Powers and abilities of the Hulk

This is a listing of powers and abilities possessed by the Hulk, a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe.

Powers and abilities

Strength

The Hulk possesses superhuman strength that grows directly proportional to his emotional state, particularly his anger, spawning the famous quotes: "The madder Hulk gets, the stronger Hulk gets," "Hulk is the strongest one there is," and "The most powerful creature to ever walk the Earth." ["The Incredible Hulk" vol. 3, #111 (Dec. 2007)] In the Hulk's early days, his enraged strength, at a usual level, made him a match in combat with beings such as Thor ["Journey Into Mystery" #112 (Jan. 1965)] and Hercules. [Comic book reference | Title = Tales To Astonish | Volume = 1 | Issue = 79 | date = (May 1966) ]

The Hulk has been shown capable of protecting other prominent Marvel superheroes from the collision of a falling mountain range, claimed to dwarf the Andes, and supporting a part of it on his back, with the assistance of leverage. The cover stated "Beneath one hundred and fifty billion tons stands the Hulk". ["Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars" #4 (Aug. 1984)] More impressively, he managed to shift the continental plates of an entire planet to keep it from collapsing. ["The Incredible Hulk" vol. 3, #102 (Mars 2007)] When he lost control of his power at one point, he nearly destroyed the entire planet through the sheer output of force from his body. During that time his merest foot step threatened to sink the entire Eastern Coast of the United States."World War Hulk" #5; http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread/showthread.php?t=136412] There are examples of the Leader ["Tales to Astonish" #73 (Nov. 1965)] and Doc Samson ["The Incredible Hulk" vol. 2, #228 (Oct. 1978) ] attempting, unsuccessfully, to measure the limits of the Hulk's strength using the advanced technology at their disposal. Upon probing by the Beyonder, his inner potential for strength was described as "with no finite element inside". [Secret Wars vol 2. #8] As of the events of "World War Hulk", the writer Greg Pak described Hulk, as being at a level of physical power where "Hulk was stronger than any mortal -- and most immortals -- who ever walked the Earth [ [http://www.brokenfrontier.com/columns/details.php?id=836 "Hulk, Skaar & Hercules"] ] ... I don't think even Superman would stand a chance". [ [http://www.brokenfrontier.com/columns/details.php?id=792 "In the Wake of World War Hulk"] ]

During combat with the psionic entity known as Onslaught, stated to possess power rivaling a Celestial, ["Heroes Return" #1-#4] Jean Grey psionically disables Bruce Banner's persona, to remove all restraints on the Hulk's rage. While trading punches, the Hulk is angered to a point where he is able to overcome Onslaught's strength and destroy his armour. ["Onslaught": Marvel #1] He also ripped apart the gigantic "Flame of Life", created to withstand and fight the Celestials, by pure physical strength. ["The Incredible Hulk" vol.2, #242]

Other of his more extreme instances include pushing a 10x stronger than normal, ["Thor" vol.1, #502] "warrior's madness" Thor towards the ground with a single arm,"The Incredible Hulk" vol. 2, #440 (April 1996)] fighting the Sentry until the latter had made use of his entire reserve of power,"World War Hulk" #5] ripping apart Doctor Strange's otherwise indestructible Crimson Bands of Cyttorak, ["The Incredible Hulk" vol. 2, #450] or defeating him when the sorcerer was merged with the essence and power of an expended Zom, ["World War Hulk" #4] severely impeding the Juggernaut's movement, ["World War Hulk: X-Men" #3] breaking Superman's grip, and throwing him into outer space. ["Incredible Hulk Vs Superman" (1997)] or lifting and moving the Blob. ["Marvel Fanfare" #7]

Striking Force

The Hulk has also been shown shattering an asteroid twice the size of Earth with a single punch, with the help of hydraulic catapults launching him into outer space at great speed."Marvel Comics Presents" #52] Additionally he has demolished a military installation designed to withstand an explosive force of "several thousand megatons", in one punch, [The Incredible hulk #177, July 1974] and destroyed a force field (created by the Stranger), which contained enough energy to change a planet's orbit, ["Tales to Astonish"89#]

Other examples include breaking free of a power-leeching machine that held Silver Surfer, Namor, and Doctor Strange combined, ["Defenders" vol. 2, #8] or smashing the force fields of the Silver Surfer, ["The Order"4#] X-Man,"X-Man/Incredible Hulk '98 Annual"] and the Invisible Woman, ["World War Hulk" #2] as well as one that had previously only been pierced by the sonic screams of Black Bolt. ["The Incredible Hulk Annual" #1, A Refuge Divided, Oct. 1968]

Additionally he has been capable of denting or cracking true adamantium through physical force, ["Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars" #12; "The Incredible Hulk" vol.2, #300; "Marvel Team Up" #18 [http://mynetimages.com/viewimage/c95f4e3f] [http://mynetimages.com/viewimage/dbc994a2] ] and in one instance beat the Silver Surfer briefly unconscious with 3 blows. ["Incredible Hulk" vol.3, #95]

Leaping

The Hulk possesses highly developed leg muscles which enable him to leap several miles at a time, and even longer distances while in an enraged state. He has been shown covering 1000 miles in a single leap, ["The Incredible Hulk" vol. 3, #33 (Dec. 2001)] and even jumping into a low-Earth orbit. ["The Incredible Hulk" vol. 2, #254 (Dec. 1980) ] He once threw the 20-ton dragon Fin Fang Foom to the moon, ["Hulk vs. Fin Fang Foom" (Dec. 2007)] but has never actually leapt remotely this far.

