With his frequent rage-fueled rampages and battles against everyone from the Juggernaut to the Avengers, Marvel fans might have assumed Hulk hasn't had much time to settle down and start a family - but they'd be wrong. In fact, Bruce Banner's kids, cousins and in-laws are among some of Marvel's most powerful characters, as gamma radiation spreads throughout his family tree like a virus.

Here are the 10 strongest Marvel characters who are related to the Incredible Hulk. We're judging by pure physical strength and muscular might for this list, not their overall supepowers, which is bad news for our first entry...

10 The Leader, aka Samuel Sterns

Hulk's Nemesis Is Also His Distant Cousin

Hulk's longtime nemesis the Leader debuted in 1962's Tales to Astonish #62 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, and he's been making the Jade Giant's life hell ever since. The Leader possesses a genius intellect, with his mental powers making him capable of reading and controlling minds. A scientist, tactician and inventor, the Leader loathes Bruce Banner, hating that the Hulk has foiled his plans so many times despite his far lesser intellect.

After decades of Hulk and the Leader trying to kill each other, 2021's Immortal Hulk #50 (from Al Ewing and Joe Bennet) revealed that they're part of the same family. Bruce's great-grandmother Beatrice Banner was married to Robert Sterns, but was thrown out onto the street after he discovered her affair with his scientist brother Samuel (the Leader's great-grandfather.) Overcome by rage, Robert forced Samuel to swallow a piece of gamma-irradiated material he had been studying - a dark act which forever tied the Banner and Sterns lines to the part-scientific, part-mystical energy.

Making the Hulk and the Leader descendants of the same doomed family lineage gave them a dark connection, emphasizing how their lives were transformed by gamma long before they were even born, and suggesting that a single act of monstrous cruelty may have doomed both hero and villain.

9 Scorpion, aka Carmilla Black

Bruce Banner's Alleged Daughter Is a Secret Agent

Raised by Julia and Tim Black, the genetically engineered human known as Carmilla Black later learned that her biological parents are AIM's Scientist Supreme Monica Rappaccini and (supposedly) Bruce Banner. Carmilla was created as part of an experiment to prepare humanity for a radioactive apocalypse, and is immune to all forms of poison and radiation. After working with SHIELD, Carmilla carried out mercenary work under the codename 'Scorpion.'

Thanks to an unexpected mutation, Carmilla is able to synthesize and deliver any toxins she does encounter via her 'Stinger' arm, and can even formulate new forms of poison by mixing ingredients within her body. Carmilla is one of the few people who could kill the Hulk, delivering a poison his healing factor can't beat (as seen in World War Hulk.)

8 Red Harpy, aka Betty Ross

Bruce Banner's Ex-Wife Has Had Multiple Gamma Forms

As Bruce Banner's most iconic love interest, his ex-wife Betty Ross has been through more gamma shenanigans than almost anyone else alive. At various times she's become the green-skinned Harpy, the reckless Red She-Hulk, and finally the monstrous Red Harpy - her current form. As the Red Harpy, Betty is immensely strong, able to crush a human body into a ball of gristle. She also has huge fangs and claws, as well as acidic saliva that can even disintegrate the Hulk's skin.

7 The Savage She-Hulk, aka Lyra

Hulk's Daughter with Thundra Has the Opposite of His Rage Powers

Lyra is Hulk's genetically engineered daughter - created after the 23rd century hero Thundra traveled back in time to collect his DNA. Lyra was raised as the greatest warrior of the United Sisterhood Republic - a militant misandrist society who equipped her with an AI sidekick known as Boudicca. The futuristic society later sent Lyra back in time, leading to her meeting her father and other family , and briefly taking over the She-Hulk codename.

Lyra has the immense strength of her father and mother, but she requires a clear, calm mind to wield it. In contrast to her rage-filled father, strong emotions interrupt Lyra's connection to her powers, meaning that the angrier she gets, the weaker she gets. Her strength is enhanced by a lifetime of martial training, and she is also able to focus her gamma powers into her eyes in order to detect the weaknesses of others.

6 She-Hulk, aka Jennifer Walters

Hulk's Cousin Got Her Powers Thanks to a Blood Transfusion from Bruce

A skilled laywer, Jennifer Walters gained powers after she was shot by a gangster, with Bruce forced to give his relative a life-saving blood transfusion to save her life. Bruce's fears were seemingly realized when Jennifer transformed into the towering She-Hulk, however things weren't as bad as he feared. Jennifer traditionally retains her personality and intellect while in She-Hulk form, and has been a trusted member of the Avengers and Fantastic Four.

On rare occasions, Jennifer has accessed more powerful Hulk forms, closing in on Bruce's own strength, and she even spent a while with her powers enhanced by the Celestials. However, today she's back to her classic She-Hulk form - not quite as strong as her cousin, but with way more control over how she uses her abilities.

5 Man, aka Philip Sterns

Hulk's Distant Cousin and the Leader's Brother

The brother of Samuel Sterns, Philip became obsessed with Bruce Banner after the two attended Caltech together, subjecting himself to deadly radiation in order to replicate the bomb that turned Bruce Banner into a superhero. While Philip did transform, the radiation affected his mind, leading to unpredictable behavior and violent mania. Man is obsessed with ruling over others and harbors a deep dislike of his brother, since until Samuel's transformation into the Leader, Philip was considered the smarter sibling.

