sentry successfully calmed the Hulk down in several instances. Telepaths with vast empathy potential can theoretically emulate this effect. The Inhuman Randall Jessup's ability to siphon away negative emotions makes him a particularly effective deterrent to the Hulk's rage factor.[662] Strength Increasing Factor: The Hulk normally doesn't achieve high-end strength in the first moments after his transformation.[126] Unless there is a substantial and significant event that breaks Banner's restraints and triggers far superior amounts of adrenaline in his circulatory system, he can theoretically be defeated in earlier stages of transformation. His strength level at any given moment may still be inferior to that of his opponents. Magic: Since the Hulk is empowered by dark magic,[485][484] it is not properly a weakness. However, depending upon the Hulk's emotional state, his incarnation, and the power magnitude of the magic manipulator, this could be a potential threat.[663][137][488] However, the Hulk has also been shown to be injured more easily by enchanted weapons than regular weapons. Special Conditions: The Hulk can be hurt or killed by Cosmic entities and individuals with similar extraordinary levels of power. Under some conditions, he is more susceptible to mental manipulation by exceptionally powerful telepaths. In this context, the psionic control efficiency is inversely proportional to the Hulk's rage level.[619][629] Former Weaknesses UV Radiation: Due to the nature of the Devil Hulk, Banner is now vulnerable to concentrated UV radiation, which nullifies his Hulk transformation and reverts him back to human form.[664][377] He was eventually able to overcome this by working with the Devil Hulk.[380]
Equipment
BannerTech PDA: Banner has a mobile operating system that can hack sophisticated systems within moments and seems to be controlled mentally for the most part. BannerTech Shield/Gamma Dome Generator: Banner has created a gamma and old power fueled shield that protects him from most physical harm. It has been shown to protect him from beings as strong as Skaar and the Juggernaut. Banner is able to extend this shield to cover several other people and also redirect the energy to increase his strength. BannerTech Satchel: Banner has a pocket teleporter in his satchel with which he can reach into his bag and grab things from his lab. BannerTech Wrist-Watch Teleporter: A pocket sized teleport device Banner can spontaneously warp himself and others across vast distances with. A molecular repulsion field that could be used to simulate levitation. A mini electromagnetic pulse blast. BannerTech Nanoparticulates: microrobotic-particles able to hack and disable technological weapons. BannerTech Flyspy Cams: A spybot with hosts of scanners that are constantly performing advanced diagnostics on everyone within 50 feet of him, he also uses them to carry out thorough bioscans of a particular set of individuals under his surveillance. Banner used to sew a survival kit into his pants so whenever he woke up, he could survive anywhere. The kit included a needle and thread, a pack of waterproof matches, and a debit card.[529] After joining S.H.I.E.L.D., Banner was able to build new technologies to help mankind: •Banner has created a purification unit that could prevent all waterborne disasters for the next five years.[324] •Banner has made the catalytic converter, which could save countless from smoking induced cancers.[665] •Banner has designed a suit of his own, but its maximum capabilities are unknown.[665] Since, unlike the Hulk, Banner cannot breathe underwater, hence the suit enables Banner to breathe in oxygen-less environments.[666] The suit also allows him to survive absolute zero temperatures.[667] •Banner also has constructed a contact lens which allows him to operate it like a computer. Using this he can monitor his vital functions.[324]
Weapons
Old Power Taser: A stun gun built combining Old Strong power in conjunction with Bruce's Gamma Rays, emits pulses that are so strong the effects are measured on the Richter Scale. At a 1.4 it was able to send Logan clear across the street and according to Banner on a 6.9, it would be able to kill him.[293] BannerTech Stun Gun: Handheld electrode discharging pistol which could be utilized to paralyze and incapacitate opponents, even affecting the likes of the Red Hulk in singular uses. According to Banner, prolonged application of said tool would have overwhelmed his durability and recovery capacity, leaving him indefinitely paralyzed.[668] Former Weapons Hammer of Nul: As one of the Worthy,[307] the Hulk used it for melee and ranged combat that even enabled him to take on Thor, wielder of Mjolnir.[310]
Transportation
When he lost his ability to turn into the Hulk, Banner reversed engineered the Leader's teleportation technology and used it as a transportation device.[291]
•Banner's identity is publicly known; however, the public does not know Joe Fixit was the Hulk.
