The trailer for the upcoming She-Hulk: Attorney At Law Disney+ streaming series reveals the show borrows some elements from the character's iconic comic books, especially the 2004 and 2014 runs focusing on her as a lawyer. Many iconic She-Hulk comic book panels emerge from these runs, isolating key moments featuring the superhero's impressive strength but also her skill and genius with the law.
Other iconic panels hail from other periods in her Marvel Comics history, going back to her debut in 1980. They reflect her unique journey as a member of the Avengers and Fantastic Four, as well as an early trailblazer in breaking the fourth wall in comics. She-Hulk tore through misconceptions about female heroes and charted her own path in the comics, as she is likely to do in the MCU.
Updated on July 20th, 2022 by Darby Harn: With She-Hulk: Attorney At Law fast approaching, the character's most iconic comic book panels offer more and more insight into the series' potential story. So far the trailers reveal little, but She-Hulk's best comics provide glimpses into what the story could be in terms of plots, characters, and villains. New characters to the MCU like Hercules present even more possibilities and some of She-Hulk's best comic book images involve the Greek hero. They also involve her patented meta-commentary, pioneered in her solo comics by John Byrne, and potentially an aspect the live-action series utilizes as well.
Hulking Out
She-Hulk first appears in The Savage She-Hulk #1 in 1980, written by Stan Lee. An iconic comic panel late in the issue, illustrated by John Buscema, clearly informed a shot in the new trailer, where Jennifer transitions between the She-Hulk and her human form.
This panel stood out as it defined the difference between Jennifer and her cousin Bruce Banner, who couldn't switch as she could. Jennifer retains her green skin for a moment in her human form as she does in a key shot from the trailer.
Joining The Fantastic Four
Writer and artist John Bryne brought She-Hulk into the Fantastic Four during his landmark run in the 1980s. The final splash page from Fantastic Four #265 results in an iconic panel of She-Hulk taking a major step in development.
She-Hulk ranks among the best alternate Fantastic Four members for many reasons, including the humor and energy she brought to the classic team. This period in the 1980s provided many iconic She-Hulk panels from Byrne in numerous books.
Tearing Through The Fourth Wall
Byrne developed She-Hulk into a comedic character who routinely commented on the fact she knew she was in a comic book during his epic run on The Sensational She-Hulk. That produced this iconic image of her literally tearing through a comic book page.
The image stands out among many such images during his run, thanks to the bold decision to leave the page otherwise blank as well as the direct address to her own 'creator,' Byrne himself. Byrne, well known for being among the best X-Men artists ever, defined She-Hulk as a meta character long before Deadpool even appeared in comics.
Fighting Titania
Titania ranks high among She-Hulk's most persistent villains and an iconic panel from Secret Wars #7 shows why. Titania crushes She-Hulk with a huge piece of machinery in their first fight as many iconic Marvel supervillains look on.
Titania appears in the upcoming series, played by The Good Place actress Jameela Jamil. The series stands to deliver an epic fight like this one based on some intriguing shots from the first trailer that show Jennifer and Titania battling in a courtroom.
Candygram
The first trailer also reveals She-Hulk possibly representing classic Hulk villain Abomination as his lawyer. She likely also fights the villain during the series and the show may recreate an iconic panel where Jennifer drops in on him from the sky.
She-Hulk crashes into him right after saying she's delivering a 'candygram' in She-Hulk #15 from 2005. The trailer shows Jennifer learning to jump sky-high, so she may use this trick on Abomination in the MCU.
Facing The Time Variance Authority
The Time Variance Authority plays a major role in the Loki series and they might in She-Hulk as well. She-Hulk stands trial before the TVA in an epic panel from She-Hulk #2 that showcases the power and bureaucratic surrealness of the organization.
Easily among the best She-Hulk comics of the 2000s, this issue puts Jennifer on trial for revealing to a Hawkeye variant his eventual death in Earth-616. The upcoming series' episodic nature likely allows Jennifer to encounter the organization in some way.
Web Of Lies
She-Hulk #4 from 2004 features an iconic panel where Spider-Man compliments She-Hulk on her legal acumen rather than her superhuman strength. She represents Spider-Man against J. Jonah Jameson in a libel lawsuit, turning the tables on the publisher.
