The Incredible Hulk (1996 TV series)
The Incredible Hulk is an American animated television series starring the Marvel Comics character the Hulk. It aired for two seasons on UPN from 1996 to 1997. Lou Ferrigno, who had portrayed the Hulk on the live-action TV series from 1978 to 1982, had provided the Hulk's voice.
The show had often featured cameo appearances by characters from other Marvel cartoons of the period. In the second season, the show's format, after UPN decided that season one was too dark, was changed and to give "female viewers a chance", the network had ordered that She-Hulk be made a regular co-star - as a result, the series was officially renamed The Incredible Hulk and She-Hulk for the second season. The second season had also featured Grey Hulk, who previously made two cameo appearances in the first season.
Series overview
Season 1
The first season begins with Bruce Banner already established as the Hulk and on the run, when he is captured by the military after another attempt at ridding himself of the beast within goes awry due to the sabotage of Major Glenn Talbot. He eventually escapes and falls into the hands of the Leader who is served by the Gargoyle and the Abomination. The intervention of mutated cave-dwelling gamma creatures called the Outcasts, Banner's loyal best friend Rick Jones, and the love of his life Betty Ross.As in the comics, Thunderbolt Ross is a former 4-star turned 3-star general who sends Army forces and Hulkbusters to capture or destroy the Hulk. He also fights the Hulk personally, using a gamma-powered laser gun created by Bruce against the creature in "Return of the Beast", and again in "Darkness and Light". Talbot was shown acting as the right-hand man of Ross. He is also shown to have a romantic interest in Betty Ross, but she constantly rejects him because he never does a very good job of hiding his disdain for either Bruce Banner or the Hulk.
Traveling across the nation and beyond, Banner meets kindred spirits also battling similar problems, fights beings of pure energy, and must endure an alliance with the Gargoyle to provide the antidote to a viral epidemic that nearly takes Betty's life and countless others. Not even his family is safe from the terror his hidden powers bring, as his best friend and cousin Jennifer Walters is critically injured by Doctor Doom, forcing Banner to give her a blood transfusion that transforms her into the She-Hulk. Jennifer takes immediate delight in her transformed body and chooses to remain in her She-Hulk form full-time.
Dorian Harewood reprised his role of War Machine from the solo Iron Man animated series in the episode "Helping Hand, Iron Fist". He originally stops Rick Jones from seeing Tony Stark at Stark Enterprises, but takes him to Stark after Jones explained that he needed Stark's help to find Banner. He later alerts Stark to the arrival of Ross, S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Gabe Jones, and a squad of Hulkbusters. War Machine fights some of the Hulkbusters alongside Jones and Iron Man.
Sasquatch appeared in the episode "Man to Man, Beast to Beast" voiced by Peter Strauss and Clancy Brown. In that episode, Bruce Banner comes to Canada hoping to find his old friend Dr. Walter Langkowski to get a cure for himself and get rid of Hulk forever, only to find that Walter has developed a bestial alter ego while using himself as a test subject to make a breakthrough in gamma radiation. After battling the Hulk, Walter/Sasquatch exiles himself to the wilderness when his actions put Hulk's new friend, a small boy named Taylor, in danger.
Simon Templeman reprised his role of Doctor Doom for guest appearances in two episodes, in which Doom held Washington, D.C. captive, only to be defeated by She-Hulk, whom he later attempted to claim revenge upon. With his appearance on this show, it can be assumed that Doom survived the fate he met on the Fantastic Four series if both shows are to be considered within the same continuity.
Following Doctor Doom's first appearance, came the episode "Fantastic Fortitude" featuring his nemesis, the Fantastic Four. The episode seems to place this show in the same continuity as the Fantastic Four series of the same decade, as this episode plays off the Hulk's appearance in the other show. More to the point, Beau Weaver and Chuck McCann reprised their roles from the Fantastic Four series. In the episode, Mister Fantastic and the other Fantastic Four take their vacation before Hulk, She-Hulk, and Thing fight Leader's Gamma Soldiers commanded by Leader's minion Ogress. Meanwhile, She-Hulk flirted with Thing, but Ben chose to rekindle his relationship with Alicia Masters. While the Yancy Street Gang was absent in Fantastic Four, they appeared in "Fantastic Fortitude", where they pull a prank on the Thing. After he is defeated by Ogress, the Gang distributes leaflets marked "The Thing Whopped by a Woman!".
