The Incredible Hulk is a big green, shirt-ripping machine ready to pummel any lousy, no-good Abomination that might come waltzing into his very temperamental rage-radius. That is to say, he rules! And we love him. As one of the fan-favorites of The Avengers (2012), he was surprisingly hilarious and totally stole the show. Honestly, we could watch him toss around a helpless Loki for hours, and whenever he is left out of any of the Marvel films, you really feel his absence; not just because he is enormous, but because he adds so much to a team's dynamics.
Hailing from Marvel Comics, as one of their very first long-running series, he has gone through a lot in his time with us. He's changed colors, gone to his own planet, learned to talk, forgot, and then learned again. The Incredible Hulk has been with us (gaining and losing powers) since 1962. In that time, it can be kind of confusing to track all of his radiation fueled abilities. There are still some facts about The Hulk that we don't fully understand, such as what can he do? Or what hurts him? Below is a list of 15 incredible powers just waiting to be unleashed by the angry green king himself. We have also thrown in some hidden weaknesses that would seriously pose a threat to the The Incredible Hulk, given that Leader has the guts to actually stick it to him. Please, enjoy as you gather data for crushing your own opponent, i.e. the Hulk haters out there, spreading lies about Mr. Banner.
25 Weakness: Thor
The Incredible Hulk and The Mighty Thor have gone after each other on more than one occasion. While there has never been a destructive outcome, you could argue that Thor has proverbially “whooped” The Hulk a whole bunch of times, and vice versa.
He is a god, and The Hulk is generally weak against other-worldly beings (which we will get into later). These fights are always fun to watch/read, but can be very telling of The Hulk's nature. Dodge that hammer, you big oaf!
24 Power: He Can Transform
You'd bet that old Bruce Banner keeps this power hidden, and it is imperative that he does. Changing back and forth between human and Hulk is no easy task. There is a lot of shirt ripping, glasses breaking, and pants tearing.
Though some comics and films portray Banner as being very open about his “issue,” most of the time, he intends to protect his family by hiding his identity. The only problem is that our green version doesn't seem to value subtlety as much as the human version.
23 Power: He Can Manipulate Energy And Radiation
One of the amazing consequences of Banner's gamma exposure is that The Hulk is most likely able to manipulate forms of energy to his advantage. There is a ton of notable examples of The Hulk being used like a giant green battery, and at will, The Hulk can choose how much energy his body will expel.
Like a two-way power converter, he is able to act as a current for different forms of energy, particularly gamma radiation. It's all science; dangerous, destructive science.
22 Weakness: Sadness
If you are a villain bent on stopping The Incredible Hulk, then your best bet is to find a sure-fire way to make that jolly giant cry. That's right, sadness is one of the most effective ways to make The Hulk stop, drop, and change back into a man. It's almost as if those crocodile tears calm him into a state of bliss.
Once this happens, he is usually lulled into a nap, and the bam! You've got Bruce Banner lying down and vulnerable to attack. Good luck villains!
21 Power: He Can Home In On People Or Places
The Incredible Hulk has been known to track, trace, and locate people and places with no real explanation for how. In dire circumstances, when he truly needed to find a villain or someone in need, The Hulk will stop at no earthly barrier to break into and find his target.
He acts like a homing missile of sorts, somehow charging directly towards his desired goal. The only good explanation for this is that somehow, Banner adopted a homing ability along with all of his other powers. This would explain why he keeps going back to New Mexico (the birthplace of his accident).
20 Power: He Is Self-Sustaining
You ever seen The Hulk eat? Of course not! He doesn't need to! Whatever happened to him that involved that gamma blast caused The Hulk to go on and on without needing so much as an orange to keep his sugar levels up.
He is a “marvel,” both physically AND chemically, as The Hulk is never known to eat, drink, or sleep during his rampaging bouts. This is probably for the best, since The Avengers can't really wait around for the time it would take to chow-down on a Hulk-sized meal.
19 Weakness: Anger
We have all heard the expression, “you wouldn't like me when I'm angry,” and, you know what? He's right! We wouldn't like him when he's angry, and no one else likes him when he's angry, either.
One of his greatest (and most underrated) weaknesses is the very thing that makes him The Hulk. Though his rage can be used for good, it is often a destructive force that can turn on his own friends in a second. Speaking of friends, The Hulk goes through these faster than he goes through buildings. Anger management classes for The Hulk are definitely in order.
18 Power: He Can See Astral Projections
Unlike many of his fellow Avengers, The Hulk is actually able to see things from a plain of existence that is otherworldly. Call them figures, projections, spirits, or whatever, The Hulk can usually spot them.
Many times, The Hulk was able to pair up with his good pal Dr. Strange, who is known to leave his own body and phase into other dimensions. Neat! Unfortunately, this power comes with an added issue of being able to see ghosts, which is less neat. Then again, what is a ghost going to do to The Hulk, scare him?
17 Power: His Blood Can Heal
More than once, The Hulk has been known to share blood with another in order to save their life. She-Hulk, for example, was almost finished before Banner gave her a transfusion, which healed her completely.
