The Hulk is the strongest one there is, and that's carried him through sixty years of storytelling. Marvel's Jekyll and Hyde monster has been through a load of changes over the years, from the monosyllabic wrecking ball of the early days to the devious Joe Fixit, the astute Professor Hulk, the devilish Immortal Hulk, and everything in between.
The Hulk is as simple a character to get right as he is to get wrong. However, Marvel and the creators who have worked on him have gone the extra mile with the character, transforming him into an icon and making him better and better.
10 His Powers Have Expanded Greatly Over The Years
Marvel and power creep go hand in hand. So many characters have gotten more powerful since their debut, and the Hulk is chief among them. Sure, fellow Silver Age originals Iron Man and Thor have improved, but none of them can compare to the Hulk's growth. The Hulk is one of the most powerful beings in the entire universe, a cauldron of rage with near-infinite power.
Making the Hulk more powerful was a big step in making him more important. Early on, the Hulk was Marvel's most disconnected character, leaving the Avengers and rarely hanging around with the other heroes. His books hinged on titanic action, and Marvel making him more powerful delivered on that expertly.
9 Thanos Is Afraid Of Him
For Hulk comic fans watching Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos's manhandling of the Hulk was a travesty. The comics and the movies are very different, but seeing the Hulk get trounced so easily and spend the rest of the movie scared of Thanos was disappointing at best to comics fans in the know. In the comics, the Hulk is one of the few beings Thanos is scared of.
This makes a lot of sense; the Hulk is remarkably powerful even before he starts to get angry. Thanos knows that, and his fear of the Hulk shows just how dangerous the Jade Giant is. For Marvel to make their premiere villain scared of the Hulk speaks volumes.
8 He Has A Near Flawless Win Record Against The Avengers
The Avengers are Earth's Mightiest Heroes. They face down the greatest villains ever and consist of the strongest heroes Marvel has to offer. There are few villains out there who have any kind of advantage over them, and there are even fewer with a positive win percentage against them. However, Hulk's win record against them is better than positive; it's nearly flawless.
Hulk has more wins against the Avengers than anyone. He regularly devastates the group nearly every time he fights them. It's rare for Marvel to make their number one team look like chumps against anyone, but it helps to really illustrate just how powerful the Hulk is.
7 The Character Has Proven To Be More Versatile Than Anyone Ever Imagined
Looking at the Hulk's history reveals a character constantly in flux. He's been a monster, a hero, and everything in between; a character who has fit in nearly every kind of story that Marvel puts out. When it comes right down to it, there are few characters as versatile as the Hulk, even though that certainly doesn't seem like it would be the case.
Hulk has been made to work in stories he definitely shouldn't have. A great example of this is Hulk, by writer Donny Cates and regular artist Ryan Ottley. The story revolves around Bruce Banner controlling the Hulk's body like a starship as he tries to escape the Earth once and for all. It's one of Marvel's best ongoings, showing just how bizarre one can get with the Hulk.
6 The Complexity Of The Hulk Is Second To None
Comic characters have hooks that are simple enough to explain quickly, with more layers underneath to discover as one reads along. Even within these norms, the Hulk is exceptional. The Hulk has a rather simple surface hook — an all powerful rage monster trying to survive and find peace — but scratch the surface, and the Hulk is so much more than that.
The saga of Bruce Banner and his various permutations is full of complications that add unprecedented depth to the characters. It's easy to misunderstand the Hulk, but for readers willing that do the work, the Hulk is marvelously complex.
5 His Status As A Founding Avenger Was A Step To Show Him In A Different Light
When people think of early Hulk stories, they think of cheesy Stan Lee dialogue, Bruce saving Rick Jones, and a lot of big dumb monster fights. Many fans forget that the Hulk is actually an Avengers founder, putting him among the team's biggest icons. His stint on the team didn't last very long — he was gone before Captain America joined the team in the fourth issue — but it was still important.
Putting Hulk among the superheroes, even though he seemed like a revenant of Marvel's old pre-superhero monster books, showed that he could be more than just a brute. It was an experiment that ended quickly, but it showed that Marvel was willing to take risks with the character even at that early stage.
4 The Introduction Of Maestro Gave Hulk One Of Marvel's Better Alternate Futures
The Hulk is known for being extremely dangerous in battle, and the most dangerous version of the Hulk is the Maestro. Introduced in Hulk: Future Imperfect, by writer Peter David and artist George Pèrez, the Maestro was the most powerful Hulk ever, one who turned evil and killed every hero and villain on Earth. This version of Hulk proved so popular that he's returned multiple times.
When Marvel gives a character a dark alternate future, that's always a good sign when it comes to their popularity. On top of that, the Maestro just sort of makes sense with the Hulk mythos; him giving in to his dark side and killing everyone is something that the Hulk would conceivably do in the right circumstances. The Maestro is a perfect addition to the Hulk mythos.
3 Planet Hulk Kicked Off The Best Hulk Era In Years
Planet Hulk, by writer Greg Pak and artists Carlos Pagulayan, Gary Frank, and Aaron Lopresti, is one of the most important Marvel books of the 2000s. The Hulk's title had been coasting on fumes for years, and Pak and company's gladiator/planetary civil war epic was just what the doctor ordered, impressing with every new issue.
Followed up by the phenomenal World War Hulk, by writer Pak and artist John Romita Jr., this period of almost two years revitalized interest in the character. In addition, it led to writer Jeph Loeb and artist Ed McGuinness's run on a relaunched Hulk, which introduced the Red Hulk. Without the popularity and quality of Planet Hulk, none of that would have been possible.
2 The Immortal Hulk Blew Every Reader Away
The Immortal Hulk quickly jumped to the top of the list of greatest Hulk comics. Writer Al Ewing and regular artist Joe Bennet played up the horror elements that had always been under the surface of the Hulk, with Ewing upping the ante more and more with every issue that came out. It's an altogether amazing comic.
Marvel gave Ewing and company tremendous freedom in making the book, which made loads of difference. It's become the quintessential modern Hulk story, setting the bar high for everything that comes after it.
1 Peter David's Long Run On The Hulk Redefined The Hulk Forever
The Hulk got played a lousy hand from the beginning, but readers wouldn't really know the extent until Peter David's run on The Incredible Hulk started. For twelve years, David charted the adventures of the Green Goliath, digging deep into his psyche and revealing the reasons behind the multitude of changes the Hulk had gone through.
David took the character to places he had never been before. He's the one who injected all the complexity into the Hulk, transforming a monster comic into a journey into the mind of Bruce and what role his problems played in the creation of the Hulk.