5 Brutal Hulk Vs. Wolverine Fights in Marvel Comics History, & Who Won

In all of comic book history, there are no anti-heroes more iconic and ruthless than the Hulk and Wolverine. The temperamental loners of the Avengers and X-Men have a long and complicated history that dates back decades. Given the fact that the Hulk and Wolverine are infamous for their serious anger issues, it’s surprising to no one that they have duked it out on more than one occasion, leading to a hot-blooded rivalry for the ages. With their intense savagery and near-infinite healing factors, the brawls between the Hulk and Wolverine are some of the most brutal fights in Marvel Comics history.

Wolverine and the Hulk have engaged in countless iconic fights around the world and even across the multiverse. The moment that these two are in the same vicinity, there’s a very good chance that their encounter will turn violent. Hulk and Wolverine have one of the biggest rivalries in Marvel Comics, and these are the defining fights of their endless feud.

5) Savage Wolverine #5

Wolverine and the Hulk have such an intense rivalry that sometimes they’ll attack each other for no reason at all. In Savage Wolverine #5, the bad-tempered X-Man travels to the prehistoric Savage Lands and works with Shanna the She-Devil and Amadeus Cho to investigate an alien that threatens the Earth. However, the trio soon run into the Hulk. Wolverine got ready to fight the Jade Giant, but he got unexpected help from an enormous gorilla that attacked the Jade Giant. While the Hulk was busy fighting off the giant feral ape, Wolverine jumped onto the Jolly Green Giant’s back. He then plunges his claws deep into the Hulk’s skull and brain, causing the defeated Avenger to collapse. While having six adamantium claws lodged into one’s brain would kill anyone else, the Hulk soon recovers from his sudden lobotomy and, surprisingly, holds no ill will towards Wolverine. This fight showed how, despite inflicting immense damage, at the end of the day the Hulk and Wolverine have a bizarre friendship.

4) Old Man Logan

One of the most iconic and grim alternate universes is Earth-807128, where the events of Old Man Logan take place. In this universe, the United States was turned into a desolate wasteland. Even worse, the Hulk turned into a cannibalistic and sadistic monster who married his cousin She-Hulk and produced several inbred children. Seeking to rekindle his old rivalry with the retired X-Man, the Hulk and his family brutally murdered Logan’s family. The Hulk got his wish, as after Logan finished slaughtering the Hulk’s family, the mutant faced off with the cannibalistic Jade Giant. In a truly grotesque act, the Hulk ate Logan, only for the X-Man to claw his way out of the monster’s body. Yet even this didn’t kill the Hulk, as he soon had his head attached to a robot body to get his revenge on Logan. However, Logan beat him again and ensured that he wouldn’t come back by burying his head deep underground, where it would remain forever.

3) Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk

In another case of alternate versions of Wolverine and Hulk fighting in a darker universe, Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk is a miniseries that takes place in the original Ultimate Universe. A grislier reimagining of the two characters’ first encounter, the series has government agent Wolverine tasked with tracking down the Hulk in the Himalayas. Much like the Hulk in the Old Man Logan universe, this version of the Hulk is evil and cannibalistic. Unfortunately for Wolverine, his mission quickly went south when the Hulk immediately overpowered the mutant with his raw strength, tearing the X-Man in half. Yet even without his legs, Wolverine was still more than ready to continue the fight. However, the Hulk and Wolverine’s clash ultimately ended inconclusively after they were interrupted by the intervention of She-Hulk and S.H.I.E.L.D. Although this battle had no definitive victor, it’s safe to say that the Hulk was easily dominating the entire fight.

2) The Incredible Hulk #340

The cover of The Incredible Hulk #340 is one of the most iconic and referenced comic covers of all time as it perfectly conveys the savage rivalry between Wolverine and the Hulk. When the Hulk accidentally causes a plane to nearly crash, the X-Men save the aircraft, and Wolverine goes on the prowl. The Hulk manages to get the drop on Wolverine, and the two tussle until Wolverine makes the former Avenger bleed. When the X-Man tries to deescalate the fight, the Hulk goads him into a berserker rage. Even when Wolverine manages to impale the Hulk with his claws, it only temporarily knocks the Green Goliath out. Mere moments later, the Hulk gets back up and continues the brawl. Unfortunately, this iconic fight ended with no clear winner, as both anti-heroes were convinced to stand down by S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Clay Quartermain. This was the first rematch the Hulk and Wolverine ever had, and it showed how both characters have and haven’t changed since their initial encounter.

1) The Incredible Hulk #181

The Incredible Hulk #181 is a key part of Marvel history because it marked the debut of Marvel’s greatest characters: Wolverine. First appearing in 1974, Wolverine has been a comic book icon ever since his introduction. Originally conceived as a one-shot antagonist of the Jolly Green Giant, Wolverine was a Canadian government agent ordered to track down and kill the Hulk. After the two anti-heroes initially traded blows, their attention is diverted to the appearance of the classic Hulk villain, the Wendigo. Temporarily putting aside their differences, the Hulk and Wolverine team up to take down their feral foe. Of course, once the Wendigo is taken care of, Wolverine is ready to commence round two. Tired of the temperamental mutant the Hulk dismissively knocks out Wolverine with a single punch and walks away the victor. While this fight was far from the bloodiest or most emotionally charged, its significance lies in being Wolverine’s debut story and the beginning of his intense rivalry with the Jade Giant.

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