Hulk vs Thor: Marvel’s biggest, strangest strength rivalry, explained

The opening pages of 1965’s Journey Into Mystery #112 see Marvel’s thunder god swoop down from the skies to break up what looks, from Jack Kirby and Chic Stone’s dynamic artwork, like a riot about to break out between two gangs of angry, yelling youths. Thor’s thought balloon sets the scene for what’s happening: “Those youngsters seem to be arguing about who is … stronger … the Hulk … or Myself!”

Pop culture has a constant question: Who would win? We’re dedicating a whole week to discussions that have shaped movies, comics, TV and video games for the better or worse. Polygon’s Week on Who Would Win Week is here.

Journey Into Mystery #112’s cover declared it “The Epic Battle of the Age! The It’s MightyThunder God vs. Thunder God vs. Amazing Hulk! The Battle You’ve Been Waiting For! The Battle You’ve Been Waiting For!” (Of course, whether or not fans really had been waiting for the battle, or if that was merely Stan Lee’s trademark hyperbole, is a matter open to question.) Only three years had passed since the first issue of comics featuring both characters. OneYear after they had first met as stars of the newly launched show, Avengers. Marvel wanted to capitalize on the Hulk and Thor rivalry.

The thing is, Thor and the Hulk don’t really make sense as frenemies. They don’t share subgenre roots — one is a science fiction character, one a supernatural/mythological character. Or power level — any battle between the two should really be over in seconds because one of them is really strong, and the other one is really strong, is an actual god, and can fly and control the weather. Marvel spent decades trying to convince their fans they were a good company. DoThey want to do the same things as the teenagers of 1965. In fact, there’s a new fight between Thor and Hulk arriving in just a few weeks.

Here, fetch happened: “Hulk vs. Thor” is one of Marvel’s more storied clashes, no matter how weird, tenuous, or outright unnecessary these slugfests get.

It was the greatest battle in history!

Most creators are aware of how absurd the entire thing is and they play into that. In 1973’s Defenders #10, the fight between Bruce Banner and Donald Blake’s alter egos ends in a stalemate as the two wrestle each other to a standstill for longer than an episode of Game of Thrones.

“Ten minutesThey hold their poses, straining each other. It is futile to break the status quo,” runs Steve Englehart’s breathless narration. “20 minutesThey hold! Threety minutes! One hour! It is neitherShows Any signs of tiring!” (Their tussle is ultimately broken up by other heroes arriving.)

This is the DefendersIt comes down to a simple wrestling match that is worthy of note. This is how it works. Journey Into Mystery #112’s frames Thor vs. Hulk as a question of pure strength. It’s the only way for the rivalry to last beyond a couple of panels, and an ongoing theme of early attempts to explore and exploit fans’ desire to see the two fight — creative teams figuring out how to bring Thor down to Hulk’s level.

These are just a few examples of how Thor was manipulated in order to surrender his benefits. He asks Odin to un-magic his hammer so he can prove himself stronger, he’s blackmailed by the Hulk in order to throw the hammer away, or he’s goaded into a dick-measuring contest that would impugn his honor if settled through any means other than through natural strength.

Image Credit: Bill Mantlo/Marvel Comics

Image: Stan Lee/Marvel Comics, Jim Shooter, Eric Larsen

OK, that last one’s on exaggeration, but It is very rare; in 1981’s Incredible Hulk #255, Thor convinces no one when he boasts, “If we It seemed evenly matched, it was only because I had requested a boon from my noble father, the all-seeing Odin, lord of Asgard — that I might face you for five minutes without my uru hammer in a test of muscle against muscle — sinew against sinew! Our fight then was indecisive!”

Certain, Thor. Anything that makes you feel happier. To be fair, the Hulk’s as trapped in this toxic masculinity contest as anyone; in 1987’s The Mighty Thor #385, he yells, “Thor is Nothing! Hammer is strong — not Thor! Use a hammer Down — Hulk Please show you!”

This dynamic — part-defensive, part-sibling rivalry, all machismo — has proven so potent that it crossed mediums. In the 1970s Incredible HulkTelevision series were resurrected in 1988 as TV movies. Incredible Hulk returnsThor was with us for the ride. 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok gave Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo their best Marvel Cinematic Universe outings to date, repositioning their characters into a bickering, frenemy-like duo more closely resembling their comic book relationship — albeit both more comedic and more handsome, but that’s pretty much what audiences expect from the MCU at this point. Similarly, the two have faced off in animated incarnations across the years, including 2009’s direct-to-DVD Thor vs. HulkAnimation movie. It’s a safe bet to say that, if fans of either character have been following them in whatever medium for long enough, they’ll have seen Thor and the Hulk fighting at some point or another.

So … what is it about Thor and Hulk that keeps fans and creators coming back?

The reason titans fight again and again!

“I think the key thing is that they provide each other with someone on whom they can truly unleash,” says Wil Moss, who should know — he edits both Hulk ThorMarvel is currently available. “Both characters are so insanely strong, in most fights either they have to hold back to a degree — or the story has to handicap them in one way or another — or they win the fight fairly quickly. So I think a big part of the appeal of a Hulk vs. Thor fight is knowing that these two don’t have to hold back and it’ll be a fight that you know will really be one to remember.”

Moss is rumored to have been thinking about the topic a lot recently. Hulk vs. Thor – Banner of War Alpha#1 is a short story which sets up the scene for the crossover between these two titles. It runs until June. As the title suggests, it’s a storyline that will pit the two characters against each other one more time, but Moss teases that there’s more going on than just three months of non-stop slugfest.

Image: Gary Frank/Marvel Comics

“Don’t get me wrong, there is a Lot of Hulk vs. Thor fighting in this story, but it’s not All fighting,” he promises. “There are some twists and turns in this story that really upend the dynamic between the two.”

Not surprisingly, Moss claims that the latest fight will bring something more than half of a century worth of fights has failed to achieve: a clear winner. What will those teenagers arguing from 1965 think? Finally Find out which Thor or Hulk is the stronger. Because spoilers are a concern, the editor has kept it quiet. “Writer Donny Cates and artist Martin Coccolo are cooking up a very surprising yet ultimately satisfying answer to that question, that’s all I’ll say.”

After over 50 years of uncertainty and chaos, it seems that the end is finally near after everyone in the Marvel universe as well as the regular universe can feel calm enough to get on with the things that matter. Really, could Marvel’s United Nations band together to force economic sanctions on Latveria unless Victor Von Doom steps down from power? Is it possible for anyone to be atheist in Marvel’s Marvel Universe when there are literally gods within the Avengers? And, most importantly of all, who’s stretchier: Mr. Ms. Marvel, or Fantastic Mr.