Fantastic practices The thing And these Hulk have been rivals for decades in Marvel Comics lore, even if their rivalry has almost always been more akin to a friendly ‘who’s stronger’ contest. Over time, most fans have widely assumed that the Hulk is easily much stronger than the Thing—and, for the most part, they’re right. However, this should not suggest that the Thing has ever defeated the Hulk in a fight, as Ben Grimm actually pulled off the victory on a number of separate occasions. One of the last victories the Thing won over the Hulk is the truest testament to the Thing’s Hulk-level strength, even in his base form.
in Fantastic practice #13 by Dan Slott and Sean Izaakse The Thing is trying to enjoy his honeymoon with Alicia Masters when the Hulk comes out of nowhere and tries to kill him. The Hulk is mind-controlled by Puppet Master, throwing the Jade Giant into a murderous rage that most would be powerless to stop. However, this thing proves to be an exception.
At the start of the fight, Hulk has a clear advantage over Thing, as Hulk fights with a fierce and unwavering determination to kill him, while Thing holds back in an effort to reason with Hulk, mostly just confused about what he’s up against. Him. However, when it becomes clear that the Hulk is not slowing down (and with only seconds until Ben Grimm temporarily reverts to his human form), the thing delivers a tremendous punch that shatters his own arm, knocking the Hulk out cold, marking the The first time This thing legitimately beat the Hulk.
The thing also beats the Hulk after receiving a cosmic upgrade
Fantastic practice #320 by Steve Englehart and Keith Pollard
While 2019s Fantastic practice #13 was the first time The Thing beat the Hulk without any in-game upgrades or downgrades (and even when the Hulk was arguably at his most ferocious, making the victory even more impressive), it certainly wasn’t the first time The Thing has ever defeated. The Hulk.
in Fantastic practice #320, the thing reaches its maximum power when he is hit with a second dose of cosmic rays during a space mission with Ms. Marvel to take down the villain, Fasaud. Fearing the Thing’s newfound strength, Doctor Doom gives the Hulk (whose main personality was Joe Fixit aka Gray Hulk at the time) to challenge the Thing to a fight, hoping that the Hulk’s strength will be enough to Take Ben Grimm down for good. It wasn’t.
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When Gray Hulk unleashed a surprise attack against the Thing, he momentarily held an advantage, as the Thing was overcome by the fact that he had been attacked at all. Once the thing got its bearings, however, Hulk was done for. The thing beat up the Hulk in the streets of New York, and even almost ripped the Hulk’s head off his body. The Thing has his cosmic upgrade to thank for this healthy victory over the Hulk (who was admittedly in one of his weaker forms as Joe Fixit), but a win is still a win.
The Thing pulled off another victory after the Hulk got a massive downgrade
The Immortal Hulk #41 by Al Ewing and Joe Bennett
During another final ‘counter’ battle between the Thing and the Hulk, the Thing pulls off yet another victory, though this one is disappointingly hollow. in The Immortal Hulk #41, the Hulk is freed from a government-backed facility that has been running cruel experiments on him. This, after Bruce Banner and Devil Hulk were ripped from their shared consciousness by the Leader (widing the power of the One Below All). All this amounted to the Hulk being severely depowered, reduced to an emaciated version of his former self with the mind of a child.
The Hulk was also a wanted fugitive at the time, meaning every superhero on Earth had standing orders to hire him on-sight – and this thing did just that. Unaware of everything the Hulk has been through, the Thing simply launches an attack against the Hulk, even mocking him for his weakened state as he does so. The Thing defeats the Hulk with ease, marking yet another victory under his belt (even if it’s a hollow one). However, once the thing realizes that the Hulk is really the victim here, he quickly stops pummeling him and offers his immediate help.
Hulk and the Thing are allies with a rivalry based more on friendship than disdain.
This fight is noteworthy beyond simply being a ‘Hulk vs Thing’ matchup, as it highlights another important aspect of their relationship. The two are rivals, to be sure, but they’re also fellow heroes who will have each other’s backs when the going gets tough. This thing will happily fight Hulk to test his strength, especially if Hulk is in a position where he needs to be stopped. However, at the end of the day, the two are allies with a rivalry that is based more on friendship than disdain, which is honestly why their ‘against’ battles are so much fun.
Even alternate versions of the thing beat the Hulk
Ultimate Fantastic Four #23 by Mark Millar and Greg Land
While the Hulk and the Thing have no shortage of battles in Earth-616, their rivalry is far from unique when you consider the entire Marvel Multiverse. in Ultimate Fantastic Four #23, The Fantastic Four from Earth-1610 travel to Earth-2149, also the world of Wonder zombies. Almost immediately after the Thing steps into this new reality, he finds himself face-to-face with a zombified Hulk, resulting in yet another ‘Hulk vs Thing’ matchup.
As Marvel fans know, the zombies in Wonder zombies All retained their superpowers even after infection. While they are certainly weaker as a result of the zombie virus, each character is still pretty much at the same power level as their non-zombie counterparts, and that includes the Hulk. However, even so, the Ultimate Universe’s thing is able to defeat the zombified Hulk with a single punch. In fact, this was Ultimate Thing’s first encounter with any Hulk, and Ben Grimm even has a meta moment when he says, “Guess that answers the question…After one-shotting the Green Goliath, confirming his ‘Hulk-level’ strength.
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While every fight between the Thing and the Hulk is exciting, it’s always a little more exciting when the Thing beats the Hulk, simply because the consensus in the Marvel fandom is that the Thing doesn’t compare to the Hulk in the slightest. Each of these examples stands as firm reminders that this thing can absolutely stand its ground against the Hulk, and even come out on top. However, Ben Grimm’s victory in 2019 is the most notable Fantastic practice #13, as this was the Things most legitimate victory over the Hulk In Marvel Comics history.