The Incredible Hulk – Pilot (1977)

With the recent release of Captain America: Brave New World and the emergence of the Red Hulk (Harrison Ford). We’re almost fifty years from the premiere of The Incredible Hulk television show, which starred Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno as Dr. David Banner and his alter ego, the Hulk. The question is: why did this television series succeed on a 1970s TV budget, especially compared to today’s Disney+ shows that cost hundreds of millions and must draw millions of viewers weekly? Let’s get into it.

Dr. David Banner (Bill Bixby) is haunted by the tragic car accident that claimed the life of his beloved wife, Laura. In his recurring nightmare, David relives being thrown from the car, powerless to save her as the wreckage burns. Stricken with grief, he becomes obsessed with understanding how some individuals manage to summon extraordinary strength in moments of crisis—strength he lacked when it mattered most. Now, at his job at the Culver Institute, David and his colleague Dr. Elaina Marks (Susan Sullivan) interview survivors like Mrs. Maier (Susan Batson), who lifted a car to save her child. Despite compiling blood work and brain scans, their research fails to find a clear link until David discovers a genetic abnormality shared by the subjects, which may be activated by exposure to gamma radiation.

Bill Bixby as Dr. David Banner and Susan Sullivan as Dr. Elaina Marks examine critical research in The Incredible Hulk 1978 television pilot.

“…his body transforms into a massive green-skinned creature…”

Driven by frustration and impatience, David secretly exposes himself to an intense dose of gamma radiation, unaware that the lab equipment had been recalibrated to emit far higher levels than intended. Initially, he notices no immediate effects. However, later that night, during a rainstorm, David gets a flat tire. As his anger and stress escalate, his body transforms into a massive green-skinned creature (Lou Ferrigno), destroying the car in a fit of rage. The creature stumbles into the forest, where it inadvertently frightens a young girl and is shot at by her father. The Hulk easily disarms the man, flinging him into a lake, and proceeds to destroy their campsite. When David regains consciousness, his memory of the transformation is gone, though his tattered clothes and healing bullet wound remain as evidence of the bizarre event.

Desperate for answers, David confides in Elaina, and the two attempt to replicate the conditions to understand better and control his transformations. They conduct further experiments at the lab, with David placing himself in a secure chamber under Elaina’s watch. As he sleeps, recurring visions of Laura’s accident trigger another transformation into the Hulk, leaving Elaina alone with the creature. Meanwhile, investigative reporter Jack McGee (Jack Colvin) from the tabloid The National Register grows suspicious of the mysterious research and prowls the lab. His intrusion inadvertently causes a fire that ultimately leads to a tragic confrontation, setting the stage for David’s long journey as a fugitive hunted for a crime he did not commit.