With his cousin about to enter the MCU in She-Hulk, the big, green, mean hero known as the Hulk is once again getting a chance to shine and team up with other heroes. Throughout his existence in the comics, the emerald brute has reluctantly aligned himself with many different teams, whether they be good or bad.
From his legendary run in The Avengers to his underrated Warbound squad, the Hulk has consistently found himself in some amazing teams. Though he has headlined a plethora of team-ups, only Hulk's best teams have stood the test of time and left an impression on readers.
The Horsemen Of Apocalypse
Unlike other comic teams that assemble quickly and then fade away, the Horsemen of Apocalypse have been a part of earth's history for millennia. Representing the biblical horsemen of old, each member symbolized a different element of the end-times, and each was just as frightening as the other.
When Apocalypse arrived in modern times to do battle with the X-Men, he briefly recruited the Hulk to replace a fallen member. Filling in as the symbol for War, the big green monster did battle with Juggernaut and dispatched him with ease. Fortunately for all of the earth, the Hulk saw the error of his ways and departed the team before he could do too much harm.
Pantheon
Making their debut in the Incredible Hulk comics in the '90s, Pantheon was founded by half-Asgardian demi-god Agamemnon and has appeared sporadically ever since. Gathering up similar half-gods like himself, Agamemnon and his team has often aided the Hulk in his adventures and even adopted the hero as one of their own.
As with a lot of teams that Hulk is involved with, the verdant beast has fought his friends on numerous occasions but has remained somewhat loyal as well. Though the Hulk isn't a god, his nearly godlike powers made him a strong fit for the group, and with him among their ranks, Pantheon is a force to be reckoned with.
Challengers Of Doom
Alternate universes are one of the best ways that Marvel has introduced new teams, and the Challengers of Doom were a dark mirror for Earth-616's Fantastic Four. On Earth-111, the Challengers were formed by Dr. Doom after an attack left Latveria in shambles.
Featuring Mister Fantastic and Sue Storm, as usual, the strange pairing also featured Doom and the Hulk to round out the four. Though they only appeared in one brief arc in the Fantastic Four comics, readers couldn't help but speculate about the strange team. They were shown to be extremely tough, and with the Hulk subbed out for the Thing, they had a major upgrade in the strength department.
Dark Ultimates
Like an alternate version of the Infinity Saga, the battle on Earth-1610 once again saw heroes and villains square off over the Infinity Stones. The Ultimates were essentially Earth-1610's version of The Avengers, and the Dark Ultimates were naturally their foil.
Freed from captivity by the mysterious Kang, Hulk aligned himself with the Dark Ultimates and helped to retrieve many of the Stones from S.H.I.E.L.D. custody. Even though they were defeated in their mission, the team's unique lineup made them one of the most well-rounded superhero teams of all time.
Warbound
The World War Hulk arc is generally considered one of his best comic storylines, and the aftermath of the tale saw the Hulk on a mission of revenge. After being exiled from the earth by the Illuminati, the Hulk assembles a team of refugees from the planet Sakaar who help him exact vengeance on those who wronged him.
All hardened warriors, the stony beings of Sakaar were the perfect sidekicks for the big green monster. Unlike most teams that see the Hulk as a useful tool, the Warbound faction was led by Hulk and treated him as an equal. Bound by their mutual desire for destructive revenge, there was little that the Illuminati could do to stop them once they arrived on earth.
Cosmic Avengers
Comic book team-ups often make for strange bedfellows, and groups formed out of necessity can be even stranger. The Cosmic Avengers were aligned by Loki in an attempt to stop Gamora from destroying the entire universe.
The thing that brought the team together was that each member was powerful enough to wield an Infinity Stone without being destroyed, and thus a rag-tag group of villains and heroes was born. Hulk is usually far-and-away the most powerful member of whatever team he is in, but with the likes of Ms. Marvel and Adam Warlock, the team had its fair share of muscle.
New Fantastic Four
The Hulk and the Fantastic Four go way back in the comics, and the gamma-infused hero has fought with and against the team on numerous occasions. However, when the New Fantastic Four formed, it finally included the Hulk as a full-fledged member.
After the original FF was captured by the Skrull, the unlikely grouping of Wolverine, Hulk, Spider-Man, and Ghost Rider assumed the mantle and set out to avenge the heroes that they thought were dead. The Fantastic Four have had many great alternate members over the years, but the unique lineup was not only entertaining to read, but they were also a perfect mixture of powers and personalities.
Cosmic Champions
The original Secret Wars storyline is considered one of the best Marvel crossover events of all time and assembled perhaps its largest team in history. Loosely known as the Cosmic Champions, the gigantic roster of heroes and villains were brought together in the storyline to defeat the Beyonder.
Counting the Hulk among its ranks, nearly every major character in the Marvel Universe had a small part to play in the gigantic fracas. The team was so massive that it even split along certain moral lines, and it had smaller teams that branched out within it. While they were only assembled out of necessity, the Cosmic Champions represented the collective might of the Marvel Universe against a much larger evil.
Defenders
If The Avengers is Marvel's premier team, the Defenders are a squad that is just as powerful but not as famous. Headlined by Dr. Strange, the group usually includes darker heroes like Namor, Hulk, and even the Silver Surfer.
Like The Avengers, the lineup of the Defenders has been fluid over the years, but Hulk has been one of the most constant presences in the team's lengthy history. He has had a much larger role in the Defenders than he did on any other team, and he gets treated like a full-fledged member, as opposed to the useful muscle to be tolerated. While The Avengers may be the more popular squad, the Defenders truly allow Hulk to smash his way to being his best superhero self.
The Avengers
While he may be known as a founding member of The Avengers, Hulk started as a somewhat adversarial figure to Marvel's mightiest team. The Avengers spent the bulk of their early issues stopping the rampaging Hulk, and he was a reluctant member at best for quite some time.
Despite this, Hulk's legacy has been inextricably linked to the team, and any modern incarnation usually includes the big green guy in some way or another. Hulk is usually a useful hand for any team that he joins, but he has come in handy on numerous occasions for The Avengers, even if he has never taken on a leadership role within the organization.