Comic Book Questions Answered - where I answer whatever questions you folks might have about comic books (feel free to e-mail questions to me at brianc@cbr.com). Here is a link to an archive of all the past questions that have been answered so far.

Now that the Hulk has joined his old sparring partner, Wolverine, in death, reader Roger B. asked whether the regular Marvel Universe Hulk could have torn the regular Marvel Universe Wolverine's adamantium skeleton apart (we know the Ultimate versions of the characters could).

Read on for the answer!

Adamantium was introduced in Avengers #66...













Pretty impressive metal.

So how has the Hulk done against adamantium?

In Incredible Hulk #279 (by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema), the Hulk is pardoned now that Bruce Banner was in control of the Hulk. The Hulk was given his own celebration, complete with an adamantium statue...



When he became savage just 20 issues later (by Mantlo, Buscema and Gerry Talaoc)





So the Hulk cracked adamantium there.

Meanwhile, in Marvel Team-Up #18 (by Len Wein, Gil Kane, Frank Giacoia and Mike Esposito), the Hulk bent adamantium around Blastaar to capture him...



Earlier in that same issue, Blastaar destroyed a factory made out of adamantium...



So we're looking at him cracking one statue and being able to bend adamantium. Does that mean that he could TEAR it apart? Probably, right?

However, there's a bit of a trick to it, which you'll see on the next page...

Avengers #22 (by Kurt Busiek, George Perez and Al Vey) was perhaps not the FIRST appearance of this retcon (I think it was, but I could be wrong), but in any event, this issue definitely establishes that there are TWO kinds of adamantium. Primary and "secondary" adamantium...



In effect, this retcon allows writers to address the whole "Boy, this unbreakable metal sure seems to be broken a lot." I mean, BLASTAAR? Thor can't break it, but BLASTAAR can? That just doesn't work. So the Busiek retcon works really well in my book.

So I think it seems pretty clear that the Marvel Team-Up adamantium was thus retconned to be secondary adamantium. No one has explicitly said that, but come on. The statue is a bit iffier, as he really only cracked the statue a little bit. As we saw, Thor was able to dent adamantium, as well. Are those similar effects?

Anyhow, Hulk fought Wolverine during World War Hulk: X-Men #2 (by Christos Gage and Andrea DiVito), when the Hulk was at the maddest (and thus the strongest) that he had pretty much ever been. This is the Hulk who almost DESTROYED THE ENTIRE PLANET. And yet he seems doubtful that he break Wolverine's skeleton here...





Okay, so here's my position. I think the Hulk could not tear Wolverine's adamantium skeleton apart under normal circumstances. If you work under the theory that since there are no limits to the Hulk's strength (the madder he gets, etc.) then the Hulk might be strong enough to finally tear adamantium, I think that sounds possible. But generally speaking, no.

Thanks for the question, Roger! If anyone else has a question, drop me a line at brianc@cbr.com (or bcronin@comicbookresources.com)!