She-Hulk is the next big star of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A She-Hulk television series is coming to Disney+ with Orphan Black star Tatiana Maslany announced as the lead actress. But many Marvel fans don't know much about the character besides that she shares her name with another iconic Avengers hero, the incredible Hulk. She-Hulk's origin is simple, but she's more than just another super-strong crimefighter. More than most Marvel superheroes, She-Hulk is defined not just by her power and her origin, but by the good she does in her everyday life.

She-Hulk began life as Jennifer Walters, the cousin of Bruce Banner. Walters was a successful defense lawyer working in Los Angeles before she even attained her powers. One day, when Bruce was visiting her, she was gunned down by gangsters looking to silence her client before he testified against them. To save her life, Bruce gave her a transfusion of his own irradiated blood, leaving her with the ability to transform into a green and musclebound version of herself when she became angry.

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As she gained experience with her Hulk affliction, Walters discovered she had much more control over her powers than Bruce had over his Hulk form. She-Hulk can transform from Jennifer to She-Hulk at will while retaining her intelligence and self-control. (That's right; Jennifer was the "Smart Hulk" decades before Avengers: Endgame.) Unlike the Hulk, who embodies Bruce's repressed rage, She-Hulk represents a more confident and assertive side of Jennifer Walters that the formerly mousy attorney couldn't express. Because of that, Jennifer is perfectly comfortable being She-Hulk all the time, including when she practices law.

She-Hulk's powers run on gamma radiation, like her cousin's. She normally doesn't have the infinite power ceiling that the Hulk has, but when she becomes overloaded with gamma rays, it can transform her into a "savage" form that's as bulky and unstoppable as the original Hulk. At times, she's built up so much radioactive strength that she's needed a special costume just to keep it in check.

The green giantess first appeared in Savage She-Hulk in 1980, created by Stan Lee and John Buscema. The duo brought her to life for legal reasons, hoping to protect that name from the competition, but she soon became a unique and popular character independent of her more well-known relative. A few years later, she joined the Avengers and became one of the team's most enduring heroes. She-Hulk was much more prevalent on the team than the Hulk himself, who was almost never an Avenger after their first adventure.

She-Hulk in Marvel Comics

In 2004, She-Hulk got another solo series, this time a combination superhero story/legal comedy focusing on She-Hulk's career working as a lawyer who specializes in superhero cases. She saved the day in the courts as well as in the streets, representing both innocent villains and heroes like Spider-Man. Like her friend Daredevil, Jennifer Walters has established herself as one of Marvel's most formidable lawyers. Her brilliant legal mind is just as important an asset to her as her superhuman strength.

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