# An intelligent Hulk is grossly overpowered **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 18, 2012, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-intelligent-hulk-is-grossly-overpowered/644454 "2012-12-18T20:55:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-intelligent-hulk-is-grossly-overpowered/644454/1 "2012-12-18T20:55:12Z")
While in Hulk form Bruce Banner is basically Superman without the laser eyes, totally invulnerable and probably able to destroy a mountain. BUT the key weakness here is that he can’t control going into Hulk mode or control anything while in this berserk er mode. If he can control it, or is in control while the Hulk, he is basically Clark Kent and Superman. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-intelligent-hulk-is-grossly-overpowered/644454/2 "2012-12-18T20:56:07Z")
He can’t fly. He can jump from here to Formosa, but good luck changing direction in the air. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-intelligent-hulk-is-grossly-overpowered/644454/3 "2012-12-18T20:59:15Z")
> [@grude](#): > > While in Hulk form Bruce Banner is basically Superman without the laser eyes, totally invulnerable and probably able to destroy a mountain. BUT the key weakness here is that he can’t control going into Hulk mode or control anything while in this berserk er mode. > > If he can control it, or is in control while the Hulk, he is basically Clark Kent and Superman. OK, but then Superman is also grossly overpowered, since he IS Clark Kent and Superman, and Superman is more powerful than the Hulk. He can fly, heat vision, X-ray vision, super breath, super hearing, all things that Hulk can’t do/doesn’t have. Are you saying he’s too powerful for the Marvel universe or something? ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-intelligent-hulk-is-grossly-overpowered/644454/4 "2012-12-18T21:01:34Z")
I bought a collection of [Marvel Two-in-One](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_Two-in-One) reprints which feature The Thing teamed up with other heroes. It seemed like every other issue involved The Thing either (a) being attacked with knockout gas or (b) getting mind controlled. That’s one of the lame things about having an invulnerable superhero – you quickly run out of ideas to endanger him (or her). ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-intelligent-hulk-is-grossly-overpowered/644454/5 "2012-12-18T21:07:30Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > OK, but then Superman is also grossly overpowered, since he IS Clark Kent and Superman, and Superman is more powerful than the Hulk. He can fly, heat vision, X-ray vision, super breath, super hearing, all things that Hulk can’t do/doesn’t have. > > Are you saying he’s too powerful for the Marvel universe or something? Um yes I do think Superman is grossly overpowered and uninteresting. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-intelligent-hulk-is-grossly-overpowered/644454/6 "2012-12-18T21:17:50Z")
He’s still gotta wear those dumb purple shorts. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Doom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Dr\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Doom)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-intelligent-hulk-is-grossly-overpowered/644454/7 "2012-12-18T21:19:57Z")
I haven’t been a comics reader for a couple decades, but it seems to me that when the\*\* Hulk\*\* was able to retain **Banner’s** intellect/mind, he was unable to continue growing stronger with rage. The tag-line on the **Hulk** was always “_the madder he gets, the stronger he gets_”, and it seemed to me a reasonable trade-off for the **Hulk** to lose a large portion of his physical capability as a “mindless” beast in exchange for the genius-level intellectual capability of a rational, sane \*\*Bruce Banner. \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-intelligent-hulk-is-grossly-overpowered/644454/8 "2012-12-18T21:23:36Z")
Superman would kick Hulk’s ass. That is all. ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-intelligent-hulk-is-grossly-overpowered/644454/9 "2012-12-18T21:26:16Z")
> [@Dr\_Doom](#): > > I haven’t been a comics reader for a couple decades, but it seems to me that when the\*\* Hulk\*\* was able to retain **Banner’s** intellect/mind, he was unable to continue growing stronger with rage. > > The tag-line on the **Hulk** was always “_the madder he gets, the stronger he gets_”, and it seemed to me a reasonable trade-off for the **Hulk** to lose a large portion of his physical capability as a “mindless” beast in exchange for the genius-level intellectual capability of a rational, sane \*\*Bruce Banner. \*\* Writer Peter David made a weird thing out of it, when it turned out that both Banner, The Hulk and Intelligent Hulk are three distinct personalities, and Intelligent Hulk was kind of a jerk. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-intelligent-hulk-is-grossly-overpowered/644454/10 "2012-12-18T21:28:05Z")
The premise of the Hulk is that he is a rage machine. He is not thought, not planning, just unchained rage. When I found out there are incarnations where he retains Bruce Banner’s intellect, it just seemed wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-intelligent-hulk-is-grossly-overpowered/644454/11 "2012-12-18T21:31:33Z")
The Hulk can grab a tank by the nozzle and fling it quite far. Superman on the other hand can hold the tank in one hand like a cocktail waitress holds a tray. And drop it on Venus. Or… if he chooses he can catch the projectile and sling it right back at the tank. Also… Superman can save any woman in Gotham from plummeting to the ground from sixty floors up. No prob. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-intelligent-hulk-is-grossly-overpowered/644454/12 "2012-12-18T21:37:01Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Um yes I do think Superman is grossly overpowered and uninteresting. 🙂 So, is Antman your favorite? “What’s your power, again?” “I can shrink down to the size of an ant, but retain my human strength.” “Hey, Hulk, get a load of Antman. He has \*human \*strength! _snicker_” From one of my favorite SNL sketches of all time. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Doom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Dr\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Doom)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-intelligent-hulk-is-grossly-overpowered/644454/13 "2012-12-18T21:44:35Z")
