Two of the most formidable Avengers in Marvel Comics, the Incredible Hulk and the Mighty Thor, have come together to face off in original fan art from Image Comics talent Joe Palmer. As some of Marvel's earliest heroes, the Hulk and Thor have a long, seasoned history when it comes to both teaming up and facing off to decide who's stronger by trading blows.
There aren't many Marvel match-ups quite as contested as the feud between Asgardian God of Thunder Thor and freak of science the Hulk. Outside of the comics, the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe has played heavily into the famous Hulk/Thor rivalry, which has eventually grown into a close friendship between the two heroes. While writer and director Taika Waititi's 2017 fantasy comedy Thor Ragnarok was a reinvention of Thor's own established mythology, a good chunk of that film's popularity came directly from the back and forth between Chris Hemsworth's Thor and Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner/Hulk.
Professional Image Comics artist Joe Palmer has taken to Twitter to share his own interpretation of a battle between the Marvel titans. Residing within the United Kingdom, Joe is the artist behind Image Comics' Write It In Blood and Time Before Time, two titles which examine humans surviving through drastic situations and environments. Though the Hulk is generally a larger-than-life character, Joe's fan art noticeably depicts a much larger Hulk who towers over a less imposing Thor. Paling in comparison to his enraged opponent, all the proclaimed God of Thunder can muster is a weak, "Oh Darn." With the Hulk's seasoned history of taking down the strongest opponents, it's not surprising Thor is rather anxious to take on the green rage monster. Included with the art is the phrase "No Banner Only Hulk!", a line famously used within the myriad Incredible Hulk comics, cartoons, shows, and even cinematic depictions of the character.
Marvel's wildly successful Immortal Hulk run has only seen the Jade Giant grow stronger, and while Thor is currently the All-Father of Asgard, countless stories have drilled home the idea that when it comes down to a contest of pure strength, Hulk will always triumph (after all, he is the Strongest One There Is.) Palmer's art embraces this inevitable Hulk vs Thor conclusion, turning the moment where the God of Thunder recognizes he's outmatched into a comic tableau.
The piece is a perfect fit for some of Marvel's more humorous projects, such as the non-canon anthology Strange Tales or the recent artist showcase Marvel, so fans shouldn't be surprised to see Palmer handle the strongest Avengers sometime soon, even if Thor fans might not love how outmatched this art suggests he is against Hulk.
Source: Joe Palmer