Hulk's Best Friend Is the 1 Hero Powerful Enough to Beat Galactus Solo

The Hulk is easily one of the strongest characters in the Marvel Universe, yet even he is no match for the likes of Galactus, who wields power that even someone as incredibly strong as the Hulk couldn’t even comprehend. However, even though the Hulk wouldn’t stand a chance against Galactus, the same cannot be said for Hulk’s best friend, who proved to be the one hero powerful enough to actually beat Galactus solo.

In the four-part miniseries Hunger by Joshua Hale Fialkov and Leonard Kirk, a rift is created between Earth-616 and Earth-1610 aka the original Ultimate Universe. The Avengers inadvertently tore a hole through time and space during the events of Age of Ultron, creating this massive rift connecting the two universes - and Galactus uses it to enter the Ultimate Universe.

Once in the Ultimate Universe, Galactus merges with his own variant, Gah Lak Tus, and makes the hive-mind android swarm his Herald. After mere moments of making Earth-1610 his new home, Galactus already makes himself way more powerful than he previously was, and sets his sights on the nearest planet to consume. However, Galactus doesn’t get very far before being confronted by the one person with the strength to take him down: Rick Jones.

Related Galactus' Most Powerful Herald of All Time Makes Silver Surfer Look Weak Galactus has had many Heralds over the years, and out of them all, only one stands above them as the most powerful - and it's not the Silver Surfer.

Rick Jones, Long-Time Friend of the Hulk, is Powerful Enough to Beat Galactus

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While Rick Jones is essentially just a regular guy in Earth-616 who befriended the Hulk after Bruce Banner saved his life from the gamma bomb explosion that created the Hulk, he’s cosmically powerful in the Ultimate Universe. Ultimate Rick Jones became the Chosen One of the Watchers, who granted Jones god-tier power and declared him the protector of the entire universe. With this power, Rick Jones can morph into a being of pure energy, he can fly through space, project intense energy blasts, and can even create teleportation portals.

As powerful as Rick Jones is with the Watchers’ power, however, he doesn’t reach his peak until he becomes Captain Marvel. Following the supposed death of Mahr Vehl during the battle against Galactus, Rick Jones puts on the Kree warrior’s suit, thereby becoming the new Captain Marvel himself. Merging the Watchers’ power with that of Captain Marvel, Rick Jones becomes like a god, and is able to destroy the entire Gah Lak Tus swarm and gravely injure Galactus (to the point of incapacitation) with a single shot.

The Ultimate Universe Isn’t the Only Time Rick Jones Becomes Captain Marvel

Rick Jones Merges with Mar-Vell in Captain Marvel #17

It’s true that Rick Jones spends a fair amount of his Marvel Comics history as a powerless sidekick to the Hulk (and Captain America), but that doesn’t mean he stays that way forever. In fact, Rick Jones has a similar transformation in Earth-616 as his Earth-1610 counterpart, when Mar-Vell’s essence merges with his in Captain Marvel #17. While not literally Captain Marvel himself, Rick channeled the cosmic hero’s powers while they were merged. Not only that, but Jones also bonded with Genis-Vell (the son of Mar-Vell) in Avengers: Forever #12, making him a version of Captain Marvel yet again.

While it’s interesting that Rick Jones becomes a version of Captain Marvel in both Marvel Comics’ main and Ultimate continuities, it’s fair to say that the Ultimate Universe’s version of the Hulk’s best friend is far more powerful, as it’s that version of Rick Jones who proves strong enough to kill one Galactus and gravely injure another with a single attack.