The Mad TitanThanosrarely meets anyone he considers an equal, and despite theHulk’s immense strength, it’s clear that Bruce Banner’s Green Goliath doesn’t make the list. While the Hulk is usually wary of Marvel’s other heroes, the Avengers have called on him multiple times to help repel Thanos' latest plans against Earth. Over these many battles, it seems the Mad Titan has developed a disdainful opinion of the Hulk.
In Derek Landy and Geoff Shaw’sThe Incredible Hulk Annual #1, the Mind Stone calls on Hulk to keep it from falling into Thanos' clutches. The two trade blows, with Thanos quickly becoming enraged at Hulk’s refusal to simply walk away from a fight he has no stake in. As he gains the upper hand, Thanos haughtily declares,“Such a petty mind. Such a weak, petty, puny mind.“In choosing to call the Hulk"puny,“Thanos couldn’t have given him more reason to cut loose.
Hulk’s use of the word"puny"goes right back to Jack Kirby and Stan Lee’sIncredible Hulk #1, and the word has become synonymous with the Green Goliath’s dismissive view of the humans who constantly dog his steps, preventing him from having a moment of peace despite their inability to match even a fraction of his power. Past stories have also revealed thatHulk’s go-to insult isn’t just about strength, but about mindset - he sees many humans as ‘puny’ because of their fear and hatred for anything outside their worldview.
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Thanos Brands the Incredible Hulk “Puny”
The Green Goliath’s Own Iconic Insult Is Turned Against Him
The Incredible Hulk Annual #1is part of Marvel’s ‘Infinity Watch’ event, taking place across the publisher’s 2024 annuals. In the issue, fans finally meet the Mind Stone’s new bearer Worldmind, only for the hero to be almost instantly killed by Thanos. The Mad Titan is collecting the Infinity Stones in an attempt to break thenewly forged Death Stoneto his will, bringing him into conflict with their current bearers and various Marvel heroes. Thankfully, the Mind Stone is able to call on Hulk and Colleen Wing - the first to stall Thanos and the latter to become its new bearer.
Hulk does as asked, trading blows with Thanos until the Mad Titan finally gets the upper hand and breaks his neck, spitting,“As I said… puny.“However, Thanos has vastly underestimated the Hulk’s healing powers, and the Jade Giant quickly resets his neck and attacks,bellowing,“Don’t call me that!“as he brings Thanos to his knees.The newly empowered Colleen Wing delivers a decisive blow, downing Thanos for long enough to get the powerful artifact out of his clutches.
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Thanos Earned the Right to Mock Hulk
Hulk vs Thanos Has Always Gone One Way
There was a time before he gathered the Infinity Stones thatThanos was wary of Hulks' strength, admitting inThanos Questthat he’s avoided engaging the superstrong being in battle. Sadly, those days are long gone, and ever since being enhanced by his cosmic mistress Death,Thanos has fought Hulk multiple times and won again and again.Infinity Gauntletsaw Thanos shrink Hulk down to a tiny size, and its quasi-adaptation in the MCU’sInfinity Warfamously saw Thanos beat down Hulk so badly, Bruce Banner’s gamma form refused to return for a rematch.
Hulk and Thanos have also traded blows inThanos vs Hulk, Marvel’s recentThanosseries, and theInfinityevent, with the Mad Titan swatting Hulk aside again and again. Most horrifying of all is the potential future of the ‘Thanos Wins’ arc, where a triumphant Thanos conquers the galaxy andturns Hulk into his personal pet, chaining him up and forcing him to eat other heroes who displease the Mad Titan.
With all of these victories,Thanos has technically earned the right to consider Hulk ‘puny,‘however he’s not quite ready for how the hero reacts to this insult. Having been forcibly ostracized by society, Hulk is instantly enraged by any insult that compares him to the humans who have hounded him and destroyed everything good in his life. Hulk has proudly worn the label ‘monster’ simply because it denotes those who humanity has shunned for being different, so comparing him to the"puny humans"is a red rag to a bull. It’s even worse becauseHulk associates the"puny"insult with Bruce Banner, who he violently loathes(now more than ever.)
Now that Hulk has finally broken the pattern of Thanos beating him every time they fight, hopefully there’ll be more gamma victories in the future, although it’s likely that after this back-breaking take down,Thanosnow knows better than to call theHulk"puny.”
Hulk
The Hulk, a Marvel Comics superhero created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, is physicist Bruce Banner transformed by gamma radiation. He morphs into a giant, green-skinned creature of immense strength and invulnerability when angered. Struggling with his transformations, Hulk allies with other heroes, battling villains while balancing his intellect with uncontrollable rage, making him a central figure in Marvel’s universe.
