Sci Fi History: The Incredible Hulk (1977)

A live action Hulk came to TV in the late 70s. Bill Bixby played Dr. David Banner who suffered an accidental overdose of gamma radiation. The OD led to his transformations into the Hulk when he became angry or injured. Banner fled to avoid notice, but always managed to get beat up every week under assumed names. Banner was chased by reporter Jack McGee. The show ended in 1982, but returned for three TV movies in the late 80s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqZuhrDM5vE

Sci-Fi History: The Mighty Thor (1962)

Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby played with the Thor myth from Medieval Scandanavia to create a modern comic book hero. He debuted in Journey Into Mystery #83. This version differed from an earlier 1951 comic version. Lee wanted a hero that was stronger than a normal person and wondered how to do it. He toyed with the Grecko-Roman and Norse gods before settling on Thor. Journey Into Mystery was retitled The Mighty Thor in 1966. Since his recreation, Thor has appeared in a number of comic books, cartoons, made a guest appearance on The Incredible Hulk starring Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno, and has his own feature film series starring Chris Helmsworth and Anthony Hopkins.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q631uZ6DQzg

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npvJ9FTgZbM

Sci Fi History: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)

The film version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde debuted prior to the adoption of modern movie production codes. It included strong sexual content and needed editing before its re-release. This version heavily influenced the look of Mr. Hyde in subsequent examinations. The producers wanted Hyde to embody evil and gave him canine teeth and a more ape-like appearance to make him “less evolved.”

The main themes of Jekyll and Hyde involve the dichotomy between good and evil. It also explores civilization vs. barbarism and evolution. The characters later inspired The Incredible Hulk, Batman’s nemesis, Two-Face, and The Who‘s Quadrophenia.

Sci Fi History: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886)

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde investigates the dichotomy of good and evil. It also tackles the ideas of modernity, science, and civilization on one hand and barbarism and uncontrolled passion on the other. Jekyll used a potion to create Hyde which provided a Frankenstein-esque warning about unfettered science. At the time, the world witnessed several major technological advances ranging from the telephone to the light bulb. Frankenstein was a reaction to Enlightenment thinking. Dr. Jekyll provided a reaction to Thomas Edison and other major inventors. Eventually, the Hyde personality begins to take over and Jekyll seems willing to submit. Mr. Hyde provided Dr. Jekyll an escape. This last point is an attempt by Jekyll to escape the crushing Victorian ethos against anything sexual.


The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde proved extremely influential. The work led to several movies which helped advance special effects technology as well as provide an archetype for several movie villains. Additionally, the work clearly inspired comic book characters such as The Incredible Hulk and Two-Face.