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Topic: Which Marvel character is the second strongest? Post ReplyPost New Topic
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Dale Lerette
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Posted: 23 September 2017 at 7:27pm | IP Logged | 1 post reply

Wallace Sellars: I do think Mr. Grimm is the toughest hero in the Marvel Universe though. (Sorry, Power Man.)
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That's one of the factors I loved about the Thing, he just wouldn't give up. He wasn't as big as the heavy hitters, and he wasn't as strong either. But he could take a beating because he was tough!. And he wasn't afraid to take on some big opponents. He had a big heart, too. 


Edited by Dale Lerette on 23 September 2017 at 7:28pm
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Michael Penn
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Posted: 24 September 2017 at 6:15am | IP Logged | 2 post reply


 QUOTE:
...Namor underwater would be the 2nd strongest.

I agree. I'm thinking back to X-MEN #6, when Magneto's giant magnet had him pinned down and almost defeated, well out of the water, but Namor fights back and smashes his fist down with such strength that the entire island he was on shook. The entire island! If that's not Hulk-like, what is...?!


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Eric Sofer
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Posted: 24 September 2017 at 10:05am | IP Logged | 3 post reply

Robbie, I went with Odin over Zeus, Ra, etc. because the Norse are warrior specifically. But that's subjective.

Mr. Byrne, I entirely accord with the Specialist Rule... I've cited it many times. But then, when I say strongest, Hercules and Thor pop up fast. I wasn't sure how to account for that.

And your "supporting powers" rule is entirely applicable too. Myself, I had to apply it to Ultra Boy of the Legion off Super-Heroes. All of Superboy's powers... but only one at a time. Which means that lifting, say, 1000 pounds would probably cause physical devastation.

Bryan Miller, I was being slightly facetious with the title and premise of this topic. But I am also taking as a given that the Hulk, when eventually angry enough, would theoretically out-strength any other character. I hoped I'd made that clear enough, but maybe not.

Wallace - I think you have the seeds of a really great new topic about the toughest Marvel character. Set 'em up in the next alley, pal!


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Adam Schulman
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Posted: 28 September 2017 at 5:47pm | IP Logged | 4 post reply

The madder Hulk gets, the stronger Hulk gets - so conceivably, with enough rage, he could outmuscle the Living Tribunal or Galactus.

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Except no one can get infinitely mad. Eventually one's anger "burns out." Sure, a very angry Hulk could go toe-to-toe with Galactus. He'd find himself unable to win. And he'd lose interest and leap away. And his anger would subside. 

So even the Hulk can't have "infinite strength" no matter what's been written in the comics themselves.


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Adam Schulman
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Posted: 28 September 2017 at 5:49pm | IP Logged | 5 post reply

Here we touch on something I have noted before: most super powers imply others working with them, most often invulnerability. Flight, for instance, is of limited use if one cannot fly high and/or fast without protective equipment. Strength isn't much use if ones bones will break!
   
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Which is why I don't understand why Wonder Woman isn't nearly as invulnerable as Superman, since she's almost as strong as him.
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Marc M. Woolman
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Posted: 28 September 2017 at 7:02pm | IP Logged | 6 post reply

"Except no one can get infinitely
mad."Written by someone who sounds like
they have never been through a divorce and
custody battle. :)
I think there's lots of other reasons why
The Hulk's strength wouldn't enable him to
go toe-to-toe with Galactus, but the idea
that anger has a limit and thus burns out,
is not one of them.
Frustration at not being able to defeat an
opponent, would continually fuel new anger
if the Hulk were in a battle like that.

Edited by Marc M. Woolman on 28 September 2017 at 7:03pm
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Marc Baptiste
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Posted: 28 September 2017 at 7:26pm | IP Logged | 7 post reply

When considering questions like this (which I generally enjoy!) - I usually make it a personal rule to exempt the cosmic-level characters like Galactus.  

Marc
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Paul Kimball
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Posted: 28 September 2017 at 7:59pm | IP Logged | 8 post reply

Except no one can get infinitely
mad."W
Frustration at not being able to defeat an
opponent, would continually fuel new anger
if the Hulk were in a battle like that.
+++++++
is Spider-man infinitely responsible?   Is my question infinitely idiotic? Yes!
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Adam Schulman
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Posted: 28 September 2017 at 10:17pm | IP Logged | 9 post reply

"Frustration at not being able to defeat an 
opponent, would continually fuel new anger 
if the Hulk were in a battle like that."

And it wouldn't help any. The Hulk would reach his anger limit (everyone has one) and then say something like "Bah! Hulk is wasting time with stupid giant!" and leap away.
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Marc M. Woolman
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Posted: 29 September 2017 at 3:13am | IP Logged | 10 post reply

People don't have an anger limit anymore
than they have a happiness limit, or a
sadness limit.

The more intelligent versions of the Hulk
might start to have thoughts about
futility,(though I doubt it) but the less
intelligent versions would not.
The Hulk doesn't just brag that he is the
strongest one there is, he believes it.
Anything that is proving to be too much
for him, will simply increase his rage.
The more it seems like an opponent (or
opponents) is (are) over-powering him, the
angrier he'll get about it.
He doesn't get tired, he doesn't calm down
in the middle of a fight, and he never
thinks he should just give up because it
isn't going his way. He won't stop and
his anger won't stop until he's won.
(Still has no business being in a fight
with one of the most powerful cosmic
entities)

A quasi real-life comparison would be
people with severe anger issues. Some can
be quick-tempered, some can be "store it
up until they explode, and some can be
seething with little ability to restrain
it.

Sticking to comic-book lore, Spider-Man
will always have a heightened sense of
responsibility, Batman will never feel
like he's done enough in his war on crime,
and the Hulk will always get angry.
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Eric Sofer
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Posted: 29 September 2017 at 3:48am | IP Logged | 11 post reply

Adam S. - you have a point, and that's why I used the phrase "conceivably" and made the Hulk's upper strength "limit" actually unlimited. By design, the Hulk gets stronger as he gets angrier. I don't know that he's ever been SHOWN that angry, and in fights I've read with Hulk battling Thor or Superman, he's not come out on top. But I am convinced that he COULD become angry enough to out-strength them, or other terrestrial super strong folks. It's all theoretical; it's a limit I chose to apply in selection because I believed that, had I just said "strongest", everyone would have gone with "strongest one there is." I thought I'd open up the mix a bit.
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Andrew Bitner
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Posted: 29 September 2017 at 9:28am | IP Logged | 12 post reply

What's the range?
Should we limit it to characters who started off human or partly-human?

That would eliminate Thor, gods, and nearly every cosmic entity, but not Hercules, Namor, Juggernaut, Red Hulk or many others.

On that basis, per JB's well-considered specialist rule, I'd say it's Hulk, then Hercules. As demigod of strength, he would seem to have an edge there.

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