The Hulk is one of the strongest characters in the Marvel Universe, and adamantium is one of the strongest substances in the Marvel Universe, which begs the question: can adamantium cut the Hulk’s skin? This seems like an ‘unstoppable force meets immovable object’ kind of scenario, but in fact, Marvel Comics already gave fans a definitive answer (though the answer isn’t without its caveats).

One of the first times the Hulk encountered adamantium was during his fight with Wolverine upon Logan’s debut in The Incredible Hulk #181 by Len Wein and Herb Trimpe. Going off this fight alone, fans can clearly see that the Hulk’s skin is too strong to be pierced by Wolverine’s adamantium claws, as none of the many slashes and stabs leave a single mark. However, the two have been in plenty more fights since then, including and especially one in particular.

In Savage Wolverine #5 by Frank Cho, Hulk is faced with the adamantium of Wolverine’s claws yet again, and this time, he doesn’t leave the fight seemingly unscathed. In fact, this issue gave fans the iconic image of Wolverine sinking both sets of claws into the Hulk’s head, through his skin, skull, and into his brain. So, with this example (plus many others, including World War Hulk: X-Men), Marvel definitively answers “yes” to the ‘adamantium vs Hulk’s skin’ question.

Adamantium Can Pierce the Hulk’s Skin – But It’s Not That Simple

While Marvel Comics has established in many different storylines that adamantium can, in fact, pierce the Hulk’s skin, it’s actually not that simple, as it’s also been well-established that the Hulk gets more powerful the more angry he becomes. The Hulk’s power-level ranges from being weak enough to lose to Iron Man when Tony Stark was in his base armor (Iron Man #132), to being powerful enough to shatter an entire dimension with his Thunderclap (Incredible Hulk #126).

Given the insane disparities in the Hulk’s power, it’s fair to say that not all of his fights can be judged equally. The Hulk’s skin may be vulnerable to adamantium when he’s at a weaker power-level – like when he was knocked out by Tony Stark – but if Hulk was boasting a dimension-shattering power-level, then perhaps the adamantium would just bounce right off his flesh. But, as of now, that’s mere speculation, as there are far more instances of the Hulk being susceptible to adamantium than not, meaning Marvel’s definitive answer has not officially changed.

Adamantium May Physically Cut the Hulk, but It Can’t Sever What REALLY Holds Him Together

The Immortal Hulk #8 by Al Ewing and Joe Bennett

Despite the fact that the Hulk’s skin can be cut by adamantium, one comic suggests that the Hulk’s strength and durability is far more than just skin deep. When the Hulk’s body was completely dismembered in The Immortal Hulk #8, the Hulk still had full control over his severed limbs. His mind was still connected to his body part through the supernatural elements of gamma radiation, meaning his physical injuries were utterly nonconsequential. Therefore, if his skin is pierced by adamantium, has the Hulk even actually been cut, given that his ‘true self’ is more metaphysical?

So, can the Hulk’s skin be cut by adamantium? Short answer: yes. However, the caveats to that simplistic answer are that it is conceivable that he’d get so angry that his skin would become too tough to cut, and that adamantium has no real impact on the supernatural ‘glue’ that holds the Hulk’s body together. But, everything else aside, Marvel Comics’ definitive answer is still “yes”, the Hulk can be cut by adamantium.