If there’s one thing certain about superhero enthusiasts, it’s their passion for debating which character would triumph in a battle. Discussions about whether Thanos could overpower the Hulk or if Spider-Man could defeat Iron Man have been prevalent since these characters came into existence, with fans deliberating on which formidable figures in comics hold the most strength. In the Marvel Universe, it’s challenging to find someone larger than the Incredible Hulk; he’s essentially a fury-fueled behemoth whose immense power grows with his anger.

Yet, there’s another formidable entity in Marvel’s lineup who has faced the Hulk time and again: Juggernaut. This seasoned X-Men adversary (and occasional ally) mirrors the Hulk’s destructive force, able to obliterate anything obstructing his path, whether it be structures, vehicles, crowds, or most superheroes. He benefits from magical empowerment and an inherent ability that renders him impossible to halt once he gains momentum, truly living up to his name as an unstoppable force.

Juggernaut can withstand severe blows without feeling or even recognizing them. The Hulk shares this immense power, yet the question remains: which of the two holds the superior strength? It’s a straightforward question with a detailed answer, but simply put, the Hulk emerges as the stronger of the pair. Although the comics have repeatedly showcased this fact, the discussion continues whenever someone wearing a Juggernaut shirt engages in comic talk with a Hulk supporter.

The Hulk debuted in the pages of “The Incredible Hulk” #1 in 1962. Because he’s been around for so long, there have been many changes to the character’s personality, intelligence, and strength. He’s also gone through some color shifts and has been reimagined in a number of different ways. To keep things simple, the Hulk discussed here will be the one who most recently fought Juggernaut in the comics, the Immortal Hulk.

Not only is this a Hulk who knows he’s never going to die, but he’s not the mindless brute seen early in his career. The Hulk’s strength has always been a key factor in his characterization, and this has been handled differently by writers and artists over the years. As Immortal Hulk, the character’s base level of strength likely exceeds that of previous Hulks, but he retains the feature where said strength grows exponentially higher the angrier he gets. Essentially, the more hits the Hulk takes or the longer the fight lasts, the stronger he becomes.

Taken to its extreme, this means the Hulk’s strength can grow beyond any measurable limit — which is a problem for anyone facing him. And even if someone does manage to do any damage to the Hulk’s body, his healing factor is so robust that he’s as good as new in a matter of seconds. His strength is so immense that even DC Comics has admitted that the Hulk is stronger than Superman. Considering the fact that Clark Kent is the OG comic book strongman, it’s only logical that Hulk is more than capable of taking down the Juggernaut.

Juggernaut first appeared in 1965’s “The X-Men” #12, so he’s rampaging across the Marvel Universe nearly as long as the Hulk. But where Bruce Banner became the Hulk through a freak scientific accident, Cain Marko gained his abilities after finding the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak, which magically morphed his body into a massive armor-clad behemoth. Cain was always a jerk growing up alongside his stepbrother, Charles Xavier, so Juggernaut has been closely associated with the X-Men since his debut. He was a supervillain for most of his career, but over time, he’s tried to reform and is now more of an antihero.

Unlike the Hulk, whose greatest superpower is his strength, Juggernaut has a host of other abilities he can employ in a fight. Hi is similar to the Jade Giant in that, he’s gone through many changes over the years, but the most recent version to battle the Hulk in the pages of “Juggernaut” #2 in 2020 is the one we’re looking at for this hypothetical fight. In addition to his sheer power, Marko’s list of abilities includes a similarly robust healing factor to the Hulk’s, inertia absorption, and berserker strength. But, most importantly, his power is derived from the magical extradimensional being known as Cyttorak, making him an avatar of a literal god.

Marvel tags Juggernaut as a seven in both durability and strength, which is the limit of the publisher’s rating system. These values are identical for the Hulk, but all that really means is that neither character’s strength is measurable by any recognizable standards. What this means is that while both Juggernaut and the Hulk can easily lift 100 tons, this is less of a limit to their strength and more of a jumping-off point.

Debating which of these heavyweights would beat the other in a fight is fun, but Marvel settled the issue of who would win in “Juggernaut” #2. In the battle, Juggernaut takes on the Hulk to make him pay for his wanton destruction, completely missing the irony of his actions before engaging his target. The Hulk handily defeats Juggernaut, but he’s not alone. With the help of Damage Control (a company that specializes in fixing the massive damage caused by superpowered battles) and some gamma radiation-sapping equipment, the Juggernaut manages to uppercut the Hulk into submission, though he likely shattered all the bones in his hand in doing so.

When Juggernaut puts the Hulk on a trial of sorts, the imprisoned Avenger easily breaks free from his cage, leading to a second engagement between Marvel’s two behemoths. But instead of pummeling his captor into submission, the Hulk actually defeats him with words, shaming Juggernaut for all of his past misdeeds. Marko realizes that, unlike the times that the Hulk went on rampages, “I knew what I was doing every time I did it.”

While the issue doesn’t end in a spectacular brawl between two powerhouses, it still pretty much settles the debate. Though Juggernaut does manage to temporarily overpower the Hulk, he’s only able to do so with the help of outside assistance. And if that’s not enough to convince you, it’s important to note that during the beginning of their fight, Juggernaut openly admits that the Hulk is much stronger than he is, so even the character realizes who is the more powerful of the two.