She-Hulk
She-Hulk (
Jennifer Walters) is a
Marvel Comics superhero. Created by writer
Stan Lee and artist
John Buscema, she first appeared in
Savage She-Hulk #1 (
February 1980).
She-Hulk has been a member of both the
Avengers and the
Fantastic Four. A highly skilled lawyer, she has served as legal counsel to various superheroes on numerous occasions.
Jennifer Walters, the
cousin of
Bruce Banner (The Incredible Hulk), is the small and somewhat shy daughter of Los Angeles County
Sheriff Morris Walters. Agents of Nicholas Trask, a
crime boss who had crossed paths with her father, shot and seriously wounded her on a day that Bruce Banner happened to be in town for a visit. Since no donors of her
blood type were available, Banner provided blood for a transfusion; his
radioactive blood transformed Jennifer into the green-skinned She-Hulk.
As the She-Hulk, Jennifer possessed powers similar to those of her cousin, though at a reduced level. She also possessed a less monstrous, more
amazonian appearance. Jennifer's early adventures were chronicled in the
1980 Marvel Comics series
The Savage She-Hulk which, following the first issue, were written by
David Anthony Kraft.
Although initially uncontrolled while in her form as She-Hulk, she eventually gained the same levels of intelligence she possessed as Jennifer Walters. By the time of the character's first anniversary, she had made a guest appearance in
Spidey Super Stories, and was lucid enough to encourage the
Rhino to seek a fair trial for an alleged crime he had committed. Jennifer Walters quickly came to appreciate the confidence and assertiveness that came with being the She-Hulk. At this point in her character development, she felt more comfortable in her form as She-Hulk than in her "normal" form as Jennifer. After a brief solo career, she joined
The Avengers, and temporarily replaced the
Thing in the
Fantastic Four.
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Cover to Fantastic Four #275, featuring She-Hulk. |
During her tenure with the Fantastic Four, the She-Hulk had to prevent a radiation leak in a downed
S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier. This radiation exposure had a drastic effect on Jennifer: she could no longer transform back into her original form. However, this was an agreeable turn of events for her, since she preferred being the She-Hulk. (It was revealed much later that the block was purely psychological.)
After her Fantastic Four years, the She-Hulk rejoined the Avengers and began working for
District Attorney Blake Tower. Here she met Louise "Weezi" Mason, formerly the
Golden Age superheroine called the
Blonde Phantom. She-Hulk later discovered that Mason had manipulated Towers into hiring her, so that Mason might again star in a comic book (and thus avoid dying of old age). Later, while doing legal work for
Heroes for Hire, She-Hulk spent some time dating
Luke Cage.
She-Hulk currently practices law in the Superhuman Law division of the New York firm of
Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway. (The law firm's name incorporates the names of the founding fathers of Marvel Comics: publisher Martin Goodman; publisher, writer, and creator Stan Lee, [whose original surname was Lieber]; and artist Jack Kirby, [whose original surname was Kurtzberg].) While practicing at Goodman, Lieber Jennifer gradually became comfortable as both She-Hulk and Jennifer Walters, realizing that she has much to offer the world in both forms.
In her She-Hulk form, Jennifer possesses vast
superhuman strength. When she transforms back and forth, she gains/loses considerable mass (much of it muscle) by an unknown means.
As She-Hulk, she is proportionally stronger than her Jennifer Walters form. This means that any extra strength gained as Jennifer Walters through intense physical training will be amplified, making her She-Hulk form that much stronger. This was shown when she single-handedly lifted the Thing's heaviest training weight (somewhere in the region of 100
tons) and successfully
arm wrestled the
demigod Hercules. (It should be noted that Hercules still does not have his full "godly" powers since it was removed by his father
Zeus of Olympus.) She used this exponential strength and training to her advantage when she fought the
Champion of the Universe on an alien world where court cases are decided in
boxing arenas.
On first becoming She-Hulk, she had the ability to lift 50 tons under optimal conditions. Since then, she has increased her strength-level through
training to the point where she can lift up to 100 tons.
Thanks to training by the
Ovoid alien race, She-Hulk can exchange her physical characteristics and powers with the physical characteristics and powers of another being by simply focusing on a mental image of the person and willing the transfer to take place. The actual intent of the Ovoid skill is to exchange the
minds of the user and another being, but it was theorized by the Ovoid who trained the She-Hulk that some factor of her gamma-mutated physiology causes her use of this talent to manifest in a different way. It should be noted that she rarely uses this power; unless she initiates this exchange with another superhuman being, she will become basically human in ability, but still green-skinned and generally recognizable as the She-Hulk, and thus vulnerable to attack (a fact that the super-villainess
Titania took advantage of the one time the She-Hulk did use this ability).
