History WesternAnimation / TheIncredibleHulk1996

* CreatureOfHabit: Bruce labels the Hulk as this; During their separation, he uses his knowledge of the Hulk's fighting style to dodge and restrain him.

** Talbot is even more of an asshole victim, since 1. He interrupted Bruce's experiment using a rocket launcher in the pilot. 2. He used the gamma taser on Hulk just when Hulk was calming down (he ends up at the receiving end of Ghost Rider's Penance Stare), and 3. He interrupted the Nutrient Bath process, only for Betty, Doc Samson and Rick Jones to call him out on it.

* VillainousBreakdown: Mentioned above in regards to General Ross, due to his obsession with destroying the Hulk, and [[spoiler:being responsible for Rick's unintentional transformation into a "Teen-Hulk" (and an indirect in the creation of the Grey Hulk]].

* AscendedExtra: She-Hulk, who had appeared in Season 1's "Doomed" and "Fantastic Fortitude", becomes a regular in season 2.

--> '''Hulk:''' Stone... ''lucky''. No hurt... like Hulk...

* UnexplainedRecovery: When we last saw The Leader in the ''Iron Man'' PoorlyDisguisedPilot, he was tossed into a time portal with no indication of where he might've landed. "Return of the Beast" shows Leader back in our time period with no indication of how he got back.
* UnstoppableRage: In "Darkness and Light Part 2", it's literally unstoppable. However, the Hulk's rage breaks to the point he remembers Betty, but it ends up also affecting Banner as well.

* YouWouldntLikeMeWhenImAngry: Bruce's classic line, although he usually says, "You wouldn't like me when I'm mad!".

* GirlPosse: The girls in "Down Memory Lane" who often bully "plain jane" Jennifer. To both their surprise and dismay, Jennifer arrives as the She-Hulk. At the end, they kiss up to her and painted themselves green, in gratitude for her saving them.

** The ''ENTIRE SHOW'' has this in the first season. Most of them are trying to reverse the effects of hulking out while someone, usually Talbot or another enemy, ''always'' has to fuck everything up to the point Bruce turns into the Hulk.
** The second season's series finale involved a S.H.I.E.L.D. double-agent trying to recover experimental organisms, but she was caught and merged with the creatures she was supposed to steal. This gave her the ability to possess other organisms as a result, and, on the plus side, healing them as well.

* GreenAndMean: Averted with She-Hulk, subverted with Hulk and played straight with Leader and his Gamma Mutants.

* HeroicBSOD: Where. The. Hell. Do. I. Begin? In the season 1's finale, Bruce suffered an enormous BSOD when finding out Rick fell into the Nutrient Bath, followed by this line:

** It also brings out the original Grey Hulk as a result. Also, Betty has this after Bruce's, lamenting the fact that things will never return to normal, and seeing how changing fate was beyond their control.

* HulkSpeak: The Trope Namer. Averted in Grey Hulk's case, who speaks in complete sentences and doesn't refer to himself in third person.

* IAmAMonster: In "Man to Man, Beast to Beast", Walter Langkowski turns into the Sasquatch permanently, and during his fight with the Hulk, he realizes he has harmed the child Hulk had befriended. [[spoiler:Realizing this, he decides to drift endlessly, believing he has become a monster]].
* IJustWantToBeNormal: Bruce Banner and Gargoyle's motive in the series are to cure themselves of their gamma-induced mutations.

* IfICantHaveYou: Gargoyle opts to prevent She-Hulk from reverting to normal, if she gives herself up to him. But once it happens, and she decides "plain-old" Jennifer isn't so bad (to be fair, [[BeautifulAllAlong she's built like a supermodel]]), she rejects Gargoyle again, and the latter says this trope before launching an assault in Los Angeles. Jennifer (naturally) [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] how petty he's being.

** Grey Hulk is this. After getting his ass handed to him by Crusher Creel, he's trying to snap Banner out of his senses to help him remember that Betty Ross is the only woman he loves, not Allure. [[FirstGirlWins It works]].

* LighterAndSofter: Due to ExecutiveMeddling, they chose to put the series in a lighter direction. Which ironically, led to the series' cancellation compared to the much darker season one.

** Hulk is unusually fast for an 8-foot, muscle-bound gamma mutate. He also jumps pretty far. She-Hulk plays this straight. Averted with the Thing as he climbs the stairs inside the Statue of Liberty; he gets worn out by climbing said stairs.

* MaleMightFemaleFinesse: The Hulk's fighting style relies primarily on punches, grapples and throws. She-Hulk is more acrobatic and uses her legs more than her cousin.

