The Incredible Hulk (pilot)

"Within each of us, ofttimes, dwells a mighty and raging fury" - Title Card

Plot Dr. David Bruce Banner is an ordinary man living an extraordinary life. His wife Laura has recently died in a car accident: the car's wheel blew out, causing it to roll over into a field, throwing David out of it in the process. The car then catches fire. David desperately attempts to turn the car over, but isn't able to do so and she is trapped inside -

This memory has been haunting David for 11 months, constantly seeing it in his nightmares. He drives to the Culver Institute, where he works with Elaina Marks. Their job is to interview people and run tests on them. They all have the same situation (albeit in different circumstances): someone is trapped in a burning vehicle (or building) and they were successfully able to get them out through a means of some hidden strength. This angers Banner because when he had the same problem he could not do it himself.

Around this time, the National Register tabloid newspaper finds out about David's research and sends Jack McGee to interview him. David refuses.

The tests at first come to nothing, but something arises that excites David: there is a deviation in the DNA structure. He gets his own blood tested - but he has a much worse deviation. Attempting to crack this case, David stays late at night. Whilst talking to a technician, he realizes that sunspot activity enabled the strength in their interviewees - hinting at a factor he did not take into account: gamma radiation. He wishes to tell Elaina this information, but she isn't around. He goes into the radiology unit at the institute, and uses the equipment there to give himself a dosage of 300,000 gamma rays for ~15 seconds. What he does not know is that the machines have been re-calibrated and that what was 300,000 gamma units has been covered over by a piece of masking tape and that the technician didn't have time to put the new figure onto it. The resulting dosage is well over the DANGER limit, and the danger light is flashing and an alarm wailing in the control room, unknown to David. When the 15 seconds are up, David attempts to lift a heavy bed-like object in the room. To his utter surprise, nothing seems to have changed, making him frustrated.

His frustrations intensify when he leaves, and finds that the weather is showing the beginnings of a thunderstorm. Next, his car won't start and only finally roars into life after the third or fourth attempt. Then, if that isn't bad enough, a jagged object lying on the road back to his house blows out his front tire. David angrily goes to change it. He attempts to change the tire, but his hand slips and he smashes his hand on the ground. He attempts to do it again and the same thing happens. He cries out in terror and HULKS OUT.

A shriek and the sound of voices fills David's ears and when he looks up, the iris of his eyes are pure white. As he attempts to change the tire a third time, a rip goes up the back of his coat, and his sleeves tear and the buttons pop out of his shirt. His skin turns green and David Banner is gone, leaving a green creature wearing his torn clothes in his place. The 'Hulk' looks around, confused but still angry and roars into the night. He then starts to destroy David's car, throwing away the tire that couldn't be changed and punching through the glass on the windows. The Hulk overturns the car, which falls into the ditch and explodes. The creature walks away.

Daytime in a forest clearing nearing some water, a father and daughter have set up camp. The daughter is trying to fish and is holding up a worm when the Hulk arrives, smiling kindly at her. The girl is terrified and attempts to row away in a canoe but falls into a lake. The Hulk pulls a tree out from its roots and attempts to rescue her, but her father appears and assumes the Hulk is trying to do her serious harm. He takes out his gun and shoots the Hulk, who promptly picks him up and throws him into the water before leaving. The Hulk comes to a lake and whilst pouring water onto his wound, sees himself for the first time and is startled by what he sees. He touches the water, which ripples. The hulk reforms to David (still with white eyes) who is horrified, but can't remember anything which happened whilst he was the Hulk.

David visits Elaina at her house, after her shower, and she is horrified by the state David is in. David has the feeling of extreme thirst and almost downs a bottle of juice Elaina just happens to have in her fridge. He attempts to recall the events of the previous night and early part of the morning, but is unable to: all he can remember is feeling incredibly strong, the feeling of anger, and the white eyes. Jack McGee calls and David hides, though McGee does glimpse David in the mirror (but does not ask any questions).

The two scientists go to the Southwest lab, which is an isolated building (part of the Culver Institute). Elaina shows David into the hyperbaric chamber which is usually used for underwater experiments which is "made of 2-inch chromium steel". David (horrified) finds out that instead of 300,000 gamma units, he injected over 2 million units into his system. David seals himself in and Elaina monitors his bodily functions. They try to attempt to recreate the circumstances which triggered the Hulk out. When that fails, David gets frustrated again. He decides to go to sleep, but dreams about the car accident and Hulks out again.

Elaina takes a log of what's going on via audio cassette. She notices that the EEG monitoring David's mental activity is showing a flat line. She goes to investigate, only to find the Hulk's green fist coming through the glass window. After wrecking the hyperbaric chamber, Elaina successfully attempts to calm the Hulk down and takes a blood sample. She gets him to sit down and he reforms to David Banner once again. Surveying the damage, David is concerned that the creature's lack of control over its emotions and actions could potentially make it a murderer. Elaina tells them that because the creature is an outgrowth of himself it will not kill "because David Banner won't kill."

