The Thing's Hulk Form Finally Made Him Stronger Than the Original
Locked in one of the most famous rivalries in comics, the gamma-powered Hulk and Fantastic Four's Thing have spent sixty years beating each other unconscious. But while the Thing's endless reserves of grit mean he never goes down easy, even Stan Lee confirmed that Hulk will always be stronger. At least, that was the case until Thing was able to enhance his own Cosmic Radiation-based powers with Hulk's gamma energy.
The transformation comes in Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness' Hulk #21, as Red Hulk rebels against the villainous Intelligencia. The super-smart group had been collecting various forms of energy with the intent of empowering an army of Hulks to overthrow the US government. Happily, Marvel's assembled heroes got the same upgrade, with champions like Thor, Captain America and Cyclops gaining new, super-powerful Hulk forms.
Related: Hulk's Ultimate Form Would Destroy Superman (& Even DC Admits It)
Among their numbers was Ben Grimm, aka Fantastic Four's Thing, who became stronger than ever before, capable of going toe-to-toe with the Red Hulk. This version of Thing was far larger — explicitly bigger than the original Hulk — and covered in jagged rocks, with gigantic fists and a lumbering gait. With the gamma energy pushing his emotions to the extreme, the Thing was instantly enraged, and began referring to himself as 'the No-Thing,' a name that echoed the deep-seated self-hatred Ben feels over his non-human form. Ed McGuinness' design notes for the Hulk-powered No-Thing (published in tie-in Hulk-Out Heroes #1) state that he is finally Hulk's physical superior, and is «not second best anymore.»
Sadly for Ben, he doesn't actually get to lay a finger on Bruce Banner's Hulk. After battling the Red Hulk, Thing takes on
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