* MurderTheHypotenuse: Talbot and Crusher Creel against Bruce. Talbot's wasn't at {{Yandere}} level thankfully, but Crusher Creel almost is. Luckily, Bruce doesn't have feelings towards Allure anymore thanks to Grey Hulk.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: When Doc Samson goes to try to save the Hulk from being destroyed by S.H.I.E.L.D. [[spoiler:after separating Bruce and Hulk with the Nutrient Bath]], only to find him in a mindless rampage, and realizes what he has done.

* NobleDemon: Gargoyle, after being cured of the gamma virus that was slowly killing him, uses enough of the dosage to give to Bruce Banner, who helped him create it, for a chance to save Betty Ross. Gargoyle could have used it to cure himself of his mutation, but was apparently very grateful for Banner's help and inspired by him making the same sacrifice in making the cure. Although he later warned him that the next day, they'll be enemies again, and he shouldn't expect such kindness in future from him.

* YouWouldntLikeMeWhenImAngry: Although the line was "You wouldn't like me when I'm mad!".

[[CatchPhrase HULK SMASH!!!]]

* CatchPhrase: "[[HulkSpeak HULK SMASH]]!!!" "HULK BASH!!!" "EAT GREEN!!!" "So says the Leader." The last line annoyed the hell out of Gargoyle.

* AccidentalMisnaming: In "Mind Over Anti-Matter", She-Hulk keeps getting Comicbook/DoctorStrange's name wrong, namely by substituting synonyms for "strange" like "peculiar".

* BashBrothers: Hulk rarely teams up with other superheroes due to the fact that he doesn't get along with them too well. He briefly teamed up with [[Franchise/FantasticFour the Thing]] because they were fighting the Gamma Warriors (fighting alligators in the zoo didn't count). However, Hulk ''DID'' team up with Grey Hulk against the alien creature that possessed Bruce in "Mind Over Anti-Matter".

** In "Doomed," Comicbook/DoctorDoom briefly alludes to his previous encounter with the Hulk from the ''Fantastic Four'' cartoon, snarking that he'd forgotten about the Hulk's "[[StealthInsult left brain personality]]."

* {{Expy}}: Allure seems be one for Comicbook/EmmaFrost. Both are blonde-haired mind controllers who wear revealing outfits.

* PoorlyDisguisedPilot: [[Comicbook/GhostRider Ghost Rider's]] guest appearances both here and in the ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFourTheAnimatedSeries'' series that was airing at the same time.

--> '''Allure:''' Crusher, haven't you figured me out yet? You dolt! People don't make me happy things do!

* CatastrophicCountdown: In "Mind Over Anti-Matter", the alien creature that possessed Bruce attempts to launch nuclear missiles in an attempt to destroy humanity. After his defeat, Bruce manages to [[spoiler: gain control of himself before the missile hits zero]].

* {{Determinator}}: Hoo-boy. There's a lot of determination in this show: Bruce is trying [[spoiler: to cure himself of the Hulk]], General Ross and Talbot are [[spoiler: trying to kill the Hulk]], Betty and Doc Samson are trying [[spoiler: to create the Nutrient Bath to separate Bruce from Hulk]], Leader wants Hulk alive so he can possess his strength, and Gargoyle just [[IJustWantToBeNormal wants to be normal]]. Some of the [[MotiveDecay determinations die off eventually]].

* DynamicEntry: Hulk makes one crashing into Dr. Doom's castle, [[spoiler: [[SurprisinglySuddenDeath while land-stomping on Doom's robots]]]].

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* IAmAMonster: In "Man to Man, Beast to Beast", Walter Langkowski turns into the Sasquatch permanently, and during his fight with the Hulk, he realizes he has harmed the child Hulk had befriended. [[spoiler: Realizing this, he decides to drift endlessly, believing he has become a monster]].

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: When Doc Samson goes to try to save the Hulk from being destroyed by S.H.I.E.L.D. [[spoiler: after separating Bruce and Hulk with the Nutrient Bath]], only to find him in a mindless rampage, and realizes what he has done.

** General Ross played it straight... In season 1's finale he went mad to the point he [[spoiler: caused Bruce's heart attack and unintentionally knocked Rick Jones into the nutrient bath that was meant to re-merge Hulk and Bruce, turning Rick into a Hulk himself]]. This, in turn, led to the emergence of the original Grey Hulk.

* VillainousBreakdown: Mentioned above in regards to General Ross, due to his obsession with destroying the Hulk, and [[spoiler: being responsible for Rick's unintentional transformation into a "Teen-Hulk" (and an indirect in the creation of the Grey Hulk]].

