| | He's been gray, green, even red, but he's always been angry. How the beefiest superhero crashed in and out of our lives …
By Tom Johnson 1. His toxic beginnings In the late spring of 1962, as Americans and Soviets bluster, threaten and escalate the tension level in the waters off Cuba, a conflicted superhero — the Hulk — emerges from the Marvel Comics phalanx of demigods. Written by Stan Lee and drawn and co-plotted by Jack Kirby, The Incredible Hulk #1 hits the newsstands in May. 2. Hulk's true love Beginning with issue #1, readers are introduced to two characters who will figure prominently in Dr. Bruce Banner/Hulk's life — Betty Ross and her father, General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross. Like Spider-Man's girlfriend, Mary Jane Watson, Betty becomes a staunch defender of Banner, eventually becoming his wife in a brief, ill-fated union.  3. Stan Lee wants a gray Hulk Hulk's creators can't settle on a final color — in the first issue alone, Hulk oscillates in hue from half a dozen different gradations of gray to green. Pressed to make a decision, plans for a deracinated gray Hulk (inspired by the popular Frankenstein films) are abandoned because gray is deemed too difficult a monotone to achieve consistently using the low-budget printing methods then available. Lee ultimately chooses green, starting with #2 in July 1962. 4. Savage, so savage During the first few issues, Dr. Banner deliberately triggers his Jekyll and Hyde metamorphosis using a gamma machine that he designs himself. Each time, the Hulk that emerges is slightly different. In #3, the transformation forebodingly unleashes for the first time the "savage" Hulk incarnation. Arrrgh!  5. Mr. Green gets the pink slip In March 1963, just six bi-monthly issues into the run, the powers that be at Marvel cancel the comic — and to this day, no one is sure why. Some attribute it to low sales; others posit that Marvel was minus its own printing press and had to rent DC's, so only a limited number of titles could be printed in a month, the less profitable Hulk drawing the short straw. 6. Hulk vs. Thing In March 1963, the Hulk guest stars in Fantastic Four #12 and battles the smarter but physically overmatched Thing to a standstill. In all, they epically spar four times, with the inexhaustible Green Giant often gaining the upper hand. The issue (which comes out the same month as The Incredible Hulk #6, the Hulk's final issue) is hawked as a "book-length epic" and marks Marvel's first character "crossover."  7. Hulk goes to college Correspondence from students at a college dormitory declares that the now-defunct Hulk has been chosen as their official mascot. Determined not to let the character fade into the woodwork, Marvel incorporates the jade giant into Kirby and Lee's new book, The Avengers (Sept. 1963), tabbed "Earth's Mightiest Heroes." His cronies: the Marvel(ous) superstuds, Ant-Man, Wasp, Thor and Iron Man. 8. Avengers, disassemble! Even though he is a founding member and a fan favorite, the Hulk has become an un-jolly green giant by issues #3-#5 (Oct. 1963-May 1964). Due to the unpredictable instability once his transformation occurs and the fact that the other members keep attacking him, he ultimately leaves the ranks to be replaced by a new member — Captain America. 9. Spider-Man smackdown! The Hulk is down but not out. In Amazing Spider-Man #14 (July 1964), everyone's favorite web-spinner battles not just his archenemy, the Green Goblin, but the Hulk as well. Hulk squares off against the webbed wonder in a cavern in New Mexico (he seems to favor subterranean gladiatorial arenas, 'cause that's where he first fought the Fantastic Four.) 10. Making a comeback? A year and a half after getting the ax as a solo act, the big lug reappears as a recurring character in Tales to Astonish (first seen in issue #60, Oct. 1964). This time, he shares pulp with Giant Man in a "split book." The re-introduction augers a new trend in mainstream superhero comics — a serialized storyline. Every succeeding issue of Tales includes a Hulk plot that will be carried over to the next issue.  11. How archenemies are born Glen Talbot is introduced in Tales to Astonish #61 (Nov. 1964). The head of security on the base where Banner works, Talbot competes for Betty Ross' affections. To further complicate matters, he's convinced that Banner is a traitor who is manipulating the Hulk. In the next two issues, #62-#63 (Dec.-Jan. 1964) Hulk's greatest nemesis — the Leader — appears. Initially, a marginally intelligent working stiff, Sam Stearns suffers a severe bout of gamma radiation, which robs him of his physical power but endows him superior intelligence, making him an Incredible Hulk — in reverse. 12. Hulk's secret identity outed! In Tales to Astonish #77 (March 1966), believing the green Goliath is dead (in fact, he's just been transported to the future), Rick Jones innocently reveals the secret of the Hulk's dual identity to Talbot, who finally understands what the secretive, lab-obsessed Banner has really been up to these many months. This issue, and Tales to Astonish #87 (Jan. 1967) a year later, in which Banner's identity is revealed to the world, mark perhaps the first time that a superhero is "outed." 
