The last fight between Hulk And Thanos Make it clear that The Avengers must fight less-than-fair in order to take down the Mad Titan – as Hulk proves more than willing to use underhanded tactics to win against his opponent. When two of the most imposing figures of the Marvel Universe clash again, it became evident that no one is inclined to play by the “rules.”
The Incredible Hulk Annual (2024) #1 – written by Derek Landy, with art by Geoff Shaw – continues the massive “Infinity Watch” crossover storyline, as Hulk becomes Thanos’ next big obstacle to his goal of once again acquiring Marvel’s Infinity Gems. At least for Thanos, the battle does not go as planned – because Hulk not only refuses to be defeated, but he is more than willing to fight dirty, overcoming an inhibition that has held him back in previous encounters with the villain.
Hulk vs Thanos proves it doesn’t pay to fight fair against the mad titan
The Incredible Hulk Annual (2024) #1 – Written by Derek Landy; Art by Geoff Shaw; Color by Frank Martin; Lettering by Cory Petit
The Incredible Hulk Annual Offers a thrilling comic book battle between Marvel’s mad titan, Thanos, and one of the strongest members of Earth’s heroes, the Hulk. The fight featured in the issue is everything Marvel Cinematic Universe fans wish they got from a face-off between the two characters. It’s an extended one-on-one fight that finds each of them getting the upper hand at one point or another – before Hulk finally emerges victorious. By embracing a tactic he’s never used against Thanos before: fighting dirty.
During their struggle, Hulk bites Thanos, Saker punches him in the gut and hits him from behind – in the process, physically disorienting the alien antagonist. At the same time, Hulk’s irreverence towards his opponent infuriates Thanos, bringing him emotionally and psychologically beyond balance in order to aggressively maintain the advantage. More than just a display of brute force, The Incredible Hulk Annual Depicts this version of Hulk as a master of battlefield mind games. In the end, it is his mental manipulation of Thanos, as much as his physical prowess, that allows Hulk to prevail.
Hulk reminds readers that he is strong enough to stand toe to toe with Thanos
The Incredible Hulk Annual (2024) #1 – Available now from Marvel Comics
Of course, in the abstract, most Marvel fans know that Hulk is one of the publisher’s strongest characters – but realistically, Hulk’s power level is a moving target, shifting from story to story, from creative team to creative team. The Incredible Hulk Annual Offers a stellar reminder of the hero’s power by pitting him against Thanos, who is widely considered to be among the most dangerous villains in the Marvel Universe. Thanos’ eternal biology, and various upgrades over the years, have made him immeasurably powerful, yet Hulk more than holds his own when they trade blows.
The villain has never faced the incarnation of the Hulk before, and the mad titan finally pays for underestimating his enemy.
As mentioned, he also stands tall as he trades insults with Thanos – Another dimension of the battle that makes it the most exciting Hulk vs. Thanos match-up in Marvel history. Hulk is depicted as an intellectual equal to Thanos, something that increasingly works in his favor as the battle progresses. When Thanos remarks that he has defeated Hulk before, Hulk corrects him; The villain has never faced the incarnation of the Hulk before, and the mad titan finally pays for underestimating his enemy.
Hulk is more than willing to do whatever it takes to put down the Mad Titan
Hulk holds the advantage – until their next bout
The Incredible Hulk Annual Does more than just emphasize that Hulk is a physical and mental match for Thanos; It doubles down on the fact that Hulk is a fighter unlike any of his Avengers colleagues, one who is willing to use tactics that others would not. This is the key to his victory, as it turns out, but even more crucially, it sets the stage for an escalating rivalry between the pair. In their inevitable next confrontation, Thanos will know that he has to raise – or rather, lower – the bar if he wants to keep up with Hulk.
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In other words, hopefully, Marvel recognizes the great potential for further confrontations between Hulk and Thanos, and acknowledges the enthusiastic fan response to their fight this year. The Incredible Hulk Annual. Who would win in a fight between the two is a perennial question for Marvel fans, and every time the two come into contact, it adds fuel to the fire of the raging debate. Although Hulk Won this round, he will have to fight even harder, and even ruder, the next time he and Thanos Come to blows.
The Incredible Hulk Annual #1 is available now from Marvel Comics.