She-Hulk was granted a protective ability by her Avengers teammate, the
Scarlet Witch, when She-Hulk's job required her to spend extended periods of time as Jennifer Walters. The Scarlet Witch cast a spell which rendered anyone intending to harm the She-Hulk incapable of recognizing her as Jennifer Walters. However, the spell actually rendered Jennifer Walters completely undetectable to these individuals. While this had its advantages, it also left Jennifer unable to communicate with certain people whose knowledge or information it was vital for her to acquire. The spell was eventually removed by Dr. Stephen Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme of the Marvel Universe.
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Cover to She-Hulk #7. Art by Mike Mayhew. |
The She-Hulk is a formidable hand-to-hand combatant, having been trained by
Captain America and
Gamora. Even in her Jennifer Walters form, she possesses sufficient skill in the
martial arts to dispatch several would-be muggers much larger than she is.
Jennifer Walters is a skilled pilot, as has been shown in multiple issues of
Avengers and
Fantastic Four.
Extremely intelligent, the She-Hulk is a skilled and experienced attorney. In spite of the character's party-girl image, she is a bona fide intellectual, being one of the few superheroines to have attained an advanced post-baccalaureate degree. Jennifer attended
UCLA School of Law, where she was a member of the Order of the Coif, a national merit society for top legal scholars. It is revealed in the
Savage She-Hulk that Walters has also attended Harvard Law School; though details are not provided, it is probable that she earned a master of laws (LL.M.) degree at Harvard to complement her juris doctor (J.D.) degree from UCLA. She has shown great versatility in her legal practice, representing criminal defendants, corporations, and even
domestic violence victims.
The She-Hulk is not above using her looks and sex appeal to her tactical advantage in a fight; she did so against a then-single Hawkeye during a conflict in their early appearances together in
Avengers. It is revealed in
The She-Hulk #100 that she once distracted and destroyed a cadre of alien villains by staging a
wardrobe malfunction. In that issue, court testimony also reveals that her bosom is the largest of any heroine in the Marvel Universe.
In addition to her considerable strengths, the She-Hulk does have a habit of appearing late for appointments — such as on the splash page of
Avengers Unplugged #4 (April 1996). Due to lateness she missed the opportunity to appear on the David Letterman talk show with the other Avengers (
Avengers #239).
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Cover to Sensational She-Hulk #31, showing She-Hulk interacting with writer/artist John Byrne and editor Renée Witterstaetter. |
The She-Hulk apparently possesses a form of "cross-dimensional" awareness, as she is capable of breaking through the so-called
fourth wall. In some stories she has revealed an awareness that she is a comic book character, which has allowed her to tear through the page or run over a page of advertisements in order to reach an enemy's control center. On several occasions when the comic's writer (
John Byrne) appeared to be out of control, she engaged in arguments with him, or appealed directly to the comic's editor, Renée Witterstaetter.
In the latest She-Hulk series written by
Dan Slott, Marvel Comics actually exist as licensed publications chronicling the adventures of the world's superheroes; they bear the seal of the
Comics Code Authority of America, which is deemed to be a federal agency in the Marvel Universe. Comics bearing the seal are considered legal documents, which lawyers in the books are able to cite as evidence in legal cases. (This applies only to comics published until 2001; after that year Marvel established its own
in-house rating system — a fact noted in Slott's stories.)
In the She-Hulk's world comic readers inhabit the same universe as do the characters in the book. For example, while doing research for a case against the
Roxxon corporation, Jennifer Walters recently discovered her origin issue,
The Savage She-Hulk #1. When the building housing her law office was destroyed and Jennifer needed information on
Infinity Gems, she was able to get the information she needed at a local comic book store.
John Byrne makes a brief cameo appearance in the main story of issue #3, volume 2 (or issue #100 following the series' original numbering), complaining about the title's continuity problems. The issue also features a coda in which one of the characters asks Jennifer if she really can talk to the readers. She coyly replies "No," while giving the viewer a look that nonetheless conveys an awareness of the reader.
Several characters are aware that their likenesses appear in comic books, particularly members of teams such as the Fantastic Four and the Avengers — both of which have included She-Hulk as a member. Those teams actually sanction the publications about them. As another example,
Steve Rogers (Captain America) was once the writer and artist of his own comic book. Other Marvel characters aware that they are characters in comic books include She-Hulk's friend Louise Mason (the
Blonde Phantom);
Loki, (on occasion);
Rick Jones;
Squirrel Girl; and
Deadpool.
