Spoilers for Wolverine #3! Wolverine and Hulk trade blows often on the page, with each brawl between the two turning into a fight of epic proportions that shows off the inescapable brutality and overpowering might of these respective Marvel Comics heroes. Utilizing his adamantium-laced claws to take a chunk out of Hulk’s nigh-impenetrable skin whenever they meet, Wolverine has just found out a much better, far less lethal way to beat the Green Goliath, a secret that removes his claws from the equation entirely.

Crossing paths during Wolverine’s debut in 1974’s The Incredible Hulk #180, by Len Wein and Herb Trimpe, the rivalry between Logan and Bruce Banner, for better or worse, has defined their relationship, with their constant struggles proving that Wolverine can stand toe-to-toe with the Hulk despite the latter being able to break adamantium.

In the third issue of the recently relaunched Wolverine series, Logan has decided to become one with the wilderness as he recenters post-Krakoa, stumbling upon a new iteration of Wendigo and, after choking him out, showing how Wolverine can take out the Hulk next they meet.

Wolverine Chokes Out Wendigo in a Way That Would Work With the Hulk

Wolverine #3 - 2024 (Saladin Ahmed and Martín Cóccolo)

Continuing last issue’s tale of Wolverine trying his best to contain and simultaneously defend a teenage boy named Leonard after he’s infected with the curse of the Wendigo, Logan is soon forced to incapacitate Leonard as the boy struggles to hold his more monstrous side back. Slicing Leonard with his claws after Wolverine gives in to his feral temper, Logan then realizes Leonard is doing his best to not lose himself to his baser instincts too, leading Logan to put “a sleeper on a guy the size of the Hulk,” demonstrating how Wolverine can take Hulk down in the future.

Based on the character’s anger-equals-strength power set, Hulk will forever be stronger than any version of Wendigo could possibly be, but as fans of Wolverine know, Logan is no slouch when it comes to taking on foes greater in strength than himself. By using stealth tactics to sneak up on Hulk, wearing him down until his anger no longer gives him the boost he needs, or going full berserker mode until he gains the upper hand, it stands to reason that Wolverine could find a way to choke out the Hulk — a hard-to-implement tactic yet an entirely feasible one too.

Even Batman Knows Messing with Hulk’s Breathing Is the Best Way to Defeat Him

DC and Marvel Present: Batman vs. The Incredible Hulk - 1981 (Len Wein and José Luis Farcía-López)

Despite Wolverine noting that defeating Wendigo in this manner “ain’t exactly an easy feat,” Logan using this non-lethal takedown to cut off his air supply does have precedent when used against the Hulk in comics, specifically in 1981’s Batman vs. The Incredible Hulk #1, (also written by Len Wein), where The Dark Knight of DC Comics utilizes a similar oxygen-cutting strategy to beat Marvel’s Jade Giant. Realizing there is no way he can defeat this hulking foe via force, Batman tosses a knockout pellet directly into Hulk’s face and then proceeds to kick Hulk square in his solar plexus.

Forcing Hulk to release the breath he holds trapped in his “oversized lungs,” Batman watches as Hulk reflexively “sucks in a fresh chestful of air,” with the gas debilitating Hulk long enough for Batman to win the day. More often than not, Hulk’s enemies use brute strength or try to appeal to Bruce Banner’s human nature to stop the Hulk, but as demonstrated by Wolverine and Wendigo’s fight in Wolverine #3 and by Batman decades ago in a rare DC x Marvel comic story, everyone needs oxygen to survive, including the Hulk, making this one of his only real weaknesses.

Wolverine Needs To Use Brains Not Brawn to Defeat the Hulk Next Time They Meet

Knocking Hulk Unconscious Is the Best Way to Reliably Tame Him

Fighting both Wendigo and Hulk in Wolverine's Marvel Comics debut, Logan couldn’t pull off a decisive victory against either enemy in that now iconic tale, with a lot of Wolverine’s future brawls against the Hulk not always ending in his favor. But now it’s time for Wolverine to realize that brawn doesn’t always outshine a properly planned attack, with the experience Logan has just had with a similarly sized Wendigo being the key to dealing with Bruce Banner — at least until he completely loses control and the combined might of the X-Men and Avengers are needed to put him down.

It remains to be seen when Wolverine and Hulk will meet again in the comic space, but with the blink-and-you-missed-it homage to one of their other iconic battles adapted in Deadpool and Wolverine, there’s plenty of incentive to pit these two against one another soon, especially now that Logan has something up his sleeve that could potentially take Hulk out without a fight. Regardless of what will happen when Wolverine interacts with Hulk next, the idea that Logan doesn’t need to rely on his claws to secure a victory any longer is an interesting wrinkle in the pair’s decades-old relationship.

Wolverine #3 is available from Marvel Comics.