15 Strongest Hulk Versions Ranked
When you think about the strongest Marvel characters ever, the Hulk is almost always the first guy that pops into your mind. The gamma-radiated monster has some of the most unbelievable strength feats, with even some cosmic beings like the Beyonder concluding his strength is virtually limitless.
We’ve seen many versions of the Marvel’s Hulk throughout the years, and not all of them are at the same strength level. Some are stronger, some smarter, while some are more skilled. So which version of the Hulk is strongest? Here’s the ultimate list of the 15 strongest versions of the Hulk, ranked.
15. She-Hulk
Jennifer Walters is Bruce Banner’s cousin with a similar back story. However, instead of being a scientist, Walters is a brilliant lawyer. Also, instead of being exposed to huge amounts of gamma-radiation, Jen received a blood transfusion from Bruce after being shot by a mobster.
Her injuries would likely be fatal, but after receiving Banner’s blood, Walters mutated into She-Hulk instead of being killed. The radioactive blood mutated Jen and gave her powers quite similar to the Hulks.
While She-Hulk is slightly less strong than the Hulk, Jeniffer can lift well over 100 tons, as claimed in Women of Marvel: Celebrating Seven Decades Handbook #1. Also, She-Hulk keeps her mind when she turns, quickly learning how to control her transformation, unlike Hulk, who loses Banner’s intellect when he turns.
Although that certainly gives her the edge over the classic Incredible Hulk, this is a list of the strongest versions of the Hulk, not the most powerful. Also, She-Hulk isn’t technically the Hulk – Jen is a completely different person, so I believe the 15th spot on this list is adequate.
14. The Incredible (Classic) Hulk
The Classic Hulk, known as the Incredible Hulk, first appeared in 1962 in The Incredible Hulk #1. When I say Classic Hulk, I’m referring to the fact that it’s the most widely-used and well-known version of the character, taken as a standard when talking about Hulk’s powers. Many weaker versions of the Hulk didn’t make the cut on this list, but many are much stronger.
The Incredible Hulk has incredible superhuman strength, durability, and immortality – nothing can kill the big green fellow, and all limitations he has are actually just inside his head. The Incredible Hulk is agile, can jump extremely high using his strength to push himself off the ground, and it was the first version of the character to be green instead of grey.
When the Classic Hulk gets angrier, he gets stronger, but then he becomes a whole new version of Hulk.
13. Red She-Hulk
I know, She-Hulk isn’t technically the Hulk, but the Red She-Hulk had to be on the list. After the Leader brought Betty Ross out of a catatonic state into life, he did it after putting Ross through experimental procedures he invented, subsequently turning her into the Red She-Hulk.
Like the Red Hulk (which I’ll bring later on the list), Betty’s powers were amplified to be even stronger than regular She-Hulk. However, Betty and Red She-Hulk started mentally separating, being two completely different persons.
That was bad because Red She-Hulk had all that rage that fueled her actions, sometimes not in a good way. Although Betty’s powers go to extreme levels, as her strength grows, Red She-Hulk’s body produces heat, which can subsequently overheat and weaken her.
12. Ultimate Hulk
The Ultimate Hulk is not that much stronger than the Incredible Hulk, per se. However, this version of Banner simply grew tired of himself, causing him to go rogue and start doing nasty things.
When Wolverine confronted him in Asia, Ultimate Hulk literally picked him up, tore him into two pieces, and then tossed the legs in one direction and the torso in the other on the Himalayan mountains.
Unable to die due to his healing factor, Wolverine had to crawl across the mountain to heal up with his legs to confront Bruce again. He ends up piercing Ultimate Hulk’s head with his claws.
So, the Ultimate Hulk is equally as strong as the Incredible Hulk – or maybe just slightly stronger – but way more diabolical and wild.
11. Red Hulk
Much like the Red She-Hulk, the Red Hulk is even stronger than the regular Hulk. His body heats to extremely high temperatures. This version of the Hulk wasn’t Bruce Banner, but rather General Thunderbolt Ross.
Rage made him stronger, but what gives the Red Hulk that special kick is absorbing radiation from other people and objects. The more he absorbs, the more powerful he becomes.
However, if Ross absorbs too much power through radiation, the Red Hulk’s body might overheat, eventually hurting and weakening him. Also, Ross was nearly completely dissociated from the beast mentally.
Red Hulk and regular Hulk fought a couple of times, and the Red Hulk always won before Bruce realized he ought to use Red Hulk’s weakness against him. Banner overloaded Red Hulk with radiation, causing him to burn out.
