Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Ultimates #6! THE Hulk is already one of the strongest Avengers in the Marvel Universe, but fans haven’t seen anything that compares to his newest permanent update, as the Hulk is the new Ultimate Universe. Iron Fist. During this reveal, the Hulk single-handedly takes on the combined power of the Ultimates and crushes them with his mystical power combined with his world-shattering strength – in fact, only one punch hits like “15 atomic bombs,” and that barely scratches the surface.
In The latest #6 by Deniz Camp and Juan Frigeri, the Ultimates – consisting of Iron Lad, Captain America, She-Hulk, Giant-Man, Wasp, Thor, Sif, Hawkeye, America Chavez, and the Human Torch – are invading another of the Maker’s facilities . This time, they’re doing it to free a group of prisoners who (like them) are supposed to be superheroes, before the Creator travels to this world and reshapes it to his liking. However, the Ultimates had bad information. When they opened the Creator’s ‘prison’ vault, they found themselves in K’un-Lun, with the Hulk waiting for them there.
The Ultimates are well aware of who the Hulk is, as he is a prominent member of the the Creator’s Council. Although their mission to save a group of imprisoned would-be heroes is a failure, they can at least take down this immense threat to humanity. Unfortunately, this is much easier said than done. When She-Hulk attacks Hulk, he swings his fist just like fans have seen Earth-616’s Danny Rand do many times, and hits her with a punch that hits like “15 atomic bombs”. At that moment, the Ultimates realize that they are not dealing with an ordinary ‘Hulk’, but rather “The Atomic Iron Fist”.
Hulk becoming Atomic Iron Fist is his biggest update in Marvel history
The obvious power upgrade that comes with fusing the Hulk’s proven strength through gamma mutation and that of the Immortal Iron Fist is on full display in this issue of The latest. However, that’s just a fraction of why this update is so good. Not only is the Hulk physically stronger than ever, but he also holds the title of Iron Fist, which in itself comes with some epic perks.
Hulk is the guardian of K’un-Lun, which means he has unlimited access to this otherworldly plane. Given his villainous status, the Hulk abused his role as K’un-Lun’s protector and instead became its conqueror. And because he is Iron Fist, the residents of K’un-Lun have no choice but to follow him – and they do so with undying loyalty. This means that not only does the Hulk have a permanent base of operations (which is an upgrade from his Earth-616 counterpart’s famous disobedience), but he also has an army of trained fighters who are loyal only to him.
The Hulk also became an expert in hand-to-hand combat. One of the main processes for becoming Iron Fist is training in martial arts, as one cannot hope to claim such power through brute strength and determination alone. Thus, the Hulk underwent the necessary training and – as this issue shows – became an expert in martial arts. This means that not only is the Hulk incredibly strong on a cosmic scale, he’s also a trained fighter, meaning he can probably tangle with the best the universe has to offer and still come out on top.
Marvel has already proven that Iron Fist is strong enough to defeat the Avengers
Rays #137 by Rick Remender and Mahmud Asrar
While watching the Hulk wipe the floor with the Ultimate Universe’s version of the Avengers may have been shocking to see (especially since past Avengers and Ultimates have fought the Hulk before and always come out on top), Marvel Comics has actually already proven because Atomic Iron Fist’s victory is so solid. In Rays #137, Iron Fist is subjected to a series of hyper-realistic simulations where he fights the Avengers alone, and every time, he kills them like it’s nothing.
Iron Fist punches Spider-Man in the chest, throws Captain America’s shield at Wolverine’s head, ricochets a bullet fired at him by Captain America with his enchanted hands, and nearly takes Luke Cage’s head off with a super-powered blow. And this is a version of Iron Fist who is not only reluctant to fight the Avengers, but also lacks the Hulk’s added strength. Therefore, when the Ultimates faced Atomic Iron Fist, they never stood a chance.
While the Ultimates made it out of K’un-Lun alive thanks to the brilliance of Earth-6160’s Reed Richards (aka Doom), the Hulk is still out there, and he still wants every one of them dead. And now, as fans have just witnessed for themselves, the Hulk has the means to make this a grim reality, as his permanent upgrade makes him the new Iron Fistand he has never been stronger.
The Ultimates #6 from Marvel Comics is now available.