13. An animated Hulk In 1966, a low-budget cartoon with limited animation debuts as, simply, Hulk. The short-lived series is part of a Marvel superheroes string of cartoons that includes half hours devoted to the Sub-Mariner, the Mighty Thor, Iron Man and Captain America. The cartoon takes pains to maintain the hyperbole that is a mainstay of The Incredible Hulk comic-book plots (including the Hulk's Neanderthal dialogue delivery). 14. Why the Abomination is so angry The Abomination, Hulk's other main foe, makes his first appearance in Tales to Astonish #90 (April 1967). After deliberately exposing himself to a greater quantity of the same gamma radiation that transformed Banner into the Hulk, Emil Blonsky, a former KGB spy, does the green goliath one better when he's transformed into a massive green-skinned monster with twice the Hulk's physical strength. But here's the hitch: The Abomination can't return to human form. 
15. Fugitive Hulk In the narrative Tales to Astonish #92 (June 1967), a fugitive Banner is on the lam using fake names and aliases — trying to stay calm and stall inconvenient transformations — while he searches desperately for a cure. Although a "one-off" story that doesn't last beyond the issue, the theme of a hunted Hulk strongly influences the TV series a decade later. 16. Hulk comic returns! Finally free of having to share DC's printing press, Marvel relaunches the Hulk in April under his own title. However, in a nod to retaining at least some semblance of continuity, the Tales to Astonish issue number is kept, marking Hulk's return as issue #102. By this time in the comic's run, the Giant Man co-feature is a distant memory, replaced by the Sub-Mariner. 17. A real split personality In The Incredible Hulk #130 (Aug. 1970), Banner and Hulk are separated into two different bodies for the first time, and the next issue marks the entrance of Jim Wilson — an amalgam character of early Rick Jones stories leavened with some 1970s blaxploitation themes. 18. The Hulk … "Stoned"! Proving that he's finally made it to the mainstream, the Hulk makes the cover of the Sept. 3, 1971, issue of Rolling Stone magazine, with an accompanying article billed as a story that "he couldn't stop" (in reality, an exhaustive profile of Marvel Comics). The cover art is by Herb Trimpe, a longtime Hulk illustrator who will later be the first artist to ink Wolverine. 
19. In a gang — again In Marvel Feature #1 (Dec. 1971), the Hulk teams up with the Silver Surfer and the Sub-Mariner as part of the Defenders, a loose confederation of superheroes — outsiders all — led by Doctor Strange. Brought together to battle mystic and supernatural threats, each team member is famed (or perhaps maligned) for not playing well with others. The origin of the Defenders can be traced back to two earlier story arcs, one of which, The Incredible Hulk #126, (April 1970) finds the Hulk tag-teaming with Dr. Strange to stop an invasion of Earth by a race of beings calling the Undying Ones. 20. Another botched cure, another toxic character Dr. Leonard "Doc" Samson (who will become a major player in Hulk's universe) is introduced in #141 (July 1971). Samson tries to cure Banner by siphoning off gamma rays, storing them and later living up to his surname by absorbing the rays himself — becoming a gamma-powered wrecking machine whose strength is directly proportional to the length of his hair. 