10. Professor Hulk
Professor Hulk got a nod in the MCU, particularly in Avengers: Endgame. Bruce explains how he always considered the Hulk an anomaly or a disease. Now, instead of doing that again, Banner fully embraced the Hulk and found a way to take the “best from both worlds.” He successfully merged Banner’s intellect with Hulk’s strength. Hence – Professor Hulk.
In the comics, Professor Hulk first appeared in the early 90s, while Peter David was the character’s primary writer. When Professor Hulk premiered, he was probably the most powerful version of the character. He had all the powers and abilities of every version of the Hulk to that point.
While it isn’t the strongest version of the Hulk ever, it’s certainly one of the most versatile.
9. Merged Hulk
Imagine having Professor Hulk even more empowered than you could imagine, and you get the Merged Hulk. After initially changing the color to green, the Grey Hulk had a comeback years later. Bruce donned the Grey Hulk for some time, as he was the most composed, reasonable version of the Hulk within him.
The Ringmaster (Doctor Leonard Samson) helped Bruce access his own mind and make amends with every single version of the Hulk within himself. All the Hulks merged into one unfathomably powerful being, the Merged Hulk. Banner’s mind was also always present.
However, with Banner always in control, he started holding in his anger to prevent the powerful being from coming out. Instead of letting it go and controlling the Merged Hulk, the suppressed anger erupted at one point, creating the Savage Banner.
8. Savage Hulk
Savage Hulk was actually a part of the Merged Hulk. It had unfathomable strength, way stronger than the regular Hulk. However, Savage Hulk had even less control over his actions, leading to many casualties and collateral damage. His catchphrase was “Hulk will smash.” You get the point.
Anyway, after Banner suppressed him and then held in his anger, it fueled Savage Hulk to even stronger levels, going totally berserk after he burst out.
The Silver Age Savage Hulk had the most impressive strength feats ever. For instance, in Hulk #126, Savage Hulk destroyed an entire universe just by fighting a cosmic foe. When Sava Hulk fought, infinite dimensions shook.
Those were extreme situations, of course, but you can see how limitless Savage Hulk’s strength was at some points.
7. Doc Green
Doc Green is one of my favorite, most badass Hulk versions ever. So, in 2014’s Hulk #4-5, an odd, cult-like organization called the Ancient Order of the Shield shoots Bruce in the head. His heal factor kicks in and keeps Banner alive, but the damage can’t patch up the brain patterns of a super-genius such as Bruce.
That’s where Tony Stark steps in and gives Bruce the Extremis virus. Not only does it heal Banner, but it turned the Hulk into Doc Green. Doc Green was like the Merged Hulk, but with a highlight on the intellectual/Professor Hulk traits.
The Extremis virus took away all limits for Doc Green, and he knew how to use them well, seeing that Doc didn’t have the same restrictions that Banner deliberately put on the Merged Hulk.
Eventually, Doc Green realized that he needed boundaries not to become a villain, so Banner had the Extremis virus removed.
6. Mindless Hulk
Now, if we’re talking about the most powerful, most resourceful, or most useful version of the Hulk, then Mindless Hulk probably doesn’t make the cut on the list. However, if we’re talking about the strongest, then Mindless Hulk is right near the top of the list.
So, when Bruce Banner changes into the Hulk, he most often loses control, meaning the Hulk doesn’t have Banner’s intellect. However, there’s always this small, subconscious part of Banner that keeps the Hulk from going on a complete rampage. Enter the Mindless Hulk.
There have been several occasions where a version of the Mindless Hulk came out. In The Incredible Hulk #299, Bruce Banner got tired of living with the Savage Hulk in his head, so his consciousness just shut down completely.
On the other hand, in Onslaught: Marvel Universe #1, the X-Men and the Avengers fought Onslaught, and Bruce had Jean Grey telepathically shut off Banner to unleash the Mindless Hulk.
It turns the Hulk into a complete animal, going on a rampage, destroying everything in its path. There are no limits to Mindless Hulk’s rage or strength, but not having Banner control the beast even slightly is usually more harm than good.
5. Maestro
The Maestro Hulk resembles a Japanese martial arts sensei but a super buff, unfathomably powerful version. Kind of like Mr. Miyagi on steroids.
Jokes aside, Maestro was a super dark, evil version of the Hulk, who was not just one of the strongest versions of the character ever, but the smartest, too – and he used those assents to do nothing but evil.
Maestro gained more power after willingly subjecting himself to more gamma radiation, increasing his strength, durability, and brainpower. In the 1992 Future Imperfect storyline, where Maestro debuted, the evil Hulk killed every other hero who remained on Earth.
