Along with capes and fighting crime, one of the defining features of the superhero is a sidekick - and while the Hulk may not follow the usual rules of hero vigilantes, he has a surprisingly long list of protégés. From alien insects to the seventh-smartest person in the world to a werewolf runaway, Hulk boasts some of the coolest traveling companions of any Marvel hero. Of course, it takes a lot to keep pace with a gigantic rage monster who leaps back and forth across the country.

We're looking at the 10 most powerful sidekicks to ever the Hulk on his adventures. For this list, we're only looking at characters who fulfilled the traditional sidekick role - a subordinate hero who acts as a major ing character and traveling companion. We're excluding solo heroes like She-Hulk, Doc Samson and Hercules who may be dependable Hulk allies but also have their own crime-fighting careers, choosing only from the various wards who Hulk has taken under his wing.

10 R.O.B. aka Recording Observation Bot

Hulk's S.H.I.E.L.D.-Assigned Handler

R.O.B. is easily Hulk's weakest sidekick and also the one he hated most. In Mark Waid's Indestructible Hulk, Bruce Banner tries a new approach. Instead of trying to suppress and resist the Hulk, he lets him free, but only on missions approved by SHIELD. Helmed by Maria Hill, the Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate gave Bruce the staff and resources he needed to do significant good in the world, allowing him to utilize his scientific genius. However, in payment, he gave them the Hulk to deploy as they saw fit.

While working for SHIELD, Hulk wore a suit of 'armor' that was used to measure and study his powers, and was accompanied by R.O.B. The Recording Observation Bot was an artificially intelligent observer there to keep an eye on Hulk for SHIELD, as well as lending Hulk some computational and much-needed intelligence. Hulk smashed R.O.B. at every opportunity, but SHIELD just kept asg a new one.

Eventually, R.O.B.'s artifical intelligence was replaced by an AI duplicate of Bruce Banner, allowing the scientist to accompany (and aid) his other half on missions for one of the first times. Especially with Banner at the helm, R.O.B. was a helpful sidekick for Hulk, providing the world-class intelligence the Jade Giant lacks. However in of physical power, he may as well not have been there at all.

9 James Wilson

Sam Wilson's Nephew Traveled with the Hulk

A street kid who saw the Hulk as a fellow outcast, Jim Wilson traveled with the Green Goliath during the '70s. Politically engaged and incredibly brave, Jim was Hulk's sidekick during clashes with the Constrictor, Moonstone, Hydra and the Abomination. Tragically, Jim contracted HIV and later died of AIDs, with Hulk refusing his request for a life-saving transfusion of gamma-irradiated blood, fearing it would only transform Jim into another force of destruction. While smart and possessing some low-level combat skills, Jim was a regular human, making him one of Hulk's weakest sidekicks.

8 Brawn, aka Amadeus Cho

Marvel's Seventh-Smartest Person

While Amadeus Cho goes by 'Brawn' today, he didn't initially possess gamma powers. Amadeus Cho debuted in Grek Pak and Takeshi Miyazawa's 'Mastermind Excello' from Amazing Fantasy Volume 2 #15. Cho won the Brain Fight gameshow which was actually a front for evil genius Pythagoras Dupree to wipe out those he considered his intellectual eqauls. Dupree killed Cho's family, though the boy genius thankfully escaped, going on the run and uniting with the Hulk, who made it his mission to protect his fellow runaway and genius.

Amadeus Cho is so smart that he can compute the exact trajectories of objects around him, allowing him to set up Rube Goldberg-esque traps when in danger and throw objects with incredible accuracy. Amadeus was one of the few people to the Hulk during World War Hulk, sharing his theory that when Bruce becomes the Hulk, the Green Goliath subconsciously uses Banner's genius to prevent any innocents being directly hurt by his actions. After Hulk was imprisoned following his attack on Earth, Amadeus spent a while traveling with the Greek God Hercules, who had also tried to help the Hulk.

Later, Amadeus tried to save Bruce Banner by stealing his gamma energy, becoming the Totally Awesome Hulk. While Amadeus was originally a fun-loving Hulk, his anger began to take him over, and he was eventually forced to return Bruce's powers. However, Amadeus kept some of the gamma energy for himself, becoming the superstrong hero Brawn, and working with both the Champions and the Agents of Atlas.

7 Charlie Tidwell

A Runaway Turned Werewolf God

Hulk's newest sidekick, debuting in Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Nic Klein's Incredible Hulk #4, Charlie Tidwell ed the Jade Giant on the road to escape her abusive father. While initially a normal human, Charlie was later imbued with the power of Lycana, the demonic god of werewolves. Since then, Charlie has been able to transform into a winged werewolf form, boasting immense strength and sharp teeth and claws.

What Hulk doesn't know is that when Charlie sleeps, Lycana is able to take control of her body, using its new host to consume innocents. Charlie can shapeshift into the form of anyone she eats, but doesn't yet know that every host of Lycana is doomed to spend the afterlife in the demon's personal Hell.

6 Jackie McGee and Gamma Flight

Including Puck, Doc Sasquatch, Absorbing Man, Titania and Doctor Charlene McGowan

Debuting in Immortal Hulk #1, Jackie McGee is a journalist who is fascinated with the Hulk. When she was a child, Hulk destroyed Jackie's house during one of his rampages - an incident which Jackie believes contributed to her father's heart attack later in life. Jackie initially followed Hulk - during his time as the devious Devil Hulk - to report on him for the Arizona Herald, but later itted she was looking for a way to access gamma power. This dream came true, and Jackie's eyes were infused with gamma power, allowing her to see the astral plane and fire powerful beams of energy.