Irregularities

The Hulk is a creation that per definition varies greatly in power from occasion to occasion. Additionally, comicbook characters are recurrently displayed at wildly different levels to fit story conveniences (or the interpretation/unfamiliarity of the writer in regards to the property) and greatly shifting personal bias. (Examples: Juggernaut, ["Uncanny X-Men" vol.1, #102] Firelord, ["Amazing Spider-Man" vol.1, #270] Silver Surfer, ["Fantastic Four" #545] and Thor. ["Black Panther" vol.2, #8] ) Regardless, the Hulk has overall been shown to grow vastly more powerful from his origins in the 60s.

Some of the Hulk's less impressive displays include passing out from asphyxiation due to being strangled less than a minute by an ordinary python, ["Incredible Hulk" vol.1, #470, November 1998] Spider-Man reminiscing about Captain America withstanding the Hulk's blows and knocking him out, ["Fallen Son: Spider-Man" April 2007; Very rough scale comparison: Maximum human strength: 472.5 kg. Weight of the Earth: 6.0×10^24kg.] being injured by Wolverine when the latter was restricted to bone claws, and a pygmy Wendigo, ["Marvel Fanfare" vol.2, #2-3, October 1996] similarly hurt by Deadpool's regular steel swords and impaled by a lamppost, ["Deadpool" vol.1, #4] knocked unconscious by Spider-Man throwing a truck at him (as relayed by an audience of drunks), ["Spider-Man Unlimited" #11, November 2005] by Thor's lightning, ["Hulk Annual" 2001] or by a surprise attack from Iron Man emptying his armour's entire power-storage into one blow (after the Hulk had turned dizzy from a small-scale U.S. Army attack). ["Iron Man" vol. 1, #132]

Durability

The Hulk is depicted with extremely high levels of superhuman stamina and resistance to physical injury. His muscles are resistant to fatigue poisons, which allows him to function at peak performance for extremely long periods without tiring. He's been shown enduring the impact of high-caliber artillery shells, falls from orbital heights, or extremely powerful energy blasts without sustaining injury, and resisting poisons and diseases with no ill effect. The Hulk has been shown capable of withstanding a ground zero nuclear explosion, ["The Incredible Hulk" vol. 2, #440 (April 1996) ; "Fantastic Four" #433] as well as the 1,000,000-degree Fahrenheit "nova-burst" of the Human Torch, in one case combined with a full-power lightning strike by Storm. ["Fantastic Four" #435; "World War Hulk" #2]

At the end of the "Planet Hulk" storyline, he withstands the blast effect of a "warp core breach", which generated enough force to destabilise the fictional planet Sakaar near the point of collapse, ["The Incredible Hulk" vol. 3, #105 (June 2007) ] and following this, Black Bolt's voice, which generated enough power to knock off a piece of the moon the size of Rhode Island."Iron Man" Vol.2 #19; "World War Hulk" #4; [http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread/showthread.php?t=116477 Writer Greg Pak comments] ] He has also displayed sufficient durability to survive immersion in magma and the immense temperatures and pressure of a planetary mantle for extended periods. ["The Incredible Hulk" vol. 3, #102 (Mars 2007)]

Other examples include withstanding energy blasts from the Silver Surfer, ["Silver Surfer" vol. 2, #125] Thor,"The Incredible Hulk" vol. 2, #440 (April 1996) ] the High Evolutionary,"Incredible Hulk" vol.2, #266] the Sentry,"World War Hulk" #5] and Galactus (when not fully nourished). ["Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars" #9] A blast from Exodus was incapable of causing him any discomfort. ["The Incredible Hulk" vol.3, #84]

However, he has been damaged on occasion. Extensive exposure from Gladiator's eye-beams, stated to burn hotter than the heart of stars, ["Fantastic Four" vol. 1, #250] (roughly 14.500,000 degrees Kelvin/26,099,540 degrees Fahrenheit for a solar-type star) managed to burn through his skin (although Hulk proved capable of reflecting the blasts back into the latter's eyes), ["Incredible Hulk Annual 1997"] and a vastly powered-up gigantic Thanos clone repeated the feat."X-Man/Incredible Hulk '98 Annual"]

Additionally, his skin has resisted being pierced by a "Dog O' War", stated as capable of crushing adamantium in 7.3 seconds,"The Incredible Hulk: Future Imperfect" #1] and even his eyeballs have proven completely resistant to portable machine gun fire."Incredible Hulk" vol.2, #395] In another instance, the Hulk received no damage from a head-on collision powerful enough to shatter an asteroid twice the size of the Earth."Marvel Comics Presents" #52] His durability and endurance also increase in proportion to his anger. ["The Incredible Hulk" vol. 2, #394 (June 1994)]