The She-Hulk's relationships with men have been defined by her dueling needs for independence and acceptance. These needs were evident in her often tempestuous relationship with her father, Sheriff Morris Walters. A widower whose wife had been killed by mobsters, Walters was overprotective, controlling, and judgmental. In response, Jennifer sought independence from her father, while also desiring his acceptance.
Sheriff Walters felt that the best way for Jennifer to live was for her to follow his values. However, Jennifer grew up perceiving the gray areas of law enforcement. (For example, she interpreted the events leading up to riots which occurred during her childhood differently from her father.) Although Jennifer saw her decision to become a criminal defense attorney as a kind of homage to her father, Sheriff Walters instead interpreted her choice (to defend criminals) as a rejection of his values.
Jennifer worked at nurturing a supportive relationship with her father, and remained close to a childhood friend, Zapper, with whom she ultimately became romantically involved. Being She-Hulk allowed Jennifer to express emotions which she was not otherwise comfortable revealing. For example, although Jennifer Walters was restrained from dating a younger man, as the She-Hulk she felt free to express her affection for Zapper. During that same time, Jennifer pursued a problematic relationship with the affable ne'er-do-well
Richard Rory (
Man-Thing), who actually valued her for who she really was.
Ultimately, the She-Hulk's relationship with Zapper fell apart, primarily due to her insistence on permanently remaining in her She-Hulk form, eschewing the Jennifer Walters persona that Zapper had grown up with. Zapper believed that Jennifer's preference represented a rejection of the character's true self. Although in actuality the She-Hulk liberated much of Jennifer Walters' repressed personality, the She-Hulk persona also repressed certain aspects of Jennifer Walters' personality which the She-Hulk found distasteful.
During her time as an Avenger, the She-Hulk engaged in a relationship with
Starfox (
Avengers #234, August 1983). However, this encounter was later retold in flashback (
She-Hulk volume 2 #7 [June 2006)]), and in that storyline, Starfox was on trial, charged with sexually assaulting a married woman. The alleged victim testified that Starfox's euphoria power had forced her to be sexually forward — as forward as the She-Hulk herself had been during her own encounter with Starfox. Upon hearing this testimony Jennifer concluded that her interaction with Starfox had not been consensual. The extent to which Starfox mis-used his power to facilitate his relationship with Jennifer has been left unresolved.
The She-Hulk was briefly engaged to the younger
Wyatt Wingfoot, whom she first met during her tenure with the Fantastic Four (
Fantastic Four #269 [August 1984]). She let her guard down with Wyatt, expressing her vulnerabilities as Wyatt supported her during a series of traumatic events. (A paparazzi took photos of her sunbathing topless in
Fantastic Four 275, and some agents of S.H.I.E.L.D sexually harrassed her in
Marvel Graphic Novel #18.) Although She-Hulk put forward a brave exterior during those incidents, she appreciated Wyatt's support.
Although the She-Hulk deeply values close emotional ties with family, friends and lovers, she seldom admits the depth of her need for these attachments. For example, years after her mother died, Jennifer could not move on from the family home. Even when her father moved out, Jennifer would not leave her family memories behind. The Avengers and Fantastic Four became surrogate families for her; she forged strong bonds with them.
She-Hulk is presently married to
John Jameson, the former Man-Wolf, whom she first met in a Microverse adventure in
Savage She-Hulk. (The two precipitously eloped in Las Vegas [
She Hulk #9].) However, she shares an apartment with her colleague, Augustus "Pug" Pugliese, who holds an unspoken (but obvious) crush on her. Pug is convinced that the She-Hulk's strong feelings for Jameson are the result of manipulation by Starfox.
Due to her affiliation with different
supergroups over the years, the She-Hulk has donned numerous
costumes. The She-Hulk's
personality has also gone through significant changes: from aggressive and short-tempered to intelligent, free-spirited, and vivacious.
Because of her various outfit changes, no single costume can be considered
iconic. However, the She-Hulk is immediately recognizable due to her size, her green skin and her long green hair.
In her first appearance, the She-Hulk was a massive, towering
amazon, with wild, untamed, nearly waist-length
hair. She sported a ragged white dress (which ripped and tore as Walters turned into her giant
alter-ego). The character was always barefooted. By some miracle, that white garment, which was often only the blouse that Walters had on before her transformation, always hid her unmentionables, in the same way that enough of the Incredible Hulk's pants always survived to hide his privates after his transformations. When she was asked about this in an early issue of the second series, in response she simply revealed that her clothes carry the label of the Comics Code.
