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Marvel has created some of the most iconic superheroes in comic book history, so it was only a matter of time before mockbusters manifested. Whether it's Spider-Man, Captain America, or even Daredevil, filmmakers have long attempted to cash in on these legendary characters; sometimes as blatant knockoffs, other times as affectionate homages, and on occasion as baffling hybrids of both. With their low budgets and borderline intellectual property theft, most mockbusters are easy to dismiss as shameless cash grabs. However, even when a film is just Iron Man with a fraction of the budget, there is usually something to admire; whether it's the creative marketing needed to dodge Disney’s legal team, the bizarre reinventions that arise when filmmakers have not actually seen the movie they are copying, or just the sheer audacity to release something so wildly off base.

Superheroes have always existed in a world of contested copyrights and creative overlap.

The Marvel Comics character Thor officially made his live-action debut in the 1988 TV movie The Incredible Hulk Returns. But the year before that, Thor was a major presence in a teen comedy film about a group of youngsters having a wild night in downtown Chicago. The kids deal with gun-wielding car thieves, knife-wielding gang members, a homicidal tow truck driver, and a lot of other odd characters and dangerous situations. Their lives are put at risk on multiple occasions. And throughout, Thor’s iconic helmet is worn by an eight-year-old girl who looks up to the character… and believes he’s real. By the time the night is over, she might be proven right… Or maybe not. Whatever the case, there’s a whole lot of Thor in the 1987 film Adventures in Babysitting (watch it Here). And it’s time for it to be Revisited.

Adventures in Babysitting began with...

Bill Bixby was disagnosed with cancer after his third Incredible Hulk movie. Fans mistakenly believe Bixby's illness prevented the fourth Hulk movie, but it was really due to poor ratings. Bixby's health was not the reason for the cancellation, but rather the network's decision not to proceed.

TV Legend: Bill Bixby was going to do another Incredible Hulk TV movie and/or a She-Hulk TV series but he was too sick from cancer to do them.

One of the most common types of legends that I come across is tied in to a very relatable phenomenon that occurs in real life. From an excellent article on the topic at LiveScience, Natalie Wolchover notes:

You might not realize it, but your brain is a code-cracking machine.

For emaxlpe, it desont mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod aepapr, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat...

Thor's appearance in 1988's The Incredible Hulk Returns showcased an altered, bleaker backstory for the beloved hero. The movie portrayed Thor as an immortal Viking warrior with his soul held within Mjolnir, contrasting with the McU's version. The decision to alter Thor's story made sense in the context of focusing on the Hulk, and can now be seen to add more dimension to the character's movie history.

McU's Thor has been through some of the franchise's most drastic ups and downs during his 13-year tenure - but his movie backstory was actually even more intense almost four decades ago. Thor's first movie appearance came far before his MCU timeline debut with 2011's first Thor movie - 23 years before, to be exact.

1988's The Incredible Hulk Returns was the first glimpse of Thor in Marvel's films, with the movie reportedly intended to work as something of a backdoor pilot for a prospective 80s Thor series.

Marvel movies predate the MCU by decades, and Hulk starred in some TV movies in the 1970s. Lou Ferrigno's portrayal of the Hulk is iconic, with his impact on the character recognized in cameos such as in the 2008 MCU film "The Incredible Hulk." Thor and Hulk's rivalry is a longstanding tradition in Marvel Comics, echoing their competition for strength and dominance on the big screen over the years.

It can be easy to forget that Marvel movies were around decades before the MCU, and one from 36 years ago was mirrored in the first fight between heroes in The Avengers. Marvel movies go back as far as 1944 when Captain America starred in a serial film. After that, Marvel heroes would not appear on the big screen for decades, with renewed output only resuming en masse in the 1970s. It was during this decade that mostly direct-to-tv Marvel films, including Doctor Strange and Spider-Man,...

The Incredible Hulk is the only solo MCU project featuring Bruce Banner as the Hulk's distribution rights reside with Universal Pictures. Mark Ruffalo has portrayed the Hulk in various crossover projects, interacting with other superheroes, including Chris Hemsworth's Thor. The Hulk first met Thor in 1988's The Incredible Hulk Returns, and there are similarities between this TV-movie and their dynamic in the MCU.

20 years before the MCU kicked-off and The Incredible Hulk introduced audiences to Bruce Banner, the Hulk met another future Avenger in a made-for-tv movie. 2008's The Incredible Hulk saw Edward Norton debut as Bruce Banner, a former physicist and biochemist at Culver University whose exposure to gamma radiation transforms him into the Hulk when he becomes enraged. The Incredible Hulk marked the start of a lengthy career for the Hulk in the MCU, who, after being recast for Mark Ruffalo, survived his self-exile on Sakaar, and...