21. Hulk's "gay" name Producer/writer Kenneth Johnson gets the nod from Universal Television to develop a show based on any of several characters they've licensed from Marvel. Johnson begins developing the Hulk, changing "Bruce" Banner to "David" Banner. According to Stan Lee, the name Bruce Banner just sounds, in the eyes of the Universal suits, like a "gay character." 22. A TV transformation After a couple of feature-length TV movies about the Hulk pave the way (same stars, same director), a weekly TV show starring rippled bodybuilder (and former Mr. America) Lou Ferrigno and Bill Bixby and directed by Johnson airs on CBS in 1978 and lasts till 1982.  23. Ahnuld almost Hulk Arnold Schwarzenegger is originally considered for the role in the CBS series but at 6-feet-2 is considered too short. He was replaced by the 6-foot-5 Ferrigno — a case of perfect casting, with the hearing-impaired Ferrigno never needing to enunciate lines as the transformed Hulk and the slightly built Bixby ideal as mild-mannered Dr. Banner. 24. Rampaging Hulk In 1977, Marvel releases The Rampaging Hulk, which is designed to ensnare viewers of the hit TV show. The format of the book — like the Hulk himself — is outsized, resembling a newsstand magazine in size more than a standard-issue comic. 25. A wild and crazy Hulk On Saturday Night Live, a green-skinned John Belushi dressed in tattered clothes plays the Hulk at a superhero cocktail party. In the sketch, Belushi is a literal party-pooper with a flatulence problem that clears the room. Other Hulk tributes occur over the years, most notably on The Simpsons, Robot Chicken and The Family Guy. 26. This Hulk's got curves! Banner's cousin, Jennifer Walters, is introduced in Savage She-Hulk #1 (Feb. 1980). Ripping a page from the vampire mythos, the good doc gives her a needed transfusion, but the gamma radiation in his bloodstream transforms her into a monster. The character marks another milestone — She-Hulk is Stan Lee's last major creation. 27. Death becomes him In The Incredible Hulk #260 (June 1981), Glen Talbot — who had married Betty Ross almost a decade before (issue #172, Feb. 1974) — dies, paving the way for Bruce and Betty to renew their relationship. The issue also represents one of the few comic-book deaths that really sticks. It's been more than 27 years now, and Talbot is still dead. 
28. 'Toon time Considered by many aficionados to be the best of the various animated cartoon Hulks, a series of 13 half-hour episodes ran between 1982 and 1983, often following Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends on Saturday mornings. The origin story is well represented, as is She-Hulk, who is integrated into several plots. And somewhere on the voice-cast roster you'll find grand dame June Foray, who once upon a time parroted the voices of Natasha Fatale and Rocky the flying squirrel from The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. 29. Hulk gets smart? The Intelligent Hulk rears his brainy head for the first time in #272 (June 1982). For a run of 25 issues, Hulk utilizes Banner's rigorous intellect, and the conceit makes for some interesting stories. But, alas, Hulk eventually reverts to his savage alter ego in #297 (July 1984) a couple of years later. 30. Another separation In #315 (Jan. 1986), Doc Samson is able to separate Banner from his Hulk counterpart for a second time. Although Banner is finally free to live a normal life, which includes marrying Betty. However, without Banner's restraint, Hulk is completely unmanageable and kills innocent civilians for the first time. 
