TheHulkmay be ‘The Strongest One There Is,’ but that doesn’t mean he never needs help. When Bruce Banner’s alter-ego is in real trouble, there are a select few allies he can call on - people who will be there for him even if it means taking on the gods themselves. Some possess gamma powers, some are alien powerhouses, and others are from the team Hulk has worked withwaymore times than the Avengers.
Here are the 10 most powerful Hulk allies in Marvel canon, from Marvel’s most prolific sidekick tothe one person who can actually match the Green Goliath’s strength. We’ve chosen only those allies who are consistently depicted as being on Hulk’s side and currently alive in the comics, able to lend the Jade Giant a hand when he needs it.
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10Rick Jones, aka A-Bomb, aka Whisperer, aka Bucky, aka… Venom?!
First Seen in Incredible Hulk #1 by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
Rick Jones is often described as the Hulk’s best friend, having been there since the gamma bomb that transformed Bruce Banner (indeed, Bruce only went out onto the weapons range to save Rick, who was out there on a childish dare.) Over the years, Rick has worked with many heroes, including Captain America and Captain Marvel, often derided as a career sidekick. Because of this,Rick has also had many different superpowers, from transforming into the towering, Hulk-like A-Bomb to tapping into the cosmic Destiny Force.
Currently, fans are suspicious thatRick Jones is Marvel’s new Venom, with Marvel offering him up as one of four potential hosts for the symbiote in Al Ewing and Carlos Gómez’sAll-New Venom. Whether Rick is currently a regular human or secretly Venom, he’s about where he belongs on this list, though he’d place a little higher in his bulked-up A-Bomb form.
Any lack of strength Rick may have is eclipsed by his loyalty to both the Hulk and Bruce Banner.Rick is the first to defend the Jade Giant and the last to stop, mostly out of friendship but partly out of guilt for his role in the defining moment of Banner’s life.
9Red Harpy, aka Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Ross
Debuted in Incredible Hulk #1 by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
Betty Ross is the longtime love interest and former wife of Bruce Banner, and has spent much of her comic existence trying to protect the Hulk from her murderous father, General ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross. However, recent years have seen Betty access her inner rage at how the men in her life have treated her, turning her into a damsel or a game piece in their rivalries. That rage (plus a dose of gamma radiation) hasmanifested in the Red Harpy form-a winged gamma mutate with deadly fangs, claws and acidic vomit. As the Red Harpy, Betty objects to being seen in her human form, and will only talk to the Hulk, treating Bruce Banner with open disdain.
In the past, Betty has taken other gamma forms as both the Harpy and Red She-Hulk. In these forms, she was an outright enemy to Hulk, with the gamma energy influencing her behavior. The Red Harpy form debuted in Immortal Hulk #16, by Al Ewing and Joe Bennett, and worked with Hulk’s ragtag group against General Reginald Fortean’s Shadow Base.
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8Charlie Tidwell
First Appeared in Incredible Hulk Volume 4 #1 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson & Nic Klein
Bruce Banner’s most recent ally, Charlie Tidwell is a runaway who is currently traveling with the Hulk in his self-titled series. Originally a normal human, Charlie later donnedthe ‘Godskin’ of the demonic wolf god Lycana, gaining the ability toshapeshift into a winged, wolf-like superhuman form. This new form gives Charlie superhuman strength and durability, and she can also take on the appearance of anyone she eats in wolf form. However, Charlie isn’t totally in control of herself in her monster form, and Hulk recently learned that anyone who taps into Lycana’s power is doomed to spend eternity in the demonic being’s personal hell after death.
Currently, Charlie and Hulk are both hiding secrets from each other. Hulk is hiding Charlie’s doomed fate, hoping to find a way to break Lycana’s power over her, while Charlie is yet to reveal that the wolf has been taking control of her body to slay innocent people while she sleeps. Charlie’s wolf form is strong enough to tear apart human bodies, but not quite powerful enough to equal Marvel’s gamma mutates… at least, not yet.
7Brawn, aka Amadeus Cho
Debuted in Amazing Fantasy Volume 2 #15’s ‘Mastermind Excello’ by Greg Pak & Takeshi Miyazawa
The onetime Totally Awesome Hulk,Amadeus Cho is one of the smartest peopleon Earth, and temporarily tried to relieve Bruce Banner of his burden by stealing his gamma energy. Bruce eventually reclaimed his gamma, but Amadeus held onto some of his powers, becoming a less powerful hero now known as Brawn.Brawn is still one of Marvel’s strongest heroes, even taking on Namor in a direct hand-to-hand fight.
Brawn’s adventures in 2020’sAtlantis Attacks(from Greg Pak, Robert Gill & Ario Anindito) revealed that when he reaches levels of intense rage, he can return to his former Hulk form, temporarily gaining the same strength as the Hulk in his default form. We’re ranking him at his Brawn strength level, as it’s not yet clear how reliable this ability is.
6The Warbound - Korg the Kronan, No-Name of the Brood, Elloe Kaifi, Katherine Waynesboro
We Met Them in Incredible Hulk #94 by Greg Pak, Carlo Pagulayan, Michael Avon Oeming, Alex Nino and Marshall Rogers
When Hulk was exiled to Sakaar duringthe epic ‘Planet Hulk’ arc, he was forced to become a gladiator under the alien Red King.Hulk struck up an alliance with other gladiatorsincluding Miek the Unhived, Hiroim the Oldstrong, Elloe Kaifi and more. The fighters swore an undying loyalty to each other, becoming ‘warbound,’ and later became known as Hulk’s Warbound when the Green Goliath toppled the Red King and took over the planet. When the spaceship used to exile Hulk exploded and critically damaged the planet, Hulk led his Warbound back to Earth for revenge.
