Every Animated Version of The Hulk, Ranked by Power

Any Marvel fan worth their salt is well aware that the Hulk is the strongest there is. Ever since the hero made his debut in comics back in the 1960s, the green goliath has been pummeling enemies on Earth and throughout the universe with his rage-fueled muscles. Even as arguments can be fueled about which Avenger is the strongest on the big screen, or which villains The Hulk has faced that are actually better than him, there’s no denying the Hulk is still a major force to be reckoned with. It doesn’t matter what format he’s living in, he’s not going down without a fight.

Like so many other Marvel heroes, The Hulk has an extensive background in television animation. As far back as the 1960s, just as the first Hulk comics were being published, the hero was already starring in short-form animated adventures alongside his fellow Avengers. That tradition carries on to today where The Hulk continues to appear in new Marvel animation titles, including ones that have no connection to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With all that history ahead of us, there’s also a clear answer about which Hulk is the strongest.

8) Marvel Super Hero Adventures

Appearing in a few episodes of the kid-friendly Marvel Super Hero Adventures, the Hulk is, of course, stronger than some of the other characters he shares the screen with. The trouble of course is that this is a series aimed at a pre-school audience, as a result, the feats of his strength that are presented are limited. We do see the Hulk leaping around town, picking up a bus, and even crushing falling rocks, but the true limits of his strength are never fully explored. This is a show for growing minds after all, so minimal fights are to be found.

7) 1960s Animated Hulk

Chalk this one up to the limitations of animation in the 1960s, not to mention how short these episodes are overall, but the Hulk found in the Marvel Super Heroes cartoon doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence in his strength. He does, of course, fight multiple monsters and beasts in some episodes, even escaping concrete rooms using sheer brute force, but overall it’s tough to really get a grasp on HOW strong this Hulk. At the end of the day the ability to really animate those kinds of feats just wasn’t available to production teams, making this a lower tier Hulk.

6) Disney Jr Marvel Universe Hulk

Like the version seen in Marvel Super Hero Adventures, the version of the Hulk found in Disney Jr’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends is low on the list but still a bulky specimen. There are only so many appearances of this pint-sized Hulk, but one of them does include the reveal he likes to hang out in a junkyard and smash cars for the owner. His gentle nature may not be the norm for Hulk, but his strength is pretty par for the course.

5) 1980s Animated Hulk

Though he arrived some two decades after the other animated Hulk, the version seen in this series is quite middle of the road thanks to, once again, limited abilities of animation. Marvel fans may be used to seeing the Hulk rip tanks apart and fling the pieces with abandon, but that’s not really seen here. What really keeps this version of the Hulk low on the list is the inconsistency of his strength (another sign of the animation limits). In one episode he crushes through a mountain to escape a holding cell, while in another he has trouble ripping a fire escape off a brick building.

4) The Incredible Hulk (1996)

One major advantage that this animated version of The Hulk has over some of the others that fell behind him is the connectivity to other Marvel characters. Crossovers abound in countless animated Marvel shows, but the Hulk seen in his short-lived 1990s series crossed paths with other heroes, and he often won when it came down to fisticuffs. Not only did this version of The Hulk beat down his own gamma-powered villains, but also fought Thor on multiple occasions. Furthermore, in one episode this animated Hulk breaks Ghost Rider’s infernal chains, proving that his brawn can outmatch the dark magics of the Marvel underworld.

3) Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes

Like the Hulk found in the ’90s, and every other one that will follow on this list, this Hulk spends a lot of time with other Marvel heroes and villains that aren’t just from his comic book titles. Across Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes he fights the likes of Kang, Abomination, Frost Giants, Ultron, and even Fin Fang Foom. All told they’re some good battles to have under the belt holding up your purple pants; however, one thing holding him back is that in his very first appearance he is very quickly dispatched by….Hawkeye and Black Widow, the only two members of the team without actual super powers.

2) Marvel Future Avengers

Like most standard versions of The Hulk, the one seen in Marvel Future Avengers is a powerhouse that has levels alongside his fellow heroes. The ensemble nature of the show means he doesn’t get his time to shine as frequently, but there are some great examples of his abilities to make a note of.

One episode in particular sees this version of Hulk fighting the god of war Ares all by himself, even bringing the axe-wielding villain to his knees with one blow. The fight ends with some help from other heroes, but this version of the Hulk is a truly formidable version of the character, and he’s housed in an underrated series overall.

1) Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.

There’s one clear indicator that this Hulk is the best there is, and it’s because unlike the others that precede him he’s the leader of a team of fellow strong heroes. It’s one thing

There’s one key piece of evidence however that confirms this is the strongest animated Hulk there is. Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. wasn’t just a standalone series it was part of a group of Marvel cartoons that were all interconnected, including Ultimate Spider-Man and Avengers Assemble. In a key episode of the later series, as Attuma and the Atlantean army attack New York, Hulk literally picks up the island of Manhattan to stop it from sinking into the sea. If that’s not proof of strength, not sure what qualifies.

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