Hulk is the strongest there is! But not as strong as he should be.
Comic book lovers know the raging green giant as an unstoppable force; even death can’t stall the monster that he is.
The debut season of the miniseries, Marvel Zombies, introduced us to one of the most powerful iterations of Hulk. However, his light was extinguished in a single episode.
So, is Hulk not the strongest there is? Or was there something holding him back from unleashing his true rage?
The Curious Case of MCU Hulk
When Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner was introduced in The Avengers (2012) movie, his storyline roughly followed the two Hulk films that came before.
Hulk (2003) and The Incredible Hulk (2008) established the jade monster as one of the most feared and misunderstood characters in the Marvel universe.
While Bruce Banner is a smart, gentle, and non-confrontational scientist, the moment he is backed into a corner, he rages out as the Hulk.
However, Hulk has a mind of his own.
Though not as brilliant as Banner, but more like a toddler with destructive tendencies.
Deep down, he is just an innocent child, born from Bruce’s traumatic upbringing, and just wants to be left alone.
Up until Avengers: Infinity War, the Hulk was portrayed as the ultimate weapon. But it all changed when Hulk met Thanos, who slapped him so hard he refused to come out for the rest of the film.
Then came the Smart Hulk era, following Endgame. Hulk was no longer the strongest there is, at least not in the MCU.
Marvel Zombies is one of the What If scenarios of the MCU.
And despite the major power upgrade in the series (thanks to the Infinity radiation), he is nowhere close to his comic book counterpart.
This Hulk seemed to be in a lot of pain, straining hard to contain the radiation while also fighting the zombies. He did stand his ground for a while, but was ultimately defeated by Wanda after a brutal assault by zombie Thor.
How Strong Is The Hulk, Really?
The question is as complex as Marvel’s comic book history, and yes, there have been several iterations of the Hulk. But the MCU version is canonically one of the weakest.
How strong is the Hulk in comics?
His case is quite similar to that of DC’s Superman — as powerful as he needs to be.
While we do know that the angrier he gets, the stronger he becomes, 2018’s Immortal Hulk series established him as a conduit for The One Below All.
The One Below All is the yin to The One Above All’s yang. While TOAA is the one true God of the Marvel multiverse, the creator and preserver, TOBA is his dark personality, who seeks destruction and nothing else.
In simple words, the Hulk is God’s rage personified in Marvel, much like the Spectre is the personification of God’s wrath in DC. They both scale in the upper echelons of power levels in their respective universes.
In the more recent depictions, Hulk is practically unkillable, no matter what you throw at him.
Yes, the Scarlet Witch in Marvel Zombies, wielding the Darkhold, can bend realities to her will. But it would be impossible for her to put him down permanently.
Do you believe Marvel Zombies did justice to Infinity Hulk?
Or did he go down a bit too easily?
Please share your thoughts in the comments below!
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