A police officer and Jack McGee arrive and the officer asks David questions about the creature (since it was his car the creature destroyed). David isn't sure as to how to answer, but McGee is sure of the creature's guilt, telling of how it treated the man and his daughter. The officer doesn't buy it, and when McGee produces a footprint based on the ones found at the scene of the crime, the officer ridicules him and both David and Elaina deny all knowledge of McGee's "big Hulk". McGee wants to enter the lab so they can all sit down and discuss it but Elaina makes up an excuse and shoos him away. McGee, not giving up easily, retreats to a safe distance and keeps watch.

The two scientists attempt to use the same equipment that Banner used last time to cure him using its X-ray function but alas - it does not work. Meanwhile, McGee spies on the building and enters, looking at the broken glass and spies a footprint in the broken glass which matches the one he found earlier. The scientists return and McGee hides in a storeroom, overhearing their conversation about their "big friend" returning. David goes to the same storeroom to get EEG paper and finds McGee. McGee knocks over bottles of chemicals, sending them to the floor, beginning to spill (remember this fact). McGee calls the bluff of the scientists, pointing out the footprints and destroyed hyperbaric chamber. Elaina says the footprints are only water spillage and David escorts McGee outside the building. McGee calls David a liar. David replies:

"Mr. McGee, don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."

Elaina is checking out the EEG. The chemicals hit sacks marked "DANGER". Elaina calls out to David, but too late. Jack McGee's clumsiness causes the building to explode. McGee and David are thrown to the ground, and McGee breaks his leg. David gets up and runs toward the burning building. He attempts to see in but the fire makes it difficult to do so. He catches a glimpse of Elaina under a pile of rubble in what used to be the building. The last thing he remembers is his voice (lower in pitch shouting) "Elaina! ELAINA!" and the feeling of anger rushing through his body as he hulks out yet again!

The Hulk jumps into the building and exits, carrying Elaina in his arms. McGee sees this and starts calling for Banner, but his entry to the building is stopped by another explosion. The Hulk escapes into the forest. Elaina, now dying, tells the Hulk that (as David) she loves him. "And I always will." She dies, and the Hulk roars. He leaves, as there is nothing he can do.

SEVERAL DAYS LATER

It's Elaina's funeral; David is believed to be dead also. McGee speaks with the lab technician telling him that he has put a warrant for murder on the creature and that the hulk will be captured. He, and the mourners, leave. Now that everyone is gone, Dr. David Banner emerges and stares at his own grave. He then goes to Elaina's grave and as he runs his hand along it, admits that he loved her and thought she did the same. "Although you never said it." He doesn't realize that she had - but to the Hulk. Feeling he's a wanted man, he leaves, as Joe Harnell's Lonely Man theme plays and the credits roll.

PRODUCTION
 * Bill Bixby was Kenneth Johnson's only choice for the role of David Banner
 * The production team originally considered Arnold Schwartzenegger for the Hulk, but he was not available at the time.
 * Despite seeing Lou Ferrigno, Johnson went with Richard Kiel. Despite his height, and his ability as an actor, he was not right for the role.
 * So, Lou Ferrigno won the part hands down!
 * The solo piano piece was suggested by Kenneth Johnson instead of a roaring orchestral ending.
 * Johnson wanted the Hulk to be red, but Stan Lee said the only reason the Hulk was green was because the comic printers couldn't do grey.
 * Jack Colvin was, according to Johnson, the only actor approached for Jack McGee.
 * The Hulkout sound in this story was created with Strings, Synth and Human Vocals. This could not be used for the rest of the series due to budget. The sound was based on the Monolith scene in 2001: A Space Odyssey

OTHER NOTABLE MENTIONS
 * The piece Growing Anger sounds like the theme from Psycho.
 * Kenneth Johnson wrote, produced and directed this episode.
 * He also provides the voice of 'Scotty', who informs David that the officer and McGee have arrived.

GOOFS

No production is ever 100% perfect, and I only noticed these recently.
 * When David leaves the car to see the damaged tire, there's no hubcap on the car. When he injures himself with the lug wrench, he is seen removing the hubcap first.
 * One shot of Richard Kiel as the Hulk was left in.
 * When the Hulk jumps into the burning Southwest lab to save Elaina, it is obviously a stuntman due to lack of bulk.

MAIN CAST SUPPORTING ARTISTS/ GUEST STARS
 * BILL BIXBY - Dr. David Banner
 * SUSAN SULLIVAN - Dr. Elaina Marks
 * JACK COLVIN - Jack McGee
 * LOU FERRIGNO - The Hulk
 * SUSAN BATSON - Mrs. Maier
 * MARIO GALLO - Mr. Bram
 * ERIC SERVER - Policeman
 * CHARLES SIEBERT - Ben the technician
 * TERENCE LOCKE - Young Man

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076190/
 * June Whitley Taylor - Woman
 * George Brenlin - Man At Lake
 * Jake Mitchell - Jerry
 * William Larsen - Minister
 * Olivia Barash - Girl at Lake
 * Eric Deon - B.J.

Next Episode: Death In The Family