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She-Hulk Character Profile

She-Hulk has started airing on Disney+, so let’s get to know her comic book character a bit better!

Name: Jennifer Walters

Superhero Name: She-Hulk

Created By: Stan Lee and John Buscema

She-Hulk (2006) cover by Greg Horn

Played By: Tatiana Maslany

Powers: Transformation between human and She-Hulk persona without losing her intelligence/consciousness (with a few exceptions), Superstrength (including the ability to leap at least 1000 feet in one jump), Superhuman speed, Superhuman durability and Advanced healing factor.

Mini Bio: Jennifer grew up with her parents in California, and while she didn’t have any siblings, she was the cousin of Bruce Banner. The two were close, often spending afternoons in the library, and even sometimes hiding in the building all night to avoid Bruce’s abusive father.

Growing up, Jennifer wanted to be a dancer, something her father never approved of. When her mother was driving with friends to see one of her recitals, she was hit by a car, killing her instantly, which lead to Jennifer and her father growing more estranged. It also drove Jennifer to pay more attention in school, eventually being accepted into Harvard Law School, where she graduated with high honours.

Years later, Jennifer was working as a lawyer in Los Angeles, and she met up with Bruce, who she hadn’t seen in years. During their reunion, she was shot by a crime boss, Bruce tried to save her, but there wasn’t enough equipment available, meaning he had to give her a life-saving blood transfusion himself, which saved her life.

Before Jennifer could fully recover in hospital, the police accused Bruce of being her attack, and he had to flee before he was arrested, which left Jennifer open to a second attack from the crime boss. This attack caused the gamma radiation-infused particles in her blood to activate, meaning Jennifer transformed into a hulk of her own. The crime boss called her ‘She-Hulk’ in the ensuing fight, and the name stuck.

Since then, Jennifer has worked as a solo superhero, as well as an Avenger, a member of the Fantastic Four (briefly replacing the Thing) and The A-Force. She took some time off from being a lawyer but always goes back to it, usually to help deal with various superhero legal cases. She has also temporarily worked as a bounty hunter.

As a Hulk, Jennifer has more control over her anger and her actions compared to Bruce, and over time has started to use humour during her battles. She is also a very fun-loving character, who tries not to kill her attackers where possible. During her legal battles, Jennifer champions minorities and represents people against corporations, which has led to some trouble when it comes to things like the Superhero Registration Act.

Interesting trivia: Jennifer regularly breaks the fourth wall in her comics, to the point of arguing with her writers at times. She was actually the first to do it too – Deadpool hadn’t been created yet when Jennifer started talking to the audience!

First Comic Appearance: The Savage She-Hulk (1980) by Stan Lee and John Buscema

Most Common Team Ups: Avengers, Fantastic Four, A-Force

Comic Recommendations: The Savage She-Hulk (1980) by Stan Lee and John Buscema, She-Hulk (2004) by Dan Slott, A-Force (2015) by G Willow Wilson.

17 comments

  1. […] Mini Bio: Bruce Banner was born Robert Bruce Banner, son of Brian and Rebecca Banner. He had a good relationship with his mother, but his relationship with his father was incredibly abusive. Brian Banner was incredibly jealous of Bruce and Rebecca’s relationship, and the jealousy grew into hatred, which resulted in Brian physically abusing Bruce. Bruce’s only escape was at the local library, with his cousin Jennifer. […]

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