Perhaps one of the most underrated members of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's original Avengers team, Hulk can often feel overlooked due to the lack of a solo outing since 2008's The Incredible Hulk. While this is mainly due to a rights issue, later MCU titles including Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War began to explore Bruce Banner and his alter ego in a more earnest fashion.

RELATED: Marvel: 10 Weird Powers You Didn't Know Hulk Had

Yet, for most of his tenure in the MCU, Hulk has made himself infamous as the raging green giant with a history of rampages and lack of control. Only in Avengers: Endgame, when Professor Hulk is chosen to bring back everyone Thanos snapped away, is the character illuminated in another light. The journey to this pivotal decision, however, is a long and turbulent one that features many iconic moments.

10 Provocation In The Rocinha Bottling Factory

Stan Lee Looking At Rocinha Bottles

Back in another lifetime, when the gamma-infused superhero was played by another actor, is where the MCU's The Incredible Hulk resides. The film features a darker take on the character, hinting at a traumatic past that's only glossed over by subsequent MCU outings.

Here, Edward Norton's Bruce Banner lives in constant turmoil as he struggles to keep his alter ego at bay. Hiding out in Rocinha, Norton's Banner is able to keep Hulk at bay until he's tracked down by Thaddeus Ross and the U.S. military to the bottling factory where he works. When Banner transforms, the soldiers quickly prove to be no match for the future Avenger.

9 Punching Thor During The Battle Of Sokovia

Hulk About To Punch Thor In Sokovia

Hulk's lack of control isn't always played for seriousness though—the whimsical nature of MCU films often chooses to subvert the Avenger's characteristics by using his anger and rage for comedic relief that allows him to fit right in with his cohort's abundant (sometimes overly so) witticisms and wry remarks.

Such is the case during the Battle of Sokovia in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Having amassed an army of robots, the deranged A.I. challenges Earth's Mightiest Heroes in the war-torn city as they make a last-ditch stand to stop him from destroying the world. But, after teaming up with Thor for some stylish takedowns, Hulk chooses to knock out the God of Thunder to hog the spotlight for himself.

8 Taking A Shot At The Fiery Lord of Muspelheim

Hulk vs. Surtur

Thor: Ragnarok is a film of epic proportions that revitalized a relatively forgettable franchise by giving it a unique, idiosyncratic charm. Taika Waititi's reimagining of Asgardian mythology doesn't stop at just foundational characters like Thor and Loki though—it extends to others like Hulk as well, breathing fresh life into a previously static character.

RELATED: Every Single Marvel Movie With Hulk In It, Ranked

Among gods and forces of destiny, Hulk is being who he is of no real consequence to the whims of prophecy. As the lord of Muspelheim—Surtur—looks to fulfill Ragnarök with the destruction of Asgard, Hulk can't resist interrupting the proceedings, taking a swing at the fire demon and hitting him square in the jaw.

7 Beatdown After Harlem Brawl With Abomination

Emil Blonsky As Abomination In Harlem

At the end of the 2008 The Incredible Hulk, Thunderbolt Ross loses control of one of his soldiers—Emil Blonsky—who has effectively become his villainous persona, Abomination. Wreaking havoc on the streets of New York City, Banner is left with no choice but to transform in order to stop Blonsky from leveling Harlem.

The ensuing fight is a brutal one, and it quickly becomes clear that between the two gamma-infused super-humans, Abomination is the superior fighter. Fortunately, Ross chooses to come to Hulk's aid, and the green Avenger is finally able to get the upper hand, unleashing a bloodcurdling roar after beating Abomination into submission.

6 Angry Hulk On Flying Helicarrier Equals Bad News

Black Widow Interrogating Loki Aboard Helicarrier

After catching Loki and imprisoning him on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s helicarrier in 2012's The Avengers, Black Widow goes to interrogate the adopted Asgardian god to decipher his real motives. After a careful antagonization, Natasha figures out that the God of Mischief plans to use Hulk as a proxy to destroy both the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D.

