The Incredible Hulk (1982 animated TV series)

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The Incredible Hulk
Created by Stan Lee (characters)
Presented by Marvel Productions
Voices of Michael Bell
Bob Holt
Michael Horton
B.J. Ward
Narrated by Stan Lee
Composer(s) John Douglas
No. of episodes 13
Production
Executive
producer(s)		 David H. DePatie
Lee Gunther
Producer(s) Don Jurwich
Broadcast
Original channel NBC
Original airing September 18, 1982
External links
Official website
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

The Incredible Hulk was an animated television series based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. The series ran for 13 episodes on NBC in 1982, part of a combined hour with Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (as The Amazing Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk).

The series is often fondly remembered for the overwrought nature of its musical score and accompanying narration by Hulk creator Stan Lee. The same music was also used in Dungeons & Dragons.

As of 2008 this series is planned for release on Region 2 DVD in the UK in 2008 by Liberation Entertainment[1]as part of a release schedule of Marvel Animated series [2]. Canada will also get a one-disc release in June 2008 [3].

Contents

[edit] Differences between this series and the live-action Hulk series

Unlike the live-action The Incredible Hulk TV series, which wound up the year this was produced, this series was based more closely upon the Hulk comic in regards to the origin story (albeit with supposedly alien involvement), as well as featuring more characters from the comics including Rick Jones (who would often refer to Bruce as "Doc".), Glenn Talbot, Betty Ross, and General Ross, along with the first cartoon appearance of the She-Hulk. Yet only one classic Hulk villain appeared in a single episode of the series, The Leader, with a number of villains normally associated with other Marvel characters and newly created foes filling out the other episodes.

Also introduced were the Hispanic family of Rio and his daughter Rita, the father and his efforts to advertise his restaurant providing more chances for comic relief and Rita providing a love interest for Rick Jones.

[edit] Changes to avoid censorship issues

The series did have a number of changes to avoid censorship issues with a younger audience including arming the troops at Gamma Base with futuristic sci-fi style weaponry. There's also the more frequently remembered quirk that whenever the Hulk transformed back to Bruce Banner, his clothes would miraculously return to normal.

[edit] Episode list

Episode Title Overview
1 "Tomb of the Unknown Hulk" When high cosmic ray activity triggers Bruce's transformations without him getting angry he tries to lock himself in a cave to protect his friends, but the cosmic rays also block communications and allows Doctor Octopus an opening to stage an attack on Gamma Base.
2 "Prisoner of the Monster" Rick stumbles upon a map for a potion held by a lost tribe that can cure Bruce of the Hulk, but the cure becomes bitter sweet when the Spymaster kidnaps Betty and her father, stealing a deadly weapon from Gamma Base that only the Hulk can defeat.
3 "Origin of the Hulk" The retelling of the origin of the Hulk, with the original Russian Cold War spies replaced with aliens seeking the secrets of Bruce's Gamma Bomb.
4 "When Monsters Meet" Arriving in Paris for a scientific conference, Bruce is given a possible cure for his condition, but his chances of using it are threatened by the appearance of a descendant of Quasimodo who wreaks havoc in the city. (This episode was adapted in comic book format by Marvel, in the one-shot "The Incredible Hulk versus Quasimodo". A back-up, one-page comic featuring editor Al Milgrom disguised as the Hulk explained how this book fit into the animated cartoon continuity, and not current Marvel Comics continuity[1]).
5 "The Cyclops Project" Due to the inadvertent actions of the Hulk, Cyclops, the most powerful military defense computer built malfunctions and seeks to take over the world, trying to obtain the aid of the Bruce Banner and Hulk to do so.
6 "Bruce Banner Unmasked" When the Puppet Master attempts gain control of the Hulk as a part of his plan to take over Mesa City and its surrounds, the army are finally able to defeat the creature and learn of Bruce Banner's secret identity.
7 "The Creature and the Cavegirl" Bruce learns of a colleague whose developed a working time projector, seeing it as a chance to go back and stop the creation of the Hulk, only for the device to malfunction and transport the entire lab and its occupants back to 1,000,000 B.C.
8 "It Lives! It Grows! It Destroys!" A rival scientist at Gamma Base develops a part plant, part animal lifeform which can eat almost anything in its path, but the creature escapes and threatens the planet as it grows uncontrollably.
9 "The Incredible Shrinking Hulk" After his latest gamma experiment malfunctions, Bruce is shrunk down until he is one inch tall, as two spies attempt to steal a new tank.
10 "Punks on Wheels" When a motorcycle gang kidnaps Rita, Bruce and his friend discover the gang is secretly working for the Leader who seeks their aid in stealing a shipment of Vibranium.
11 "Enter: She-Hulk" Bruce and Rick travel to Los Angeles to visit Bruce's cousin Jennifer Walters to try and learn how she is able to maintain her intelligence when she changes into the She-Hulk, but their attempt is endangered thanks to the efforts of terrorist group HYDRA to take over the city.
12 "The Boy Who Saw Tomorrow" Betty's nephew Jonah arrives at Gamma Base to demonstrate his amazing psychic ability, able to predict the future with uncanny accuracy he has a vision of Betty's space shuttle crashing into a mountain, with the Hulk and a mysterious madman involved.
13 "The Hulk Destroys Bruce Banner" While testing his new Transmat transporter on himself, Bruce transforms into the Hulk in mid-transportation, convincing Betty that the Hulk interfered and leading the charge to capture the creature to in attempt to save Bruce.

[edit] Cast

Bruce Banner was voiced by voice actor Michael Bell, while the Hulk himself was voiced by Bob Holt, whose stock library of roars created for this series would be used in various other Marvel Productions series and movies.

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Review of the cartoon-based "Hulk vs. Quasimodo" comic at THE ISB

[edit] External links

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