HULK: 13 Strongest Gamma-Powered Characters in Hulk Lore Right Now (Ranked Weakest to Strongest)

When it comes to physical strength in the Marvel Universe, the gamma-powered heroes and villains of Hulk lore are the unquestioned gold standard. Tapping into one of the fundamental forces of the Marvel Universe, gamma mutates have shattered planets and torn holes in reality itself. However, among a group of characters whose powers fluctuate so often, who is the strongest gamma character right now?

Originating in the ‘Below-Place’ – an eldritch realm populated by the hateful entity known as the One-Below-All – gamma powers have both scientific and mystic origins. Because of this, gamma forms have few set rules, generally creating a unique ‘monster’ form based on the wielder’s subconscious desires or fears. While immense power is a given, it’s expressed in a surprising variety of ways.

Here are the 13 strongest gamma mutates in Marvel canon right now, drawn from ongoing or recently concluded comics. This list will favor base level strength over maximum potential, since the nature of gamma means that most of these heroes and villains have no upper limit in the right circumstances.

13
Red Harpy (Betty Ross)

Hulk’s Iconic Love Has Become a Proud Monster

One of the most varied Hulks in Marvel lore, Betty Ross has a long history of gamma enhancements, and has most famously been the Harpy, the Red She-Hulk, and now the Red Harpy (who emerged when Betty was assassinated in Al Ewing and Joe Bennett’s Immortal Hulk #16.) While not the strongest gamma mutate, the Red Harpy is still incredibly powerful, and combines significant superstrength with razor-sharp feathers, high-powered energy blasts, and talons sharp enough to tear Hulk’s heart from his chest.

The Red Harpy form taps into Betty’s rage at the way her life has been shaped by others, including her former partner Bruce Banner and father General ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross – a major contrast to her reckless enjoyment of the superhero life back when she was the Red She-Hulk. Red Harpy recently toured the prior versions of Marvel’s multiverse in Al Ewing and Javier Rodríguez’s Defenders, learning more about her gamma powers and their connection to magic.

12
Brawn (aka Amadeus Cho)

The Former Totally Awesome Hulk Combines Brains and Brawn

Famously the “seventh-smartest person in the world,” Amadeus Cho was initially an ally of the Hulk who later took Bruce Banner’s gamma powers, becoming the Totally Awesome Hulk. However, Amadeus later purged the vast majority of his gamma radiation, taking on a new, less muscular form and the new codename Brawn. An ally of the Champions and the Agents of Atlas, Amadeus is no longer a Hulk-level operator, but is still more than strong enough to tangle with 99% of Marvel’s heroes and villains.

11
Doc Sasquatch (aka Leonard Samson)

Two Iconic Heroes Have Been Combined

Al Ewing and Joe Bennett’s iconic Immortal Hulk series revolutionized Marvel lore, revealing that all gamma mutates are connected via the eldritch realm known as the Below-Place. Indeed, they’re so connected that it turns out they can even steal each other’s bodies under the right circumstances. That’s what happened to the two superheroes known as Doc Samson and Sasquatch, with the mind of super-psychologist Doc Samson ending up in the newly-green body of Alpha Flight’s Walter Langkowski.

Now going by ‘Doc Sasquatch,’ this new gamma hero continues to act as the go-to therapist for the Marvel Universe, recently working with Matt Murdock (in Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto’s Daredevil) to redeem a group of penitent Marvel villains. The other half of this body-swap equation – now calling himself Walter Samson – is also still out there in the Marvel Universe, recently aiding Alpha Flight in protecting mutants from the extremist group Orchis.