Even though the Hulk first starred in a TV series, he’s been featured in multiple classic and MCU movies since the 80s. We’ll cover the famously jacked Lou Ferrigno in his classic Hulk films and the more recent MCU Hulk movies in order.

Hulk, with his unparalleled might, which intriguingly amplifies with his escalating anger, has become one of the most celebrated and complex characters in the Marvel realm. His resilience, boundless strength, and the intriguing dichotomy of his existence as both the genius Dr. Bruce Banner and the colossal Hulk have rendered him a character of both empathic depth and exhilarating action.

Related: The Evolution of Superheroes: 12 Movies That Shaped the Genre

As a dedicated Hulk fan (who was once painted all green to be Hulk for Halloween), I can relate to his “always angry” persona.

Embark with us on a riveting journey through time, exploring every Hulk movie chronologically.

Marvel characters were depicted in live-action media long before the MCU, contributing to the genre's early days and setting the foundation for today's superhero movies. Some early live-action debuts may not measure up to the MCU, but they played a significant role in turning Marvel's iconic comic book heroes into household names. Some of these early live-action debuts may be outdated by today's standards, but they still deserve recognition for their pioneering efforts.

The MCU may have revolutionized the Superhero genre in TV and cinema, but plenty of Marvel characters were depicted in live-action media way earlier than you might think. In fact, some of Earth's Mightiest Heroes were present on-screen even around the same time as the first-ever comic books. It may have taken 80 years to perfect the formula, but superhero movies and TV shows were a large part of mid-20th-century entertainment - even if noticeably less prolific.

Almost every character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become a household name, and even before the MCU was iconic, names like Spider-Man and Captain America were recognizable. However, other characters required some adjustments from their presence on the page to the screen. A great example of this was Thor, who appeared in live-action in the TV movie, The Incredible Hulk Returns. In the film, Thor looked very different from his comic version, but he still embodied the best parts of the character. But Thor wasn't the only one who was altered considerably.

Wilson Fisk has become one of the most recognizable and appreciated villains in comics and TV. However, his most famous performance came in the 2015 Daredevil series when Vincent D'Onofrio played the role. That said, it wasn't the first time the character appeared in live-action as he, like Thor, first appeared alongside the Hulk. In The Trial of the Incredible Hulk,...

The Avengers was the first time the biggest heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe at the time teamed up, but two Avengers members actually joined forces in a TV movie 24 years before The Avengers came out. After introducing each member of the original Avengers team either in their solo movies or in the movies of fellow team members, these superheroes finally worked together in Joss Whedon’s The Avengers, where they joined forces to stop Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and the Chitauri army as they invaded New York City.

Although each Avengers member brings different and useful skills and traits to the team, their personalities initially clashed and it took them a while to get used to working together, but with time, some of them became close friends and even went on adventures together aside from their missions with the Avengers. Such is the case of Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Bruce Banner...

Marvel’s Thor, the first theatrical live-action film to feature the comic book giant’s version of the Norse God of Thunder, opened in theaters a decade ago, on May 6, 2011.

Directed by Kenneth Branagh and starring a then little-known Chris Hemsworth in the title role, Thor was the fourth film in the still-nascent Marvel Cinematic Universe. It was also — as we look back at it now — a pivotal one in the development of the MCU.

“I’m very proud of my part of it,” Branagh told us a couple of years ago about his handling of Thor. “Which was providing a sort of backbone that they could comically riff off, but at least it originally contained some of the high stakes Nine Realms import that that larger mythology has to have as well.”

Thor took the franchise off the Earth for the first time and into the cosmic side of the Marvel mythology,...

Marvel superhero Thor first appeared in live-action in the 1988 TV movie The Incredible Hulk Returns. However, it was only when Chris Hemsworth took the hammer many years later in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (McU) that the character became widely popular.

Related: McU: Thor's 10 Biggest Mistakes (That We Can Learn From)

In as much as McU's Thor has been fun to watch, there are plenty of things about him that don't make sense. Most of these are tied to plot holes and character inconsistencies. Since Thor is still a surviving Avenger, audiences can hope these baffling things about the Asgardian will be erased in future films.

If you loved what they did with Hulk and Thor in Avengers: Endgame, you'll be… mildly entertained by those same characters in… The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988) Director: Nicholas Corea Stars: Bill Bixby, Lou Ferrigno, Eric Allan Kramer David Banner's quiet, Hulk-free life is thrown in to chaos when a former student introduces him to the Nordic god Thor and reawakens…...

