Powers and abilities
The Hulk holding up a mountain, on the cover for Secret Wars #4, by Mike ZeckThe Hulk possesses immense levels of physical strength. According to Marvel, the Hulk's "capacity for physical strength is potentially limitless due to the fact that the Hulk's strength increases proportionally with his level of great emotional stress, anger in particular" [1]The most well-known incarnation, the Savage Hulk, possesses the greatest potential for immeasurable superhuman strength, again depending on his emotional state, spawning the famous quote: "the madder Hulk gets, the stronger he gets." During the Secret Wars limited series, he is shown supporting a 150 billion ton mountain range, although at the time he was using leverage to help support it. During combat with the psionic entity known as Onslaught, Jean Grey psionically disables Bruce Banner's persona, bringing out the true Savage Hulk. In Onslaught: Marvel #1, after trading punches with the Hulk, Onslaught angers him to a point where he was able to break through Onslaught's armor. In Marvel Comics Presents #52, the Hulk shatters an asteroid twice the size of Earth with a single punch. The Hulk possesses highly developed leg muscles and is able to leap several miles at a time. Since the Hulk's strength increases with anger, he is able to leap distances much greater than he normally could while in a "calm" state. In Incredible Hulk vol.2 #33, for example, he is shown covering a distance of 1,000 miles in a single leap. In Incredible Hulk vol.1 #254, he is shown leaping into a low-Earth orbit. In Tales to Astonish #73, the Leader, unsuccessfully, attempts to discover the limits of the Hulk's strength using his advanced technology. Doc Samson makes a similar attempt in Incredible Hulk vol.1 #228, also without success.
The Hulk's healing factorThe Hulk is depicted with extremely high levels of superhuman stamina and resistance to physical injury. He is shown withstanding the impact of high-caliber artillery shells, falls from orbital heights, and powerful energy blasts without sustaining injury and resisting extreme temperatures, poisons, and diseases with no ill effect. The Hulk demonstrates in Incredible Hulk vol.1 #440 that he is capable of withstanding a near-ground zero nuclear explosion. Despite his body's high resistance to injury, it is possible to injure the Hulk. However, the Hulk can regenerate damaged or destroyed tissue with far greater efficiency than an ordinary human. In Incredible Hulk vol.1 #398, for example, all of the Hulk's skin and most of his muscle tissue are flayed from his body. He fully regenerates the destroyed tissue within a few minutes.
In IH #394 it is stated that his durability and the efficiency of his healing power, just like his physical strength, increase according to his level of anger.
In addition to his physical power and healing ability, the Hulk demonstrates the ability to "home in" on the desert base where he was empowered (see Incredible Hulk Vol. 1, #s 314, 393, et al). He can also see and hear spectres, such as the astral form of Doctor Strange.
Hulk is not without weaknesses, however. He has been injured or completely transformed back into Bruce Banner by intense gamma radiation and another unspecified form of radiation emitted by one of his enemies, the Missing Link.
Post Edited:2007-02-17 11:06:44
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