10
Skaar, Son of Hulk

Hulk’s Son Combines Gamma Radiation with the Tectonic Old Power

While the Son of Hulk is incredibly powerful, his strength doesn’t quite reach the level of his father. That’s because Skaar actually draws his power from two sources – his gamma-irradiated blood and the semi-mystical Old Power, which allows him to control earth and rock while in direct contact with the planet’s surface (an ability he was taught by his mother, Caiera the Oldstrong.) This power has allowed him to achieve some major feats – like hurling the Juggernaut into orbit – however this max strength is dependent on being able to channel the planet’s power. Interrupt that connection and Skaar’s might takes a nosedive, as seen during his recent struggles in Al Ewing, Crystal Frasier and Lan Medina’s Gamma Flight.

9
Red Hulk (aka General Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross)

Rulk’s Energy Powers Make Him a Versatile Fighter

The Red Hulk made a major impression when he debuted in 2008, punching out cosmic powerhouses like Silver Surfer and the Watcher. However, Red Hulk’s strength was misleading – his core ability is to channel cosmic energies into his own body, meaning that he made mincemeat out of these godlike beings by temporarily stealing their strength for himself.

While still immensely powerful, the Red Hulk – a transformed General Ross, who has spent years hunting the Hulk – marries his physical might to tactical genius and decades of military training. Previously believed dead, Red Hulk was revealed to be undercover with the villainous Power Elite, returning to ‘life’ in Ta-Nehisi Coates and Robert Quinn’s Captain America #20.

8
Hulk of Earth-65 (aka Rick Jones)

Spider-Gwen’s Reality Just Introduced Two New Gamma Mutates

Easily the newest addition to Hulk lore, Rick Jones’ Hulk was introduced in 2023’s Spider-Gwen: Smash, from Melissa Flores and Enid Balam. The series revealed that in the world of Spider-Gwen, Bruce Banner is an obsessive villain who has carried out a series of experiments on vulnerable people, turning rockstar Rick Jones into a Hulk under the pretense of radical anti-addiction treatment. While Banner himself is also a Hulk in this reality, fans haven’t really seen him in action, whereas Rick showcased his gamma-powered strength in several fights against Spider-Gwen.

7
She-Hulk (aka Jennifer Walters)

Marvel’s Legal Eagle Just Gave Up a Major Strength Upgrade

The perfect blend of gamma strength and human intellect, Jennifer Walters’ She-Hulk has been through a lot in the last few years. Just months ago, she’d have placed far higher on this list, as Jason Aaron’s Avengers run saw Jennifer Walters enhanced by first the Celestials and then the Phoenix Force, becoming the strongest Hulk in the Marvel Universe. However, she’s since abandoned her cosmic upgrades and embraced her former life as a genius lawyer and superhero. Her adventures continue in Rainbow Rowell and Ig Guara’s Sensational She-Hulk.

6
Rhino (aka Aleksei Sytsevich)

Spider-Man’s Superstrong Villain Is a Gamma Mutate

While the Rhino is often overlooked as an official gamma mutate, the Spider-Man villain’s immense strength and durability come from repeated gamma ray treatments which have gradually enhanced his body to near-Hulk levels (especially in conjunction with his Rhino-suit, which is designed to work in tandem with his powers.) Recently tangling with Nightcrawler as an agent of Orchis (in Simon Spurrier and Lee Garbett’s Uncanny Spider-Man), Rhino is held back only by his notable lack of intelligence.

5
Queen Monolith

The Ruler of an Entire Hulk Planet

Introduced in Donny Cates and Ryan Ottley’s Hulk #9, Monolith is the queen of ‘Hulk Planet’ – an entire world of gamma mutates who absorbed not just the Hulk’s gamma powers but also Bruce Banner’s intelligence. Originating in an alternate universe, Monolith eventually met the mainstream Hulk, and welcomed him to live on this ultra-powerful planet where even the horses are gamma-enhanced monstrosities. Immensely strong in her own right, Monolith is also capable of absorbing the gamma energy of others, and can do so on a planetary level – when battling against the corrupted Hulk form known as Titan, she drew on countless Hulks’ strength to help beat back the villain.

