8

The answer to this question suggests that it seems that the Hulk gets bigger as he gets angrier, but the answerer wasn't sure about this. Is there a definitive answer? As the Hulk gets more and more angry, does his size increase, or only his strength?

As a follow up question, is there a cut off point, beyond which he can't get any bigger?

[It seems like there must be such a limitation, because he is so prone to anger that, without such a restriction, he would keep getting bigger forever, and eventually be larger than the earth itself - a planet-sized rage monster would ruin everyone's day]

Community
  • 1
Wad Cheber
  • 69,816
  • 70
  • 523
  • 684
  • 2
    I guess it depends on the universe/canon. – Alfredo Hernández Jun 10 '15 at 21:16
  • 1
    several variations of Hulk have worn armor, which implies that he stays roughly the same size, but I don't have any solid proof yet. – KutuluMike Jun 10 '15 at 21:18
  • 3
    If there was no upper limit to anger -> growth, he would have been much larger during World War Hulk. Instead, he's pretty "normal" sized (for the Hulk). – phantom42 Jun 10 '15 at 21:53
  • @phantom42 - +1 - World War Hulk is exactly what I had in mind when I mentioned the possibility that he might continue to grow indefinitely if he got angry enough. He would have ended up being so huge that he could grab the moon and smash it into the earth. – Wad Cheber Jun 10 '15 at 21:58
  • pretty "normal" sized (for the Hulk) ... heh ... Good one @phantom42 ,-) – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 Jun 10 '15 at 22:15
  • Does the weight of the Hulk increase as well? I imagine the Hulk must weigh several tons in order to pull off stunts like lifting cars! – RobertF Jun 11 '15 at 02:35
  • @RobertF - Not to be pedantic, but the jack in my trunk lifts my car and it weighs a couple of pounds. – Wad Cheber Jun 11 '15 at 02:52
  • 1
    @WadCheber - I think that's a matter of the jack's compressive strength, not leverage. I'm thinking of cases where you see the Hulk (or Superman, or any other superhero with supernatural strength) lift up a car or other massive object with his outstretched arms. The Hulk's super strength prevents his arms ripping apart, but to gain the leverage to lift the car Hulk must be able to either increase his body mass at will, or decrease the mass of the object. Or perhaps transfer the mass of the object into his body? I'm fine with that. It's another superpower - a very important implied superpower. – RobertF Jun 11 '15 at 13:47
  • Related https://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/5814/how-does-the-incredible-hulk-change-mass – Keeper of the Related Aug 06 '19 at 09:16

3 Answers3

8

It's canon--- Hulk grows as his anger grows.

hulk lunchables :-)

Fifteen feet is the upper limit to Hulk's height according to a source I saw long ago (and can no longer find).

Kyle Jones
  • 53,799
  • 14
  • 174
  • 259
  • This seems to be in relation to the movies. Does he do it in the comics too? – phantom42 Jun 11 '15 at 01:37
  • The comics is where I first remember seeing it, but I can't find the source right now. Interestingly, in the Hulk vs. Superman crossover comic, Hulk didn't grow larger, though he did get stronger. – Kyle Jones Jun 11 '15 at 01:50
  • 8
    Is the back of a box of Lunchables canon? – Wad Cheber Jun 11 '15 at 02:53
  • 7
    This may be specific to the Marvel Lunchables universe (Earth-333184314). – Paul D. Waite Jun 14 '15 at 21:27
  • I've only seen the effect in the first Hulk movie (by Ang Lee). This ad is a tie-in to that movie. I read a post speculating that without a corresponding size change, the "increasing strength with rage" power would be hard to show with a rarely-talking character. (What, have a narrator note that an angrier Hulk can now move a boulder that was too much a few minutes earlier?) – CTMacUser Jul 08 '15 at 07:04
7

There is no direct conversion formula for how large he gets vs how strong he gets. In his strongest incarnation, the Maestro, he reaches approximately 7 feet, 6 inches tall. Let's call it 8 feet and be done with it.* While his strength may grow to unparalleled heights, his height does not appreciably change.

(*Handbook of the Marvel Universe Vol.4 #4)

  • If this is the case, the difference between his earliest, least powerful forms and his most powerful form to date is only two feet. So his strength appears to be limitless but his size doesn't appear to grow proportional to said strength.

  • Artistically, it may be difficult to tell this since different artists draw the Hulk's proportions all over the map.

enter image description here

In the image below, he appears to be almost three heads taller than anyone else in the room, appearing to almost reach the ceiling fan.

enter image description here

So all we have to go on is the Marvel Handbook as an official statement of the Hulk's height and weight and assume if he is being drawn larger without an official statement, it is a stylistic height and weight, not a dramatic or permanent change.

Community
  • 1
Thaddeus Howze
  • 212,750
  • 23
  • 708
  • 994
-1

Canon: The Incredible Hulk Annual #5 (1976) In this Chris Claremont comic the Hulk grows rapidly while fighting the alien, Goom. Goom is surprised and comments on this, so it is not a mistake on behalf of the artist

Anders
  • 1
  • 1
    Well, canon for a given definition of canon at least. Marvel have shown themselves to be more than happy to retcon or change certain things. – Allan Mills Dec 14 '19 at 21:42
  • 1
    The reason the Hulk grew was also explained in that brief fight. Goom had shrunk the Hulk to the size of a mouse, but it only worked while Goom was focused. The Hulk didn't care what size he was and fought back anyway which made Goom loose concentration and the Hulk go back to his real size again.It had nothing to do with how angry the Hulk was. – Bjorn Eriksson Dec 14 '19 at 23:36