Why doesn't Bruce Banner showcase this ability? Probably because he doesn't want everyone for miles seeking him out. The Hulk can only give so much!
16 Weakness: Adamantium
It takes the strongest known metal in the world to slash the strongest known being in the world, and Wolverine is full of the stuff. The adamantium-clad skeleton of Wolverine is actually tough enough to cut through The Hulk's thick bod.
In theory, if Wolverine could cut through The Hulk fast enough before The Hulk had a chance to self-heal, then Wolverine might come out victorious. Unfortunately, our big-necked brawler doesn't sit patiently while one slashes away. These fights are always great to read/watch.
15 Power: He Can Run Incredibly Fast
Imagine focusing all of that big, bulky muscle into one profound running motion, and now imagine that movement being anything but exceptional. You can't! Most of all great Hulk stories feature a moment where our guy is in heavy motion.
Like a freight train, The Hulk is very fast and cannot be stopped. Bad guys, either from this planet or beyond, be warned that this daunting locomotive of a super-hero is coming for you, and coming fast. Who would win in a race: The Hulk or Superman? Easy! We'll never know because they are owned by different companies.
14 Power: He Can Jump Incredibly High
Horizontal isn't the only direction that The Incredible Hulk can vault with more ferocity than his fellow Avengers. The Hulk is also an expert jumper. Even though he can't fly, it almost doesn't matter when you take notice of just how high his arches get.
This, combined with a powerful meteoric-sized, crater-inducing fall makes this particular hidden power a menacing offensive blow to his opposition. He's got air, that's for sure.
13 Weakness: Telekinesis
Bruce Banner has the brains, and The Hulk has the brawn. When they are working in tandem, little can be done for those who stand in their way.
However, when they are not completely synced, or when faced with a mind-lord powerful enough to crack through Banner's brain defenses... well, let's just say that The Hulk's body in the wrong hands can be a dangerous thing. The Hulk has had his mind taken over by several badies in his time, and it's never ended well.
12 Power: He Can Heal Himself
Obviously, The Hulk is very powerful and super strong. Now, imagine you actually DO gain the upper hand long enough to do some damage. Well, it doesn't matter, because as long as it took to hurt this guy, it took way less time for him to heal.
The Hulk has been known to literally heal from bullet wounds. That's amazing. There are very few super heroes out there who have near immortal abilities. Wolverine certainly qualifies, and The Hulk might be a close second.
11 Power: He Is Able To Adapt To Any Environment
The Incredible Hulk is also incredibly tolerant of any environment. Whether you hail from a sandy dessert, or live at the bottom of the ocean, The Hulk wants to hang out there.
His body is nearly impervious to all elements, therefore, he is able to chill in just about any climate or circumstance. Heck, even space is no big deal for The Hulk, as he has been known to travel to other planets for adventures beyond our world.
10 Weakness: Magical Attacks
Bruce Banner is a very practical and scientific guy. Bring up magic, or heaven forbid religion, and you will positively riddle Mr. Banner. The same can be said for his alter-ego.
The handful of times that The Hulk has been confronted by magic, whether it be by Dr. Strange or others, The Hulk has reacted poorly. It confounds him, and will ultimately shut down The Hulk if he is ever exposed to any prolonged spells by any wizard, witch, or warlock on this side of the multi-verse.
9 Power: He Can Breathe Underwater
With impenetrable lungs, this green-beast can swim at magnificent speeds and never come up for air. This is likely because The Hulk can breathe under water. He can take in oxygen at the ocean's depths due to a complicated pressure filtration system ingrained within his lungs.
Even Namor The Submariner cannot hide from our muscly menace. With the powers of both a fish and a bird, it's almost like he can do anything... except dance. We haven't seen The Hulk dance yet.
8 Power: He Can Outlive Us All
Because The Hulk has regenerative cells, he is able to stay younger longer. For how long exactly? It's uncertain, but at least hundreds of years can be speculated from a number of Marvel arcs including Old Man Logan.
He and Wolverine will likely be the last two standing as the infinity bell chimes at the end of what we know as the fourth dimension (time). Honestly, he kind of looks great with an old man beard. The salt-and-pepper gives him an intellectual edge that you don't often associate with the Hulk-ster.
7 Weakness: Confidence
Of course, there is no shaking the unstoppable confidence of a big green doofus. While Bruce Banner is fully aware of the very imminent danger he is in at all times, The Hulk doesn't see it that way. Nope!
The Hulk will aimlessly run into any battle, whether he is capable of handling it or not, no matter what... forever. It is a noble trait that endears so many of us. It is, however, a great weakness that is often exploited.
6 Power: The More You Hit Him, The Stronger He Gets
When Bruce Banner gets angry, he becomes The Hulk. When The Hulk gets angry... he becomes even MORE of The Hulk. What this means is that no matter how much you beat on him, he will only grow in both size and strength.
To get around this, you need to strategize for it because very few Marvel characters can contend with him in a fist fight. His rage starts at a ten and escalates dramatically the more you mess with him. So, you can take your “fair fight” and toss it because The Hulk only plays one way: mean.