When mobsters attack you and leave you for dead, it’s usually the end of the road. Most people don’t get the second chance that Jennifer Walters, aka She-Hulk. did.
When Bruce Banner shared his irradiated blood with her through a life-saving transfusion, not only did Walters survive the shooting, but she also became the legendary Sensational She-Hulk, a superhero known for her muscular green form and allegiance with the Avengers.
Just the name She-Hulk implies that Walters possesses the same powers as her cousin, and while it’s true that the two share many of the same strengths, She-Hulk also has a hefty helping of powers that her cousin doesn’t.
Some of her powers are also very close the the ones that Banner possesses with tweaks added in through various means. Others may seem familiar at first glance, but are actually quite different from what fans may expect. Even the manifestation of her form varies from Banner’s in terms of muscle and bone mass as well as control.
From a level of strength that may surprise you to a charm bestowed upon her through a spell, here are 15 Powers You Didn’t Know She-Hulk Has.
15. Telepathic Immunity
Anyone who hopes to employ their telepathic skills on She-Hulk should probably find another dream to chase because it’s not gonna happen. The same psionic resistance that we’ve witnessed in the Hulk is also employed by his cousin.
It may not sound as impressive as the Hulks’ superhuman strength, but it’s actually even more powerful, if you think about it. The Hulk was able to use his telepathic immunity to block the effects of Xemnu in Hulk volume 2 #30, something that Doctor Strange can’t even do.
The fact that She-Hulk is immune to the telepathic prowess of the likes of Professor X, Thanos, Apocalypse, and other incredible psychics makes her “the strongest woman in the Marvel universe” on a while different level that’s less obvious but nonetheless astounding.
14. Condensed Muscle And Bone Mass
When the Hulk bulks up like Popeye on spinach, his muscles and bones expand to make him massive enough to dwarf his Bruce Banner counterpart, fulfilling Marvel’s own green-skinned Jekyll and Hyde persona.
When She-Hulk transforms, she is not as enormous as her cousin due to her condensed muscle and bone mass. She appears much lighter than her actual mass, which is several times that of a standard human being. Walters still dramatically increases in size during transformation, but it’s a much less noticeable change than the form Banner takes.
The purpose of this power may give her the advantage of being underestimated in a fight or increased agility, but let’s face it, it’s really an aesthetic choice to make her seem more attractive to readers.
13. Superhuman Speed
Speed is a power that usually comes in handy, no matter which side you’re fighting on. While she’s no Quicksilver, She-Hulk can hustle it like nobody’s business. Her powerful muscles give her the advantage of superhuman speed, making her able to outrun any human athlete and many mutants. On a power grid visual, her speed measures up to a level three.
While this isn’t amazing when measured against the heroes known for their speed, it’s still considered a fairly prominent ability. She’s been able to easily dodge fast expulsions of energy from other mutants and yank Iron Man out of the air (with a smirk on her face, no less), proving that her superhuman speed is a pretty handy tool among her arsenal of abilities.
12. Full Ability Control
One of the most famous elements of the Incredible Hulk’s personality is his inability to control his powers. Once the Hulk is out, he’s set to smash and that’s pretty much it. There are plenty of instances and storylines where Banner is able to control the Hulk, but Walters is in control of She-Hulk most of the time.
This gives her the ability to change back and forth between forms at will as she desires, making her power so much more useful than a pulse-based ability. Walters also retains her usual personality as She-Hulk, giving her even better control of the power.
Some might argue that Banner’s real strength is in his Berserker-like rage, and it’s a fair point, since Walters isn’t usually fueled by such ferocious intensity. That kind of monstrous output is difficult to stop and highly effective against an aggressor, but it’s difficult to channel. Walters’ control makes it easier to funnel all of her powers into a fight, strengthening their focus if not their impact as well.
11. Rapid Regeneration/Healing Factor
On the surface, a healing factor seems like a pretty boring power to have, but the most popular superheroes, from Deadpool to Wolverine, usually have at least some form of regenerative abilities. She-Hulk is no exception.
While she’s not impervious to pain or injury, She-Hulk does have a strong resistance to both to begin with, making her much more difficult to take down. Minor to medium-level injuries are nothing for her to recover from, and larger concerns like blood loss and tissue damage are simple for her to heal in a matter of minutes.
Unlike Deadpool, She-Hulk does not have the ability to regenerate complete organs, limbs, or other body parts, so even if she is able to walk away from most fights unharmed, she still has to maintain at least some defenses.
10. Super Stamina
There are many superheroes you wouldn’t want to go head-to-head with, but those with incredible stamina are the worst because they’ll knock you out and be ready for another fight while you’re still exhausted. An efficient metabolism combined with her superhuman musculature provide She-Hulk with a highly superhuman stamina that suits her well for any battle, giving her the power to continue and go the distance with just about anyone physically.
While many heroes might wear themselves thin after a few hours of fighting, She-Hulk can remain in the ring for up to two full days before fatigue starts to set in. Even then, she can still fight; she just won’t be working at full capacity anymore.
Plenty of fans have suggested that, with this in mind, she should really go up against much better villains.
9. Class 100+ Strength
The power that most people associate with She-Hulk is her superhuman strength. While it’s pretty obvious that she’s the strongest woman in the Marvel universe, you may not know that she is also stronger than most Marvel men as well.
Her character started out at a Class 50 level of strength but improved up to a Class 75 by working out with Thing’s exercise equipment when she worked with the Fantastic Four. She-Hulk now ranks at above a Class 100 and is at least as strong as - or stronger than - Thor, Hercules, Colossus, Mephisto, and dozens of other Class 100 characters.