Also reprising his role from Fantastic Four was John Rhys-Davies as Thor in "Mortal Bounds", while Mark L. Taylor voiced his alter-ego Donald Blake. Donald as Thor brought Hulk to Detroit so that Bruce Banner can help cure a gamma-based outbreak unintentionally caused by Gargoyle in his attempt to cure his disfigurement.
Throughout the season running sub-plots gradually unfold, centering mostly on several of the supporting cast, the season slowly covers the following:
- Betty attempts to construct a Gamma Nutrient Bath that will separate Banner from the Hulk with the aid of Doc Samson.
- The Leader's fragile association with Gargoyle slowly breaks down, shattering completely before eventually reforming before the finale. This Gargoyle is the Yuri Topolov version who was always trying to find a cure for his mutation, even allying himself with The Leader. In "Mortal Bounds," he accidentally released a gamma virus in his search for a cure. When Ross is dying from the virus, Gargoyle gives Banner the antidote, warning that the next time they met he would not be so favorable.
- The Leader succeeds in bringing to life obedient mutant Gamma Warriors. who are created from Hulk's DNA and sport cybernetic parts. Two of them were named in the toy line: the female Gamma Warrior with the chainsaw for a right arm is named Chainsaw and the two-headed Gamma Warrior with a cannon for a right hand is named Two-Head. The rest of the Gamma Warriors consist of an unnamed Gamma Warrior with fangs, an unnamed Gamma Warrior with missile launchers on his back, an unnamed Gamma Warrior with a flail for a right hand, and an unnamed Gamma Warrior with metallic jaws and rotating blades for a right hand. They are led by Ogress.
- Ross' tempered alliance with Agent Gabe Jones of S.H.I.E.L.D., a ruthless covert operative whose orders were to destroy the creature completely upon capture. In the series finale, "Mission: Incredible", it was revealed that Jones was partially responsible for the accident that turned a double agent named Diana into the Hybrid when she fell into a tank of newly discovered organisms at a S.H.I.E.L.D. Sea Base when she was hired to steal one of those organisms. Also in that episode, he starts hitting on She-Hulk.
Meanwhile, Ross, betrayed by Jones during the finale, experiences a mental breakdown. Though hospitalized and in critical condition, Ross interrupts Banner's wedding ceremony and threatens to kill Banner, who suffers a heart attack, as the separation from the Hulk finally begins taking its toll. This leads Banner's friends into concluding that he and the Hulk must be merged again, or both will die.
Ross flees but later returns in an attempt to sabotage the re-merge experiment. He is interrupted by Rick, whom he hurls into the vat containing Banner and the Hulk. The experiment malfunctions and the vat erupts; from it emerges a gamma-powered, Hulk-like Jones, who escapes into the night, as Banner suddenly transforms into the Grey Hulk.
Season 2
The Incredible Hulk and She-Hulk begins where the first season concluded, with the Grey Hulk in the mountains, solely pursued by Ross. An altercation between the two results in an avalanche that puts Ross in a coma, and knocks out Banner. When Banner comes to, he is arrested and placed on trial, while Rick Jones continues his own reign of terror. Banner's cousin Jennifer, the She-Hulk, tries to help him out in court. After defending the entire courthouse from an attack by the Leader and successfully locating and restoring Rick to normal, both Banner and Jennifer travel together, lying low.Aside from a small continuation of the premiere episode, the season featured very few ongoing arcs, the only ones of note were the following:
- Thunderbolt Ross is hospitalized.
- Gargoyle displays a strong affection for She-Hulk.
- Rick Jones no longer plays an active role.
- Banner becomes more quick-witted and calm due to no longer being hunted by the army. He still tries to cure himself of becoming the Hulk.
- Whenever Banner transforms, Grey Hulk and Green Hulk fight for control in Banner's mind and the one who wins, breaks out.
This season won an Emmy Award for "best audio editing" for the work on the episode "The Lost Village".