Marvel Cinematic Universe

Ok, I just found the transition between "I rig the fight so that he loses against the Hulk" and "let's put them in the same room together" a bit brutal, that's all. I mean I can find a lot of explanations for that one but I found it strange to have no hint onscreen. At least it would have given another funny scene from the Grandmaster.

When was it established that Hulk was the strongest character in the MCU anyway? I know he usually is in the comics (except when a writer wants to tone him down a little), but I don't think anybody stated that he's the strongest in the movies (apart from Tony, but that was just Tony being Tony).

Edited by C105 on Feb 21st 2020 at 6:58:48 PM

Whatever your favourite work is, there is a Vocal Minority that considers it the Worst. Whatever. Ever!.

Perhaps this is a difference between Marvel Comics and the MCU. As I understand it, Hulk in the comics is stronger in a pure physical sense than anyone else; or more properly he is infinitely strong when he is infinitely angry. Perhaps the MCU doesn't specifically obey that rule.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"

It's been mentioned, but it doesn't look like MCU Hulk gets stronger as he gets angrier. MCU Hulk's physical strength is a static level. Honestly, kind of disappointing, since Hulk getting stronger through rage is kind of his whole thing, I've been wanting them to make that his thing in the MCU for a long time.

Yeah, but then he starts punching metaphysical concepts like Time and things get trippy. You can do that in comics because who cares, but it's really hard to do well on film.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"

Pragmatic Adaptation and all. Some concepts don’t translate.

Hulk suffers a bit from never having a proper origin story in the MCU. The only specifics we know about him are "very strong and kinda stupid" and "Banner turns into him when angry (or stressed out)". His getting stronger when angrier has never been explicitly stated, though it could always be addressed in a later film, like "Peter's tingle" (which everybody suspected Spiderman had before Far from Home established that he was barely beginning to control it).

Edited by C105 on Feb 21st 2020 at 7:05:12 PM

Whatever your favourite work is, there is a Vocal Minority that considers it the Worst. Whatever. Ever!.

Hulk was the strongest avenger in Avengers 1 and 2 back when Thor hadn’t gotten his epiphany power up and before Scarlet Witch took several levels in kickass

And in AOU it can be seen how hard it is to knock out a truly rampaging Hulk

But without much focus on him he’s kinda been rendered so last season

He’s always going to be stronger than your more street level heroes like Cap, Widow, Falcon, Hawkeye but the upper bound keeps rising

Forever liveblogging the Avengers

Hulk getting stronger the angrier he gets hasn't been a thing in the MCU, but it was one of his powers in the Ang Lee film where Hulk explicitly got bigger as fights went on.

I'm pretty sure that was just a Hand Wave to explain why Hulk's size was so inconsistent, though.

There's at least once where he starts growing on camera after Talbot has him trapped (at 1:50.)

...good golly it's so disturbing to see Hulk's eye stretch like that. He looks like a thumbnail from Pitch Meetings.

Edited by Tuckerscreator on Feb 21st 2020 at 10:33:40 AM

Wow. Those graphics have not aged well

Forever liveblogging the Avengers

Hulk in the MCU definitely isn't the strongest character, Thanos made that clear.

As for the comics, even in there it is anything but consistent if Hulk really has "unlimited" strength.

And even if he had, it would be a fallacy in and on itself, since it is drawn to his anger, and anger cannot be "infinite", it also has some kind of finite level.

Edited by Forenperser on Feb 21st 2020 at 7:41:11 PM

Certified: 48.0% West Asian, 6.5% South Asian, 15.8% North/West European, 15.7% English, 7.4% Balkan, 6.6% Scandinavian

"Perhaps this is a difference between Marvel Comics and the MCU. As I understand it, Hulk in the comics is stronger in a pure physical sense than anyone else; or more properly he is infinitely strong when he is infinitely angry. Perhaps the MCU doesn't specifically obey that rule."

Hulk has no infinite strength, that's "No Limit Fallacy" that many of his fans use.

In fact Thanos is much stronger than most versions of Hulk.

Edited by JoLuRo075 on Feb 21st 2020 at 10:48:01 AM

There is always a silent challenge, in comics and god knows how much in media, to top all that was done before. You'd think World War Hulk would have been the apex of Hulk's strength or something, but you know how it is.

Wake me up at your own risk.

Hulk has the greatest weakness in the MCU, wonky rights of use.

Secret Signature

Immortal Hulk is the new level of crazy that makes WWH look like childplay.

And I bet in a few years, even that will be surpassed.

Certified: 48.0% West Asian, 6.5% South Asian, 15.8% North/West European, 15.7% English, 7.4% Balkan, 6.6% Scandinavian

Hulk, like most comic characters, suffers from the case that he is as strong as the plot needs.

—-

If we talk about MCU Hulk, Hulk is a classic case of strong but unskilled.

In the comics, World War Hulk was strong and skilled and that made him so dangerous.

But then his personality was retconned to make him unskilled again.

Edited by JoLuRo075 on Feb 21st 2020 at 10:54:22 AM

Technically, I think Dormammu is currently the strongest MCU character. Of course, that determines how exactly you measure "stength" (striking potential, lifting strength, durability, etc). And yeah, Strange beat Dormammu, but that was by outsmarting him by introducing an outside element Dormammu didn't have a counter too. From what we've seen, Dormammu is capable of consuming entire realms and controls almost every aspect of his home dimension. Time is just concept that's completely alien to him.

Edited by chasemaddigan on Feb 21st 2020 at 1:53:27 PM

I don't know how canon it is, but wasn't it established in Ao S that Robbie Reyes, in his Ghost Rider form, is stronger than Hulk? What with him being able to get out of that box that could hold Hulk and all.

Physically Ghost Rider is not stronger than Spiderman, but he does have more hax.

Edited by JoLuRo075 on Feb 21st 2020 at 10:53:19 AM

Ghost Rider is most definitely stronger than Spider-Man, both in comics and- probably- movies, the question is whether he's stronger than Hulk.

Yeah, that was more like hellfire shenanigans.

Certified: 48.0% West Asian, 6.5% South Asian, 15.8% North/West European, 15.7% English, 7.4% Balkan, 6.6% Scandinavian

Okay, this is just untrue: what makes the Immortal Hulk dangerous isn't that he's stronger that everyone (he isn't), it's that he's smarter. Smarter even than Banner. And he wants to use those smarts in order to end the world (well, the human world).

In comics, yes.

In movies, not. (Spidey is stronger)

Ghost Rider is not even close to the level of the Hulk, but that doesn't matter because his power is magical.

Edited by JoLuRo075 on Feb 21st 2020 at 11:00:13 AM

I thought what made Immortal Hulk dangerous is that he's an unkillable zombie?

I haven't read the comic so I just know about it through osmosis.

My Tumblr. Currently liveblogging Haruhi Suzumiya and revisiting Danganronpa V3.