Man's form is unstable, making it hard to put an exact number on his strength level. However, at his most powerful, he's proved capable of knocking out the Hulk with a single punch, albeit in the Jade Giant's less durable 'Professor Hulk' form - as fans saw in Incredible Hulk #407 from Peter David and Jo Duffy.

4 Skaar

Hulk's Son with Caiera the Oldstrong Is a Former Dark Avenger

Hulk's biological son - conceived with his wife Caiera the Oldstrong on the planet Sakaar - Skaar was unknowingly abandoned when his father returned to Earth for revenge on the Illuminati, not realizing his son had survived Caiera's death. Skaar possesses the combined powers of his father and mother, being both a gamma mutate and able to draw on the Old Power - the ability to control and draw strength from tectonic forces.

Skaar isn't quite as strong as his father, but he does have the added power to control earth in a variety of ways, including wielding rocky constructs against his enemies. Physically a child, Skaar generally remains in his Hulk form, and has bested heavyweights including the Juggernaut and the Abomination. Skaar served on the Dark Avengers as a spy for Captain America and is currently a wandering adventurer.

3 Hiro-Kala

Hulk's Other Son with Caiera the Oldstrong Is a Terrifying Threat

While most Hulk fans know about Skaar, far fewer know his twin brother Hiro-Kala - also the son of Hulk and Caiera the Oldstrong. While Skaar found his way off Sakaar after a bomb decimated the planet and killed his mother, Hiro-Kala was forced to try and forge some kind of life on the ruined planet, becoming a slave of the barbarian leader Axeman Bone. Hiro-Kala ascended through Sakaar's broken society, later inventing the New Power - a merged form of Sakaar's Old Power and Silver Surfer's Power Cosmic.

Hiro-Kala was eventually corrupted by his power and - thanks to the efforts of Skaar and Hulk - converted into a new sun for the planet K'ai, which he had previously ravaged. Hiro-Kala proved a match for Hulk and Skaar, showcasing his physical strength, but the New Power made him even more godlike, allowing him to pull an entire planet out of orbit with his mind. Hiro-Kala debuted in Skaar: Son of Hulk #2 by Grek Pak and Ron Garney.

2 Caiera the Oldstrong

The Queen of Sakaar Was Hulk's Wife, Not Banner's

The mother of Skaar and Hiro-Kala, Caiera the Oldstrong encountered Hulk during the events of Planet Hulk, when she was forced to work as a bodyguard for the tyrannical Red King. In this role, Caiera clashed with Hulk many times despite their mutual respect and attraction, with her Old Power-derived strength making her his equal in power. Eventually, Hulk overthrew the Red King and married Caiera, with the two becoming king and queen of Sakaar.

Sadly, when the planet was desolated by a bomb planted by Hulk's alien ally Miek, Caiera was killed in the explosion, choosing to use her powers to safeguard her sons rather than save her own life.

1 Red Hulk, aka General Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross

Hulk's Ex-Father-in-Law Has Made His Life Hell

For as long as he's existed, the Hulk has had to contend with General Thunderbolt Ross - his former boss and later father-in-law who became obsessed with hunting down and killing the Hulk. Even after Bruce married Betty Ross, the general never had much respect for his 'milksop' son-in-law, and their relationship only got worse as Betty suffered a number of gamma-related tragedies. In 2008's Hulk volume 2 #1 by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness, Ross became the Red Hulk, secretly gaining powers after allying with the Leader's supervillain group, known as the Intelligencia.

Red Hulk received multiple doses of gamma radiation and cosmic energy, developing different powers to Bruce Banner's Hulk. While he's incredibly strong and durable - just slightly less than the Hulk himself - Ross also exudes heat, with the intensity of his powers scaling with his rage. The angrier Red Hulk gets, the hotter he gets, and when he's truly overcome by rage, he can unleash an explosive blast comparable to an atom bomb.

Red Hulk's ability to absorb radiation allows him to weaken the Hulk, meaning he's been able to beat Banner in the past, but he's not quite strong enough to beat the Hulk in a fair fight - and especially not once Hulk's own rage kicks his strength into overdrive.

Honorable Mentions:

• Thor - More of a metaphysical relation, Thor is the biological son of Gaea, who expressed in Giant-Size Incredible Hulk #1 that she also considers Hulk her child, as one of Earth's monsters.
• Behemoth - Are clones relatives? A clone of the Hulk who debuted (and died) in Heroes for Hire #12, Behemoth has all the Hulk's powers, but didn't really get to unleash them.
• Spider-Clone - A spider-like clone created by the villainous Home Base in Incredible Hulk #65.
• Maestro - Bruce Banner's other self from a post-apocalyptic far future, who eventually traveled back to the past to become a recurring villain. Thanks to the heavy radiation he used to live around, Maestro has grown even stronger than his younger self.

Those are the 10 strongest Marvel characters who are related to Bruce Banner's Hulk - let us know in the comments who else should be included on this list, as well as which characters you think should appear higher or lower on our strength ranking.