GENERAL RIGBY

Real Name: William Rigby

Identity/Class: Human technology user; briefly gamma-powered mutate

Occupation: General in the US Army

Group Membership: US Army

Affiliations: Two unnamed aides, Dr. Robert Bruce Banner, US Army, the Pentagon

Enemies: Hulk

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: "Big Hands" (named by the Hulk)

Base of Operations: Gamma research lab, unrevealed location in a US desert

First Appearance: Incredible Hulk, Universal Studios Islands of Adventure: Under Siege#1 (July, 1999)

Powers/Abilities: As a general in the US Army, he possessed leadership and bureaucratic skills. He was a career soldier and more than likely had all the skills and knowledge of weapons and tactics as well as combat training as taught by the US Army.

As a mutate, he briefly possessed a gamma enhanced body that gave him increased size, mass, durability and strength, all which were undefined but he was able to partially subdue the Hulk and fight him toe to toe. He also had enormous arms and oversized hands that were able to grasp the Hulk and crush him between his clenched digits.

History:

(Incredible Hulk, USIA: Under Siege#1 - BTS) General Rigby was appointed by the US government to run the day-to-day operations of a top secret Gamma energy research station and employed Dr. Banner to head one of its divisions. Dr. Banner had made a request for more time and money in order to bring the Gamma generator online and fully functional.

(Incredible Hulk, USIA: Under Siege#1) - General Rigby paid an unscheduled visit to Banner’s lab alongside his aides to discuss the reasons for his requests and demanded results. Dr. Banner ended up arguing with him and said he should not have come down here without proper shielding as Gamma radiation was very unpredictable and dangerous. As Dr. Banner began to walk away, the General in frustration slammed his fist hard on top of a control mechanism that activated the Gamma generator. The radiation then bombarded the room and Dr. Banner hurried them to a transport vehicle so that they could quickly get to the decontamination chamber before any mutations could take effect and become permanent. While en route, General Rigby watched in awe as both his aides started to mutate. Reaching the decontamination chamber and feeling fine, he told Banner that maybe he should stay behind but was quickly forced inside the doorway to the chamber. As the door began to close, Rigby's mutation activated and now insane from the transformation, forced his way outside the closing portal. The stress and adrenaline began pumping through Dr. Banner’s body and he transformed into the Hulk. In his new monstrous form, General Rigby attacked the Hulk and smashed him into some nearby machinery and then told the Hulk that now, for the first time in his life, he had true power and could use it. He then proceeded to grab the Hulk between his massive hands and started to crush the life from his body. Growing angrier from the pain, the Hulk broke free and knocked General Rigby into the decontamination chamber. The Hulk instinctively closed the door and activated the room’s decontamination sequence. The Hulk then smashed his way out of the research complex and escaped into the nearby desert. The decontamination chamber was later opened by base security and out walked General Rigby and his aides all successfully changed back to normal. When later questioned about the whereabouts of Doctor Banner, all he could say was,” I wish I knew.”

Comments: Created by Michael Stewart (writer) & Steve Pugh (pencils & inks)

Although General Rigby’s aides were not named, they vaguely resembled the characters Fox Mulder and Dana Scully from the Fox TV show, "the X-Files". If they indeed were based on them, it would explain why the man was transformed into an alien looking creature. Maybe they should be given the names Spooky for the man and Starbuck for the woman. The reason being these were nicknames both characters had in the "X-Files" TV show and would make sense as suitable names for their counterparts.

Other known homages to Mulder & Scully are Sulder & Mully and Amber & Jared.
--Markus Raymond

The issue was co-produced by Universal Studios Islands of Adventure, Coca Cola and Walmart, and was available from Wal-Mart stores in the USA.

All characters in the issue were listed as being the exclusive trademarks of Marvel Characters, Inc. Universal Studios Islands of Adventure. It's not entirely clear who owns the rights to this character as the Hulk also appears.

SQUEAK notes: There exists an April 1999 Marvel Super Hero Island Adventures apparently sold exclusively at Universal Studios. The second story in that book is this one (I assume its identical - its an 8-page story, and the image credits match to that point), so the Walmart version cited here is apparently a reprint. The indicia are phrased slightly more clearly there, stating that Universal Studios Islands of Adventure is TM and copyright by Universal Studios, while "all characters featured in this issue and the distinctive likenesses thereof" are trademarks of Marvel Characters Inc. For the sake of completeness, the other two stories in that book are an 8-page Doom/FF story tiled "Fear Itself" and an 8-page Spider-Man story titled "Shocked by Doc Ock" which also includes the Sinister Syndicate of Hobgoblin, Scream, Electro, and Hydro-Man and prominently features Daily Bugle reporter Chris Peterson.

So is this considered canon, like the Micronauts and Rom, or promotional like the Twinkies ads of the 1970s?

Profile by AvatarWarlord72.

CLARIFICATIONS :
General "Big Hands" Rigby has no known connections to:

• any other "General" or "Rigby" characters, or anyone green with big hands

Aides to General Rigby

Both aides attended alongside General Rigby as he went to inspect Dr. Banner’s lab to discuss the issue of funding and extra time that was requested. They were bombarded with Gamma radiation when unintentionally General Rigby set off the reactor by slamming his fist down hard against a control unit as Dr. Banner began walking away to avoid a heated argument. Dr. Banner then rushed them to a nearby transport so that they could be quickly taken to a decontamination chamber so the Gamma radiation would not permanently change their cells. However, during transport, they were both dramatically transformed. The man was changed into an alien-looking creature with green skin while the woman had green energy spewing from her eyes and mouth. They were then placed into the chamber and watched as General Rigby forced himself out, transforming into a monstrous form of his own. After the Hulk was able to get the General inside the chamber, its decontamination process activated and all were returned to normal. None of their powers were revealed.

--Incredible Hulk, Universal Studios Islands of Adventure: Under Siege#1

images: (without ads)
Incredible Hulk, Universal Studios Islands of Adventure: Under Siege#1, p1, panel 1 (General Rigby as "Big Hands")