By Ben Morse
Every week, a secret cabal of Marvel staffers gathers to discuss the best of the best when it comes to the House of Ideas.
When you've got a guy as powerful as the Hulk, it's tough to find threats capable of slowing the big fella down. Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately if you're the Green Goliath—the Marvel Universe has more than a few nasty characters who fit the bill.
Only a week away from the release of "The Incredible Hulk" in theaters everywhere, Marvel.com continues our month-long celebration with a countdown of the baddest brutes ever to menace ol' Greengenes.
For each villain, you also get a special spotlight comic courtesy of Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited.
And before you ask, the Red Hulk doesn't make the list because we're not quite sure if he's a villain or not—find out more in HULK #4, on sale June 25!
As always, these picks reflect the personal choices of the Secret Cabal, not the official opinion of Marvel or Marvel.com, and can be considered subjective at best. Enjoy!
10. BI-BEAST
First Appearance: INCREDIBLE HULK v2 #169 (1973)
Why He Makes The List: "You know the old saying, 'two heads are better than one'? Nowhere is that more true than in the case of Bi-Beast. With one head containing knowledge of warfare and combat, and another head containing knowledge of history and culture—stacked on top of a body containing immense power—this android packs a formidable one-two punch. Though defeated by Hulk time and again, he remains one of the Hulk's toughest sparring partners to date." - Secret Cabal member Mercury522
Spotlight Comic: BEYOND! #3—The Bi-Beast's last stand!
9. MOONSTONE
First Appearance: CAPTAIN AMERICA v1 #192 (1975)
Learn More About Her… Here
Why She Makes The List: "Before joining the Thunderbolts, psychologist Karla Sofen strove to have a life better than her over-worked waitress mother mother. This led her to the all-powerful Moonstone, which she stole and used, setting out to make a name for herself. She did, but as a criminal...and a frequent sparring partner of the Hulk's, who's laid the smack down on her again and again." - Secret Cabal member RunawayJ
Spotlight Comic: THUNDERBOLTS v1 #2—Under the guise of the heroic Meteorite, Moonstone joins her fellow Thunderbolts in battle with the Mad Thinker!
8. ZZZAX
First Appearance: INCREDIBLE HULK v2 #166 (1973)
Learn More About Him… Here
Why He Makes The List: "The unfortunate result of a botched nuclear reaction (aren't they all?), Zzzax is a being of pure sentient energy. While Zzzax has always been a handful for the Jade Giant on his own, Zzzax became a much more dangerous threat when General Ross transferred his consciousness into the mind of the creature. Now freed from the General's influence, Zzzax remains at large, no doubt preparing for his next confrontation with the Hulk." - Mercury522
Spotlight Comic: NEW AVENGERS #2—Zzzax joins the chaos of a prison breakout at the Raft!
7. THE U-FOES
First Appearance: INCREDIBLE HULK v2 #254 (1980)
Learn More About Them… Here
Why They Make The List: "You can't just write this crazy quartet off as an FF-knock off. Well, maybe you can, but they're a COOL FF knock-off, and they cop to it. In an effort to become as powerful as the Fantastic Four, this ambitious foursome shot themselves into space to expose themselves to the same cosmic rays that powered Marvel's first family. Their attempts were thwarted by the Hulk, making the Jade Giant their number one enemy for life!" - RunawayJ
Spotlight Comic: SPIDER-MAN: BREAKOUT #1—In the aftermath of the Raft breakout, the U-Foes ignite a super villain civil war!
6. THE ABSORBING MAN
First Appearance: JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #114 (1965)
Learn More About Him… Here
Why He Makes The List: "Finding a foe tough enough to go toe-to-toe with the Hulk? Never easy. But a guy who gained his powers from Loki, the God of Mischief and routinely battles Thor, the God of Thunder? He'll do! Absorbing Man can...absorb...the properties of whatever he touches. If he touches the Hulk—and he has—he gets Hulk-tastic powers. Unfortunately, he's not exactly the brightest bulb in Hulk's villainous oeuvre and often gets his clock cleaned by the Jade Giant. But when he gets his licks in, you better believe Hulk feels the pain." -Secret Cabal member Agent M
Spotlight Comic: JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #122—Crusher Creel takes the fight straight to Thor, by dragging his foe back to Asgard!
