There are more than a few ways to gain superpowers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The most common method appears to be some form of the super soldier serum, as nearly a dozen characters in the franchise owe their abilities in one way or another to Dr. Abraham Erskine’s formula. The Infinity Stones also create their fair share of enhanced individuals, with Captain Marvel and Scarlet Witch being two of the most notable heroes to get their powers from the gems. However, there’s one form of energy that doesn’t get enough love for setting the stage for a group of absolute heavyweights.
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By messing around with gamma radiation, Bruce Banner creates his angry alter ego, the Hulk. Banner isn’t the only one who ends up on the wrong end of an experiment, though. Here’s every gamma-powered character in the MCU, ranked by how strong they are.
7) The Leader
Samuel Sterns extends Banner an olive branch during the events of The Incredible Hulk, believing he can remove the monster from the man. Emil Blonsky gets in the way of that happening and forces Sterns to turn him into a hulking beast. Unfortunately, some of Banner’s blood ends up getting into Sterns’ body, making his brain grow three sizes. But becoming the smartest man on Earth doesn’t help Sterns in the strength department, so he’s last on this list.
6) HulkKing
Another character who thinks he can mess around with a Hulk’s blood is Todd Phelps. After pulling off a scheme to steal Jennifer Walters’ blood, he injects himself with it in the finale of She-Hulk. Todd turns into a monster, but before he can tussle with the titular hero, she shuts the whole thing down and rewrites the story. While HulkKing isn’t around anymore, he looks to be pretty formidable in his first appearance.
5) Skaar
The She-Hulk finale makes up for removing HulkKing from the story by adding another gamma-powered character, Skaar, Hulk’s son. It turns out Banner’s worst half fathered a child while marooned on Sakaar. Skaar appears to be nearly as strong as his father, who’s in Smart Hulk form, but he doesn’t get an opportunity to showcase his abilities. There’s a good chance he will rise up the leaderboard after his next appearance.
4) Red Hulk
To exact revenge on Thaddeus Ross, Sterns decides to secretly turn him into the Hulk by administering gamma-laced medication to the politician. The process completes itself at the worst time for Ross in Captain America: Brave New World, just as he’s about to get the United States access to a reserve of adamantium. Red Hulk’s display in Washington, DC, is impressive, as he makes quick work of the White House’s defenses. However, letting Captain America get the better of him means that Ross’ alter ego still has room to improve.
3) She-Hulk
A nasty car accident makes Jennifer another MCU character to end up on the wrong side of the Hulk’s blood. After getting the hang of her transformation, She-Hulk battles a few foes and wins without much trouble. She may be smaller than her cousin, but she still has strength on her side. The only real threats to her are the trolls online that don’t have anything better to do than talk trash.
2) Abomination
Blonsky has a real mean streak at the start of his MCU career, which leads to him destroying a good chunk of Harlem during his fight with the Hulk. The villain turns over a new leaf after that, learning how to be comfortable in his own skin. Finding inner peace doesn’t remove any of the Abomination’s power, though. He still hits as hard as ever in She-Hulk and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
1) The Hulk
Despite copycats popping up every couple of years, there’s no beating the original. The Hulk has an impressive resume, defeating gods, monsters, and everything in between. While embracing his Smart Hulk form may seem to put the hero at a disadvantage, he still manages to pull off numerous impressive feats, including using the Infinity Stones. The arrival of the Savage Hulk form in Spider-Man: Brand New Day will surely remind the world of who holds the title of “strongest there is.”
Do you agree with this ranking of gamma-powered characters in the MCU? How would you change it up? Let us know in the comments below!
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Image courtesy of Paramount+
