The recent release of Secret Empire #6 generated many talking points for Marvelites, but one of the most enjoyable for long-time fans was the return of a fine Marvel tradition: that of the Hulk vs Thing throw-down. The death of Bruce Banner in Civil War II #3 appeared to put an end to this long-running rivalry, but Bruce's resurrection by Hydra set the scene for one more clash between Marvel's preeminent man-monsters. Way before hero vs hero became a staple of Marvel's comics, Thing and Hulk were knocking lumps out of each other. Since their first encounter in Fantastic Four #12, through mutations, color changes and misunderstandings, the two have fought time after time.

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So, why does this pairing hold such appeal, both for fans and creators? There's obviously the visceral thrill of the damage that can be caused by two powerful heroes knocking lumps out of each other and their surroundings. But there's also an emotional resonance to their meetings that goes beyond a test of strength. One of the defining features of the Hulk has typically been that he has been alone: feared, hunted and misunderstood. In contrast, the Thing, despite looking equally monstrous, is a bona fide celebrity in the Marvel Universe and a member of a team that is defined by bonds of family and friendship. It's no surprise that meetings between the two generate strong emotions, one enviously looking at the life he could have had and the other fearful of what might have been.

The first meeting between the two, in Fantastic Four #12, was something of an anti-climax. The battle between the FF and the Hulk only lasted a few pages, with the Thing/Hulk clash cut short when the Hulk was knocked unconscious. If this was a disappointment for fans, Marvel made it up to them in their next meeting, an epic two-part brawl that featured in Fantastic Four #25-26, by the Silver Age dream team of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

In the tradition of the epic battles between the Sub-Mariner and Human Torch in Marvel's Golden Age, this brawl saw the Hulk and Thing take their fight across New York, with the FF being picked off one after another until only the Thing was left to stand in the Hulk's way. This classic match established the template for the Hulk/Thing fights to come. The Hulk may be stronger, but Benjamin J. Grimm has a big heart and a never say die attitude. To put it simply, he'll keep fighting as long as there's breath in his body, especially if it's to protect people that he loves.

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The Thing/Hulk Brawls Get Even More Epic

With the odd exception (including Fantastic Four #112, where an unhinged Thing gives the Hulk a run for his money), the Hulk has traditionally been portrayed as the stronger of the two. But in many ways, the fact that the combatants aren't typically evenly matched is what makes their rivalry so enduring. It's a question of seeing how the Thing can delay the Hulk's rampages, or - depending on the version of the Hulk portrayed - how the balance of power shifts.

Hulk vs Thing

This is something that was used to good effect by Peter David in the late '80s. At that time the Hulk was in his gray 'Joe Fixit' persona - weaker but craftier than the savage green Hulk of old. In contrast, Ben Grimm had been further mutated by cosmic rays into a rocky orange pineapple. The two fought in Fantastic Four #320 by Steve Englehart and Keith Pollard, with the Thing beating the snot out of the now gray-skinned Goliath. Unfortunately, Ben didn't have long to savor his success. In the concluding part of the fight, in Incredible Hulk #350 by Peter David and Jeff Purves, the Hulk got his revenge. He made up for his weaker strength by using his smarts, almost drowning the Thing before delivering the knockout blow.

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With these, and the countless other fights that the two have engaged in over the years, it's fair to say that they're never going to be best buddies. But why is this? After all, the Thing counts She-Hulk as one of his closest friends, proving that he has a soft spot for at least some gamma-irradiated heroes. Perhaps it's that in many ways, they're almost too similar. One of their most interesting meetings wasn't an epic slugfest but rather a quiet conversation in a typical bar. Thinking that he was dying, the Hulk wanted to settle accounts with various people in his life, and the Thing was high on the list.

Hulk Thing talk

The two traded verbal blows, with the Hulk getting inside Ben's head. In the end, Ben apologizes for misjudging the Hulk at their first meeting. In reply, the Hulk has some words of comfort for Ben. "Remember all those times I beat you up? I was going easy on you." The gray Hulk sure was a charmer...

The scene is interesting because it raises the question of how much jealousy has affected the relationship between the two. In the early years of the Fantastic Four comic, the Thing was a bad tempered and unpredictable character, a long way from the lovable hero that he would later become. A large part of this was due to his anger over his situation: the unfairness of being a man trapped within a monstrous shell. In contrast, the Hulk - at least in his non-Banner moments, was perfectly happy with who he was. It's not hard to imagine Ben viewing the Hulk with a mixture of envy and fear: as what could happen if he let go of the humanity that was still inside him. Even more frustratingly for the Thing must have been the fact that the Hulk could transform back and forth to Bruce Banner, while his own reversions to Ben Grimm never lasted long. It's true that Bruce Banner's non-Hulk life primarily consisted of ill-fitting purple pants and hiding from soldiers, but the grass always seems greener on the other side.

But there's also another aspect that may affect Ben's feelings. Jealousy not of the Hulk, but of Bruce Banner. While the exact nature of Bruce Banner and Reed Richard's friendship has varied depending on the writer, it's clear that when they are together, scientist to scientist, they can communicate on a level that Reed and Ben could never do. In his darkest moments it's not hard to imagine Ben musing that his role in the Fantastic Four is to break things or lift things, while Hulk/Banner can both create or destroy. It's an interesting dynamic. Sadly, due to the complicated status of film rights for Marvel characters, it's highly unlikely that we'll ever see a Bruce Banner/Reed Richards meeting on the big screen, hence why Marvel have pushed together Tony Stark and Banner as Science Bros.

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As for the Hulk, his protests of wanting to be left alone didn't typically mean that he wanted to cut himself off from humanity (at least not in the case of the childlike green Hulk), only that he wanted the military to stop hounding him. It's clear from many stories of the late '60s and early '70s that what he really craved was companionship and friends, hence why he was such a long-standing member of the Defenders. In this context it's the Thing that's the one to be envied, being surrounded by friends and a surrogate family that love him.

There are certainly many issues between the Hulk and the Thing; enough to keep Doc Samson busy for a very long time. But as long as they work out their differences through the time-honored Marvel-method of punching and property damage, it's we readers that will be the winners.