Hulk vs Thing: Who Won More of Their Comic Battles

The two most popular Marvel Comics behemoths are, without a doubt, the Thing and Hulk. During their creations in the 1960s, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby ensured that Ben Grimm and Bruce Banner each had human problems; it was just as important to have these bulky heroes deal with emotional struggles as well as their feats of physical strength. The Ever-Lovin’ Blue-Eyed Thing and The Incredible Hulk have fought over 60 times in Marvel’s history, which means they’ve both defeated the other before, but which one comes out on top?

The two brutes each have a chance to win in a fight because the circumstances always change. For example, Hulk is constantly changing his form, depending on how angry he is or how much gamma radiation emits from his body. On the other hand, the Thing is almost always at the same level of strength and durability, although the cosmic synergy from the Fantastic Four makes him stronger. Bruce’s angrier persona first squares off against Ben during Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s Fantastic Four #12. Both Hulk and the Thing get some good blows in, but the fight ends in a draw.

After their first battle, both characters exponentially grow in strength. In Lee and Kirby’s Fantastic Four #25, Hulk and the Thing have what might be their most iconic fight. This comic book remains one of the most popular for the two characters, and it also set the framework for almost every superhero match-up after it. Hulk’s victory in this issue can’t be fairer; even the Thing admits, “he beat me” after Hulk knocks him down. Despite this, during Roy Thomas and Herb Trimpe’s The Incredible Hulk #122, Ben gets payback against Banner. However, his triumph over the Hulk is technically due to Mister Fantastic, as he shoots a sonic ray directly at Hulk, ending the fight between his teammate and the Green Goliath. Jim Starlin’s Marvel Fanfare #21 may be the issue that settles it once and for all. Even though the Thing saves Doctor Strange, which allows the Sorcerer Supreme to calm the Hulk down and save the city, Hulk completely demolishes Ben, and the Thing even taps out of the fight in the end. When it comes down to it, even if the Thing has better control of his strength, the Hulk’s uncontrollable anger is far more devastating.

2017’s Secret Empire #6 brings Hulk back to life after Bruce Banner’s death in Civil War II. Hulk immediately fights the Thing again, and Hulk wins in just two hits. This quick scuffle shows how Hulk is definitively stronger than the Thing, especially at his strongest. In the last two fights where the Thing wins, it’s only due to Puppet Master’s control of Hulk in 2019’s Fantastic Four #13 and Hulk’s multiple personalities clashing and weakening Hulk during 2020’s Immortal Hulk #41. Even if counting these unfair advantages, the Thing only wins six battles of 60 while Hulk has ten victories under his belt. The other comic duels end in draws or leave the results ambiguous.

According to John Cimino’s commendable research consisting of every fight where Hulk battles the Thing, Banner remains the winner of most Marvel Comics battles. Despite the results, the two giants will undoubtedly clash again in the future, and it wouldn’t take much for the Thing to catch up. While Ben Grimm might have a better heart and a more lovable personality, in the end, it’s no secret that Hulk remains “the strongest one there is.”

Source: Hero-Envy

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