The MCU is fairly stacked with heroes and other characters who can at least match the Hulk in terms of sheer strength – if not surpass him – but one comic proves that there’s still one Hulk-beating Avenger left to introduce. Not only can this hero in question go toe-to-toe with the Hulk (and clearly come out on top), but they are able to come up with brilliant battle maneuvers on the fly, which is equally important when facing one of the physically strongest earthbound entities in the Marvel Universe.

In 2014’s Nova #24 by Gerry Duggan and David Baldeon, the Red Skull has found a way to weaponize Charles Xavier’s telepathy following Professor X’s death, turning him into Red Onslaught. With the rise of Red Onslaught came the downfall of the entire world, as well as the awakening of Kluh, who is described as ‘Hulk’s Hulk’. Kluh is the manifestation of the sinister rage that even the Hulk represses, and when he goes on a rampage in Arizona, there’s only one hero who can stop him: Sam Alexander aka Nova.

Sam’s family was right in Kluh’s line of destruction, so he abandons Captain America and Spider-Man (the only two Avengers not corrupted by Red Onslaught) and flies off to battle the evil version of Hulk. Their fight lasted between issues #23 and #24, and while Nova was literally punched halfway around the world during the first part of their fight, Sam came back with a vengeance in issue #24. Using the main cables of the bridge that Kluh just destroyed, Nova wrapped the former Avenger in the metal suspender ropes and dragged him through the atmosphere before launching him into space.

Nova Defeated the Most Evil Version of the Hulk Single-Handedly

The Hulk at base level is fueled by Bruce Banner’s repressed rage, which is also the source of Hulk’s existence along with the gamma radiation that made Hulk autonomously sentient. Once becoming his own person, the Hulk then had to curb his own rage, or else he’d be consumed by anger and become an unstoppable monster – and Kluh is that monster. Kluh is everything the Hulk holds back, which means he’s the most evil – and arguably the most powerful – version of the Hulk. And that fact alone makes Nova’s victory so incredibly impressive.

If Nova can take down a Hulk who’s holding nothing back, then it’s fair to say that Nova can defeat (or, at the very least, hold his own against) every other incarnation of the Jade Giant in Marvel Comics. Therefore, Nova has officially earned the title of a ‘Hulk-beating Avenger’, and it’s high-time he proved it in the MCU.

Fighting Hulk Would Be the Perfect Introduction for Nova in the MCU

The MCU has been teasing Nova’s debut for some time. From Xandar’s Nova Corp being decimated by Thanos (laying the groundwork for the perfect Nova origin film) to the Nova Easter Egg in Spider-Man: Far From Home, the MCU has clearly been building up to the Avenger’s inclusion. However, there is no word on when or how Nova will be brought into the MCU, which means the possibilities are endless. With a World War Hulk MCU project in development, that could be the perfect time to introduce Nova and show what this comic already proved: Nova is a Hulk-level powerhouse.

Introducing Nova into the MCU by having him fight the Hulk would be the fastest and most comic-accurate way to immediately prove how strong the Avenger is. But, even if the MCU never has them fight, fans still know that Nova is a Hulk-beating Avenger because of this Marvel Comics story arc, something that will remain true no matter how he joins the Marvel Cinematic Universe.