Marvel Announces Thanos And Hulk Rematch

Thanos is arriving on Earth, and to stop the deadly villain, the new Illuminati is unleashing the Hulk.

Thanos and the Hulk are two of the strongest characters in the Marvel Universe. With Titanian-Eternal physiology and strength, the Mad Titan's incredible powers helped him in acquiring the Infinity Gems and in using the Infinity Gauntlet to snap half of life from existence. Meanwhile, Hulk has proven time and time again with numerous feats of dominance that his strength is largely unmatched by his fellow heroes. Now, in the upcoming "Thanos" limited series, the cosmic foe is returning to Earth to find the physical embodiment of Death and continue his decades-long quest to win her affection.

They have clashed on multiple occasions, from Thanos using the Infinity Gauntlet to make Hulk a coward in "Infinity Gauntlet" #4 (by Jim Starlin, George Perez, Ron Lim, Josef Rubinstein, Tom Christopher, Bruce N. Solotoff, Jack Morelli, Max Scheele, and Ian Laughlin), to the villain admitting that the hero was one Avenger he avoided fighting due to his impressive strength in "Thanos Quest" (by Starlin, Lim, John Beatty, and Tom Vincent), to Thanos keeping the Hulk like a deadly pet dog at the end of time in "Thanos" #15 (by Donny Cates, Geoff Shaw, Antonio Fabela, and VC's Clayton Cowles). In "Avengers: Infinity War" in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thanos easily defeated Hulk during the Black Order's infiltration of Thor's Asgardian spaceship. That fight illustrated why Thanos needs to be taken seriously, as he easily dismantled some of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

In "Thanos," by writer Christopher Cantwell ("Doctor Doom"), artist Luca Pizarri ("X-Men: Before The Fall – Heralds Of Apocalypse"), colorist Ruth Redmond ("Deadpool"), and letterer VC's Cory Petit ("Immortal Hulk"), the Mad Titan searches for his long-desired love, Death, who has continually rejected his devotion in their shared Marvel history. His mission leads him to Earth, where the New Illuminati, an updated version of the secretive Marvel superteam with Blue Marvel and Emma Frost replacing Professor X and Black Bolt, confront the villain and try to locate Death before him.

Christopher Cantwell recently shared that Thanos will be driven by his emotions, leading him to Earth: "[Thanos] is the primary force of chaos here, but he also bears witness to, and has strong opinions about, the more human elements of this story. Thanos has become more dimensionalized, for sure, in recent years. Emotions are driving him here. It's not galactic conquest; not yet, at least."

In a first look at "Thanos" #2, the new Illuminati will call the Hulk to help deal with their Thanos problem. Considering how the old Illuminati was responsible for sending the hero off-planet, fearing he was too dangerous during the events of "Planet Hulk," recruiting Hulk might not be easy if he still holds a grudge about the betrayal. But the challenge of Thanos appears to be appetizing enough for him to put the past aside.

If Thanos can take out the Hulk, the new Illuminati's efforts to stop him from reaching Death could fall apart. The Mad Titan's sheer determination to find his long-lost love and figure out what's happening on Earth may triumph over the superteam's collective abilities. Hulk is one of the new Illuminati's best chances at victory, and if he falls, Earth may be next.

New Marvel solicitations for January for "Thanos" #2 showcase an epic battle between the hero and villain in what's one of Marvel's biggest heavyweight matchups. Check out the cover art by Leinil Francis Yu, followed by the accompanying text for the issue below.

Marvel Comics/Leinil Francis Yu

The new Illuminati move on Thanos to prevent him from destroying the Earth as part of his quest to reclaim his beloved Death, which means it's time to bring in the biggest gun they've got: THE INCREDIBLE HULK!

Hulk vs. Thanos' latest fight will happen in "Thanos" #2 from Marvel Comics, which arrives in comic book stores and online retailers on January 3, 2024.