* WronglyAccused: In Season 2's premiere, Bruce was charged with attempted murder (how they got this word in syndication is beyond us), when in fact, despite how much of a {{Jerkass}} Grey Hulk is, [[spoiler: he was actually trying to save General Ross's life]].

* AdventureTowns

* CantLiveWithoutYou: Betty finds out the hard way in the "Darkness and Light" three-parter that Hulk and Bruce cannot live seperately, and they must rely on one another to continue to exist. Otherwise, they'll die.

** "Innocent Blood" and "Mortal Bounds" reuse versions of Ghost Rider and Thor, respectively, that first appeared on ''Fantastic Four''

This was the final cartoon produced by [[Creator/DePatieFrelengEnterprises New World Animation]], previously known as Marvel Productions and before then [=DePatie=]-Freleng Enterprises, which closed shortly before the end of the first season.

* EveryoneLovesBlondes: Betty is blonde in this show due to AdaptationDyeJob and is a HotScientist whom both Bruce and Talbot are in love with though she only has eyes for the former.

* HotBlooded
* HotScientist: Betty. In one episode she spends the majority of her screen time in a swim suit and heels. That same episode also featured three fashion models, two of whom were also scientists.
** Banner himself in his human form is quite handsome and [[HeroicBuild surprisingly muscular]] for a scientist.

* ILoveNuclearPower: In a show about the Hulk, superhumans created from people being mutated by gamma radiation comes with the territory.

* {{Beastess}}: Ogress.

* DemotedToExtra: ComicBook/BettyRoss, who had major focus in the first season, only appeared in certain episodes in season 2. Also, Doc Samson and Rick Jones were demoted even ''more'' after season 2's premiere.

* ArtEvolution: The second season inverts this by being much worse visually. Which is surprising as both ''WesternAnimation/IronMan'' and ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFour'' [[AnimationBump got better]], and the [[Creator/{{Saerom}} animation studio]] behind this series stayed on.

* ContinuitySnarl: The series takes place in the same continuity as ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFour'', but has She-Hulk's debut episode depict Jennifer Walter's first transformation, when the Fantastic Four cartoon featured the character in a cameo where she was already a crime-fighting jade-skinned amazon, specifically appearing as part of ComicBook/TheAvengers (who aren't referred to in this show at all).

* {{Crossover}}: One with ''WesternAnimation/IronMan'' and several with ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFour'' (one with the leads and several with related characters). There were some appropriate nods to when Hulk appeared on those shows.
** "Helping Hand, Iron Fist" (a SequelEpisode to an episode of ''WesternAnimation/IronMan'' that was a PoorlyDisguisedPilot for this cartoon) sees Hulk encounter Iron Man, Comicbook/WarMachine and H.O.M.E.R., while trying to evade General Ross and S.H.I.E.L.D.

* PoorlyDisguisedPilot: [[Comicbook/GhostRider Ghost Rider's]] guest appearances both here and in the ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFour'' series that was airing at the same time.

* MsFanservice: She-Hulk. To ''start'' with, she's a {{green|SkinnedSpaceBabe}} AmazonianBeauty. In the series, between the seductive voice, the [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything orgasmic]] transformation, the constant MaleGaze shots, and averting the panty shot via ''VaporWear,'' she's as good at arousing teenage boys as she is at smashing villains.

* MsFanservice: She-Hulk. To ''start'' with, she's a {{green|SkinnedSpaceBabe}} AmazonianBeauty. In the series, between the seductive voice, the [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything orgasmic]] transformation, the constant MaleGaze shots, and averting the PantyShot via ''VaporWear,'' she's as good at arousing teenage boys as she is at smashing villains.

* SexierAlterEgo: Jenifer Walter is a normal if petite woman with short hair and, while quite friendly, is not terribly socially confident. But when she is critically injured, and her cousin Bruce gives her a blood transfusion, she transforms into a tall, green skinned woman with {{Rapunzel Hair}} and becomes very socially confident and extroverted, even preferring her altered green skinned state to her norm.

* [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair You Gotta Have Green Hair]]: Hulk technically has black hair with a green tinge to it. Doc Samson and She-Hulk have green hair (since Doc's gamma powered).

** In "Innocent Blood" Rick and Betty [[BreakHisHearToSaveHim pretend to hate Hulk]] in order to make him mad enough to burn through some poison in his system. Hulk leaves before they can explain and, still emotionally devastated, is seen remarking to a Gargoyle that he is lucky to be made of unfeeling stone. This evokes the line from "Film/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame1939" where Quasimodo says to a Gargoyle "Why was I not made of stone, like thee?".