- "To my mind, you're the lucky one. I mean, at least you get to spend some time as a human. Me, I'm always stuck, like a lumpy pile'a orange granite."
- ―The Thing
| "Fantastic Fortitude" | |
|---|---|
| Series The Incredible Hulk Season 1, Episode 8 | |
| |
| Air date | November 10th, 1996 |
| Writers | Bob Forward |
| Director | Ernesto Lopez; Tom Tataranowicz |
| Producers | Avi Arad; Stan Lee; Rick Ungar; Tom Tataranowicz; Matthew Edelman |
| Starring | Neal McDonough; Lou Ferrigno; Genie Francis; John Vernon; Luke Perry |
| Episode guide | |
| Previous "Doomed" |
Next "Mortal Bounds" |
"Fantastic Fortitude" is the eighth episode of season one of the animated superhero fantasy series The Incredible Hulk and the eighth episode of the series overall. It was directed by Ernesto Lopez and Tom Tataranowicz with a script written by Bob Forward. The episode first aired on UPN on Saturday, October 27th, 1996.
Synopsis[]
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Bruce Banner reaches out to Ben Grimm.
Bruce Banner learns about Reed Richards' anti-gamma ray technology, so he and She-Hulk journey to New York City hoping to find a cure. Unfortunately, Reed and his wife Sue are on their way to Tahiti for a well-deserved vacation, leaving only Ben Grimm behind at Four Freedoms Plaza to mind the shop. Ben has been down in the dumps ever since Alicia Masters broke up with him, and those pranksters in the Yancy Street Gang aren't making life any easier for him. The last thing Ben needs right now are Hulk problems.
Meanwhile, the Leader has been monitoring the Hulk's movements from afar. He sends the Ogress out after Banner, which results in a conflict that turns him into the Hulk.
Additionally, the Leader sends his Gamma-Soldier clones to attack Four Freedoms Plaza just as Bruce has finished tinkering with Reed's device. The experiment is disrupted and a super-brawl ensues that carries over into Central Park and all the way to the Statue of Liberty. Team Hulk manages to drive the Hulk clones away, but any chance of using Reed's anti-gamma ray machine is now gone. The Hulk and the Thing say their goodbyes.
Cast[]
Principal Cast[]
Note: Listings marked with a (†) symbol indicate cast members who are credited in this episode, but their character does not make an appearance.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Neal McDonough | Doctor Robert Bruce Banner |
| Lou Ferrigno | The Hulk |
| John Vernon | General "Thunderbolt" Ross † |
| Luke Perry | Rick Jones |
Guest Stars[]
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Matt Frewer | The Leader |
| Lisa Zane | She-Hulk |
| Chuck McCann | The Thing |
| Kathy Ireland | Ogress |
| Beau Weaver | Reed Richards |
Notes & Trivia[]
- The Hulk was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. He first appeared in Incredible Hulk #1 in May, 1962 in a story titled "The Coming of the Hulk".
- This episode guest stars the Fantastic Four. All four members of the group make appearances here. Reed Richards and the The Thing both have speaking lines, while Johnny Storm and Susan Richards do not. Beau Bridges and Chuck McCann reprise their respective roles as Reed and the Thing from the The Fantastic Four animated series.
- This is the first appearance of Ogress, who is voiced by Kathy Ireland. Ireland is also known for providing the voice of the Inhuman, Crystalia Amaquelin on four episodes of The Fantastic Four. In the mainstream Marvel Universe, the Ogress is actually Diane Davids and she first appeared in Incredible Hulk, Volume 2 #345 in 1988.
Allusions[]
- Jennifer Walters' line, "This is a job for...She-Hulk!", is a reference to the infamous catch phrase spoken by the DC Comics character, Superman, who often intoned, "This looks like a job for Superman". This phrase originated with the Adventures of Superman radio serial of the 1940s.
Quotes[]
- The Hulk: Thing Rick's friend! Hulk's friend...
- Ben Grimm: Hmm, well I'll be Aunt Petulia's orange-peeled nephew...
....
- Ben Grimm: To my mind, you're the lucky one. I mean, at least you get to spend some time as a human. Me, I'm always stuck, like a lumpy pile of orange granite.
....
- Reed Richards: And remember, you better call Alicia, she's still your girl!
- Ben Grimm: yeah, dumping me sure is a funny way of showing it...
....
- She-Hulk: This is a job for...She-Hulk!
....
- She-Hulk: She-Hulk: Gamma is a girl's best friend!
....
- Bruce Banner: You don't now what it's like living as a monster!
- Ben Grimm: Doc, I'm gonna let that one pass, I think.