Hulk and Surtur are two of the strongest characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Because Thor ended their fight prematurely in Thor: Ragnarok, many fans have wondered which of them would win in a real battle.
Hulk would put up an incredible fight and might be able to win if he could separate Surtur from the Eternal Flame. However, it is unlikely he could do this, and Surtur would ultimately defeat Hulk.
Contents
Who Is Hulk?
Hulk is the alter ego of Bruce Banner, a genius scientist with seven Ph. D’s. He worked at Culver University, where he became involved in a radiation experiment.
The experiment was unsuccessful and exposed Banner to an extreme level of gamma radiation, transforming him into a mindless green-skinned giant with exceptional levels of strength.
At first, Banner had little control over his Hulk side, but over time he learned to use both sides of himself for good. He was a founding member of Avengers and fought in the Battles of New York and Sokovia.
Following Sokovia, he accidentally left Earth while in his Hulk form and crash-landed on the planet Sakaar. There, he stayed in his Hulk form for two years and was forced to fight like a gladiator for the natives’ entertainment before transforming back to Banner.
Back in his human form, Banner escaped Sakaar with Thor, Valkyrie, and Loki, traveling to Asgard with them to help in the fight against Hela.
When Surtur was restored to his full strength, Banner, who once again transformed into Hulk, tried to defeat the “big monster” before Thor ordered him to retreat with them.
Later, Banner found a way to merge both sides of himself–his genius intellect and his super-strong Hulk body. In this form, he helped the Avengers execute the time heist, reversed Thanos’ Snap, and fought in the Battle of Earth.
Who Is Surtur?
Surtur was a fire demon destined to bring about Ragnarok, the destruction of Asgard.
![Thor Ragnarok - Opening Scene - Conversation with Surtur while hanging from chain [ HDR - 4K - 5.1 ]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Y86DgfO0P-c/0.jpg)
Odin tried to prevent this from happening when he battled and defeated Surtur 5,000 years before Thor: Ragnarok. Odin separated Surtur from the Eternal Flame, which left him weakened and injured.
Even in this weakened state, Surtur captured Thor and nearly defeated him in the ensuing struggle. However, Thor gained the upper hand and seemed to kill Surtur with a powerful blow from Mjolnir.
Thor took Surtur’s crown, which absorbed the demon’s life force, back to Asgard, placing it in Odin’s Vault for safekeeping.
Later, however, when Hela conquered Asgard, Thor and Loki reunited the crown with the Eternal Flame, allowing Surtur to return to his full strength and defeat Hela.
This act brought about Ragnarok, but by that time, Asgard had been evacuated. As he destroyed Asgard, Surtur killed Hela and himself in the process.
Hulk’s Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
Perhaps Hulk’s most well-known strength is his, well, strength. When in his Hulk form, he can lift over 100 billion tons. He can also smash cars, buildings, and villains with ease. He is considered one of the strongest Avengers.
In addition to this nearly unlimited strength, he possesses extreme levels of durability and stamina. Almost nothing can hurt him, and his body removes fatigue toxins before they can build up, which prevents him from tiring.
His skin is too tough to penetrate with weapons, and it is also fire-resistant. This strength, in particular, would benefit him in a fight against Surtur.
His rage fuels all of these powers–the angrier he gets, the stronger and more powerful he becomes.
Weaknesses
Banner’s transformation into the Hulk comes with one noticeable side effect–the brilliant scientist loses his intelligence. At least, this was the case until he found a way to fuse Hulk’s strength and durability with Banner’s mind and temperament in Avengers: Endgame.
Before he accomplished this, he was either smart or strong–not both at the same time. So, if he met an opponent who could overpower him, he would be unable to outsmart them.
While in his Hulk form, rage was one of his strengths–but it could also become a weakness because, as his anger grew, the more his intelligence disappeared.
While in this state, he could hurt or kill anyone in his path–including friends, allies, and innocent bystanders.
Surtur’s Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
Once reunited with the Eternal flame, Surtur possessed unlimited levels of strength and durability. Not even Thor or Hela, the most powerful Asgardians following Odin’s death, could compete with him.
Besides being strong and durable, Surtur manipulated fire, using it to destroy anything he wanted.
His Twilight Sword made him more powerful. Seemingly made of flame, it was unbeatable–in fact, when he plunged it into the heart of Asgard, the entire realm burst apart.
Surtur was basically immortal–he could not be killed by anyone who challenged him. We saw this when Hela impaled him with her necroswords to no avail.
Though he died during Ragnarok, this was a part of the prophecy. It seems the destruction of Asgard was the only event that could destroy him.
Weaknesses
Thousands of years before Ragnarok, Odin found a way to remove Surtur’s powers. Their battle left the fire demon wounded and imprisoned, and he remained in this state until Thor destroyed his body, forcing his life force to absorb into his crown.
He was not returned to full strength until Loki placed the crown in the Eternal Flame.
So, it is possible for him to be separated from his powers. Aside from this, Surtur had no real weaknesses–he nearly equaled Odin in strength and was more powerful than all other heroes and villains who faced him.
Hulk vs. Surtur: Side-By-Side Comparison
| Name | Bruce Banner/Hulk | Surtur |
| Greatest Strength | Superhuman strength, durability, fire resistance | Superhuman strength, durability, fire manipulation |
| Greatest Weakness | Rage, loss of intelligence | Separation from powers |
Hulk vs. Surtur: Who Wins?
Hulk and Surtur fought briefly near the end of Ragnarok when Hulk attacked Surtur, throwing several punches against his head and crown.
Though Hulk was unharmed by the heat and Surtur’s great strength, Surtur picked him off like a fly and tossed him away.
Both characters have unlimited levels of strength and durability, but Surtur is perhaps stronger and more durable than Hulk. Not to mention he is bigger, standing around 1,000 feet tall when at full strength.
A fight between these characters could go on for days with neither side giving in or growing tired.
That said, the only one in the Marvel universe known to match Surtur’s strength is Odin, and Odin had to separate Surtur from the Eternal Flame to gain the upper hand.
Having fused his brain and brawn, it’s possible that the Smart Hulk we see in Endgame may know to do this in theory. But he may not have the power to do it.
If he found a way to separate Surtur from his power source, he might have a chance against a weakened version of the fire demon. However, even depowered, Surtur was incredibly strong and gave Thor an impressive fight.
A depowered Surtur might match more equally with Hulk; but a fully powered Surtur would win this battle, even if it took him a long time to wear Hulk down.
Conclusion
Hulk and Surtur are both strong and durable characters in the MCU. This could be a long-lasting battle, especially if the new and improved “Smart Hulk” had a chance to fight the fire demon.
However, Surtur is larger, with powers matched only by Odin. Though Hulk would not be defeated easily, it is unlikely that he would find a way to beat Surtur unless he separated the demon from his source of power, the Eternal Flame.
Sarah Hood is a freelance content writer and editor with a love for all things Star Wars. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking, singing, and spending time in the great outdoors.