To mark the release of The Bachelor Party and The Incredible Hulk: The Original Movie Collection, out now, we’ve been given 3 copies of each to give away on DVD.

Bachelor Party

Tom Hanks plays Rick, a school bus driver who has finally decided to tie the knot with his girlfriend Debbie (Tawny Kitaen). But first Rick must survive the wildest bachelor bash of all time, thrown by his party-animal buddies. Featuring a donkey, strippers, an Indian pimp and more, it’s a night none of them will ever forget.

The Incredible Hulk

For the first time ever, all 3 Incredible Hulk TV movies in one collector’s edition box set. See Lou Ferrigno and Bill Bixby back in action in The Incredible Hulk Returns, The Trial of the Incredible Hulk and The Death of the Incredible Hulk. Filmed in 1988,1989 and 1990, the films were directed by David Banner himself a.k.

I know a lot of you are excited about Avengers: Infinity War, so while we wait for it to be released, which seems like a lifetime away, we have a great retro mashup trailer for you to watch! It comes from Darth Blender and it features a mashup of footage from several classic superhero films that were made in the 80s and 90s. I'm sure you'll remember some of these if you were up to speed with what Marvel was doing during this era. Below the video, you'll find a list of all the films that were used and all the characters that the actors are meant to play.

I love that Chuck Norris in The Punisher! It also features Burt Reynolds as Iron Man, David Hasselhoff as Nick Fury, Jean-Claude Van Damme as Winter Soldier, Dennis Quaid as Star-Lord, Eddie Murphy as Falcon and more!

You are welcome to...

Thor: Ragnarok is almost upon us. Now have our first look at what the movie could have look like were it released in 1987 instead of 2017. The 80s vibes have already been laid on pretty thick in the original trailer, with synthesizer scoring and logos that bare more than a passing resemblance to the mighty He Man and the Masters of the Universe. Ragnarok already looks like an awesome throwback. But what if the movie were actually made thirty years ago? What would the epic McU movie look like then?

The folks over at Nerdist just happen to hold the answer to all of our questions about Thor: Ragnarok as reimagined for 1987. Director Taika Waititi has spoken at length about how the movie pays homage to the classic sci-fi and fantasy movies of the 70s and 80s, so Nerdist doubled down and made a new trailer that shows off some of...

Sneak Peek Marvel's first live-action 'Thor' in the 1988 TV movie, "The Incredible Hulk Returns", written by Stan Lee and Nicholas Corea, produced by New World and distributed by NBC as a 'backdoor pilot' for a potential "Thor" television series:

Thor's appearance differed from the Marvel Comics character created by Lee and co-plotter/illustrator Jack Kirby, resembling a more realistic and divine version of the 'Norse God of Thunder' but following the comic book in that he is sent to earth to learn humility, the first and only time that magical, supernatural or otherworldly elements have been used in the universe of the "Incredible Hulk" TV series.

'Thor' was played by Eric Allan Kramer and 'Dr. Donald Blake' by Steve Levitt. In this version Blake does not become Thor, who is a separate character. By holding Thor's hammer 'Mjolnir' and shouting "Odin!" Blake can summon the Viking Warrior to help him.

We’re currently in a boom period for superhero films, with plenty more on the way. It’s the golden age for comic book fans. Characters like Wonder Woman, Dr. Strange and the Justice League are all coming to theaters, joining established franchises like Thor and Captain America. But some of you may not know that these characters all had live-action movies made about them before. Cinelinx looks at 7 obscure super films you probably haven’t seen.

#1. Doctor Strange: In 1978, a two-hour made-for-tv movie aired about the master of the mystic arts. Dr. Strange was meant to be a pilot for a proposed weekly CBS TV series. Peter Hooten played Doctor Strange and Jessica Walters played villainess Morgana Le Fey. CBS was already airing Spider-Man and the Incredible Hulk and was trying to go for the hat trick, bringing the Doc to TV. However, it was not to be.

Take another look @ the first live-action adaptation of Marvel Comics' 'Thor' in the 1988 TV movie, "The Incredible Hulk Returns", written by Stan Lee and Nicholas Corea, produced by New World and aired by NBC as a 'backdoor pilot' for a potential "Thor" television series.

Thor's appearance differed from the Marvel Comics character created by writer Stan Lee and co-plotter/illustrator Jack Kirby, resembling a more realistic and divine version of the 'Norse God of Thunder' but still closely following the comic in that he is sent to earth to learn humility, the first and only time that magical, supernatural or otherworldly elements have been used in the universe of the "Incredible Hulk" TV series.