Her talent and genius as a lawyer factor heavily in modern stories, as much as her raw power. Jennifer works for the Superhuman Law Division of Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway in this issue, as she does in the upcoming streaming series.
Kissing Thor
Comic book fans know Thor experiences many relationships beyond Jane Foster in the comics, and She-Hulk is one of them. The two share a passionate kiss in Avengers #4 from 2018. Their first kiss comes after a harrowing experience in which they punch through an ice barrier to reach the Blood of Ymir, necessary to help defeat the First Host.
The unimaginable cold nearly takes down Thor but She-Hulk keeps him going with the timely kiss. This iconic moment leads to a brief romance between the two powerful Avengers that unfortunately didn't last thanks to constant interruptions from outside forces.
Confronting Daredevil
Disappointment likely awaits Spider-Man fans hoping for a cameo in the upcoming series, but one comic book character who could appear in She-Hulk: Attorney At Law is Daredevil. The two lawyers face off in dramatic fashion in She-Hulk #9 from 2015, with Daredevil creating an iconic silhouette.
The two battle in the courtroom on opposite sides of the law as She-Hulk represents Captain America for alleged crimes in his past. Daredevil now resides in the MCU and it only makes sense Matt Murdock makes a cameo in the series at some point.
World War Hulk
An epic panel from the World War Hulk storyline pits She-Hulk and Hulk against each other in a battle for the ages. Hulk attacks New York City after returning from his exile to Sakaar and She-Hulk reels from the impact of his rage while trying to save innocent lives.
She-Hulk fights her cousin after he destroys Stark Tower and ultimately loses to him. The two mostly share the same power level, and her power has no real limit depending on how angry she gets, but she couldn't stop him.
Holding Things Up
Byrne delivers an iconic panel in Fantastic Four #284, opening the issue with a splash page depicting She-Hulk using all of her might to hold up a wooden bridge. The image recalls Spider-Man's struggle while under heavy machinery in The Amazing Spider-Man #33, a classic moment from artist Steve Ditko.
She-Hulk appears at her most vulnerable in this panel and the entire issue, where she suffers at the hands of the classic Fantastic Four villain Psycho-Man. He traps her in his Microverse, but she uses her wit and strength to overpower him.
She-Hulk Smash
The Red Hulk ranks among She-Hulk's most powerful villains and given their ties in Marvel Comics, it's likely they come to blows in the MCU. If so, then an iconic She-Hulk panel from 2008's Hulk #8 could appear in live-action. She-Hulk leads a reformed Lady Liberators against Red Hulk and ends the battle with an all-time 'She-Hulk smash.'
This epic moment comes after the Red Hulk defeated She-Hulk rather easily in an earlier encounter. She swore revenge and gets it in a signature panel the streaming series could definitely adapt.
Punching Red She-Hulk
She-Hulk potentially faces another red Hulk in live-action. If Red She-Hulk appears in the MCU, it's likely that their initial battle recreates a dynamic and iconic panel where Jennifer punches the Red She-Hulk out of the frame. This epic image appeared in The Incredible Hulk #606, which encountered their first comic book encounter.
Red She-Hulk stands a chance of appearing in the MCU and could appear in the upcoming series if it decides to incorporate her alter-ego Betsy Ross, played by Liv Tyler in the first MCU Hulk movie.
Romancing Hercules
She-Hulk develops a crush on Hercules, her fellow Avengers, that plays out over years. Mostly, she fantasizes about him and no panel in comic books depicts a greater fantasy for She-Hulka and Hercules than a vibrant, sweet image from The Sensational She-Hulk #7. Artist John Byrne depicts a positively buoyant She-Hulk as she imagines a princely Hercules.
Though the fantasy comes about thanks to the villain Xenmu, it's no less heartwarming to see the two share a rare moment of bliss. Comic book fans know Hercules and She-Hulk eventually did become romantic for a brief time.
Jumping Rope
Byrne delivered another iconic She-Hulk panel in The Sensational She-Hulk #40. The issue opens with Jennifer jumping rope while seemingly wearing no clothes. As she does, she leverages the meta-commentary the series is known for to highlight how exploitative the image potentially is.
The issue's enduring appeal with fans certainly has something to do with Byrne's presentation of She-Hulk, but the issue and series' confrontation of the objectification of women - virtually unheard of in 1992 - explains its staying power as well.