With Disney’s D23 Expo underway, Marvel Studios has made a number of exciting announcements regarding their upcoming projects. One of the most tantalizing of these announcements was the She-Hulk series that will premiere on Disney’s new streaming service Disney+. In the comics, the She-Hulk is Bruce Banner’s cousin. She’s also a lawyer who defends superheroes’ cases in court when she’s not off being a superhero herself.
There are plenty of riveting adventures from the She-Hulk’s rich comic book history for the makers of her new Disney+ show to draw from. So, here are 10 storylines Disney+’s She-Hulk series could use.
Savage She-Hulk #1: “The She-Hulk Lives”
The first issue of She-Hulk’s storyline told her origin story. Lawyer Jen Walters recovers from near-fatal wounds following a shooting incident thanks to a last-minute blood transfusion with her cousin Bruce Banner. However, since Banner’s blood carries the gamma radiation that makes him turn into the Hulk every now and then, it gave Jen similar powers and she became the She-Hulk.
She-Hulk was Stan Lee’s last major creation for Marvel Comics and this storyline is the last superhero origin he wrote for the imprint, so Marvel Studios really owes it to the late, great visionary who started it all to do his final Marvel creation justice and tell her story the way he told it.
“Secret Wars” #7
Unlike her male counterpart, the She-Hulk rarely loses her cool and lets her emotions get in the way of reason and logic. However, in the seventh issue of “Secret Wars,” that was exactly what happened. The Wasp had been killed – or so we all thought – and the She-Hulk’s judgment became clouded with grief and anger, so she went after the Wrecking Crew (the team that did it) and killed damn near all of them.
This story is not only a perfect example of just how strong the She-Hulk is; it would also be a great way to ingratiate her into the wider MCU.
“She-Hulk” Vol. 3 #8
In “She-Hulk” Vol. 3 #8, the titular green meanie takes on the Champion in the boxing ring and kicks his butt. At this point, he’d been challenged by some of the most powerful characters in the Marvel universe – Drax the Destroyer, Beta Ray Bill, the Silver Surfer – and remained undefeated. And then She-Hulk came along, and beat him not only with brawn, but with brains, too.
She realized that when she became stronger as Jen, she became even stronger as She-Hulk, so she started working out as Jen and became strong enough to defeat the Champion in the form of She-Hulk.
“Sensational She-Hulk” #36
While she was off on her superheroic adventures with the best-known teams in the Marvel-verse, She-Hulk neglected her past in L.A. and all the people she left behind. In “Sensational She-Hulk” #36, Jen returned home to her father, Morris Walters. He was happy to see her again, but he was also a little disheartened by the distance between them.
Since she was a giant green monster and not the girl he raised, he felt a disconnection. For a brief moment, She-Hulk returned to her Jen Walters form to share a moment with her father and it was one of the most emotionally resonant moments in the character’s history.
Solo Avengers #14: “Court Costs”
This storyline sees She-Hulk appearing in front of the Supreme Court to fight against the Mutant Registration Act. As the MCU will slowly be building towards the introduction of the X-Men, a storyline involving a court case over legal documentation that oppresses mutants might be a great way to work towards that.
The comic book involves Hawkeye and Black Widow. Since next year’s Black Widow movie will probably introduce the next person to take on Natasha’s mantle and Disney+’s Hawkeye series will see Clint Barton training Kate Bishop to take his superhero alter ego, this storyline would be a great way to start doling out the next generation of Earth’s mightiest heroes, too.
“Fantastic Four” #2
In “Fantastic Four” #2, one of the most recent comic book runs starring Marvel’s first family, the core team decided to explore deep space (which could be what they’re doing in the MCU, explaining their absence thus far and Nick Fury’s surprising space-bound venture from Spider-Man: Far From Home’s post-credits scene).
In their absence, they each chose a replacement to take their position in the Fantastic Four. The Thing chose She-Hulk, solidifying their bond and also proving how strong she is. This might be a few seasons down the line, since the Fantastic Four are a while away from joining the MCU, but it should still happen.
“She-Hulk by Dan Slott: The Complete Collection Volume 1”
Pretty much every She-Hulk fan would agree that Dan Slott’s run was the character’s defining storyline. “She-Hulk by Dan Slott: The Complete Collection Volume 1” is the recommended reading for any fan looking to get into She-Hulk’s stories, so it would make sense for that recommended reading to form the basis of the character’s leap to the screen with her upcoming Disney+ series.
The show doesn’t need to follow this run to the word – and it might not even be possible, factoring in the wider MCU and Kevin Feige’s plans for how the characters will interconnect – but it should use it as a jumping-off point.
Marvel Graphic Novel #18: “The Sensational She-Hulk”
In this graphic novel, She-Hulk is brought in by S.H.I.E.L.D. over fears that she’ll pose an unstable threat like her cousin and then has to reluctantly protect her captors when they’re attacked by a strange insectoid species. It’s an action-packed storyline with some great set pieces that solidified the She-Hulk character as a heroic figure.
This comic was a graphic novel and not a regular issue in She-Hulk’s adventures, so the plot is a little longer than a usual storyline. If this were adapted for the streaming series, it would have to be a two-parter, but there’s nothing wrong with that.
She-Hulk #4: “Web of Lies”
This one would actually tie in nicely with an MCU storyline set up by Spider-Man: Far From Home. Of course, it’s all resting on Sony and Disney to work out a deal that they’re both happy with in order to actually keep the character in the franchise. Anyway, the storyline sees Jen Walters defending Peter Parker in a libel case against J. Jonah Jameson.
Since Far From Home ended with the Daily Bugle revealing Spidey’s secret identity to the world (which isn’t libel, because it’s true) and then framing him for Mysterio’s evil plan, it makes sense for this to go straight to a courtroom. It would bring back J.K. Simmons’ Jameson in a more plot-driving role than he’s ever had before and it would be a great way to pay off Far From Home’s big twist.
She-Hulk #3: “Time of Her Life”
The best She-Hulk stories are the ones that combine Jen’s career as a lawyer with She-Hulk’s career as a superhero, and this one is the epitome of these kinds of stories: she has to go to court to defend her own right to exist! Although it was technically only the third issue in its run, “Time of Her Life” was billed as the 100th She-Hulk comic, since it was the 100th published if you take into account all the character’s previous runs. So, it’s a pretty important part of her comic book history.
Exemplifying Jen’s legal prowess and She-Hulk’s drive to do the right thing and see justice be done, this is the quintessential She-Hulk story and it would make a terrific season finale for the Disney+ show.
