Some characters in the comics need weapons to be a little more intimidating, while some don’t need anything other than a fierce appearance and the ability to back it up. In other words, the Hulk doesn’t really need weapons since he IS the weapon. That’s why putting anything formidable enough in his hands feels like it would be a bad idea considering that he would end up being given a chance to become even more destructive than usual. This is a character whose strength increases exponentially when he’s angry, and whose fists can pound through just about anything when he puts a little effort into it. Plus, anything that can actually damage him ends up being ineffectual the moment his healing factor kicks in, which is right away most times. So why in the world would he need a weapon? Well, because the writers say so, that’s why. But trying to imagine what he could do with a weapon in hand, a weapon that wouldn’t fold under his immense strength, is kind of intriguing. Just imagine how much more dangerous such a weapon would be.
Take Captain America’s shield for instance. The vibranium disc has been Cap’s main weapon for a long, long time now, and its indestructible nature has only been challenged a couple of times, as in Endgame it was hacked apart by Thanos. But the shield has managed to repel Thor’s hammer after a solid strike and has saved Cap’s life on more than one occasion over the years. Using it as a weapon makes it even more insane considering that Cap could easily kill someone with the shield if he’d ever felt the need. Now imagine taking a hit from the Hulk, WITH Cap’s shield covering his fist. Taking into account how much harder Hulk can hit than Captain America, it’s fair to think that the damage would be unbelievable.
It’s not just the blunt force trauma either, since Cap’s shield has been used in another manner. The edge is just as deadly, if not deadlier, than the flat side since it’s been used to cut with brutal efficiency, and it’s been used to inflict even more blunt force trauma. In the comics, the Hulk has managed to get hold of the shield a couple of times, and one can easily imagine that if such a thing were to happen in the MCU that it would be a recipe for disaster, especially since despite his slight aversion to violence, Banner’s smart version of the Hulk is intelligent enough to know how great of an asset the shield can be. The edge of the shield, when given enough force behind it, can be a rough cutting tool that can separate bone if needed. Now, thinking of the Hulk using the shield as a battering ram or as a chopping weapon is easy enough, but it also feels like this would give him a serious advantage in any fight. Of course, it all goes back to the fact that Banner doesn’t need a weapon when it comes to his Hulk form, since all one has to do is anger the Hulk and keep angering him to make him even deadlier.
The Hulk has picked up a weapon, or weapons, now and then and been shown to be skilled enough at using them to be a legitimate threat, but the act of picking up Cap’s shield has never been something that people have been willing to let go since as a symbol, that shield is something that has been given a higher meaning over the last several decades. There’s a reason why it’s such a big deal for anyone other than Captain America to pick up that shield, even if the moment appears to be a matter of convenience and nothing else. A lot of hands have held the shield, and a lot of people have made good use of it, but in the Hulk’s hands the meaning might be a bit dulled, but the potential for damage increases so drastically that it can’t be understated since it’s so incredibly obvious. Try to think of what would happen if Hulk had the shield, his own version of Thor’s hammer, a suit like Iron Man, gadgets like Black Widow, and a few other items, it feels as though he’d be one of the most unstoppable forces in the Marvel universe.
Of course, he kind of already is, since the idea of being able to wade through one opponent after another using raw, brute strength is impressive. But giving Hulk a shield would be kind of like handing a lot of other characters a set of adamantium knuckle dusters, since Cap’s shield is, to the Hulk, a lot smaller than it is to anyone else. To be fair though, it’s not any less useful.
Follow Us