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In the years since, the make-up of the Warbound has changed somewhat. Miek was kicked out when it was revealed he caused the explosion that destroyed Sakaar, while Hirom perished and passed his powers onto human SHIELD agent Katherine Waynesboro. Despite this, the remaining Warbound remain united, now existing on Earth as the protectors of the planet’s monsters.
Korg the Kronan is the most famous member of Hulk’s Warbound thanks to his appearances in the MCU’s Thor movies, voiced by Taika Waititi.
5Doc Samson, aka Doc Sasquatch, aka Leonard Samson
Debuted in Incredible Hulk #141 by Roy Thomas & Herb Trimpe
Leonard Samson was once a corrupt psychologist who tried to steal the Hulk’s gamma radiation, becoming the hulking hero Doc Samson. While Bruce took back most of his gamma soon after, Doc Samson decided to try his hand at making the world a better place, becoming both a crime-fighter and an on-call psychiatrist for Marvel’s heroes. The events ofImmortal Hulksaw Samson switch bodies with Alpha Flight hero Sasquatch, obtaining a new form and using the name ‘Doc Sasquatch.’
As both Doc Sasquatch and Doc Samson, Leonard can lift around 75 tons (according toThe Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe), and most recently worked with Daredevil to help redeem a group of supervillains, offering psychological support for Matt Murdock’s charges.
4The Pantheon - Achilles, Agamemnon, Ajax, Atalanta and More
The Team Debuted in Incredible Hulk #368 by Peter David and Sam Kieth
Hulk’s lesser-known allies the Pantheon started out as enemies but later welcomed him into their ranks.Each member of the Pantheon is a descendant of the demi-god Agamemnon, working out of a secret base known as the Mount. The team is made up of a core membership which includes Ajax, who possesses immense superhuman strength - enough to trade blows with the Hulk himself.
The Panthon’s placement on this list reflects Ajax’s surprising strength level - he’s able to lift over 100 tons according toThe Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe. However, the team have many other individual strengths, includingenergy weapons, invulnerability and psionic powers.
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The most physically powerful Marvel characters who regularly trade punches with the Incredible Hulk - the strongest of the strong.
3She-Hulk, aka Jennifer Walters
First Appeared in Savage She-Hulk #1 by Stan Lee & John Buscema
Bruce Banner’s cousin gained gamma powers after he gave her a blood transfusion, saving her life but infusing her with his gamma radiation. While She-Hulk has some of Hulk’s strength, her powers manifested slightly differently, allowing her to keep the same persona whether in human or gamma form. For most of her comic history, She-Hulk has been the exemplar of balancing superhero and civilian life, combining a successful law career with superheroism.
While originally significantly weaker than the Hulk, She-Hulk has trained and enhanced her strength over the years, with theHandbookcurrently statingshe can lift in excess of 100 tons. Jennifer has also adopted alternate forms that brought her even closer to the Hulk, including a raged-out formimbued with energy by the Celestials. Currently, however, She-Hulk is back to her traditional strength level.
2The Defenders
They Assembled in Marvel Feature #1’s ‘The Day of the Defenders!’ by Roy Thomas and Ross Andru
While Hulk helped found the Avengers, he left the team in only their second issue and has been on rocky terms with them ever since. Hulk has spentmuchmore timeworking with the Defenders- an iconic ‘non-team’ with thecore members of Hulk, Silver Surfer, Doctor Strange and Silver Surfer. While the four have often been on bad terms, they’ve come together as the Defenders again and again - sometimes because a curse literally teleported them to each other’s sides in moments of need.
Namor is a close match for Hulk’s default strength level, at least submerged in water, while Doctor Strange is Marvel’s greatest practitioner of magic as the Sorcerer Supreme. Meanwhile, the Silver Surfer commands the Power Cosmic, capable of warping time and reality as well as unleashing immense blasts of power and lending him superhuman strength. Silver Surfer and Hulk were forced to battle as gladiators during ‘Planet Hulk,’ showcasing that while he prefers more graceful tactics, he’s no slouch with his fists. Surprisingly, Doctor Strange also provedhe can match Hulk’s strengthinWorld War Hulk, allowing the monstrous demon Zom to possess him.
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1Hercules Panhellenios
First Appeared in Journey Into Mystery Annual #1 by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
Marvel’s God of Strength, Hercules is the son of Zeus and a longtime ally of the Hulk. Hercules even came to Hulk’s aid during the epicWorld War Hulk, joining the Renegades alongside Amadeus Cho and X-Men’s Angel to try and protect the Jade Giant from an excessive superhuman response. Hercules later took over Hulk’s comic, withThe Incredible HulkbecomingThe Incredible Herculesin 2008.
While Hercules isless famous than Thor or the Hulk,some stories have suggested he’s physically stronger, and Hulk and Hercules have fought as equals on many occasions. Hercules showed his love for the Hulk inIncredible Hulk #107(Greg Pak & Gary Frank), refusing to fight back against the Hulk when he realized the monster had lost his wife and unborn children - something which Hercules had also experienced.
Those are the 10 strongest Marvel characters whoHulkcan truly allies - let us know who else should appear on this list in the comments below, and who you think should be higher or lower in our ranking.