'Thor' was played by Eric Allan Kramer and 'Dr. Donald Blake' by Steve Levitt. In this version Blake does not become Thor, who is a separate character. By holding Thor's hammer 'Mjolnir' and shouting "Odin!

Sneak Peek Marvel's first live-action 'Thor' in the 1988 TV movie, "The Incredible Hulk Returns", written by Stan Lee and Nicholas Corea, produced by New World and distributed by NBC as a 'backdoor pilot' for a potential "Thor" television series.

Thor's appearance differed from the Marvel Comics character created by writer Stan Lee and co-plotter/illustrator Jack Kirby, resembling a more realistic and divine version of the 'Norse God of Thunder' but still closely following the comic in that he is sent to earth to learn humility, the first and only time that magical, supernatural or otherworldly elements have been used in the universe of the "Incredible Hulk" TV series.

'Thor' was played by Eric Allan Kramer and 'Dr. Donald Blake' by Steve Levitt. In this version Blake does not become Thor, who is a separate character. By holding Thor's hammer 'Mjolnir' and shouting "Odin!" Blake...

by Ryan Rigley

Joss Whedon's "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." may be the latest live-action Marvel TV series to sweep the nation, but it is by no means the first. In the late '70's, families would gather around their televisions every Friday night at 9 P.M. to watch a show featuring everyone's favorite not-so-jolly green giant. Starring the likes of Bill Bixby (as Dr. David Banner) and Lou Ferrigno (as the Hulk), "The Incredible Hulk" has garnered a loyal following of fans throughout the years.

In fact, "The Incredible Hulk" was so successful that recently there has been talk of a re-imagined take on the series, helmed by the great Guillermo del Toro. However, with promotion for "Pacific Rim" now underway and huge films such as "Pinocchio" and "Justice League Dark" currently on his plate, it doesn't seem like del Toro will be getting to this passion project anytime soon.

Unsure who Black Widow is? Having trouble deciphering the Hulk’s roar? Can’t tell the difference between Hawkeye and Katniss? In anticipation of the release of The Avengers on May 4, EW’s team of super geeks is here to help guide you through the mythos with our seven-part series of superhero primers, the recently declassified “Avengers Files.” It doesn’t matter if you’re a comic book connoisseur or a Nick Fury newbie — follow along this week as we deconstruct Earth’s mightiest heroes and pose the question: Which Avenger is the mightiest?

Name: Thor, God of Thunder

First...

In August 1962, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, and Larry Lieber created Thor, a new superhero based off of the Norse God, and from that issue of Journey into Mystery, the God of Thunder has gone onto become one of the iconic heroes associated with the Avengers. Even though his big screen debut was in this summer’s Thor (reviews here and here), and will be seen next year in Marvel’s The Avengers, Thor has had numerous incarnations on TV, both in live-action and in animation, so with Lionsgate’s release of Thor: Tales of Asgard May 17th on Blu-ray/DVD, Killer Film takes a look back at the other appearances of the God of Thunder.

God of Thunder and rock and roll. The spell you’re under, will slowly rob you of your virgin soul – Kiss

Four years after his first comic book appearance, Thor appeared on the animated show...

A Word of Warning:

What follows is a review of 2-D Thor's taco-popping 2-D visuals. For an in-depth, Corona-like look at the 3-D Thor, go here.

You've seen one-dimensional films, you've seen movies in two dimensions, and you've had it up to here with the 3-D. What's next though? 4-d? A dimension beyond that which is known to man? Don't be gauche.

Here's what's next: 2-D. No, not your stepdaddy's 2-D. I'm talking 2-D Thor. I'm talking 2-D unlike anything you've ever seen, upconverted solely by the presence of Thor.

A secret has been kept from you, which secret is that Thor--your all-time favorite comic superhero ever--is the star of not one, but two summer blockbusters in current release. You already know Thor is the star of Thor, a 3-D Marvel extravaganza that came out everywhere but America, like, months ago. You were in the loop on that one.

Reviewed by Rick Klaw

(May 2011)

Directed by: Kenneth Branagh

Written by: Ashley Edward Miller, Zack Stentz and Don Payne

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgård and Kat Dennings

During an artistic output unheralded in the history of pop culture, writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby created many of the entertainment icons of the early 21st century within a brief three-year span (1961–1963) while at Marvel Comics, including the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Iron Man, X-Men, the Avengers and Hulk. Amid this flurry of activity, the duo, with the help of Lee’s brother Larry Lieber, plucked the hammer-wielding Thor, god of thunder and namesake for the fifth day of the week, from Norse mythology. The mingling of Nordic and Marvel comic canons proved very popular, and the blond-haired, muscle-bound deity has remained among the forefront of Marvel’s heroic pantheon for 50 years.

