THIS IS NOT A BATTLE THREAD SO PLEASE DON'T MOVE INTO THE BATTLE FORUM AS ONE, AND PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND WITH WHO WILL BEAT UP WHO...PLEASE READ FIRST BEFORE RESPONDING...THANK YOU KINDLY.
Now with that said...on with my blog...
Superman and the Incredible Hulk...Man of Steel of DC and the Strongest there is of Marvel...
One is 30 years the senior of the other, but both of them have had their share of television shows, cartoons, movies, toys, comic books and made millions possibly billions for their respective brands as well as gone through their fair share of changes. One has died and one was exiled. Both are capable of immense strength and power but if you look at their lives polar opposites of each other. Superman an alien from distant doomed planet sent to Earth by his parents and raised by a loving religious family of the Kents to grow up to be the Man of Steel who fights for Truth, Justice, and the American Way. The Hulk a.k.a Bruce Banner was born in an abuse home to a very abuse father who terrorized him and his mother, grew up to become one of the smartest minds in the Marvel Universe, is for all intents and purposes an atheist and a man of science who through twist of fate become one of the most powerful mortals in the Marvel Universe.
Superman is a hero proven through and through; he wears his red, blue and yellow with pride and springs into action from saving the world from imminent danger to saving a cat in a tree.
The Hulk is the reluctant hero, most of his years he's been at odds with himself he too has saved the world from imminent danger, but he as also be portrayed as the monster or threat that needs to be put down. Constantly hounded and mostly on the run.
Both men are founders of two of the greatest super teams in both Marvel and DC.
Both men have families...both men have women that they are very much in love with.
In the recent years it appears as if they both have switched roles. Banner has come to accept his role as the Incredible Hulk through the events of Fall of the Hulks and World War Hulks, while Superman is at odds with what he stands for anymore during the storyline Grounded which is the aftermath of the the War of the Supermen with the destruction of New Krypton.
Through the years there has been many an argument on stoops, comic books stores, in chat rooms, forums, and events like Comicon as to who is the strongest.
Well this is not what this thread about...instead is it fair to say that after years of debate these two franchises of the big two are actually on common ground?
Well let's see the tail of the tape:
Intelligence - Both are extremely intelligent although it can be argued that Banner maybe smarter than the Man of Steel.
Strength - A disputed argument that will never end, Superman draws his massive strength from the years he's soaked in Earth's Yellow Sun, while the Gamma powered Hulk's strength increases through his rage as well as the ability to draw from other sources of energy at times. Both have executed unbelievable feats of strength that have baffled the mind and have gotten stronger over the years.
Endurance - Both men are virtually bullet proof, have survived point blank nuclear class explosions and worst.
Healing Factor - Both can be injured but also heal at a quickly alarming rate.
Speed - Superman owns this department, his speed is second to the Flash's but the Jade Giant though not as fast is no slouch either as he's been able to connect with some extremely fast opponents.
Extra Sensory Abilities - Superman has the Hulk beat here too, aside from his sonic boom thunder clap (which Superman can do as well) he doesn't have x-ray, or heat vision, ice breath, or sonic hearing.
Leaping versus Flight - The Man of Steel definitely rules the skies here, in fact a lot of his extraordinary feats he is famous for are because of his ability to fly from flying one end of the galaxy to the next to pulling and pushing planets. The Hulk has the ability to leap his way into orbit which has done on a couple of occasions; he has covered continents just by jumping. I began to wonder if this is the only thing that separates the two I've been keeping up with Young Justice and noticed that Superboy who is unable to fly has used the Hulk transportation of leaping to get around. Superman was also know for leaping buildings with a single bound before writers thought it was easier just to allow him to fly.
Weaknesses – The Man of Steel is still susceptible to Kryptonite although he has built up some resistance to it over the years. Various forms interact with him in different ways, and he’s still susceptible to magic. Red Sun is also his weakness, under it too long becomes just a regular human drained of his power. The Hulk’s weakness to date has been adamantium; his skin has been cut by it on various occasions although it’s not really a factor considering his healing factor is on par with Wolverine. And the angrier he gets the most resistant to cutting he becomes, he once destroyed a mechanical Dog of War with the ability to crush Adamantium in less than eight seconds. Hulk's other weakness was himself as he constantly fought at odds with Banner for control. Recently they have come to an accord to work as one making an even stronger Hulk, how long that will last we're not sure, but as a fan I hope for a very long time.
The age old battle of who can beat who will probably never end...it may go on till the end of time and probably beyond if there is a beyond, but is there a possibility for a consensus that these two franchises are on equal footing and deserving of equal respect? I don't expect the fanboys or girls to be crossing the lines anytime soon, but how about a head nod? What do you think?
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