5. THE RED KING
First Appearance: INCREDIBLE HULK v3 #92 (2006)
Why He Makes The List: "Appearing for the first time in the pages of 'Planet Hulk,' the Red King burst onto the scene in a big way when he managed to enslave the Green Goliath and force him to compete as a gladiator on the planet Sakaar. Hulk eventually went on to rule Sakaar, but not before squaring off against a heavily armored Red King for the throne. Though meeting his demise in that epic battle, the Red King has secured himself a permanent place among the Hulk's rogue's gallery as one of the few men able to tame the incredible beast (even if only for a short time)." - Mercury522
Spotlight Comic: INCREDIBLE HULK v3 #94—The Hulk defies the Red King and ignites a rivalry that will consume the savage world of Sakaar!
4. THE MAESTRO
First Appearance: INCREDIBLE HULK v2 #400 (1992)
Why He Makes The List: "In so many ways, the Hulk is his own worst enemy, as Bruce Banner's alter ego is really just his own neuroses reflected back through a broken mirror. The Maestro takes this concept about 100 steps further. All that power within the Hulk being unleashed in a destructive fury with no remorse is a nightmare for Banner and readers alike, which makes the Maestro truly terrifying. His cold, harsh demeanor is also unlike any other Hulk incarnation, making him extra creepy." –Secret Cabal member Annihilator882
Spotlight Comic: WORLD WAR HULK #1—The Hulk returns to Earth bent on revenge and conquest, strongly resembling a certain bearded future incarnation in terms of manner…
3. THE LEADER
First Appearance: TALES TO ASTONISH #62 (1964)
Learn More About Him… Here
Why He Makes The List: "It's the classic battle of brains against brawn. Since the Hulk is arguably the strongest physical force in the Marvel Universe, it only makes sense that his greatest foe would be somebody who can best him on a plane that doesn't reward muscles—enter the Leader. And of course there's something both maniacal, annoying and refreshing all at once that for all his intelligence and pomposity, ol' Sam Sterns just can't get one over on a guy he considers the ultimate mental midget." –Annihilator882
Spotlight Comic: TALES TO ASTONISH #62—The Leader takes his first crack at besting the Incredible Hulk!
2. THE ABOMINATION
First Appearance: TALES TO ASTONISH #90 (1967)
Learn More About Him… Here
Why He Makes The List: "There's no dearth of gamma-irradiated enemies in Hulk's life, so what makes the Abomination stand out? He's stronger than the Hulk and hellbent on revenge! Well, he was. Abomination's dead now, but in his prime he came out on the better side of his tussles with the Hulk than any of Ol' Greengenes' other foes." - Agent M
Spotlight Comic: INCREDIBLE HULK v3 #51—The Abomination emerges from isolation wilder than ever and intent on gaining revenge against the Hulk!
1. GENERAL ROSS
First Appearance: INCREDIBLE HULK v1 #1 (1962)
Learn More About Him… Here
Why He Makes The List: "General 'Thunderbolt' Ross: Is he a villain…or is the Hulk the true antagonist? It's hard to fault Ross for his dogged pursuit of Hulk, a creature so destructive that his own friends had to exile him from the planet and then stop him from almost destroying New York upon his return. Sure, perhaps his methods are questionable, but it's hard to argue with Ross' prime directive—protect the innocent from a proven threat. It's this interesting layer to the character—made even better by his discovery of Hulk's identity—that makes him the best antagonist the Hulk has to face." –Secret Cabal member OneManDynasty
Spotlight Comic: INCREDIBLE HULK v1 #1—See how it all began for Bruce Banner and General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross!
Need to catch up on your Hulk reading? Looking for the perfect stories starring the Jade Giant? Check out our list of the 10 Collections marked as required reading by any Hulk fan!
Read classic Hulk stories in Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited! Take pictures with a life-size Hulk statue at select theaters nationwide! Visit the official "The Incredible Hulk" movie site! Remember, "The Incredible Hulk" comes to a theater near you on June 13!
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