With the release of Thor: Ragnarok, the seemingly unending battle between Thor and Hulk launched once again, at least momentarily. This clash is a battle that has gone back through the decades, the two superheroes fighting in the pages of the comics, The Avengers movie, on animated series like The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, and even in the classic Incredible Hulk television franchise. It all comes down to the rage of the Incredible Hulk mixed with the pride of Thor, both considering themselves the most powerful heroes in the world. Who is the strongest? Even after Thor: Ragnarok, that question has still never been answered.
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With Hulk and Thor as two of the superheroes who seem to want to fight forever, this gives Marvel Comics fans plenty of chances to create some great memes covering their clashes and rocky relationship. Whether pro-Hulk or pro-Thor, these memes show precisely how iconic this specific rivalry has become over the years to the fans of Marvel Comics. Here is a look at 15 of the best Hulk vs. Thor memes found floating around the Internet to enjoy as Thor: Ragnarok continues to rule the box office. May the Green Goliath and the God of Thunder fight on forever.
15 STOP FIGHTING EACH OTHER
Sometimes when superheroes battle, fans forced to take sides just want them to get along. One of the worst parts of Civil War was having to choose sides between two of the most celebrated Avengers in Iron Man and Captain America. Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice was a case where fans rejected the movie for many reasons, but many believed the film did not handle the battle between DC Comics' two greatest heroes properly. However, Hulk fighting Thor is different because this is all about a fun rivalry without the gravitas of ulterior motives.
Hulk facing Thor in the gladiator ring during Thor: Ragnarok was a crowd-pleasing moment, their battle praised by fans and critics alike. It followed up their rivalry in the Avengers movies, and while watching some of the heroes battling grows old, Thor vs. Hulk should never end.
14 FIGHT FOREVER!
What makes this battle great is that Hulk and Thor have fought since the start of Marvel Comics, all the way back in the '60s. To this day, the two superheroes continue to butt heads. The various Avengers and Hulk animated cartoons feature the two heroes fighting over who is the strongest In the movies, there are now three times that the two men have clashed over a 29-year time frame.
In 1988, the Lou Ferrigno version of Hulk battled Thor in a made-for-TV movie The Incredible Hulk Returns, a spinoff from the classic TV show. In 2012, Hulk and Thor battled on the SH.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier in The Avengers and now, in 2017, Hulk and Thor battle in the Contest of Champions. They are destined to fight forever.
13 BRO!!!!!
Of course, while Hulk and Thor love to fight, they also have complete respect for one another and often take the time to relax and chill once the fighting is out of their system. Whether they are sitting with the rest of the Avengers enjoying downtime or kicking back in Hulk's lush penthouse, Thor and Hulk are really just a couple of Bros at the end of the day.
While the two powerful heroes have battled each other many times over the years, they are also two men who fight side-by-side and have each other's backs more often than not. As the old saying goes, brothers may fight, but if you lay a finger on one of them, you have to deal with both of them. Together, Hulk and Thor may be unbeatable -- when they aren't throwing hands.
12 LISTEN TO ME!
Anyone who has ever had a friend that they are trying to keep out of trouble while out drinking knows what this meme is saying. No matter what you say, they won't listen and always believe that they are just fine, even if you are trying to convince them that you are their friend and just want to keep them safe and out of trouble.
Thor has to feel that way with the Incredible Hulk. Thor's exasperation is on full-effect in Thor: Ragnarok, as he is doing everything that he can to convince Hulk that they are friends and should not be fighting. However, as it has been since the start of their rocky relationship, trying to convince Hulk you have his best interests at heart is like talking to a brick wall -- a brick wall that will throw you across the room.
11 IN ONE EAR AND OUT THE OTHER
It is tough for anyone to reason with the Hulk, like Avengers: Age of Ultron proved when the Green Goliath was under the control of the Scarlet Witch and battled Iron Man. No one ever said that Thor was smart, though. If anyone is going to keep trying to convince Hulk to listen to him, it is Thor, the one God in Norse mythology whose will and fury are matched only by his compassion.
Of course, while someone like Captain America or Black Widow can get Hulk under control, Thor has an attitude in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that really makes it hard to deal with a hothead like Hulk. Thor is great, but boy is he arrogant. With his ego and the Hulk's propensity for not taking crap from anyone, it is a combustible combination. That said, each time they have met, Thor has maintained his composure as best as anyone could, and did try to reason with him. Points for trying, Odinson!
10 BEATING UP GODS
One of the more famous lines from Captain America in Avengers came when he learned about Thor and learned that he was a God. After that, Cap said, "there's only one God, ma'am" before heading out. It was a clear sign of the times for Captain America and part of who he is. Of course, as the MCU showed, Asgardians are not really Gods, but instead are an advanced alien race.
In Iron Man Vol. 5 #1, Tony Stark said that he doesn't believe in Gods, even though he has met a few of them. While that is an interesting conflict of belief systems between Captain America and Iron Man, Hulk has a different outlook. He has met two Gods and kicked both of their butts in the first Avengers movie alone.
9 BEWARE OF GUYS NAMED BRUCE
What do Hulk: Ragnarok and Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice have in common? Not much other than the fact that Thor is a God-like alien and Superman is a God-like alien, and both men end up meeting a man named Bruce when they reach Earth. Things didn't go well for either of these mighty and powerful superheroes.
While The Hulk has made a name out of being one of the only people in the Marvel Universe who has regularly beaten up Thor, there might be just one person in the DC Comics Universe who can beat Superman, although it is not with his fists. We're of course talking about Batman. One thing aliens in the future might want to keep in mind is that they should avoid men named Bruce once they reach Earth.