> [@Lukeinva](#): > > Also… Superman can save any woman in Gotham from plummeting to the ground from sixty floors up. No prob. I was/am almost exclusively a Marvel guy, so correct me if I’m wrong: Wouldn’t Batman be a bit pissed at someone horning in on his territory? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-intelligent-hulk-is-grossly-overpowered/644454/14 "2012-12-18T21:47:15Z")
The dual nature of Bruce Banner/The Hulk balances out the Hulks unlimited power. For Superman there is nothing like that except the tired story of keeping his identity secret. Hulk is a much better character. He has unlimited strength, but a limited ability to use that strength in a controlled manner. > [@Scumpup](#): > > Superman would kick Hulk’s ass. That is all. Probably, but only because he’s smarter than the Hulk. He’ll avoid getting him mad, get him as calm as possible, then knock him cold. It will be almost like hitting Bruce Banner instead of the Hulk. If Supes fails to do this he’ll probably get Hulk so mad that the big green guy knocks him into a parallel universe. > [@RitterSport](#): > > So, is Antman your favorite? > > “What’s your power, again?” > “I can shrink down to the size of an ant, but retain my human strength.” > “Hey, Hulk, get a load of Antman. He has \*human \*strength! _snicker_” > > From one of my favorite SNL sketches of all time. Actually, one of my favorite comic superheroes as a child was DC’s Mighty Atom. His ability was to simply shrink in size, unimpressive often, but he could shrink down so small that he would enter sub-atomic worlds. Since he could grow back to normal size in these worlds he could both shrink and grow to any size. But it’s true that only shrinking from normal size is pretty lame here in our regular-atomic world. Side note: Astro Boy was originally called the Mighty Atom. The name was changed for American distribution to avoid copyright issues. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-intelligent-hulk-is-grossly-overpowered/644454/15 "2012-12-18T21:52:15Z")
So you’ve never read Peter David’s run or Pak’s Planet Hulk or World War Hulk then? Great stories with intelligent Hulks. This is a non-issue as evidenced by the comics themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-intelligent-hulk-is-grossly-overpowered/644454/16 "2012-12-18T21:53:47Z")
[QUOTE=TriPolar;15810819he’ll probably get Hulk so mad that the big green guy knocks him into a parallel universe.[/QUOTE] Superman is basically God, only buffer and with a cooler costume, so I can’t honestly say that I see any confrontation between the two ending in any way other than Hulk hooking a finger through Superman’s belt loop and calling him “Daddy.” ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-intelligent-hulk-is-grossly-overpowered/644454/17 "2012-12-18T21:55:36Z")
Superman is also much, much faster than the Hulk, which makes a huge difference. Superman has been able to keep up with some incarnations of the Flash (although not in recent years I think) whose _only_ power is being ridiculously fast. Superman seems to conveniently forget about his superspeed whenever the writers want, but if he actually used he’d probably be too fast for the Hulk to even see, much less hit. ---
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-intelligent-hulk-is-grossly-overpowered/644454/18 "2012-12-18T22:36:41Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > Superman is also much, much faster than the Hulk, which makes a huge difference. Superman has been able to keep up with some incarnations of the Flash (although not in recent years I think) whose _only_ power is being ridiculously fast. > > Superman seems to conveniently forget about his superspeed whenever the writers want, but if he actually used he’d probably be too fast for the Hulk to even see, much less hit. As per usual, who wins is in the hands of the writers. But to me Hulk is on a par with Doomsday, who killed Supes. So who knows. But from what I gather in that ‘Death of Superman’ story, the writers decided that good old Supes had a bad case of the idiots that day. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-intelligent-hulk-is-grossly-overpowered/644454/19 "2012-12-18T23:20:41Z")
> [@Sr\_Siete](#): > > Writer Peter David made a weird thing out of it, when it turned out that both Banner, The Hulk and Intelligent Hulk are three distinct personalities, and Intelligent Hulk was kind of a jerk. And Smart Hulk had a ponytail, which is also wrong. Think about it: you’re the strongest and close to the smartest one there is; of COURSE you’re gonna be a jerk. Future crazy Hulk was cool though.[Nice beard](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maestro_%28comics%29), too. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-intelligent-hulk-is-grossly-overpowered/644454/20 "2012-12-18T23:31:56Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > Superman is also much, much faster than the Hulk, which makes a huge difference. Superman has been able to keep up with some incarnations of the Flash (although not in recent years I think) whose _only_ power is being ridiculously fast. > > Superman seems to conveniently forget about his superspeed whenever the writers want, but if he actually used he’d probably be too fast for the Hulk to even see, much less hit. Using superspeed would be a mistake. Hulk would just get madder because he can’t see the guy hitting him. If he can’t hit Superman he’ll end up destroying whatever planet he’s standing on. At best the big boy scout has to spend the rest of his or the Hulk’s life zipping around. If he ever slows down within the green guy’s range he’ll end of as a bunch of disassociated super particles. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-intelligent-hulk-is-grossly-overpowered/644454.md?page=2)