Engine of destruction

Leaping onto our cinema screens with a bang is The Incredible Hulk, kicking off an all-new, explosive and action-packed epic of one of the most popular superheroes of all time. Having grossed $54.5 million at the US box office ($8 million less than its 2003 predecessor Hulk which took in $62.1 million); it is only ironic since back in 2003 Hulk was panned by critics.

Some Hulk fans will either cheer or lambast the latest Marvel comic book adaptation directed by Louis Letterier (The Transporter) as it can be looked upon as either a sequel to Ang Lee's Hulk or else a complete revamp of the Marvel Green Hero.

The sequel picks up after the events of the first film. After five years on the run, Bruce Banner - this time played by Edward Norton - has settled in South America and is intent on finding a cure to fight his inner demon in the shape of the Hulk.

His quiet life is disrupted when the army, headed by General Ross (William Hurt) discovers his whereabouts and he is forced to go on the run again.

Forty-six years after having sprung from a four-colour printed page with black borders and speech bubbles, Hulk still appeals strongly to people all over the world.

Despite not being as accessible as Spiderman or Superman, at its heart the Hulk is a modern take of the classic novel The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. The Hulk tale narrates the eternal conflict of good versus evil where unimaginable violence lurks beneath the surface of even the most innocuous of characters.

The Hulk morphed onto the printed page thanks to the creative talents of Stan Lee (who cameos in the film) and Jack Kirby, the brains behind Spiderman. It's hard to believe but in the debut May 1962 issue, the Hulk was grey in colour, a nod to that other monster - Frankenstein. However, when it came to print they had problems with the colouring and so they reverted to green.

As comic books became very popular with students worldwide the Hulk found its way onto children's television in an animated series.

Yet, it was the 1970s' TV series starring Bill Bixby as Bruce Banner and Lou Ferrigno as the abominable creature that defined the character's long standing popularity till the present day. While fans of classic TV will undoubtedly second guess the show's similarities with The Fugitive TV drama, the series was a hit with adults and children alike.

If superheroes have their kryptonite weaknesses, so too do the actors who play them. Just as Christopher Reeve became typecast as Superman the same happened to the late Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno. Many of the trademarks that resonate in the series such as the ever-changing green gamma eyes and the classic catchphrase: "You wouldn't

like me when I'm angry" are found in the new film while Mr Ferrigno who made a cameo in the 2003 film Hulk as a security guard, appears again in this version.

The Hulk undoubtedly has his place in popular culture - the green monster has even been referenced in Bryan Singer's noirish thriller The Usual Suspects and was parodied in The Simpsons.

Audiences will be pleased to know that the man who plays both Banner and the Hulk, replacing Eric Bana's boy-scout-looking character, is Edward Norton who more than seemingly set the blueprint for his role in the schizophrenic thriller Primal Fear. While Liv Tyler is replacing Oscar-winner Jennifer Connelly as Betty, Banner's love interest fans will have to wait till the end credits as there is a surprise superhero cameo in store.

Whether audiences will welcome this new vision, which producers are claiming is more akin to the comic book, remains to be seen. As far as superhero fans are concerned they can rest assured that more comic book film adaptations are in the pipeline with the likes of a Hulk threequel, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers about to battle against all odds to save the world, and of course, get the girl.