Ranking The Hulk’s First 10 Villains By Power

The Hulk is famously the strongest being in the Marvel Universe, and he’s consistently demonstrated this by battling its most powerful and dangerous villains. He’s fought iconic enemies like Doctor Doom and Thanos, and even challenged a cosmic force representing a darker side of Marvel’s supreme being. It’s fitting that the Hulk faces such formidable opponents, as he needs villains who can truly push him to his limits. Interestingly, not all of his enemies are physically powerful; some pose a threat in other ways, despite lacking brute strength.

Let’s explore the first ten supervillains the Hulk faced and assess their strength. We’ll then rank them from least to most powerful. We’re focusing only on characters who were established as villains when they first appeared – so we won’t include military opponents like Boris (disguised as Mongu) or Thunderbolt Ross, who didn’t become the Red Hulk until later. With that clarified, let’s get started ranking these foes of the Hulk.

10) The Gargoyle

Let’s begin with the Gargoyle, who holds the distinction of being both Hulk’s earliest and one of his weakest foes. Like Bruce Banner, Yuri Topolov was a scientist transformed by radiation exposure. However, instead of gaining immense strength, his intelligence was dramatically increased – essentially making him a predecessor to the villain, the Leader. The Gargoyle appeared and was defeated in Incredible Hulk #1 (1962). Despite creating some potent inventions, like a knockout pellet gun, he simply doesn’t possess the strength or advanced technology to be considered a major threat. It seems the Hulk started his career with a relatively easy opponent.

9) The Chameleon

Though best known as a Spider-Man enemy, the Chameleon once fought the Hulk in Tales to Astonish (#60-66, 1959) at the urging of another character on this list. He’s a formidable opponent thanks to his ability to perfectly disguise himself as anyone. Like Kraven the Hunter, he’s used a special serum that extends his life and potentially gives him superhuman strength. However, the Chameleon’s real danger lies in his cunning and stealth, not brute force, which is why he ranks ninth on our list.

8) Toad Men

The Tribbitites, first appearing in Incredible Hulk #2, are a race of small, lizard-like aliens from the planet Tribbit. They attempted to conquer Earth by trying to extract technological knowledge from Bruce Banner’s mind. This, unsurprisingly, led to a confrontation with the Hulk, who quickly thwarted their invasion and sent them packing. Despite being surprisingly durable and strong – thanks to their home planet’s lower gravity – these aliens, nicknamed ‘Toad Men,’ posed little threat to the powerful Hulk, even with their numbers and technology.

7) Circus of Crime

The Circus of Crime was a team of villains who disguised themselves as circus performers. Their leader, the Ringmaster, was the most dangerous member and fought the Green Behemoth in Incredible Hulk #3. He initially used a special hat to hypnotize people, but later could do it just by making eye contact. While hypnotizing entire towns sounds powerful, it wasn’t foolproof. People with strong willpower or those who avoided his gaze could easily resist. The rest of the Circus wasn’t much of a challenge on their own, but they could be dangerous when working together.

6) Whirlwind

David Cannon, also known as Whirlwind, is a mutant with the power to spin his body incredibly fast. This allows him to create gusts of wind, fly, and even mimic a spinning top. He once fought the Hulk and cleverly tricked him into fighting Giant-Man after nearly being defeated himself. Whirlwind is often seen as the quintessential low-level villain – you’ll frequently find him among groups of minor supervillains, but he rarely poses a significant threat on his own.

5) Tyrannus

Tyrannus, whose original name is Romulus Augustulus, was the last emperor of Rome and gained immortality by drinking from the Fountain of Youth. He first fought the Hulk in Incredible Hulk #5. Since then, he’s ruled the underground kingdom of Subterranea, sharing control with Mole Man. Beyond his centuries of combat experience and leadership, Tyrannus’s greatest ability is his powerful telepathy. This allows him to command his army of Tyrannoids, a type of Moloid. While he can control many people, like the Ringmaster, he has difficulty with those who have strong wills. He’s also demonstrated the power to absorb life force and even transfer his mind into other bodies, as he once did with the Abomination.

4) Metal Master

Moylb is an alien from the planet Astra who can control any metal object. Banished from his home world for causing trouble, he tried to conquer Earth in Incredible Hulk #6. Think of him as a weaker version of Magneto – instead of magnetism, he controls metal, but even with less power, he’s incredibly strong. He can bend and throw metal objects with enough force to knock out even the Hulk! From here on out, the villains on this list are truly dangerous, and Metal Master is a force to be reckoned with.

3) Amphibion

Okay, so don’t let the name ‘Amphibion’ throw you – it sounds a bit silly, but this guy is seriously powerful. I mean, he could actually go toe-to-toe with the Hulk! He first showed up way back in Tales to Astonish #73, and the story is that on his planet, they spent centuries breeding him to be the perfect warrior, sending him to Earth to grab something called the Ultimate Machine from the Watcher. His strength and how tough he is? Right up there with the Hulk’s. Now, the Hulk did eventually win, it was a battle of endurance, but Amphibion pushed him harder than anyone had before. It was the first time the Hulk really had to struggle in a physical fight. Even though he lost, Amphibion proved the Hulk wasn’t unbeatable, and that’s a big deal, honestly.

2) Loki

Though best known for battling other heroes, Loki was actually one of the Hulk’s earliest foes and the very first supervillain the Avengers ever faced. He debuted in Avengers #1 (1963) alongside the Hulk, even though he left the team by issue #2. Loki has always been incredibly powerful, and over time, their abilities have only grown. As the most skilled magic user in Asgard, Loki can do everything from creating illusions to completely erasing Asgard from everyone’s memory. Now, as the God of Stories, their power seems limitless, drawing strength from the countless adventures they’ve been a part of.

1) Leader

The Leader is the Hulk’s first and most enduring enemy, initially appearing as the puppet master controlling the Chameleon in Tales to Astonish #62. While he isn’t physically strong, he compensates with a super-intelligent mind boosted by gamma radiation. This allows him to consistently build powerful creatures capable of battling the Hulk. What truly sets him apart, though, is that he briefly became one of the most powerful beings in existence after merging with the One Below All.

I’ve always been fascinated by the Leader. What sets him apart, in my opinion, is his link to the Hulk’s source – that incredible gamma energy, channeled through what people call ‘God’s Hulk.’ It’s not just about raw power; he can actually control the Green Door and even possess the Hulk and his allies! Honestly, his intelligence combined with that gamma connection is terrifying, and that’s why I think he deserves the number one spot. I understand why some might prefer an Asgardian god at the top, and I wouldn’t disagree too strongly, but the sheer ingenuity of the machines he builds is enough to warrant that position. He proves that when facing the Hulk, sometimes brains really are more powerful than brute force.

Here’s a look at the first ten villains the Hulk ever battled. While some weren’t much of a challenge for the Green Behemoth, others proved that even early on, these villains could be incredibly dangerous. Who do you think is the strongest Hulk villain, and who’s your personal favorite?

2026-01-10 20:13