Unfortunately, Black Widow figures this out a little too late, as a possessed Hawkeye and team of brainwashed soldiers infiltrate the helicarrier to enable Loki's escape. The ensuing carnage proves to be stressful for Banner, causing him to lose control and rampage through the flying ship, resulting in him and Thor being ejected from the cruiser after a brief tussle.

5 KO'ing Thor To Remain Champion Of Sakaar

Gladiator Hulk As Champion Of Sakaar

In a hilarious twist of fate, the Grandmaster of Sakaar chooses to pit his newly acquired gladiator, Thor, against his champion, who is none other than the Lord of Sparkles' "friend from work." After realizing that Hulk intends to fight him, Thor tries to pacify his friend the way Natasha once did, only to be thrown around like a rag-doll, much to Loki's delight.

RELATED: How Strong Is The Hulk? & 9 Other Questions About Bruce Banner, Answered

However, Thor manages to gain the upper hand by channeling his inner power to produce a lightning burst that sends Hulk reeling in surprise. Upset by this new development, the Grandmaster chooses to subdue Thor, leaving the Asgardian wide open for a finishing blow. With a choice between protecting his friend or maintaining his status as champion, Hulk unequivocally chooses the latter.

4 Ross Smoking Hulk Out At Culver University

Hulk Busting Out Of Culver University

Returning to the Norton-verse of Hulks, perhaps one of the most intense scenes of the movies comes when Ross intentionally provokes Banner's transformation in order to show his daughter, Betty Ross, her former lover's true monstrous nature. The plan backfires on him, however, with Betty storming away in disgust at her father's actions.

The operation goes further awry when an enraged Hulk breaks out of the sonic trap the U.S. military establishes though. After trashing some tanks and racing across the Culver University school grounds, Hulk scoops Betty up in his arms and makes off with Thaddeus' daughter, much to the U.S. general's anger and frustration.

3 Putting The Puny God Of Mischief In His Place

Hulk Thrashing Loki in Stark Tower

One of Hulk's highlights in the MCU comes amidst the climactic Chitauri invasion of New York. After coming face-to-face with the green Avenger, Loki unwisely allows his hubris to take over as he tells Hulk to bow before him, calling him a "dull creature." The narcissistic posturing earns the God of Mischief a thorough and rightly-deserved thrashing.

Hulk stomps away from the scene unfazed, only turning around briefly to mutter the now-iconic phrase "puny god"—an apt phrase to describe Laufeyson's hilarious beatdown. Hulk's actions also inadvertently put Loki out of commission long enough for the Avengers to finish the battle and circle back around to arresting the villainous god.

2 Rampage Against The Hulkbuster In Johannesburg

Iron Man Using Hulkbuster In Johannesburg

On the opposite end of the spectrum, one of Hulk's lowest moments in the MCU comes when the Avengers confront Ultron in Johannesburg. With the other Avengers distracted, Pietro gives his sister, Wanda, an opening to manipulate Banner's fears with her chaos magic, causing him to transform into his green alter ego who begins to run rampant in the city streets.

Genuinely afraid, Hulk begins to blindly lash out at everything around him, including the hundreds of innocent bystanders who were going about their daily lives. After a prolonged battle with Iron Man's Hulkbuster, Tony Stark manages to subdue the raging titan, but not before Hulk comes to his senses and realizes the damage he's inflicted, confirming his own worst fears.

1 Temper Tantrum About Having To Take The Stairs

Professor Hulk Using Nano Gauntlet

While Professor Hulk saves the universe in Endgame, 2012 Hulk creates a cascade of effects that lead to the fracturing of the Sacred Timeline witnessed in Loki. As the Avengers move out of Stark Tower following the Battle of New York, Hulk is told to take the stairwell down because he's too big to fit in the elevator, leading him to throw a fit about his treatment.

Unbeknownst to him, the 2023 Avengers were in the middle of their time heist at that very moment. As he smashes open the doorway to the lobby, he causes a future Tony to lose the Tesseract and enable Loki to escape to the Gobi Desert, thereby causing the TVA to intervene and initiate the events of Loki.

NEXT: Loki: Every Major Easter Egg You Missed From The Show