Asking which of the two cartoon characters would win in a fight is an age-old question that has been asked for years in playgrounds, comic shops and even bars. In the world of superheroes, the Hulk is typically one of the strongest and most powerful top-level characters in both the Marvel universe and all comics. Anyone who has read a comic will remember the Hulk yelling, “Hulk is the strongest there is!” and his strength is so legendary that he is Tony Stark’s immediate reaction to the fact that Loki has an army, knowing it means nothing against the power of the green behemoth.
When it came to villains uniting a franchise like the MCU, that role was filled by none other than the mad titan himself: Thanos. Despite the MCU making it clear how powerful Thanos was with Guardians of the Universe establishing him as the most powerful being in the universe, many assumed he would get most of his strength and power from the Infinity Stones.
Updated September 23, 2022: This article has been updated to include more current information about the Hulk and Thanos in Marvel Comics, as well as the latest MCU entry, She-Hulk: Lawyer.
In the first half of the culmination of ten years of build-up, Avengers: Infinity War pitted the Hulk and Thanos against each other in what many expected to be an epic showdown between two powerhouses. Still, the film soon showed how powerful Thanos was by easily paving its way to The Hulk, the Avenger’s strongest powerhouse. The result begs the question: is Thanos really stronger than the Hulk? The answer may surprise you. It’s basically yes and no depending on the material for comparison. All versions of Thanos don’t have the Infinity Gauntlet to make the battles interesting.
Thanos vs MCU Hulk
This short battle was shown in the above Infinite Warthe opening scene. The Mad Titan was easily able to send the Hulk without even using the only Infinity Stone he had available at the time: the Power Stone. Thanos’ polished fighting style proved too much for Hulk and his overall brutality and ferocity. Hulk had the upper hand for two seconds due to the element of surprise before Thanos was able to end the fight with a few quick blows. This made it clear that Thanos posed a threat, as even without the use of an Infinity Stone, he had enough strength and was a skilled fighter to defeat Earth Mightiest Heroes’ previous secret weapon with ease. This contest has a clear winner: Thanos.
It’s worth noting, Hulk and Thanos don’t get round two in Avengers: Endgame after Bruce Banner’s transformation into Smart Hulk. With a combined union between Banner and the Hulk, the two might have been able to do another round with Thanos. She-Hulk: Lawyer determined that Smart Hulk still possesses the power and strength of his original version, but Banner’s intellect could be the secret weapon to defeat Thanos.
Thanos vs. The Incredible Hulk (comics)
Thanos himself addressed the issue of who would win in the 1990s Thanos Quest #1. After defeating Champion in his quest for the Infinity Stones, Thanos admits fighting Hulk would be tough, saying, “His strength seems to grow in direct proportion to his rage. In many ways I assume this is how it is. would be to fight the Terran colossus the Hulk. A conflict I’ve tried to avoid over the years.” Thanos admits that he would avoid it because it would be difficult to show that although he is powerful, he would rather avoid confronting the Hulk as it would be a difficult challenge.
Thanos finally fought the Hulk in the Infinite Glove comic, with the Hulk accompanied by a team of heroes, but by then Thanos was already wielding all six Infinity Stones. One possible version of the Marvel future shows a world where Thanos wins and he has Hulk chained up like a pet, showing that depending on the context, the battle can go either way in favor of Thanos or the Hulk.
Thanos vs. the Immortal Hulk
The Immortal Hulk is difficult. Strong enough to defeat a satanic entity, The One Below All. Can he beat Thanos? Powerful shockwaves emitted from its body thanks to a darker form of gamma rays and gamma bursts only add to the monster’s strength. However, the gamma rays emitted to transform into Immortal Hulk only occur at night, and this particular type of radiation is essentially linked to dark magic. Using this magical transformation, Hulk was able to defeat The One Below All, an impressive feat in itself. How would that compare to Thanos?
Well, Thanos destroyed a planet by hitting it. The ensuing aftermath didn’t even move the man. Both Immortal Hulk and Thanos are incredible destructive powers, so if the two were to compete against anyone, the collateral damage would make the whole world the loser.
Thanos vs World Breaker Hulk
This is where things get interesting. World-Breaker Hulk, seen in the comedy event Hulk from the World War, is a very powerful being and can shake the earth to its core just by taking steps. His anger rises exponentially with his power, even more than what the Hulk can do with his original transformation. This Hulk was created after the death of his wife and unborn child on Skaar when a warp core exploded. The result created a more powerful Hulk, fueled by grief-driven rage he’d never felt before.
His return to Earth sees him defeat several teams of heroes and mutants. He stopped a blast from Black Bolt, the king of the Inhumans, who, as shown in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was able to destroy anyone with a single whisper. Hulk easily destroyed The Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man and even went toe-to-toe with Ghost Rider, who was probably the only creature on the planet that could stop him at the time. Hulk finally surrendered when he discovered that the people he thought were responsible were in fact innocent, and he was actually betrayed by one of his friends. It is eventually revealed that Hulk’s unborn son survived the death of his mother and took the name Skaar. This version of the Hulk would, and probably would, defeat the mad titan.
Thanos is by all accounts one of Marvel’s most powerful creatures, a villain feared by many who has threatened multiple heroes in the Marvel universe. Few characters can stand up to him, and few are so brave and some very foolish. While the MCU couldn’t beat Hulk Thanos, his comic book counterparts stand a better chance of putting up a level fight, especially if Thanos isn’t wielding the Infinity Gauntlet. These two titans in the Marvel universe seem destined to do battle in one form or another.