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Hulk is the strongest!" Or are you among the fans that say the Mighty Thor is Marvel's strongest hero? This debate has raged for decades among the Marvel faithful and will likely rage on for many decades more. However, what often goes unmentioned in these arguments is the fact that Marvel writers have introduced quite a few new superheroes in recent years that are stronger than both of them. IA shared (and significant) trait among these new heroes is the fact that none are Mutants, meaning they're free of any entanglements with 20th Century Fox and theoretically are elligible to be introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe one day.
With DC fans divided on Zack Snyder's polarizing depiction of Superman, is the door open for Marvel to introduce a character that comic book fans have openly mocked for being a thinly veiled attempt at creating a Superman clone? If that hypothetical door is indeed open, Kevin Feige has several candidates to chose from among Marvel's roster.
And who knows what the fallout will be once the dust clears after the (formerly-titled) Avengers : Infinity War Part 2. Thor and Hulk, the two characters that will serve as the front line of Earth's defense could find themselves out of commission by the time the credits roll. If that occurs, here are 5 characters that could step in and take their place.
HYPERION
Created in 1969, Marcus Milton is Marvel's first and most blatant attempt to create their own version of Superman. His power-set includes super strength, flight, 'Atomic vision' and he derives his power from solar energy. Since his debut, Marvel has actually introduced several alternate versions of the character, the most powerful among them being the maniacal King Hyperion of Earth-4023.
This version of Hyperion is the most powerful of all the various versions. Obsessed with his own strength, he travels from one dimension to the next, destroying each of that reality's strongest warriors (including various alternate versions of Hulk and Thor). However, his arrival in the main, 616-Universe signaled his doom as he met defeat at the hands of another Superman-like character that will be featured later on in the list.
BETA RAY BILL
The genetically modified champion of the Korbinite race, Beta Ray Bill has defeated the Mighty Thor on more than one occasion. After initially coming to blows with the Odinson (and defeating him) over possession of Mjölnir, Odin commissioned Beta Ray his own mystical uru hammer, Stormbreaker.
Since their initial battle, they've become staunch allies but this is still the world of comics - they've battle on several occasions throughout the years and Beta Ray has walked away the victor more than once. And before you point out that Beta Ray Bill fought Hulk in the Marvel animated film Planet Hulk, keep in mind that in Greg Pak's 2006 Planet Hulk comic, the Green Goliath battled Silver Surfer not Beta Ray. For the animated film, Silver Surfer was unavailable as his film rights belong to 20th Century Fox.
ZARDA AKA POWER PRINCESS
For this entry, we're headed to the Ultimate Universe where Zarda aka Power Princess (generally regarded as Marvel's version of Wonder Woman) put a gigantic smack down on the Hulk because he refused to put on pants. Like Hyperion, Zarda was originally introduced as a member of the Squadron Supreme (a thinly veiled analog of DC's Justice League) and since then, there's been numerous versions of the character (from alternate dimensions) introduced.
While possessing the usual superhuman attributes of strength, flight and invulnerability, what sets Zarda apart is her ability to absorb the life force of surrounding organisms. It's been theorized that as long as there's a living creature close by, Zarda can't be killed. In later comics, she was also revealed to have the ability to transfer her stolen life force to heal injured allies.
SENTRY
Our second "Superman clone," Sentry was a new comic book characters that fans loved when he was first introduced by Marvel Knights back in 2000, but popular opinion quickly soured once he was introduced into mainstream Marvel Comics. As such, he's been on the shelf since 2013.
During his tenure as Marvel's Superman, Sentry fought the Hulk to a stalemate and even regenerated his body after total molecular destruction. His one weakness is that he's a complete basket case, but for good reason. Locked deep within the Sentry's psyche is the Void, an entity of dark and evil power that's even greater than its host. Various comic book writers have attempted to give the Void a definitive origin over the years (manifestation of Sentry's dark side, space parasite, etc.) but one thing's for certain, it ranks among the most deadly beings in all of Marvel lore, having defeated both Thor, Hulk and the combined forces of Iron Man, Doctor Strange, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men on separate occasions.
BLUE MARVEL
Adam Brashear might be the most interesting member on the list. Created by Underworld screenwriter Kevin Grevioux, Blue Marvel made his debut in 2008's Adam: Legend of the Blue Marvel #1 and was a story that explored what it meant to be a black superhero during the Civil Rights Movement. Initially loved by all, his costume is torn during a battle, revealing that the greatest superhero of that era is African-American. A revelation that ultimately leads to him retiring so that he doesn't inflame an already tense nation concerned about the rising black power movement.
Forty years later, Blue Marvel returns to help The Avengers take down one his old foes and in the process, demonstrates that he's still in his prime and still among the upper echelon of powerhouses like Thor and Hulk. In later adventures, he would go on to defeat Sentry and King Hyperion in separate confrontations. There's also the fact that he can create anti-matter, a substance that theoretically equals 2x the power of a nuclear bomb.
Would you like to see Marvel Studios introduce any of these characters into the MCU? Lets us know in the comment section below!