Red Hulk vs. Hulk: Who Would Win & Why?

All across the Marvel Universe and various timelines, there are various versions of powerful beings known as Hulk. The Hulk and Red Hulk are among two of the most notable versions to ever exist. The original Hulk is none other than Bruce Banner, who got his powers after being exposed to extreme Gamma radiation. The Red Hulk is General Thunderbolt Ross, who was transformed using radiation siphoned from the Hulk, Leader, and M.O.D.O.K. As the fandom loves pitting various characters against each other, one would wonder who’d be victorious in a fight between Red Hulk and The Incredible Hulk.

The Hulk would win in a fight against Red Hulk. This is because his powers and abilities are amplified the angrier he becomes, and he’d, therefore, easily dispatch Red Hulk at his peak rage level. Additionally, the Hulk is stronger, faster, more invulnerable, more intelligent, and a better combatant than Red Hulk.

In this piece, we will explore the various powers and abilities of both of these Hulks, comparing each against the other to determine who’d win in a fight between them. So, if you’re interested in learning more about this, stick with us till the end!

Strength

The Hulk is arguably the strongest Marvel character of all time. He possesses virtually limitless physical strength with upper limits that are hitherto unknown. What makes him quite unique is that his level of strength is tied to his rage. The angrier the Hulk gets, the stronger he becomes, growing exponentially towards infinity.

Powerful beings like the Beyonder and the Stranger have confirmed the assertion that the Hulk’s strength is intrinsically limitless.

Comic book fans are well aware of the Hulk’s strength due to all the incredible feats he’s displayed over the years. For instance, he held 150 billion tons of a mountain range, once lifted 6 sextillion tons while calm, held 270 undecillion tons of a black hole to rescue himself and his allies, briefly lifted and threw Mjolnir, supported the weight of a star, and so on. 

Red Hulk is also no slouch when it comes to physical strength. He possesses superhuman strength, but unlike the Hulk, his strength doesn’t increase the angrier he gets. Instead, he can absorb radiation which further augments his strength.

He has performed various feats of strength, including easily overpowering the Abomination, defeating an Odinforce-powered Thor, knocking out a Watcher, killing an Elder of the Universe, and so on.

Point: The Hulk (1:0) Red Hulk

Speed

The Hulk is incredibly fast despite his stocky frame. He can move and fight and eye-blurring speeds thanks to his strong musculature. He has performed various feats of speed over the years, including moving faster than a blur alongside Mjolnir, catching up to and killing Hypnos, who is almost as fast as Hermes, tagging the Silver Surfer, who can move at speeds of around 500,000 light years in seconds, and taking out Quicksilver.

This speed usually comes in handy while battling, and he’s been described as having lightning-fast reflexes. Even the Mandarin claims that his reflexes are without equal. He can dodge and catch missiles. Hulk also caught a sniper bullet using his teeth, the Silver Surfer’s board and dodged Mjolnir.

What’s special about the Hulk’s speed is that it increases his anger. Therefore, his speed is virtually limitless at his peak level of rage.

On the other hand, Red Hulk boasts superhuman speed that allows him to move and react accordingly during fights. Since he’s a gamma-radiated being just like Hulk, he can tap into these energies to increase his speed.

The only difference is that Red Hulk’s speed doesn’t increase the angrier he gets. In fact, if he moves too fast and gets incredibly angry, he could overheat and revert back to his human form.

Point: The Hulk (2:0) Red Hulk

Invulnerability

The Hulk is an indestructible force of nature. His body is incredibly resistant to physical injury, and he can survive severe punishment. The Hulk is capable of withstanding high-caliber bullets. Grenade falls from orbital heights, powerful energy blasts, and even conventional blades without any sign of injury.

We’ve seen the Hulk’s invulnerability on display severally; for example, he withstood the impact of nuclear explosions multiple times, tanked the Human Torch’s Nova Blast, withstood a planet-devastating impact, and tanked a powerful blow from a Phoenix-empowered Cyclops.

He even withstood exposure to mystical energies calculated to be about 100 times stronger than Hercules’ most powerful blows. Additionally, he tanked the pressure and kinetic energy of a literal supernova exploding on his body and even withstood powerful blasts with the potency of a hundred thousand supernovas while wearing Celestial armor.

Much like his physical strength, the Hulk’s invulnerability increases the angrier he gets. Colossus even remarks that the harder he hit the Hulk, the less it seemed to hurt him.

Red Hulk is also quite invulnerable to physical harm and can withstand damage that may instantly kill a human or lower-level superpowered being. To give a clear picture of his invulnerability, picture this; he can withstand the extreme heat of atmospheric reentry without being injured.

However, Red Hulk has displayed a surprising weakness to bladed and sharp objects. For instance, The Punisher stabbed him with a knife, causing him to bleed excessively, and Wolverine slashed him in the arms, back, chest, and across the eyes with his claws. He’s also vulnerable to Negative Zone, which drains him if he absorbs it.

Point: The Hulk (3:0) Red Hulk

Intelligence

Bruce is known among the best nuclear physicists in the Marvel comic universe. He demonstrated his brilliance by easily reprogramming complex computer systems and infecting them with viruses that even Tony Stark couldn’t counteract. Considering that Bruce Banner’s IQ is around 160, he is around the same level as Barry Allen, according to our estimated IQ, which makes them equally smart.

Red Hulk or General Thunderbolt Ross’ intellect cannot compare to Banner’s. He is a brilliant military man who has that going for him. Besides that, he’s just as smart as the average human.

Point: The Hulk (4:0) Red Hulk

Combat Skills

The Hulk is one of the most skilled combatants in the Marvel Universe. He is a great warrior with incredible versatility and intuition in battle. He can anticipate and exploit the weaknesses of his opponents. He’s displayed his incredible fighting skills numerous times. For instance, he’s severally battled supreme warriors with immense experience and defeated them, including Thor, Hercules, and the Executioner.

As the Green Scar, he also trained extensively in numerous fighting styles while stranded on the planet Sakaar. During this time, he fought as a gladiator defeating numerous opponents. As Doc Green, he also received martial arts training from the highly skilled Daniel Rand in Hulk Vol. 3 #12.

Red Hulk is also a highly accomplished combatant. As a military man, General Thunderbolt Ross has had years of fighting training and immense experience. So, Red Hulk is no slouch when it comes to fighting and can definitely hold his own. For instance, he’s fought and dispatched The Abomination and even once the Hulk.

This round is a much closer call, but the Hulk wins because he’s defeated some of the most skilled fighters in the universe.

Point: The Hulk (5:0) Red Hulk

Red Hulk vs. Hulk: Who Wins?

Hulk would easily win in a fight against Red Hulk because he is vastly stronger, faster, more durable, and has better combat skills. Hulk is truly a force to be reckoned with and even though Red Hulk overpowers most characters in the Marvel Comics universe, he wouldn’t be able to come close to Hulk’s infinite rage.

Who do you think would win in this fight? Share your answers in the comments below!