During one of her 'savage' appearances, the She-Hulk visited a high-priced dress shop and shredded a small outfit to make it fit her large frame: she was credited with starting the "ripped look," in which fashionistas sported trategically torn shirts, jackets and jeans.
After her 'Savage era', the She-Hulk joined the Avengers and began dressing in a one-piece
aerobics outfit, complemented with leg warmers and
sneakers. During the Avengers era she wore a purple, one-piece
bathing suit, with a white belt and black boots.
After the first of the Secret Wars, the She-Hulk took the place of The Thing and became a full-fledged member of the
Fantastic Four. Her costume kept the sleeveless/legless bathing suit design, incorporating the colors and style of the FF costumes, with white gloves and boots. After leaving the Fantastic Four, she rejoined the Avengers, donning a white one-piece costume with the blue Avengers
insignia emblazoned on it.
More recently, the She-Hulk has worn a purple and white one-piece outfit similar to a swimsuit, complemented by fingerless gloves and boots or athletic shoes. Her hair is long and straight, as opposed to the thick, curly tresses she sported in the past.
Her personality has also changed over the years: originally ill-tempered and violent, she's now a fun-loving, gentle woman who frequently deploys humor when fighting. She even stated in
The Sensational She-Hulk vol. 2, #27 that she prefers not to kill her foes, especially ones that she has already subdued.
The She-Hulk has emerged as a key supporter of the Superhuman Registration Act. In addition, she has agreed to file suit against Peter Parker for fraud on behalf of her new father-in-law,
Daily Bugle publisher
J. Jonah Jameson. Although her intention is to keep the suit tied up in the courts indefinitely, it's unclear how she could represent Jameson in the first place, since she was one of the attorneys representing Spider-Man in his lawsuit against Jameson in
She-Hulk v.3 #4 (August 2004).
She-Hulk has yet to make an appearance in the
Ultimate Marvel Universe although it is rumored that her ultimate incarnation will be introduced during or after the events occurring in
Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk. The first issue of Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk features a scientist named Jennifer Walters, and in an earlier issue of
The Ultimates 2 Bruce Banner's self-written eulogy at his funeral makes mention of a female cousin who is likely the same Jennifer Walters.
Animated series adaptations
She-Hulk first appearence on television was in the 1982 animated
The Incredible Hulk series broadcast on
NBC, where she was voiced by
Victoria Carroll. This occurred in the eleventh episode entitled, "Enter: She-Hulk." This episode briefly dealt with She-Hulk's origin (an emergency blood transfusion), while had Bruce Banner seeking She-Hulk's help in retaining his mind when he transforms into the Hulk.
She-Hulk appeared in the 1996
The Incredible Hulk animated series. She was voiced by
Lisa Zane in season one and
Cree Summer in season two. The series followed the comic book origins closely, having Jennifer Walters be Bruce Banner's cousin who receives a blood transfusion in a life and death situation. This caused her to become She-Hulk who pretty much becomes the Hulk's constant companion. She only appeared in two episodes in season one, but practically pushed Hulk aside for center stage in season two, going from a fun and interesting character to an over the top yet comical
femme fatale in season two.
Live-Action adaptation
A
live-action motion picture was planned in the late 1980s. Marvel Comics had been interested in producing the film for several years due to the prior success of the
Hulk television series. At the time Marvel Comics did not yet have the self-sustaining finances they have today to generate big budget films for their characters. Thus, they often sought out outside financial backers for various projects. The now bankrupt
New World Pictures was one of the main studios used. Knowing that female characters were a harder sell on the big screen, Marvel Comics hired statuesque actress
Brigitte Nielsen to pose for photos dressed in She-Hulk garb in order to give potential investors a visual idea of what can be done with the character. Brigitte had previously filmed a movie for Marvel Comics in 1985 (
Red Sonja) and they felt she was the best candidate for the role. Not finding success with U.S. investors, Marvel took the photos to pitch the idea overseas to find little interest there as well. Alas the only real interest found were in comic book readers who discovered the photos printed in various magazines at the time.
Other live action appearences
The British comedy
The Benny Hill Show once featured a character similar to She-Hulk in a brief sketch. A young woman sexually harassed at a bus stop gets angrier and angrier until she transforms into a savage creature that exacts revenge on her harassers.
Actress
Jenny McCarthy provided a similar skit for her cancelled television series
The Jenny McCarthy Show, in which she increasingly becomes angry in a restaurant until she becomes a blonde She-Hulk.