•Bruce Banner is a graduate of Desert State University in Navapo, New Mexico.[167] His college roommate was Peter Corbeau.[187]
•Bruce Banner is of French descent. He had an ancestor who fought for France in World War I.
•Banner is an atheist.[488]
•Hulk was initially gray-colored but, as the gamma radiation raged through his body, it was eventually turned green. The Hulk has reverted back to his gray skin tone a couple of times.[citation needed]
•Through the transformation from Banner to the Hulk, his jeans or pants are generally the only item of clothing to sustain the shear forces in a muscular explosion.
•Years before Hulk became a part of the Defenders with Namor, Stan Lee considered merging their solo features in Tales to Astonish by making them form a team called "the Invaders." The idea was dropped, and years later, the name of the Invaders was used by Roy Thomas when he pitched the idea of a team of super heroes set during WWII.[672]
•In Savage She-Hulk #1, it is stated that Bruce attended Med School before switching for Nuclear Physics.
•The Merged Hulk was briefly renamed "The Professor" during writer Paul Jenkins' run, as a "revelation" that the Merged Hulk was not actually a merger of the three personalities but rather a separate personality altogether. Unlike the Merged Hulk, the Professor was physically distinguished by having a ponytail, which the Merged Hulk did not. However, these parts of Jenkins' run and Bruce Jones' entire run on the book, including "The Professor", "The Guilt Hulk", and "The Devil Hulk", were later retconned into hallucinations created by Nightmare, when writer Peter David returned to the title.[417] However, another retcon revealed that the Devil Hulk was indeed a real persona, not a hallucination;[360] and the Guilt Hulk resurfaced in Symbiote Spider-Man: Crossroads #3 as a real persona controlled by or believing itself to be Brian Banner.
•According to him, the "Hulk loves puppies." S.H.I.E.L.D. once used a bunch of them to transform him back to Banner after a mission.[474] Similarly, the Hulk has claimed his favorite animals are dogs.[673]
•When asked by Iron Man why build the gamma bomb, he said he wanted gamma energy to power the world, but got no funds and had to transform it into a weapon to get government funds.
•An hour of his Hulk persona being in control equals to 7.3 hours of sleep to his Bruce Banner persona.[674]
•2082 appearance(s) of Bruce Banner (Earth-616)
•44 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Bruce Banner (Earth-616)
•519 minor appearance(s) of Bruce Banner (Earth-616)
•757 mention(s) of Bruce Banner (Earth-616)
•37 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Bruce Banner (Earth-616)
•3961 image(s) of Bruce Banner (Earth-616)
Bruce Banner is a fictional character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise originally portrayed by Edward Norton and subsequently by Mark Ruffalo—based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name—known commonly by his alter ego, the Hulk.
May 17, 2024 · Incredible Hulk, American comic strip character created for Marvel Comics by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. The towering muscle-bound antihero debuted in the bimonthly series The Incredible Hulk in May 1962.
- The Incredible Hulk debuted in the bimonthly series The Incredible Hulk in May 1962. The character was created for Marvel Comics by writer Stan Lee...
- The Incredible Hulk's alter ego is nuclear scientist Robert Bruce Banner, inventor of the gamma bomb, who absorbed a vast quantity of gamma rays af...
- The characterization and appearance of the Incredible Hulk underwent numerous changes. In the debut appearance of the Hulk in 1962, the creature ha...
- In The Incredible Hulk no. 140 (June 1971), the Incredible Hulk falls in love with Princess Jarella, the benevolent ruler of a subatomic world inha...
He appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe projects The Incredible Hulk, The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, What If...?, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
