The Incredible Hulk is one of Marvel’s biggest names. He’s the Strongest There Is, and throughout comic book history, we’ve seen the Jade Giant do battle with some of the best and worst that Marvel has to offer. In fact, some of the Hulk’s most famous fights are when he dukes it out with his fellow heroes. Wolverine famously started as a Hulk villain, the rivalry between Hulk and Thor is downright legendary, and who can forget the gauntlet of heroes Hulk beat down in World War Hulk? Of course, that’s not to say that Hulk’s actual rogues gallery is any less incredible. Thunderbolt Ross, Abomination, and the Leader are all villains with beloved fights under their belts.
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While the other heroes and above villains are definitely the Hulk’s most famous fighting partners, there are still plenty of other Hulk villains that deserve just as much praise, but don’t get it. So today, we’re going to be looking at seven of the Hulk’s most underrated villains. As a quick note, we’ll be focusing on Hulk-specific, or at the very least, Hulk-centric villains, so characters who originated fighting other heroes aren’t likely to make a place on this list, no matter how much they also need the spotlight. Without further ado, let’s get into the foes crazy enough to tangle with the Hulk.
7) Speedfreek
Joss Shappe was a low-tier criminal who stole his high-tech battlesuit after murdering its inventor. The suit was outfitted with jet boots that let him zip around at super speeds, and Adamantium arm blades that let him cut through just about everything. He debuted in The Incredible Hulk #388 and went up against the Hulk in a battle of speed versus power. Every fight between Speedfreek and the Hulk is very interesting to watch, with the Hulk needing to find a way to slow Speedfreek down to actually hit him, which requires planning that the green brute typically doesn’t do.
From his design to his name, Speedfreek is a relic of the ‘90s, but frankly, that just makes me want to see him come back more. Either to see a complete reinvention of him, or to laugh at how out of touch his style has become.
6) Umbu the Unliving
Umbu premiered in The Incredible Hulk #110. He was a gargantuan robot left by the world-ending aliens, the Sagittarians, to protect a doomsday device they planted in the Savage Lands. Simply put, Umbu is a massive robot that looks like an animated pyramid, and that’s just cool. Watching the Hulk go up against giant kaiju and robots is always a treat, and Umbu’s design and personality definitely make him a great match for the Hulk. Beyond that, he ties into the Sagittarians, who are another group of very interesting but underused villains. Whenever Hulk fights big monsters, it’s always entertaining.
5) Zzzax
Zzzax is a sentient mass of electricity that first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #166. Zzzax was practically a mindless beast, but he quickly found that absorbing the bio-electricity from human minds could enhance his own intelligence, and he became obsessed with murdering as many people as possible. Not only is Zzzax a physical match for the Hulk with his strength and electric blasts, but he’s an interesting mirror to him. The Hulk is a hero who goes from super-intelligent scientist to near mindless brute, and usually saves people, while Zzzax is a monster bent on murder to grow smarter. It’s a sick but entertaining reversal of the classic Hulk dynamic. Also, any character named after onomatopoeia is a-okay in my book.
4) Madman
What makes Philip Sterns interesting is his connection to the legendary Hulk villain, the Leader. Philip is actually the Leader’s brother, but unlike him, was an extremely gifted scientist. He debuted in The Incredible Hulk #362 as a man obsessed with Bruce Banner, beyond jealous that Bruce has always been smarter than him. His own experiments with gamma radiation transformed him into the Madman, who gained all of the Hulk’s strength while keeping his own intelligence, but like Bruce, had a crazy alternate personality take over. Madman is a fantastic middleground between Hulk and the Leader, and definitely could be explored more as an enemy to Banner specifically.
3) Galaxy Master
The Galaxy Master is one of Hulk’s most unique enemies, first appearing in The Incredible Hulk #111. He was a formless being of pure cosmic energy, created by an unknown, evil people some time ago. Galaxy Master turned against his creators, destroying them, and then traveled the universe to wipe out every intelligent planet he could find to ensure nobody would ever exist that could destroy him. He employed the Sagittarians as his vasals, which brought him into conflict with the Hulk. The Jade Giant fighting a colossal, near incorporeal monster like Galaxy Master is a sight to see, and he’s a foe that can bring Hulk into Marvel’s cosmic realm, which is always a treat.
2) The Gremlin
Kondrati Topolov first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #163 and has a very cool connection to the Hulk. He’s the son of the Gargoyle, the first ever villain Hulk fought way back in The Incredible Hulk #1. The Gremlin blamed Hulk for his father’s death and dedicated his life to bringing down the Jade Giant. He’s a human mutate with superintelligence and has created suits of armor that let him go toe to toe with even the Hulk. He’s connected to Banner’s past in a way that no other villain is, being the first person who could blame the Hulk for a lost loved one, and along with challenging Banner intellectually.
1) Bi-Beast
The Bi-Beast was a giant, two-headed robot created by the ancient Bird People, a subspecies of Inhumans, and debuted in The Incredible Hulk #169. He was meant to be a parallel to the Hulk, and absolutely excelled in it. He is a monstrous form with a tragic past, being the last survivor of his civilization, and combines brutish strength with hyper intelligence, which itself is tempered by being split between his two heads, which constantly argue. Much like the Hulk, Bi-Beast is a sad figure that feels much more like a victim of its circumstances than its choice. Whenever the two fight, it has massive potential to be a sad, powerful tale, and these are the types of stories that Hulk always excels at.
So there we have seven massively underrated Hulk villains that more people need to talk about. Which Hulk villain do you love that doesn’t have the popularity they deserve? What do you think of Godzilla defeating the Hulk? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics
