He’s NOT The Strongest There Is

Hulk’s greatest strength is his… well… strength – and there’s absolutely no doubting that he is exceptionally strong. However, the often-used description of him as “the strongest there is” is simply wrong.

Sometimes, Hulk’s strength just isn’t on a par with his opponents and while many will argue that he can become infinitely strong and that his strength is potentially unlimited, the fact is that on-panel evidences suggests there is a point where he caps out.

He has failed on numerous occasions to escape the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak (although, admittedly, with a lot of effort he has escaped them once as well), whereas other characters have muscled their way out of them easily – Sentry, for example, tore through them like a hot knife through butter. Therefore, direct comparisons can be made with characters who are clearly stronger.

Mother Hera specifically stated to Hulk that “among mortals, you may be the strongest there is… but Father Zeus could vaporize you with a thought” (which was followed by him being beaten in a straight-up physical tussle against the god).

Hulk has also been out-muscled in basic physical combat – and in absolutely no uncertain terms, nonetheless – by the likes of Thanos, Apocalypse, the Void, Superman and the Silver Surfer.

You don’t actually have to be physically stronger than the Hulk to defeat him, as there are many other ways to do it, but the fact is there are characters who are physically stronger than him.