Marvel Media Mania: Incredible Hulk (1982)

The Incredible Hulk is an animated television series from 1982. This series only lasted for 13 episodes.

This series uses all of the classic elements from the Hulk mythos. The Hulk presented is savage and strong, growling, uttering short phrases, and dealing with his problems in a direct, physical way. The origin story is modified slightly but Bruce's relationships with Betty and Rick are straight from the classic Hulk era.

One of the best things about this series is the narration by Stan Lee himself. Stan goes out of his way to keep his signature phrases and style intact for the series.

The animation is capable and somewhat reminiscent of Scooby-Doo. Oddly, when the Hulk transforms back into Bruce Banner his suit goes from being torn to shreds back to being undamaged.

The villains chosen for the series are a bit odd since most of them aren't usually associated with the Hulk. The Puppet Master, Doctor Octopus, Hydra, and Spymaster usually fight the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Captain America, and Iron Man respectively. The Leader and the She-Hulk make appearances to the credit of the show.

While most episodes end by returning to the status quo, some do not. In particular, one episode ends with Banner's identity as the Hulk becoming known by the Army. This is a nice touch that defies the conventions of most cartoons from the era.

The majority of the plots seem a little thin and contrived. For example, one story relies completely on Betty and Bruce being sent to Paris with a secret key for a huge gold shipment that somehow causes them to meet Quasimodo. Huh? All I want to see is Bruce turn into the Hulk and destroy a bunch of stuff!

Overall, this series is held up by a few quality episodes while the rest may leave you scratching your head.

1LR Review - 13 out of 20 - It's a Glancing Hit!