We haven’t seen a lot of the Maestro Hulk over the years, but when he appears, you better believe it’s going to be a grim, horrifying storyline.
4. Green Scar
The Illuminati (led by Doctor Strange) believed the Hulk was too dangerous to leave on Earth, so they decided to send him off out in open space. However, his spacecraft changed course and landed on Sakaar, a gladiator planet where Hulk found a new home.
He soon became the world’s champion, donning the alias Green Scar. The Hulk now not only had unlimited brute strength – but he also trained hard and perfected his combat skills to combine them with that strength. It turned him into one of the most powerful killing machines in the universe – if he wasn’t one already.
We’ve seen this version of the Hulk in MCU’s Thor: Ragnarok, where the two Avengers first fight and then reunite. In the comics, Green Scar first appeared in the Planet Hulk storyline, but it didn’t end well. He turned into something much, much more powerful.
3. Kluh
As if the merged Hulks and Doc Greens of this world weren’t enough – enter, Kluh, a version of the Grey Hulk appearing in 2014 during the AXIS event.
As you know, the Hulk isn’t just one personality within Bruce’s head. There are many Hulk versions within him, and Banner, knowingly or unknowingly, suppresses some of them. Kluh was one of those suppressed versions of the Hulk that emerged with broiled-up anger, leading to unfathomable strength – enough to beat an entire Avengers team.
Kluh was dark grey with bright red eyes, a mohawk, and red lines covering his body. Not only is Kluh stronger than previous versions of the Hulk – this guy could also heal and, for the first time, use telekinesis and throw heavy objects with his mind.
Like the extra strength and healing wasn’t enough.
2. Immortal Hulk
One might argue that the Immortal Hulk is actually the most powerful version of the Hulk, as his true maximum power had never been reached. However, what separates the Immortal Hulk from the others is knowing the true source of the Hulk’s powers.
The Devil Hulk suppressed all other versions of the Hulk in Banner’s head. After that, nothing but rage, hatred, and contempt formed the Immortal Hulk. He realizes that all his powers (and other gamma-radiated beings) come not from some mutation but rather from a primordial being called The One Below All.
Powered up to the extreme levels, the Immortal Hulk can’t be killed – not even by cosmic beings. He suffered the most brutal deaths, but every time something horrible happens, it takes Immortal Hulk merely seconds to completely regenerate or come back to life.
If Immortal Hulk drains gamma radiations from other beings, he gets stronger and stronger, without overheating like the Red Hulk. He can shoot gamma blasts that can wipe out cities and not even break a sweat. Hard to imagine there’s an even stronger Hulk out there, right?
1. World Breaker Hulk
Finally, the World Breaker Hulk is the strongest version of the character we’ve ever seen. Here’s why.
Remember I’ve told you that Green Scar’s story on Sakaar didn’t end well? His wife and family had been killed, and Green Scar was 100% sure that the Illuminati were behind it. Filled with insurmountable rage, grief, and sorrow, he returned to Earth to find the Illuminati and demolish every single one of them.
However, such pain, grief, and rage turned Green Scar into the World Breaker Hulk. He was colossal and by far the strongest version of the Hulk ever. His mere footsteps made the entire US East Coast shatter and crack, causing a massive Earthquake.
Imagine what a punch would do – he’d literally pierce through Earth and completely wipe out the planet – hence, the name World Breaker Hulk. All the heroes on Earth combined their powers but couldn’t even slow the Hulk down, let alone hurt him.
Sentry used all his might to amplify his powers and use them on World Breaker Hulk, and only then did the Hulk slow down. Such unfathomable power strength, combined with all the combat skills that Green Scar had learned – I can’t imagine a stronger version of the character. As the Beyonder once said (Secret Wars II #8), his strength varies up to literally unlimited levels.
Honorable Mention: Gray Hulk
While Gray Hulk isn’t one of the strongest versions of the character, he was the first, so he deserves a spot on this list. Incredible Hulk #1 was created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Paul Reinman and had only six issues.
Many fans didn’t know that the Hulk was first envisioned as gray, but due to the technical limitations of the era, it was quite hard to get the right nuances, so they changed the Hulk to green.
The first version of the Hulk wasn’t nearly as powerful as the classic Incredible Hulk we’ve come to know later. Gray Hulk was not as strong nor particularly smart. Although he wasn’t as mindless as some other versions of the Hulk – Gray Hulk lost the Bruce Banner super-genius intellect, but still, he had some brains to go with the strong, but not THAT strong muscles.
Also, Gray Hulk first transformed from Banner at night, which was later changed to transforming when Banner is angry. It’s nice to see how it all started and what we ended up with.
