The Hulk is the strongest, no doubt, but gamma radiation has blessed (or cursed, I suppose) Bruce Banner with far more than just super strength. The moment that Bruce Banner was exposed to gamma rays, he became connected to one of the most powerful and most bizarre forces in the Marvel Universe. Yes, he was transformed into a creature of superhuman size and strength, and he’s known all across the world for his limitless destructive potential. But there’s more than just strength to the Hulk, and decades of Marvel Comics storytelling proves it.
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As much as we like to think of the Hulk as a product of super-science, Bruce Banner’s better half is as just as much a supernatural entity. Gamma radiation, much like the Flash’s Speed Force, is wildly unpredictable, and imbues the hero its connected to with far more than just one iconic power. Yes the Hulk is strong, but he’s capable of so much more, like his Wolverine-tier healing factor or his spooky connections to the afterlife. Read on to see five of Hulk’s other gamma-powered abilities that aren’t just super strength.
5. Healing Factor
Hulk is one of the most durable heroes that’s ever existed, but even he’s not completely immune to damage. All it takes is a strong enough sharp enough object or something coming at him with enough force to remove a limb or put a hole in him. But thanks to his little-known healing factor, Hulk can repair almost any damage done to his body. It’s painful and, often times, completely unsightly. But as long as the Hulk is still kicking, he can come back from any injury thanks to the gamma pumping in his veins.
4. Energy Absorption
Hulk is a practically living gamma containment unit. But the good thing about that is that he’s capable of draining the energy of other Hulks, like when he siphoned the energy of Red Hulk in Avengers #685. Funny enough, Red Hulk is also capable of doing this, as he drained the Power Cosmic from the Silver Surfer once. It’s not a move that Bruce or other Hulks pull out frequently, but it is a power that really comes in handy when fighting something imbued with equal or greater energy than Hulk’s gamma.
3. Eye Beams
Cyclops may be the most well-known hero with optic beams, but Hulk has pulled out this power more than a few times. During the 2021 Hulk run, the Jade Giant developed the ability to shoot beams out of his eyes. Hulk even demonstrated this power when taking on Thor and Iron Man, the latter of whom was fighting the Hulk with Celestial armor (which Hulk’s optic beams easily shattered). Hulk’s strength is no joke, but you seriously don’t want the green behemoth to look at you the wrong way, either.
2. Ghost Sense
Gamma is an odd force that was later revealed to be connected to the supernatural, which does explain one of Hulk’s oldest and strangest powers. In case you didn’t know, Hulk can see ghosts, like the actual spirits of those who have passed on. He doesn’t always know when they’re ghosts, as seen in The Incredible Hulk #27 when Hulk met a child he didn’t realize had been dead for years. An unsettling power sure, but arguably the one that truly stands out from the rest of the amazing things Hulk can do.
1. Immortality
Yes, The Immortal Hulk confirmed once and for all that the titular hero was unable to be killed. Hulk, and truthfully, anyone touched by gamma radiation, is able to return to life via an ethereal passageway known as the Green Door. Fans of the Hulk know that Bruce Banner has had more encounters with the more than any other Avenger and its because of the gamma’s unique properties that he can come back again and again. Creepy? Yes. But also extremely effective.
What’s your favorite little-known power the Hulk has? Let us know in the comments and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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