Toys
There have been numerous She-Hulk toys over the years, most frequently appearing in lines covering large numbers of Marvel characters such as
Heroclix with other "minor" characters. Due to the previous perception of the She-Hulk as only a second tier group character, many of these actions figures were just
Redeco's of existing female figures that only broadly resembled the character. Her appearence in the 90's Incredible Hulk animated series and the revival of the character thanks to the recent solo series has finally lead to more care being given.
The first unique She-Hulk action figure was released among the later waves of toys produced for the
The Incredible Hulk animated series. This figure was later released as a exclusive toy for the
magazine ToyFare with a
Redeco to give it
Fantastic Four costume.
The
magazine ToyFare and Diamond Select Toys held a poll to decide to upon a exclusive
Marvel Select figure for the Wizard World 2005 conventions, She-Hulk the clear winner of the five options. The figure was based upon the cover for She-Hulk #2 (2004 series), replacing the car with a dune buggy rougly similar to what Zapper drove, three pillars of dust assisting the illusion of figure lifting the vehicle. Formerly sold only to atendees of the conventions, six per customer, the figure was eventually offered for sale to specialty retailers.
After a long wait and frequent fan requests, a
Marvel Legends She-Hulk figure is finally slated for release Wave 2 or 3 of the line under
Hasbro.
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Cover to She-Hulk #3, which is her 100th issue (including past titles). Art by Greg Horn. |
The Savage She-Hulk #1-25 (February, 1980 â€" February 1982)
Spidey Super Stories #50 (January 1981); not part of the main Marvel universe,
Spidey Super Stories were sponsored by
The Electric Company, a PBS program that featured
Morgan Freeman and the first live-action Spider-Man stories.
Marvel Team-Up #107 (July 1981)
Marvel Two-in-One #88 (June 1982)
Marvel Super Heroes Contest of Champions #1-3 (June to August 1982)
Fantastic Four #265, and many subsequent issues, first as a regular, sporadically afterwards (1984- )
Marvel Graphic Novel #18 (November 1985)
Avengers #221, and numerous issues afterward, until
Avengers Disassembled (July 1982 - 2004)
The Sensational She-Hulk #1-60 (May 1989 â€" February 1994)
Marvel Fanfare (December 1989)
She-Hulk: Ceremony #1-2 (1990)
Marvel Illustrated: Swimsuit Issue #1 (1991)
Doc Samson #1, and subsequent issues (1996)
Thing and She-Hulk: The Long Night, oneshot (May, 2002)
She-Hulk #1-12 (May, 2004 â€" April, 2005)
She-Hulk, season 2, #1-10 — fourth solo title (October 2005 - )
After the cancellation of
The Sensational She-Hulk, the character made backup and one-shot appearances — such as in
Marvel Fanfare (December 1989) and
Avengers Unplugged #4 (April 1996) — and made appearances in
The Incredible Hulk (including December 1993) and
The Avengers. She also had a guest-starring role in
Doc Samson, a 1996 miniseries.
In 2004
She-Hulk appeared in a new title. Despite favorable reviews, the new series could not escape it's low sales numbers and was cancelled by Marvel. However, Marvel decided to give the book a second chance; Marvel brought the series to a close with issue #12 and promised a relaunch (as a "second season") eight months later. The eight month gap was alluded to in the comic book itself.
Helmed by the original creative team (Dan Slott and Juan Bobillo), the book returned in October 2005. The third issue was billed as the She-Hulk's 100th issue, and it had story art pencilled by numerous artists who sported their own interpretations of the character. Among them was seminal She-Hulk artist, Mike Vosburg (who drew
Savage She-Hulk issues #2 through #25). A reprint of
The Savage She-Hulk #1 was included.
Collected editions
The Sensational She-Hulk (ISBN 0871358921)
Avengers: The Search for She-Hulk (ISBN 0785112022)
**2004; reprints
Avengers (vol.3) #71-76
She-Hulk: Single Green Female (ISBN 0785114432)
**2005; reprints
She-Hulk (2004 series) #1-6
She-Hulk: Superhuman Law (ISBN 0785115706)
**2005; reprints
She-Hulk (2004 series) #7-12
She-Hulk: Time Trials (ISBN 0785117954)
**2006; reprints
She-Hulk (2005 series) #1-5
Essential The Savage She-Hulk (ISBN 0785123350)
**2006; reprints
The Savage She-Hulk #1-25
*
MDP: She-Hulk - Marvel Database Project
*
Marvel.com She-Hulk entry*
She-Hulk entry at Don Markstein's Toonopedia*
She-Hulk's Profile at Women of Marvel Comics*
Comprehensive history of She-Hulk*
Clip of She-Hulk cartoon transformation