Healing factor

damaged or destroyed tissue with far greater efficiency than an ordinary human. He has proven capable of regenerating his eyes, skin, and most of his muscle tissue within moments of having it flayed from his body by Vector. ["The Incredible Hulk" vol. 1, #398 (Oct. 1992) ] His future "Maestro" incarnation proved capable of eventually reconstructing himself after being blown to powder."Hulk: Future Imperfect" #2; "The Incredible Hulk" Vol.2, #451; "The Incredible Hulk" vol. 2, #460] Like his strength, his healing factor varies in proportion to his emotional state. ["The Incredible Hulk" vol. 2, #394 (June 1994)]

He has displayed great resistance to unwilling transformation of his physical form. For instance, he was immune to direct genetic manipulation from the High Evolutionary."Incredible Hulk" vol.2, #266] Additionally, he fought off the effects of being shrunk by Goom, ["Incredible Hulk annual" #5] was quickly restored to normal by his healing factor after he was turned to stone by the Grey Gargoyle, ["The Incredible Hulk" vol.2, #364] and he immediately tore free, completely unscathed, after having his limbs phased into solid concrete. ["World War Hulk: X-Men" #2] As a possible side effect, he has been shown as functionally immortal by human standards in terms of long lifespan. ["Incredible Hulk: The Last Titan"]

Speed and reflexes

Marvel Comics executive editor Tom Brevoort officially listed the Hulk as possessing super speed comparable with Thor or Spider-Man. ["The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe" Hulk 2004 (August 2004)] The Hulk has sufficiently fast reflexes and reaction time to match the Sentry in physical combat. ["World War Hulk" #5]

Resistance to psionics

The Hulk has also demonstrated great resistance from psychic control such as assaults from Xemnu the Titan, ["Defenders" Vol.1, #12 (February 1974)] Cable, ["Cable" Vol.1, #34] Professor Phobos, ["The Incredible Hulk " vol. 2, #259 (May 1981)] and Professor Xavier."World War Hulk: X-Men" #1]

In his earliest days, he proved vulnerable to the pre-Phoenix Jean Grey. ["X-Men" #66 (Mar. 1970)]

Miscellaneous

* In addition to these powers, the Hulk demonstrated the ability to "home in" on the desert base where he was empowered. ["The Incredible Hulk" Vol.1 #314] He also has the ability to see and hear spectres, such as the astral form of Doctor Strange. ["The Incredible Hulk" vol. 3 #82]

* His powers have been stated and shown to increase after absorbing large amounts of radiation up to ground zero nuclear attacks. ["The Incredible Hulk" vol. 3, #105 (June 2007); "The Incredible Hulk: Future Imperfect" #2; "Fantastic Four" #433; "World War Hulk: X-Men" #2]

* As a result of the Planet Hulk storyline, the Hulk has been written with combat skills and experience as a military strategist and leader. Also, he wears armor and utilizes mêlée weapons. For instance, he was able to eliminate the Juggernaut from his battle with the X-Men by using the latter's own momentum against him, accelerating him to a point where he could not stop himself. ["World War Hulk: X-Men" #3]

Irregular abilities

* The Hulk has displayed limited reactive evolution, as he's developed a gland that enables him to breathe underwater, ["The Incredible Hulk" vol. 3, #77] and stated that he would adapt to the vacuum of space, ["The Incredible Hulk" vol. 3, #90] which he later did, spending prolonged periods without needing to breathe. ["World War Hulk: Prologue"]

* He once used a ‘homing sense’ to locate Onslaught while burrowing underground. ["The Incredible Hulk" Vol.2 #445]

* He has been stated to possess an undefined mystical connection, enabling him to work as an inter-dimensional nexus of reality, ["The Incredible Hulk" Vol.2 #453; "The Incredible Hulk" Vol.2 #450] and has acted as a sponge for dark magic, being immune to or empowered by its effects. ["The Incredible Hulk" Vol.3 #82; "The Darkness/Hulk" #1]

* He has also been able to reflect the gamma ray blasts of the Galaxy Master back to the source. ["Incredible Hulk" Vol. 2 #270]

* Occasionally, the Hulk has performed feats that violate the laws of physics, even by comic book standards. Examples include keeping apart matter and anti-matter spheres, ["Marvel Team Up annual" #2] changing direction in mid-jump, punching his way through a time-storm, ["Incredible Hulk" vol. 2, #135] destroying a pocket universe, by clapping his hands to create a shock wave that reflected the Dark-Crawler's blasts, ["Incredible Hulk" vol.2, #126] sending concussive shockwaves, causing cataclysmic upheavals throughout a great number of multiversal planets, by the impact of his punches when within the 'Crossroads' nexus, ["Incredible Hulk" vol.2, #305] and holding a black hole's core with his arms to buy time for Namor, Doctor Strange and Silver Surfer to find a way out. ["Defenders" vol.1, #3]

As a footnote, like most comicbook strongmen, he also regularly completely violates most remotely reality-connected principles of leverage, momentum, and material strain tolerance.

References