Superman

Superman, would punch He-man so hard he would deteriorate.

Superman, would use his laser eyes.

Superman would use his super-strength.

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Chuck Norris would win.

Not really.

So far, everything humans has found is affected by gravity, and reacts to it in

fairly well understood ways.

Gravity is basically about how objects with mass pulls on each other. It's a force

that's dependent on the product of the masses involved, and the distance

between them.

Humans pull on Earth the same way as Earth pulls on humans.

If you're in space, you're a far, far away from anything heavy. The situation

has nothing to do with defying gravity, but due to the distances involved, we

don't notice it that much. But it's still there, doing its thing, entirely according

to the textbook.

Then there is the Zero-G flight, but that's not about defying gravity either.

Rather about understanding it, using it and countering it to create free-fall

conditions. And while seemingly very similar, free-fall and zero gravity aren't

the same thing.

By having a plane follow the same trajectory and speed as - say a thrown stone -

everything within the plane becomes weightless WRT the plane, for the descent

part of the trajectory, for about 20 seconds.

Apart from the plane being able to land, it's like being inside a falling elevator.

If you and the elevator are both falling at the same rate, there's no longer any

force pushing you against the floor.

Zero gravity is hard, and not really found anywhere inside out solar system.

Zero gravity means there's no force acting on you at all. Free fall is a lot easier,

and simply means that you and your immediate surroundings are free to react

the same way to the pull of gravity.

In virtually all cross overs, Superman always wins because he's the more popular character among comic goers, so poor Hulk always gets outvoted by the comic book nerd community. While the Hulk's strength at full rage has remained relatively consistent throughout the character's history, Superman has shifted, from the original Siegel and Shuster vision where he couldn't even fly, to the most powerful incarnation, the Silver Age version, and then back to the golden age level again which is stronger than the 1980's and late 90's Warner Bros cartoon one, and roughly half as strong as the silver age one. It takes two modern era Supermen, to equal the strength of one silver age one; the Silver age Superman was so powerful, he could literally hurl planets. In an official D.C. encyclopedia, to stop a dangerous DC villain, he destroyed an entire unpopulated star system, including the star. At that point, Superman fans said "okay, that's just ridiculous; he needs a revision." The character Superman Prime is almost as powerful raw strength and heat vision potency wise, but more powerful in the sense that he has no weakness for Kryptonite, plus the Oan (green lantern) energy he absorbed from one of the guardians, makes it so that he has an internal "power cell" battery of solar energy, meaning......... he can go wherever he pleases in the universe without losing power. The only reason such ridiculous power is tolerated by fans, is because he's a bad guy, and because he is not as strong as the Silver Age Superman. For the sake of keeping the character's reputation "clean," a villain superman will never be made as powerful as a good guy superman by DC. You don't have to take my word for it; buy the official, latest DC comics encyclopedia from Amazon. Just google it it will take you to the link; although the main superman will remain golden age, there will always be a superman on some other parallel earth somewhere, as powerful as the silver age one. Rest easy; Prime is certainly a deranged, psycho version of Superman but he's not the most powerful, that title still belongs to the ridiculously powerful Silver Age one.

Back to your question; how Superman wins always varies. The golden age one, never fought the Hulk, because back then Marvel didn't even exist yet, and when it did come into the scene, the companies were not interested in doing cross overs for a while. However because both businesses tend to be equally popular with comic book crowds, that is, a true comic book nerd will buy from both companies, they realized, that doing cross overs would not hurt their profits if anything it would actually boost them. Naturally the most burning question of comic book fans was the Superman vs Hulk thing; although not as famous, The Incredible Hulk has become a modern mythic icon for raw physical power. You say the words "The Hulk" and people immediately think of raw physical strength. The character has even become a part of the English language;

"That Hulking steroid brute," etc, etc, etc.

Again let me reemphasize; Superman has never been known to lose, but that is largely a popularity contest. You are probably asking your question based on what each character can do, so, to answer directly, not based on a popularity thing, The Hulk would win, especially if in a rage. Why the Hulk? All Superman needs to do to beat the Hulk is lobotomize him with his heat vision, problem is, Superman is entirely too soft hearted to do that. In comic book plots, especially Superman comics, elements of real life are often borrowed. In the real world, it is not always a question of ability, but willingness. See, that is Superman's problem; the character, can crush Lex Luthor any time he wishes, Lex Luthor's raw brain power and all. See though Superman is not as cold blooded and ruthless as Luthor, like I said, he's a soft hearted Kansas farmboy. Frankly? If Superman did exist he BETTER grow up in a Kansas farm; God help us if he grew up in New York or Los Angeles with all those sadistic skanks. In large cities, because women are stupid and materialistic, not knowing who he is, they would treat Superman like crap as he was Clark Kent. No telling what anger issues might result from years of that, not to mention all cowardly dudes that inhabit America's large cities.

Moving back to your question; not basing this opinion on popularity contests, basing it strictly on how the characters were made by their respective companies, even though I like Superman personally, the current Superman would lose against the Hulk. Without his heat vision, there is no way he can win, his unwillingness to use it, would result in the Hulk basically beating him into a coma. Yes, any of the Hulks could beat him, provided they were fully enraged; anything lower than the Green or Red Hulk though no way.