The same cannot be...

Reviewed by Rick Klaw

(May 2011)

Directed by: Kenneth Branagh

Written by: Ashley Edward Miller, Zack Stentz and Don Payne

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgård and Kat Dennings

During an artistic output unheralded in the history of pop culture, writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby created many of the entertainment icons of the early 21st century within a brief three-year span (1961–1963) while at Marvel Comics, including the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Iron Man, X-Men, the Avengers and Hulk. Amid this flurry of activity, the duo, with the help of Lee’s brother Larry Lieber, plucked the hammer-wielding Thor, god of thunder and namesake for the fifth day of the week, from Norse mythology. The mingling of Nordic and Marvel comic canons proved very popular, and the blond-haired, muscle-bound deity has remained among the forefront of Marvel’s heroic pantheon for 50 years.

The same cannot be...

Okay, Looks like the fine folks at Marvel and Paramount Studios have released some new photos from the upcoming film. Of course you all know that Thor will be in theaters in May 6, 2011. Course you do! Up above we have a shot of our thunder god (Chris Hemsworth) in a rare peaceful moment with his sneaky half-brother Loki, the god of mischief (Tom Hiddleston). Check your back, Thor! Loki might’ve stuck a “banish me” sign on the back of your red cape! Down below we have the magical armoured destroyer facing down Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) and the forces of S.H.I.E.L.D. somewhere in the New Mexico desert. Hey Coulson, this is not one of Stark’s!

Speaking of banishment, below is a shot of the all-mighty father Odin ( Anthony Hopkins ) using Thor’s hammer to expell him from Asgard.

Tough to tell on this next one. I believe...

“Follow me if I advance, kill me if I retreat, avenge me if I die” --Mary Matalin Here is a list of Avengers who already have live adaptations. --> The "live" Avengers from my last count is 18 strong. Unfortunately seeing all of them together in an actual movie will be next to impossible considering that the rights of making movie for these characters are held by different studios. The characters listed below are Avengers on the main Marvel Continuity(616). I will be listing them down chronologically in order of the character joining the superteam. 1. Thor - Avengers #1 (1963) Thor was a founding member of the Avengers when he and four other heroes banded together to fight his evil brother Loki. Thor's first appearance in live media is in the live action television film The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988). He was played by Eric Allan Kramer. In this version Thor...

Updated: Now as promised here is the official Thor trailer from Yahoo and as reported it is almost identical if a little shorter than the previous leaked Comic-con footage. Sure there’s new shots of Thor flying and a new look at The Destroyer but nothing really worth getting excited over.

We still think this has disaster written all over it but we dearly hope we are wrong;

When I first heard Marvel Studios where pushing ahead with a Thor movie I cant say I was too excited. The character was not a favourite, although I have grown quite fond of the campy team up with the Hulk in TV movie The Incredible Hulk Returns. However, when news broke that the services of Kenneth Branagh as director had been secured, my interest peaked.

Although not everyone at Owf agrees with me that it’s a good thing, I thought his...

The Thor teaser trailer plays like a trip to the dentist The next big comic book movie? Boo!

A pristine bootleg of the Thor Comic-Con teaser trailer hit the web last week a few minutes shy of the San Diego Convention Center doors locking tight for another year. It lingered around just long enough for every soul on the planet to get a taste. It wasn't pulled away through cease and desist until people started screaming, "Oh, my God! Look at that! A dead dumpster baby!"

The whole set-up smells like a studio plant, used to gauge interest in the Technicolor blister Kenneth Branagh is preparing to unleash on the world next summer. In the coveted Iron Man 2 opening slot. May 6th, 2011. It will be followed two short months later by Captain America: The First Avenger. Why did they want the rest of us average citizens to see it?...

Just when you thought the cast of Thor couldn’t get any bigger it does – such is life.

News has broke that star of The Wire and The Office, Idris Elba, has signed on for Marvel’s latest tentpole film, directed by thesp Kenneth Brannagh. Elba is set to play Heimdall, and the guardian of Asgard and brother of Sif (Jaimie Alexander). This is just the latest signing to the fantasy epic, which now boasts a talented cast including Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Stuart Townsend, Stellan Skarsgård and of course Chris Hemsworth as Thor. THR has the lowdown:

Idris Elba has joined the cast of “Thor,” Marvel Studios’ film centering on the Norse god of thunder.

Kenneth Branagh is directing the adaptation of the Marvel comic. Chris Hemsworth will star as Thor; Tom Hiddleston will play Loki, and Natalie Portman is the love interest Jane Foster.

Elba will play Heimdall; as the guardian of Asgard,...