8 HULK JOINS CIVIL WAR
In Thor: Ragnarok, Thor ended up on the planet of Sakaar and finds that The Hulk has been there for awhile, long enough to become the reigning and undefeated champion in Grandmaster's Contest of Champions. However, outside of a small comment by Hulk and a partial video record, there is no real explanation on how Hulk ended up on this planet.
In the Planet Hulk comic books, Hulk ended up on Sakaar when the Illuminati, a group of superheroes that included Iron Man, banished him from Earth. This meme tried to explain how Hulk possibly ended up on Sakaar, with a twist on the old Civil War memes. Bruce Banner admitted to an unforgivable belief that the prequels are better than the original trilogy when talking to his Avengers teammates.
7 I LOVE YOU HULK
One of the more popular memes on the Internet is the one where you want to find someone who looks at you in a way that makes you feel loved and special. One of the more recent ones features Kanye West and says you should find someone who loves you as much as Kanye loves himself. This being the internet, of course there is a new one based on Thor and Hulk.
In Thor: Ragnarok, the God of Thunder is awaiting his opponent in the gladiator's arena, ready to fight for his freedom. However, when the doors start to open and Hulk bursts through, Thor looks ecstatic and exclaims that Hulk is a friend from work. His look of joy is something all people need to see from one of their friends or someone they love.
6 MOVIE MAGIC
When fans watch the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, whether it is The Avengers or Thor: Ragnarok, they are guaranteed to witness tons of action. However, with superhero movies, these scenes are rarely live-action stunt work and is, more often than not, green screen technology with actors working with a lot of CGI.
Hulk and Thor had a fantastic fight on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier years before they met in the gladiator coliseum for the amusement of The Grandmaster. However, what fans saw in the movies was not anything like it looked for the film crew. This meme is a great look at how the fantastic Thor vs. Hulk fight scene from The Avengers really looked when the actors filmed them. Everyone likes some good ol' BTS after all.
5 STOP! HAMMER TIME!
A list of memes is not complete without something silly, whether it is a pun or just a reference to something else in pop culture history. This meme mixes in the Thor and Hulk relationship with one of the most popular rap stars of the '90s, MC Hammer. Why fight, when you can just stop and realize that it's Hammer Time.
This meme is actually pretty clever. For one thing, Thor's weapon of choice is Mjolnir, which is a hammer -- so that connects to MC Hammer in name alone. For another, those purple pants of Hulk share a similarity with MC Hammer's classic parachute pants. Finally, these two superheroes are "2 Legit 2 Quit" and when it comes time for them to fight the bad guys, "U Can't Touch This."
4 HULK, MEET SHREK
One of the most famous memes that hit when the Thor: Ragnarok trailers hit the Internet was continuing the long-running comparison between Hulk and Shrek. There were lots of jokes floating around the Internet with Hulk compared to the green-skinned Dreamworks ogre, and now fans added Thor to the fun for good measure.
In the above meme, there is a shot of Thor and Hulk as they prepared to battle for the survival of Asgard. There is also a shot of Shrek and Arthur from the movie Shrek the Third. It is quite funny, as the Hulk is Shrek meme is a true classic, but Arthur as Thor is a great comparison as well, especially considering both men are future kings and are heading out on an adventure with the big, green-skinned heroes in tow.
3 I KNOW HIM!
When Thor was waiting in the gladiator arena for his mystery opponent to come out to fight him, there was no telling what was going through his mind. Thor was sure he would win but had no idea how difficult this battle would be. Then, when the door opened, and Hulk burst through into the arena, the look on Thor's face was of unbridled joy. He knew Hulk, and they were friends, teammates, and yes, co-workers.
It was very similar to a scene from the classic Christmas movie Elf, which this meme references. Will Ferrell plays Buddy Hobbs, a human raised to believe he was one of Santa's elves. When he left the North Pole to find his birth father, he tried to remain happy, despite his loneliness. However, when Buddy saw the department store Santa, his face was full of joy. It was the same look Thor had when he realized that he finally knew someone in this new strange place.
2 THE IMPORTANCE OF WORKING OUT
One of the biggest arguments that led to the battles between Thor and Hulk centers on which one of these massive Marvel superheroes is indeed the strongest one there is. The Hulk, of course, lays claim because he is a giant monster who gains strength when his anger rises (which is always), while Thor is an actual God with the power of Odin behind him. It's generally regarded as a toss-up, depending on the writer and the demands of a given story.
As far as this meme goes, the battle between Hulk and Thor would be nowhere near as even if one of them decided to stop working out. When it comes to these two Marvel fans and cosplay outfits, one of them looks very accurate as Thor, but there is something a bit off about the other fan. Something is missing and it isn't just the lack of lips on Hulk's face.
1 DON'T DISS MARVEL
Easily one of the funniest scenes in the first Avengers movie came when Thor and Hulk were working together and battling the Chitauri. They already clashed earlier in the movie when they battled on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier and Thor was pretty mouthy when talking to Hulk, which set up this scene perfectly. The two had the upper hand and then Hulk, without looking, knocked the crap out of Thor.
As this meme hints at, there is a propensity for many Marvel fans to nitpick Marvel movies and properties, finding little things to complain about. When the Captain America: Civil War trailer came out, a lot of people were excited to see Spider-Man but there were some who complained about the costume. You have to have had a friend who was just mouthy enough to deserve a nice Hulk smash.
What are your favorite Hulk v Thor memes? Let us know in the comments!