In the first Superman vs Hulk fight, the Hulk was up against the Silver Age Superman, who took a direct blow from the Hulk, which would have sent a tank flying a good 1,000 feet, without so much as wincing. Like I said; Silver Age Superman, was RIDICULOUSLY powerful. NO ONE in the Marvel Universe outside cosmic beings can take a direct blow from the Hulk! Even any of Galactus' heralds will become severely injured from a direct blow like that. Like I said; with Silver Age Supes it was just plain ridiculous. Next, came the Byrne revision era Superman, who had to resort to gadgets and weakening the Hulk to bring him down, he was too weak and pathetic to do it with his own power, from what I recall, although don't quote me on that, you will have search in the Encyclopedia yourself.

The current golden age levels one, does frequently beat the Hulk, but its always a hard fought fight, and although Superman is the one left standing, and with Bruce Banner unconscious on the ground, he is almost always bloodied, has several fractures, and needs to rest for a whole month before he gets back in action. Silver Age Superman could take on Thor, the Hulk, and Juggernaut on his own; no way in hell, can the current Superman get away with that. I mention Thor, Hulk and Juggernaut because, easily, those are Marvel's heaviest hitters outside cosmic characters.

In the end, it depends, but, since you are concerned with the current Superman no doubt, sorry, eliminating popularity from the picture, and considering what each character can do, unless Superman was completely ruthless, and willing to use his heat vision, the fight would go to the Hulk. The current age Superman's heat vision is so intense, it can slice off the Hulk's head okay? But, like I said, America's (and possibly the world's) most beloved and iconic superhero, just doesn't have it in him to do that.

First of all, Superman is fast. Not just Captain America quick-reflex fast, not just Spider-man agile-fast, not just Quicksilver straight-line fast, but nearly Flash fast. Superman can reach the speed of light in a vacuum. He can shower, shave, change and get to work in under 6 seconds. Imagine the coordination, timing, and care it would take to do that and not destroy the bathroom or kill everyone in your path.

Hulk would smash empty air with every swing. He'd smash the ground but Superman would be flying. He'd slam his hands together and create a shockwave but it's really just not the same thing.

Superman is also all but indestructible. Hard to hurt, heals rapidly, and constantly charging under a yellow sun. Doesn't need to breath and if he did his lungs can hold ridiculous amounts of air.

Disgusted yet?

Next, Superman is really, really, *really* strong. In Superman 13, just released, using special machinery, he bench-pressed a weight the equivalent of the planet Earth for 5 consecutive days and broke a single drop of sweat-- and only then because he was underground that entire time and away from the sun. To test his upper limits the scientists involved decided they'd need a wormhole generator that would threaten the planet, so they stopped testing.

Now suppose Hulk can get that strong by his tenth iteration of rage, would he really make it? Say he does. Does he have the leverage to use his strength? He only weighs a ton, that amount of weight is nothing next to what either of these guys can dish out.

Oh yeah, Superman can fly and use his strength while flying, so he'd have all the leverage he'd need.

We haven't even touched on how he can fight at range.

• Blast superbreath so hard and fast Hulk asphyxiates.
• Throw building-sized boulders from very far away using telescopic vision to aim.
• Lift the ground under Hulk's feet carrying him into space.
• Circle around him at high speed trapping him in a vortex. Remember, Hulk can't fly and can't leap if he's not on the ground.
• Fight underwater.
• Fight in a volcano.
• Dig a trench around Hulk fast, fill it with a million tons of crude oil, and pummel Hulk while he thrashes around submerged and unable to see while Superman uses yet another power, x-ray vision.
• Freeze Hulk's throat the moment he opens his mouth so he chokes and passes out.
• Inhale KO gas, punch Hulk's solar-plexus, and exhale it all into Hulk's face when he inhales.
• Ice the ground under his feet so he can't swing his fist without falling. And of course there's his heat vision as mentioned already
• On and on

Or do the fair thing and pummel him so fast and hard there's no time to recover. Granted, this would be the Hulk's best chance to succeed.

All this time don't forget the Hulk is brainless. Utterly stupid. Any trap, any device from the science of Krypton, literally any plan at all, would have a high chance of working without Hulk figuring out what's going on.

Hulk is rage personified and Superman is thoughtful compassion personified. Superman hitting Hulk would be like a man striking a child. Obscene and unfair.

Superman would refuse to fight, take enough hits to show Hulk he's not a wimp without hitting Hulk himself to aggravate Hulk's rage, all the while looking to stop whatever was making Hulk mad. He'd search for people Hulk knew who could calm him. Show him their pictures. Hold his hands out in placating gestures. Speak in calming tones. People have tried and failed because Hulk smashed them. Superman don't smash so easy.

Like in the Silver Age battle, he'd never stop trying to help the Hulk. And Hulk, being a good guy underneath the covers, would eventually see that.

If you change their personalities, Superman would just kill him in one of a hundred cruel ways. The Hulk ain't Thor or the Surfer, and strength only takes you so far.

Ask yourself, how many tough problems do you solve every day using raw strength?