10 Hulk Comic Powers the MCU Still Hasn’t Shown After 10 Movies

The Hulk remains one of the strongest Avengers in any iteration of the team, be it comics, films, or even animation. The MCU’s version of the character, however, despite his strength and abilities, has not yet depicted the extent of his powers fully on screen. Despite all the appearances that he has had, be it Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Avengers: Infinity War, or even his own solo film way back in Phase 1 of the franchise.

There are a slew of powers that the Hulk possesses, which make him one of the most dangerous characters on the Avengers roster. However, as is the case with most other heroes and villains in the MCU, the character has been nerfed and draws inspiration from multiple source materials for the treatment of his character. However, given that the Savage Hulk is slated to appear once again in the MCU, as seen in the trailer, the first time since Infinity War, the films have the chance to showcase these 10 Hulk powers that are yet to debut in the MCU.

1 Hulk Had Opportunities To Show His Energy Absorption

The Hulk can absorb energy directed at him || Credit: Marvel Comics

There are a slew of characters in the MCU that have energy projection powers. Chief among them, Thor, with his thunder projecting abilities, has clashed with the Hulk numerous times. The fight has always devolved into a physical slugfest, given that both characters are incredibly strong. However, there has never been a case where Thor has channeled his lightning powers at Hulk, which he has absorbed. This power, with the return of The Hulk, could find its way into the MCU come Doomsday or Secret Wars.

2 Gamma Ray Manipulation Could Have Mitigated His Endgame Injuries

In Avengers: Endgame, Hulk was able to use the Infinity Gauntlet constructed by Tony Stark and bring everyone back. This was largely due to the fact that the radiation that the gauntlet put out was mostly Gamma, which made Hulk the perfect candidate to use it. However, it ended up damaging him severely, something that took quite some time to heal. In the comics, Hulk is able to manipulate gamma radiation, storing it in his body and emitting it, either in the form of energy projection or increased strength. Managing the kind of output that the Infinity Stones put out might have given the Hulk a boost instead of crippling him, which would have set up a nice second bout between Thanos and the Incredible Hulk in the finale.

3 Hulk Can Breathe Underwater

Hulk can adapt to his environment, especially water || Credit: Marvel Comics

Among the various abilities that the Hulk has, his ability to breathe underwater is the most interesting. It is an extension of his impressive healing factor, allowing him to grow tissue that can synthesize oxygen in a liquid environment. While it is unknown why Hulk and even the Abomination have such water-related abilities, given that Namor has been described as being as strong as the Hulk, it would be interesting to see the duo duke it out, possibly during Secret Wars.

4 Breathing in Space Gives Hulk And Edge Over Most of Marvel Cosmic

Hulk is able to breathe in space or hold his breath for extended periods of time, depending on the writer || Credit: Marvel Studios

Hulk can survive the vacuum of space. This is an ability that has fluctuated in comics from time to time, with some writers making it so that Hulk doesn’t even require a space suit to go out into the cosmos. Others have made it so that while The Hulk cannot survive in outer space, he does have the ability to survive in outer space for a limited amount of time. So far, such an ability has only been demonstrated by Captain Marvel. However, given the abilities that have been portrayed on screen for the character, giving him the ability to survive in space would make him a threat to more than a few cosmic characters.

5 Seeing Ghosts Makes Hulk A Threat For Sorcerers Too

Hulk once broke Doctor Strange’s arms in his astral form || Credit: Marvel Studios

The Hulk can see ghosts and other sorts of astral and spiritual projections. This was particularly seen when Doctor Strange tried to appeal to Banner when he went on a rampage after returning to Earth. This was following the events of Planet Hulk, which saw the Illuminati exile Hulk to an exoplanet, where he ended up becoming a king and starting a family. This power is yet to be translated into the MCU, and doing so will not only make the character a serious threat to the likes of Doctor Strange, but also other entities like Khonshu and the Ghost Rider

6 Resisting Psychic Control Should Have Prevented Hulk’s Age of Ultron Breakdown

Any sort of psychic manipulation of Bruce Banner or The Hulk is usually a bad idea for the person attempting it. Given that Banner and Hulk are distinct personalities that just happen to inhabit the same individual person, using mind control or any sort of mental intrusion on the duo causes the aggressor to have a mental breakdown themselves, or just be denied entry altogether. Scarlet Witch did not have a problem doing this way back in Age of Ultron, which caused Hulk to go on a rampage. Introducing this ability in the MCU might make the Hulk a little less easy to manipulate, and even a more monstrous foe to the villains that try to use the Hulk as a deterrent for the Avengers.

7 Radiation Absorption Made Hulk A Walking Reactor

Different radiations bring out different kinds of Hulk- after killing him || Credit: Marvel Studios.

The Hulk, in addition to having abilities that allow him to absorb energy, also has the ability to absorb radiation. In the Immortal Hulk (and older versions of the character that existed at the dawn of Marvel comics), Hulk is slain by exposure to large amounts of radiation. However, after coming back from the Green Door, Banner is not only able to unleash a different form of Hulk, but he is also now immune to the radiation that killed him. This ability would make him one of the most versatile heroes in the MCU. It would aid him immensely when dealing with characters like Doctor Doom.

8 Hulk’s Regenerative Healing Factor Rivals Wolverine’s

Hulk heals from his injuries pretty fast || Credit: Marvel Comics

The Hulk’s healing factor rivals that of Wolverine in more ways than one. Maestro, the future version of the Hulk that often serves as a villain for the character, was exploded from the inside out and completely incinerated, only for him to regenerate. The user usually shrugs off whatever damage is dealt to him, but any weapon that is strong enough to actually break his skin also ends up doing no damage at all, given that the character heals almost instantly. While the Hulk has come back from some nasty injuries in the MCU, the healing process has been relatively slow.

9 Hulk’s Separate Memory Could Be Explored In Brand New Day

Hulk is going to make his comeback in Spider-Man Brand New Day || Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing

Hulk and Bruce Banner are completely different entities. Which means whatever is done to Banner, magically, psychically, or even otherwise, does not affect the Hulk. This was seen when the world forgot about The Sentry, but Hulk did not. Something similar could be explored in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. While The Hulk has not directly interacted with Spider-Man in the films, Banner, post-Civil War, did spend a lot of time with Tony Stark. Given the profound impact that Peter had on Tony, it is unlikely that Banner has not heard about Peter, which, by extension, is something The Hulk would know as well. While Doctor Strange’s spell wiped Peter from everyone’s memory, the Hulk could still remember Peter Parker.

10 Spatial-Temporal Tactility Makes Hulk A Walking Multiverse Travel Machine

The Hulk has had some weird abilities since his conception || Credit: Marvel Studios

While it might be difficult to explain, The Hulk can punch not only through time, but also through space. This ability might not have been a mainstay for the character, but it was part of some of the earliest comics that the character featured in. This has been speculated to stem from his connection to the One Below All, which allows The Hulk to return to life every time he is killed through the Green Door. This ability might not translate well into the MCU, given that Marvel is looking to streamline the entire timeline into a single narrative post Secret Wars, but Doomsday might allow the character to use this ability to fight Doom.

Are there any other Hulk abilities that you wish the MCU had adapted? Let us know in the comments!