Jackie was one member of the Gamma Flight team who ed the Devil Hulk during his campaign to bring down the villainous Shadow Base. include the superstrong Doc Sasquatch, the mystically empowered Absorbing Man, and super-acrobat Puck. Originally formed to help take down the Hulk, Gamma Flight switched sides soon after. The team later span off into their own miniseries.

5 Miek the Unhived

Hulk's Weakest Sidekick Became a Powerful Enemy

Debuting in Greg Pak and Carlo Pagulayan's epic 'Planet Hulk' arc, Miek is a native of the planet Sakaar, where his native species had been hunted to extinction by the Red King's empire. Miek was a gladiator imprisoned alongside the Hulk, fighting as his ally and later becoming one of his Warbound (on who more shortly.) While most of the Warbound were already experienced warriors, Miek was far weaker, and was inspired by Hulk's vow that once crossed, a monster must "Never stop making them pay."

While of Miek's species still existed on Sakaar, there were no longer enough breeding pairs for them to continue for many more generations, with Miek becoming consumed by the need for vengeance against the Imperial Sakaarans. Chemical changes caused by his species' situation turned Miek from frail insect to gigantic, superstrong beetle, leading to his people seeing him as their champion. Sadly, when Hulk took over as ruler of Sakaar and declared peace, Miek felt this was a betrayal of everything his mentor had taught him.

Miek allowed a terrorist attack that killed Hulk's wife and did irreparable damage to Sakaar, leading to Hulk and the Warbound attacking Earth. When Hulk discovered Miek's betrayal, he brutally beat his former sidekick, and the two have been enemies ever since.

4 Korg the Kronan and the Warbound

Hulk's Alien Soldiers Are His Most Dedicated Allies

Another member of Hulk's Warbound - the alien gladiators who vowed to always fight together on Sakaar - Korg the Kronan was the closest to Hulk and has traveled with him on other occasions since, even without their fellow warrior. Korg is rocky alien with immense strength, capable of lifting over 100 tons according to the Planet Hulk: Gladiator Guidebook. Korg was a member of Hulk's 'Incredible Hulks' family group and spoke at his funeral after Bruce Banner's death in Civil War II.

Other of the Warbound include a member of the parasitic Brood, former Imperial Sakaaran Elloe Kaifi, and Shadow Priest Hiroim. Hiroim later sacrificed himself, ing his powers to Bruce Banner's old flame Kate Waynesboro, who ed the Warbound (but crucially never made the same vow to Hulk no matter what.) Miek was also a member of the Warbound, but was excommunicated due to his betrayal of the group.

3 Titan, aka the Gremlin, aka Kondrati Topolov

This New Champion Wasn't What He Appeared

Easily Hulk's most bizarre 'sidekick,' Titan was introduced as part of Marvel's New Champions initiative. In 2023, various artists designed theoretical 'sidekicks' for Marvel heroes including Captain Marvel, Black Cat and the Hulk. These were so popular that Marvel gradually introduced them into Marvel lore, with several being introduced in the pages of Spider-Woman by Steve Foxe and Ig Guara. Among them was Titan - a gamma-powered teen who had gained powers from radioactive material dropped by a government agent... or so he claimed.

It was eventually revealed that Titan was actually Hulk's old enemy the Gremlin, using a mech suit to replicate Hulk's strength and durability. The teen heroes in Spider-Woman were created by a Hydra cell led by Gremlin, who used the Titan identity to act as a mole within the resulting superteam. Thankfully, the Gremlin was exposed and defeated by Spider-Woman, and fans found out that far from being Hulk's future sidekick, Titan was a fake all along.

2 A-Bomb, aka Sleeper Agent, aka Rick Jones

Hulk's First and Best Sidekick

Rick Jones was the first sidekick to ever work with the Hulk, and is actually the reason the Green Goliath exists. In Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's Incredible Hulk #1, Rick drives out onto an army testing range as part of a childish dare. Bruce runs out to save him from the gamma bomb and is caught in the blast, gaining his iconic powers. Rick traveled with Hulk off and on for years, helping him to escape from General Ross and even bringing the Avengers together for the first time.

Rick has gained a variety of superpowers over the years, and has worked with Captain America and Captain Marvel, leading to his reputation as the ultimate sidekick. As a member of the 'Incredible Hulks' team, Rick showcased his own gamma powers as a new version of the Abomination codenamed A-Bomb. During that time, Rick possessed Hulk-level strength and durability, as well as having the ability to camouflage his gigantic blue body. Currently, Rick is bonded to the symbiote Sleeper as Marvel's newest Sleeper Agent.

1 Skaar, Son of Hulk

Hulk's Son Traveled With Him for an Opportunity to Fight His Father

Hulk's son with Caiera the Oldstrong during their time on Sakaar, Skaar later came to Earth to take revenge on his absentee father - the Hulk persona known as the Green Scar. To this end, he traveled with Bruce Banner, who bonded with his son under the pretext of training him to kill the Hulk upon the monster's return. Skaar and Banner faced off against foes including the Juggernaut and Wolverine's son Daken. Over the months, Bruce was able to get through Skaar's walls, finally building a relationship with his son and turning him onto the path of heroism.

Since then, Skaar has used his powers to work with the Young Avengers and infiltrate the Dark Avengers for Captain America. Skaar has a combination of his father's immense strength and durability, while also possessing his mother's Old Power - the ability to telekinetically control the materials of a planet (earth, stone, magma) while in direct with it. While not quite as strong as Hulk in pure gamma , his command of the Old Power closes the gap. He used these powers to hurl the Juggernaut into space.

Those are the 10 toughest sidekicks to ever fight by Hulk's side despite not being quite as strong as the Green Goliath himself - let us know who else should appear on this list in the comments below, as well as who you think should be higher or lower in our ranking.