The Incredible Hulk



The Incredible Hulk is a Marvel Comics superhero, in later years often called simply Hulk, and the name for the original comic book title. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1962, the comic book focused on Dr. Bruce Banner, who due to a gamma radiation accident, becomes a musclebound behemoth (initally grey but more familiar as a green giant, often clad in torn purple trousers). The transformation was originally triggered by sundown, but later was directly tied to Banner's emotions, especially anger.

The comic book character's popularity led to several TV series, beginning in 1966, as part of The Marvel Superheroes syndication package. A successful live action TV series, starring Bill Bixby as Banner (renamed David) and Lou Ferrigno as the Incredible Hulk, aired on CBS from 1978 until 1982, and a string of TV movie sequels followed until 1990. A new syndicated animated series ran from 1984 and 1985 and the Hulk made occasional cartoon guest appearances on other Marvel shows in the 1980s and 1990s before returning in a new Incredible Hulk series in 1996 (turning into The Incredible Hulk and She-Hulk for the second season). Two theatrical films have been produced to date, Hulk (2003) and The Incredible Hulk (2008), along with scores of video games and other merchandise.

Muppet Mentions

 * In the comic The Incredible Hulk #474, a journey into Bruce Banner's mind includes a symbol of anger from his childhood: "Edgar the Grump", who lives in a dumpster on "Sassafras Street". The character is a parody of Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street.


 * The 2008 feature film The Incredible Hulk begins with Bruce Banner living in Brazil, in hiding from the military. To learn the local language, he reads a translation dictionary and watches Sesame Street. Footage of Grover performing "Over, Under, Around and Through" is used, and Joe Raposo receives attribution in the film's credits.

Connections

 * Jennifer Connelly played Betty Ross in Hulk (2003 film)
 * Jesse Corti played a colonel in Hulk (2003 film)
 * Robert Downey, Jr. played Tony Stark in The Incredible Hulk (2008 movie)
 * Matt Frewer played the Leader on The Incredible Hulk (1996-1997) and The Incredible Hulk and She-Hulk (1997-1998)
 * Mark Hamill played Gargoyle on The Incredible Hulk (1996-1997) and The Incredible Hulk and She-Hulk (1997-1998)
 * William Hurt played General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross in The Incredible Hulk (2008 film)
 * Kathy Ireland played Ogress on The Incredible Hulk (1996-1997)
 * Stan Lee, in addition to co-creating the character and serving as producer or consultant on most adaptations, provided narration for the 1982 animated series, played Cliff Walters on the 1996 animated series episode "Down Memory Lane", a jury forman in the 1989 TV movie The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, a security guard (sharing a scene with Lou Ferrigno) in the 2003 film Hulk, and a man poisoned by a soft drink laced with Banner's gamma infected blood in the 2008 film The Incredible Hulk.
 * Richard Moll played the Abomination and a homeless man on The Incredible Hulk (1996-1997)
 * John Stephenson supplied additional voices on the 1984 animated series
 * Cree Summer played Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk in The Incredible Hulk and She-Hulk (1997-1998)
 * John Vernon played Major Glenn Talbot on The Marvel Superheroes (1966) and General "Thunderbolt" Ross on The Incredible Hulk (1996-1997) and The Incredible Hulk and She-Hulk (1997-1998)