4
The Legendary Hulk

The Ultimate Universe’s New Hulk Is a Religious Leader and Villain

A very new addition to Marvel lore, the Legendary Hulk was recently introduced in Jonathan Hickman and Bryan Hitch’s Ultimate Invasion. This Hulk is a citizen of Earth-6160 – a world where the villainous Maker used time travel to rewrite Marvel’s timeline, preventing the origin stories of major heroes and turning others into villains. Having experienced the same gamma bomb explosion as the mainstream Bruce Banner, the Legendary Hulk has learned to master his rage through meditation, and rules the world as part of the nefarious Maker’s Council while also acting as the figurehead of the religious order known as the Children of Eternal Light. However, recent events have begun to show that Hulk’s rage is still simmering below the surface.

3
Weapon H (aka Clayton Cortez)

The Hulk-Wolverine Hybrid Just Redefined the Limits of Gamma Power

A fortmer marine, Clayton Cortez is the victim of extensive Weapon X experimentation which gave him the combined powers of several Marvel heroes, most prominently Wolverine and the Hulk. Immensely strong, Cortez also has gigantic, Adamantium-coated claws and an extreme healing factor. Close to the Hulk himself in terms of strength, Weapon H recently underwent a shocking transformation in the pages of Savage Avengers #8 (from David Pepose and Carlos Magno).

There, Weapon H discovered he can shift his gamma frequency, switching powers from those of the original Hulk to other gamma mutates. For example, Weapon H was able to manifest the powers of Red Harpy, sprouting wings and deadly talons. While this doesn’t affect his physical strength, it makes him far more versatile, and opens up incredible vistas of new powers in future stories.

2
Hulk (aka Bruce Banner)

The Strongest One There Is Remains High on This List

The classic Hulk was always going to claim a top spot on this list, however he’s actually been operating at the lower end of his strength spectrum in recent comics. Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Nic Klein’s ongoing The Incredible Hulk sees Hulk and Banner once again traveling across America, and yet again bitterly at odds, with Hulk trying to destroy Banner’s persona for good. The two have also found themselves exploring the more eldritch side of gamma powers, acting as monster hunters and eliminating the brood of the mysterious Mother of Horrors.

While Hulk is still flexing his muscles against towering monstrosities, his strength has been toned down recently, especially in contrast to his previous adventures in Immortal Hulk and Hulk volume 5. Hulk’s immense strength still scales with his anger, however he’s not currently operating at the max level fans have seen in the past. In Greg Pak and John Romita Jr.’s World War Hulk, the Hulk’s Green Scar persona became so enraged that his strength threatened to break apart the entire planet. While that potential is still lurking in Hulk’s genes, he has many different forms, and his current monster slayer persona isn’t reaching anywhere near the same heights.

1
Abomination (aka Emil Blonsky)

The Greatest Gamma Monster Boasts Mind-Bending Strength

It will be hugely controversial for Hulk fans to see any other gamma being on the top of this list, however Abomination has always been stronger than Hulk. The dark mirror of Bruce Banner, Emil Blonsky actually is the monster Bruce Banner fears himself to be, and his lack of restraint makes for a significantly higher strength level. It should be noted that Hulk has a far higher maximum strength, which he is able to reach after a prolonged period of anger, often allowing him to turn the tables against Abomination when the two fight.

However, with Hulk operating at the lower end of his strength potential in current comics, the day-to-day reality of Marvel’s reality is that Abomination is the bigger powerhouse. After being killed by the Red Hulk, Abomination recently returned to life, carrying out experiments on other gamma mutates in Gamma Flight and working for the Thunderbolts in Clay McLeod Chapman and Manuel Garcia’s recent Devil’s Reign: Villains for Hire.

As Hulk’s rage has proved on countless occasions, gamma power is inherently volatile, meaning the ordering and entries of this list will undoubtedly change soon – and when they do, Screen Rant will be here to report the Earth-shaking consequences (and hopefully put the Hulk back on top, where he belongs.)