While it was noted earlier that She-Hulk is not dependent upon her emotions for her powers like her cousin often is, her strength does increase when her emotions run strong.
8. Perception Charm
Whether you’re a lawyer or a crime fighter, people knowing your identity can be dangerous. Just ask Matt Murdock. Knowing that She-Hulk has plenty of enemies from both of her worlds, Scarlet Witch decided to do her a favor by making her unrecognizable in her human form to anyone who might wish her harm. Of course, the spell had some unwanted side effects, which led She-Hulk to seek out Doctor Strange for assistance in removing it.
Scarlet Witch hasn’t always helped She-Hulk out, either. Remember the time she went insane and decided to murder the Avengers? She cast a spell on She-Hulk, causing her to go on an unstoppable rampage to the point of even ripping the Vision in half.
It was one of She-Hulk’s most disturbing moments in her history, demonstrating just how much control she uses to keep her immense powers in check.
7. Superhuman Reflexes And Agility
While no one would describe either Hulk as being catlike, She-Hulk has aptly demonstrated her superhuman reflexes and agility time and time again. Along with her balance and body coordination, She-Hulk’s agility levels far surpass the average human’s abilities.
Despite her size, She-Hulk has managed to dodge bullets and energy blasts, deliver powerful attacks in tight spaces or to quick villains, and demonstrate that “The bigger they are, the harder they fall” is sometimes a misnomer.
She-Hulk actually appears her most agile when facing her cousin. As much as shares in common with him, when she’s asked him to stand down or faced him in his Hulk form, she presents an opposite figure: poised and collected with reflexes that make his look nonexistent.
6. Leaping Great Heights
Jessica Jones isn’t the only Marvel super heroine who can take on tall buildings with a single bound. Jessica Walters also has some wicked skills when it comes to leaping.
She-Hulk has jumped far higher distances, in fact - to the point of grabbing air crafts with one leap. It’s a useful skill that looks especially impressive when she nabs something or someone with just one jump, serving as the next best thing to flying. Actually, she can fly as well, but more about that later.
As for that notorious panel of She-Hulk skipping rope without any clothing on? Well, she’s She-Hulk. She can do whatever she wants. It’s just interesting how we don’t see many male comic book characters doing that,
5. Expert Fighter/Unarmed Combat
Another cool distinction between the Hulk and She-Hulk is that She-Hulk is able to admit her weaknesses, learn from them and improve herself. One of the ways that she does this is by training to be a better fighter.
When the Champion of the Universe beat her in battle, she knew she had plenty of room for improvement and sought out help. After training with both Gamora - the deadliest woman in the universe - and Captain America, She-Hulk became an accomplished fighter. Her hand to hand combat skills are so proficient now that she can even kick some serious butt in her human form of Jennifer Walters.
Combined with her intelligence and psychological tactics, She-Hulk’s martial arts skills make her a formidable foe to anyone who might challenge her in unarmed combat.
4. Pilot Skills
It’s a skill that doesn’t come in as useful as many others when she’s working with the Avengers or on her own, but She-Hulk’s pilot capabilities should be mentioned. Not only have we seen her pilot air crafts for both the Fantastic Four and the Avengers, but we’ve even seen her control a flying 1995 Dodge in space, which may have been weird but nonetheless impressive.
Jennifer Walters worked as a stunt pilot in the television show Hulk And the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. When she was a member of the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. She-Hulk also served as the pilot of the team’s jump jet.
Side note: she’s not only great at flying planes, but also at roller skating, as was also demonstrated in the TV show. It also proved that roller derby should be included as a part of Marvel more often.
3. Superhuman Resistance To Injury And Illness
Too many heroes have succumbed to a virus or other illness, leaving us mourning their passage (at least temporarily, since they do often return from the dead), but not She-Hulk.
Walters has an incredible resistance to any diseases known to mankind, which keeps her healthy to fight another day. This immunity, which stems from her superhuman metabolism, isn’t limited to illnesses. It also protects the hero from being poisoned, rendering her immune to drugs and toxins that might be present in anything from drinks to weapons.
The woman is pretty much immune to everything except high doses of certain types of radiation, but even those have to be at very specific wavelengths. Even then, they are only temporary inconveniences that make it difficult or impossible for her to transform, affecting her while she is Walters more than as She-Hulk.
2. Full Intelligence
One of the many things that the Incredible Hulk hasn’t been able to do throughout much of his history is maintain his intelligence during transformation, which is a huge bummer considering that Bruce Banner’s intelligence coupled with the Hulk’s power is pretty much an unbeatable force. But who are we kidding? He’s pretty much unbeatable anyway, and so is his cousin.
She-Hulk retains both her personality and her intelligence in both her Jennifer Walters form and as She-Hulk, making her a bigger force to be reckoned with. Her ability to use strategy and psychology are immensely useful on the battlefield, and while her superhuman intelligence level is only a three, that’s still much more intelligent than humans.
Walters obtained her degree from Harvard Law School, so she was an incredibly intelligent young woman prior to her transformation.
1. Body Transference Abilities
Freaky Friday met Marvel when She-Hulk put her training from the Ovoid aliens to use and swapped her powers (as well as her body) with Weezi. Yes, it was weird, and she can only do the switch with human women, but it’s still a pretty nifty ability to have.
In Sensational She-Hulk #45, she tried to use the brain-switching transference skill to save people from being turned into stone, but it proved to be more comical than anything else. All she has to do is focus on the individual and will the transference to occur.
The only downfall is that her powers disappear with the transference. The transference also fails to take away the green pigment of her skin, leaving her completely recognizable as a powerless She-Hulk and therefore vulnerable to her foes.
Are there any She-Hulk powers that we missed? Leave them in the comments!