30. Iron Man's wardrobe changes Being a tinkerer, the movie's Tony will go through three different stages of armor, in the same fashion that the comic book Iron Man changed up his look. 31. Gray Hulk returns Banner's domestic bliss is short-lived when he and the Hulk are remerged (#323, Sept. 1986) and a gray — and nocturnal — Hulk returns. 32. "Mr. Fixit" Under the stewardship of Peter David, the gray Hulk osmoses into a completely new personality. In #347 (Sept. 1988), Hulk becomes "Joe Fixit," an enforcer for the Vegas mob. He's got a home, a job and a girlfriend who loves him as … the Hulk! Fixit also isn't above drugging Bruce Banner during the day to keep him from fouling the sweet setup he's got going. 33. Bixby & Ferrigno redux Six years after cancellation of the television series, three movies air on NBC, with Bixby and Ferrigno reprising their roles. In The Incredible Hulk Returns and The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, Banner meets fellow superheroes Thor and the Daredevil — with Trial featuring the only time in Hulk's TV and movie history that he wears his trademark purple pants. In The Death of the Incredible Hulk, Banner falls in love with an Eastern European spy but dies after plummeting to earth from an airplane. Despite the Hulk's apparent demise, more Incredible Hulk TV movies are planned, including one intended to launch a possible Iron Man spinoff. 34. Hulk reincarnated — again The Hulk gets another revamp in #377 (Jan. 1991) when, after an intensive psychotherapy session that delves into Banner's history of childhood abuse at the stern hand of his scientist father, a "synthesized" Hulk appears. This "new" Hulk is a triple threat, retaining the raw power of the Savage Hulk, the cunning of the Gray Hulk and the intelligence of Bruce Banner. 'Nuff said! 
35. Joining the pantheon A humanistic Hulk joins the Pantheon (#382, June 1991), a group naming itself after Greek and Roman gods, who are trying to make the world a better place. Hulk stays with them for more than 40 issues, eventually becoming their leader. 36. TV Hulk R.I.P. Plans for a fourth Incredible Hulk TV movie (tentatively titled Rebirth of the Incredible Hulk and starring Bixby and Ferrigno) are quashed forever when Bixby dies of prostate cancer in November 1993. Ferrigno attends the actor's funeral in Hawaii. 37. Hulk tackles AIDS issues In one of the three greatest tragedies of his life (Betty and Jarella's deaths being one and two), Hulk's longtime friend Jim Wilson dies of AIDS (#420, Aug. 1994). In this poignant swan-song issue for Wilson, he pleads with Bruce to give him a life-saving transfusion of irradiated blood, but Banner is hesitant, fearing that such a transfer will cause Wilson to morph into a monster (shades of the She-Hulk). After Wilson's death, in his memory, Bruce donates a large sum of money to the AIDS hospice where Wilson worked. 
38. Big-screen misfire Fans are giddy with word that a Hulk feature film directed by Ang Lee is set for a June 2003 release. The movie (budgeted at $120 million) stars Eric Bana as Bruce Banner, Jennifer Connelly as Betty Ross, Sam Elliot as Gen. "Thunderbolt" Ross and Nick Nolte as Bruce's father. (Lou Ferrigno even makes a cameo as a security guard.) Derided as an art-house film, more Greek tragedy than action-adventure thrill-ride, the film is an unmitigated bomb and suffers a second-weekend box-office drop of 70 percent, the second largest drop ever recorded for a movie that opened as the top box office draw its opening week. Forget incredible, this dud ain't even credible. 39. Game on In the wake of the hugely popular Spider-Man games, The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction vid hits store shelves in 2005. It boasts tight controls, a large array of potential stratagems and voicing from Donnie Wahlberg (Doc Samson), Ron Perlman (the Abomination) and Richard Moll (Devil Hulk) who lets fly some of the funniest homoerotic lines ever uttered by an anti-hero. 
40. If at first you don't succeed … In summer 2008's The Incredible Hulk, Edward Norton stars as the eponymous Listerine-colored Mr. Hyde in round two of trying to make the Hulk a crossover hit from comics to feature films. Liv Tyler is Betty Ross in this go-round, with Tim Roth costarring as the Abomination, Hulk's old comic-book nemesi,s who's 10 feet tall and berths in at 1,500 pounds. Word has it that Norton (who has contributed largely to a script rewrite) bulks up within the first five minutes. Perhaps presciently, Norton turned down Lee's offer to star as Banner in the 2003 film. He, like everyone involved, just hopes this reboot doesn't get the boot … again! |
