Hulk has lived a life of many ups and downs, with his love life being no different. Throughout his comic history, Hulk has had love interests who only had their own self interests at heart, as well as others who cared for Bruce Banner regardless of the unrelenting circumstances that surrounded him. One of Marvel’s most widely known and popular characters, the loves of Hulk’s life have always been interesting.
What’s not always a given with the Hulk is how he deals with his relationships ending. While some relationships have ended with Bruce being completely fine, others have seen him become distraught with heartbreak. As some of his romantic partners have been involved in tragic situations, it comes as no surprise that those were the love interests that stand out to Hulk readers as well as to the character himself.
Related
15 Most Important Hulk Moments That Defined Marvel’s Strongest Hero
From first gaining his terrifying powers to the showstopping event that was World War Hulk, these are the moments that have defined the Hulk.
10 Bereet
Debuted in Incredible Hulk #269 by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema
From the planet of Krylor, Bereet is a techno artist. She used her obsession with technology to make films about the Hulk, who served as a muse to her. While she would frequently try to find other subjects, she always wound up going back to the Hulk. Filming together, they eventually bonded and formed a romantic relationship. Their time together as a couple was short, because Bereet may have only been in the relationship to keep Hulk as her film star. Regardless, their time together ended, and she moved to Hollywood to continue her filmmaking, effectively ending an odd storyline that brought a new relationship for the Hulk.
9 Glazier
Debuted in Incredible Hulk #262 by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema
A Miss Havisham of the Marvel Universe, Glazier received her powers to transform living things into glass when her heart was broken by a man. After that, she vowed to transform any man who shows up at her glass house on the beach into crystal, effectively killing them. When Bruce Banner was unlucky enough to wash up on her shore unconscious, she took him in and helped aid his recovery, yet her motives were not altruistic or romantic. She intended to transform Bruce Banner into glass, but he transformed into the Hulk instead. Consequently, he shattered her house and in the chaos of things, Glazier accidentally touched her skin without her protective gloves and became glass herself.
8 Thundra
Debuted in Fantastic Four #129 by Roy Thomas and John Buscema
In the Earth-715 timeline, chemical and biological warfare in the 23rd century created a world where only 5 percent of the female population was left fertile. As a result, the females usurped power from the males, who caused the war in the first place, and established the goal of killing off men. Thundra was raised with the purpose of female domination in mind. When her tenure as leader made her question her morality and how long she could continue as the head of the United Sisterhood Empire, she decided to procreate with the strongest living man, the Hulk. She had firsthand experience of how strong he could be, fighting him herself previously. She was inseminated with the Hulk’s DNA, and had a daughter named Lyra.
7 Nadia Blonsky
Debuted in Incredible Hulk #382 by Peter David and Dale Keown
The wife of Emil Blonsky aka Abomination, Nadia often endured the brunt of Emil’s anger and violence. With him since he was a KGB agent, she was terrified but also still loved her husband after he transformed into Abomination. When Home Base enlisted Nadia to seduce Bruce Banner in return for Emil’s release, she did so, although not without falling for him. Nadia sa how kind and respectful Bruce is, and noticed how different he is from the tyrannical Emil. While Bruce was still reeling from the death of Betty Ross, he also had feelings for Nadia. Their time together was not long, as Nadia died when Home Base was destroyed.
6 Umar
Debuted in Strange Tales #150 by Roy Thomas and Bill Everett
The sister of Dormammu, Umar is a sorceress who set her sights on the Hulk. She attempted to seduce him and use him for her own sketchy purposes. She was successful in seducing the Hulk, but it backfired on her when he became so comfortable with Umar that he reverted to Bruce Banner and was unable to transform into the Hulk. Consequently, they became a couple and fought against Mindless Ones together when the Hulk became completely overtaken by his anger and was uncontrollable except when with Umar. They split when she saw that he still loved Red She Hulk, and she returned him to Earth.
Related
10 Times the Avengers Dated Their Villains (& It Went Terribly Wrong)
The Avengers have always had disastrous love lives, but their worst relationships are with their supervillains – here are ten that blew up.
5 Monica Rappaccini
Debuted in Amazing Fantasy #7 by Fred Van Lente and Leonard Kirk
In the Earth-58163 universe that Wanda Maximoff created, a mutant/human war occurred that involved all the Marvel supers. The Hulk, understandably, played a big role as he was the leader of this universe’s Australia. While in the Earth-616 reality, Monica Rappaccini was a powerful A.I.M figure who once stole scientific secrets from Bruce Banner and passed them off as her own work, winning the Nobel Prize as a result. Interestingly, in the alternate Earth-58163 universe, she was actually Banner’s romantic partner as well as his ally in the war.
4 Zarda
Debuted in Defenders #112 by J.M. DeMatteis and Don Perlin
Zarda Shelton aka Power Princess is Marvel’s version of Wonder Woman who had a relationship with the Hulk in the Ultimate Power series. When the Squadron Supreme invaded the Ultimate Universe, she first fought Hulk in a battle that was very awkard, considering that Hulk was naked for the duration of it. While she nearly killed Hulk, Zarda stopped herself after remembering a previous lecture from Captain America about killing. Regardless, she befriended Hulk, and became a sort of domestic figure for him, buying him pants (which he sorely needed) as well as food. While the relationship ended when she wanted to return to the Ultimates, they slept together as one last goodbye.
3 Betty Ross
Debuted in Incredible Hulk #1 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Arguably the Jade Giant’s most well known love interest, Betty Ross was with Bruce Banner before he ever became the Hulk. She was there for him after his transformation from Bruce to Hulk, loving and accepting him while even calming him down during his anger outbursts. While their first attempt at a wedding was thwarted, Bruce and Betty actually did get married years later. They lived a settled down existence while being fugitives before eventually getting caught. It was then a roller coaster of emotions for the pair when Betty was killed by Abomination before being resurrected as Red She-Hulk.
2 Jarella
Debuted in Incredible Hulk #140 by Harlan Ellison, Roy Thomas and Herb Trimpe
The princess of K’ai, Jarella was one of the first who welcomed Bruce Banner in his Hulk form, instead of running from him. When he saved K’ai from a wartho attack, Hulk formed a connection with Jarella, and a spell put Bruce Banner’s mind in the body of the Hulk. They had an idyllic relationship that was one of acceptance and unconditional love. Unfortunately, there was always something that got in the way, like when Psyklop kidnapped the Hulk to take him back to Earth. Ultimately, Jarella died when she saved a child from being crushed by a building, leaving the Hulk heartbroken.
1 Caiera
Debuted in Incredible Hulk #92 by Greg Pak and Carlo Pagulayan
Planet Hulk was an important entry into the saga of Marvel’s favorite green man with anger issues, with one reason being that it established his bond with Caiera the Oldstrong. Gifted the power to control the planet on Sakaar, Caiera first battled the Hulk. However, after she realized she had been betrayed by the Red King, she joined forces with the Hulk and overthrew the evil empire. Hulk and she ruled the realm and married, with her even getting pregnant with their child, Skaar. A happy ending was not in the cards, though, as she was killed in an explosion, The death was devastating for Bruce Banner, and he struggled in the aftermath of his wife’s death, vowing vengenace on those who caused his wife’s untimely demise.
