The Incredible Hulk (1982 TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Incredible Hulk |
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| Genre | Superhero Action Adventure |
| Created by | Stan Lee |
| Voices of | Michael Bell Bob Holt Michael Horton B.J. Ward |
| Narrated by | Stan Lee |
| Composer(s) | Johnny Douglas |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | David H. DePatie Lee Gunther |
| Producer(s) | Don Jurwich |
| Production company(s) | Marvel Productions |
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| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Picture format | Color |
| Audio format | Mono |
| Original release | September 18, 1982 – October 8, 1983 |
The Incredible Hulk is an animated TV show based on the famous Marvel Comics character. It aired on NBC in 1982 and had 13 episodes. The show was part of a special hour with Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, called The Incredible Hulk and the Amazing Spider-Man.
This cartoon was much closer to the original Hulk comic books than the live-action TV series from 1978. For example, it showed the Hulk's true origin story. It also featured many characters from the comics. The show was set at an army base and included lots of fantasy elements. Plus, the Hulk could actually talk, even if it was just a little! The human form of the Hulk was named Bruce Banner, just like in the comics.
This wasn't the first time the Hulk had his own cartoon. In 1966, he appeared in short segments as part of The Marvel Super Heroes. An episode of Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends called "Spidey Goes Hollywood" also helped introduce this version of Bruce Banner and the Hulk before the 1982 series began.
The series was later shown in the UK on CBBC from 1996 to 1998. It was part of a block of shows called The Marvel Action Hour.
What's the Story?
The show follows Dr. Bruce Banner as he tries to find a cure for his transformations. When he gets stressed or angry, he turns into the giant, green Hulk. Each episode features the Hulk fighting different monsters and bad guys. He also has to avoid the army, who are always trying to catch him.
Meet the Characters
Here are some of the main characters you'll see in the series:
- Bruce Banner: Bruce is a super smart scientist working at Gamma Base. He got caught in a gamma bomb explosion, which made him turn into the Hulk. The Hulk is a huge, green, super-strong being, but he's not as smart as Bruce. Bruce is always looking for a way to stop becoming the Hulk.
- Rick Jones: Rick is Bruce's only friend who knows his secret. He feels a bit responsible for Bruce's condition. This is because Bruce saved Rick from the gamma bomb explosion. Rick often helps Bruce and the Hulk. In this show, Rick has blond hair and wears a cowboy hat. He also has a girlfriend named Rita.
- Betty Ross: Betty is a scientist who works with Bruce Banner at Gamma Base. She doesn't know that Bruce is the Hulk. This version of Betty is a brunette scientist, similar to how she appears in later live-action Hulk movies.
- General Ross: General Ross is an army leader who wants to capture the Hulk. He's a lot like the character from the comic books. Sometimes, he even admits that the Hulk has done good things, like saving Gamma Base in one episode.
- Major Ned Talbot: Major Talbot's first name was changed to Ned for this show. The soldiers secretly call him "Noodle-head Ned." This is because he's often clumsy, a bit scared, and easily tricked by enemies. He also tries hard to impress General Ross. In the comics, Talbot is a serious officer, but here he provides some funny moments.
- Rio: Rio is Rita's father and owns a diner called "Rio's Ranchero" near Gamma Base. He's a character made just for this TV series. Rick seems to tell him Bruce's secret, and Rio tries to help Bruce when he can.
- Rita: Rita is Rio's daughter and Rick Jones's girlfriend. She's also a character created only for this show. Like her father, she seems to learn Bruce's secret and tries to help him.
Episode Guide
| No. | Title | |
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| 1 | "Tomb of the Unknown Hulk" | |
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High cosmic ray activity makes Bruce turn into the Hulk even without getting angry. He tries to hide, but the rays also block communication. This gives Doctor Octopus a chance to attack Gamma Base.
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| 2 | "Prisoner of the Monster" | |
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Rick finds a map to a potion that could cure Bruce. But then the Spymaster kidnaps Betty and her father. He also steals a dangerous weapon that only the Hulk can stop.
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| 3 | "Origin of the Hulk" | |
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This episode retells how the Hulk was created. Instead of Cold War spies, aliens are trying to steal the secrets of Bruce's Gamma Bomb.
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| 4 | "When Monsters Meet" | |
| 5 | "The Cyclops Project" | |
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The Hulk accidentally causes Cyclops, a powerful military computer, to go wrong. Cyclops then tries to take over the world and wants Bruce Banner and the Hulk to help it.
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| 6 | "Bruce Banner Unmasked" | |
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The Puppet Master tries to control the Hulk to take over Mesa City. The army finally defeats the Hulk and discovers Bruce Banner's secret identity.
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| 7 | "The Creature and The Cavegirl" | |
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Bruce learns about a time machine. He hopes to go back and stop himself from becoming the Hulk. But the machine breaks, sending the lab and everyone in it back to 1,000,000 B.C.
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| 8 | "It Lives! It Grows! It Destroys!" | |
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A rival scientist creates a new lifeform that is part plant and part animal. It can eat almost anything. The creature escapes and grows out of control, threatening the planet.
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| 9 | "The Incredible Shrinking Hulk" | |
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Bruce's latest gamma experiment goes wrong, shrinking him to one inch tall. At the same time, two spies try to steal a new tank.
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| 10 | "Punks on Wheels" | |
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A motorcycle gang kidnaps Rita. Bruce and Rick find out the gang works for the Leader. He wants their help to steal a special metal called Vibranium.
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| 11 | "Enter: She-Hulk" | |
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Bruce and Rick go to Los Angeles to visit Bruce's cousin, Jennifer Walters. They want to learn how she stays smart when she turns into the She-Hulk. But a terrorist group called HYDRA tries to take over the city.
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| 12 | "The Boy Who Saw Tomorrow" | |
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Betty's nephew, Jonah, visits Gamma Base. He has amazing psychic powers and can predict the future. He sees Betty's space shuttle crashing, with the Hulk and a mysterious madman involved.
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| 13 | "The Hulk Destroys Bruce Banner" | |
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Bruce tries out his new teleporter on himself. But he turns into the Hulk during the teleportation. Betty thinks the Hulk caused trouble. She then leads the effort to capture the Hulk and save Bruce.
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Voice Actors
The voice of Dr. Bruce Banner was Michael Bell. The Hulk himself was voiced by Bob Holt. Bob Holt's Hulk roars were so good that they were used in many other Marvel cartoons and movies!
Here is a list of the main voice actors:
- Michael Bell as Dr. Bruce Banner
- Pat Fraley as Major Ned Talbot
- Bob Holt as Hulk
- Michael Horton as Rick Jones
- Stan Lee as Narrator
- B.J. Ward as Betty Ross
- Susan Blu as Rita
- Roberto Cruz as Rio
- Bob Ridgely as General Thunderbolt Ross
Images for kids
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The main image for the show's infobox.
