100 Greatest Superhero Stories Ever
By Steve Lam
Screen Capture from The Incredible Hulk Season 4, Episode 14: “The First: Part 2”
#44. The Incredible Hulk Season 4, Episode 13–14: “The First”
Medium
Live-Action Television Series
Release Dates
March 6, 1981 (“The First: Part 1”)
March 13, 1981 (“The First: Part 2”)
Credits
Director: Frank Orsatti
Writers: Kenneth Johnson, Andrew Schneider
Cast:Bill Bixby as Dr.David Banner, Jack Colvin as Jack McGee, Lou Ferrigno as The Incredible Hulk, Harry Townes as Dell Frye, Lola Albright as Elizabeth Collins, Bill Beyers as Case, Chip Frye as Willie, Billy Green Bush as Sheriff Carl Decker, Kari Michaelsen as Linda, Mack Magee as Walt, Julie Marine as Cheryl, Dick Durock as Frye’s Creature, Edward Walsh as Brad Wheeler, Cliff Emmich as Earl, Hank Rolike as Janitor
The Reason It’s Great
One of Bill Bixby’s most raw and emotional performances came out of “The First.” This two-part story also had the honor of being the only The Incredible Hulk episode featuring a superpowered being (discounting the television movie The Incredible Hulk Returns which featured Thor) as the antagonist—a rarity in the 1980s when television adaptations of superhero comics were still in its infancy.
David Banner visits a down talled Vissaria after hearing rumors that another Hulk-like creature was spotted there years ago. In his investigation, he discovers a lab, and a man named Dell Frye claiming to be the first creature.
As David works on a cure for the Hulk, Dell exposes himself to gamma radiation—allowing him to turn into the creature. In a final heartbreaking scene, Dell’s creature destroys the only vial of antidote—ending any chance of David curing himself.
Being a superhero show, “The First” also had elements of horror with the terrifying appearance of Frye’s creature. Rarely does a television show cross that many genres and is successful. “The First” was also one of the most dramatic episodes—showing David’s loss of his only hope for a cure.