On the run again after the events of the previous TV movie, A disenchanted and overwhelmed David Banner is working up north under the name David Belson. A bully pushes him around and David is tempted to fight him, but knowing he will just turn into the Hulk again, he walks away. Later, David makes his way towards a large city with the hopes of renting a room and staying incognito. Unbeknownst to him, the city he arrives in is under the control of a powerful underworld crime boss named Wilson Fisk but is also protected by a mysterious black-clad crimefighter known as Daredevil. When two of Fisk's men come onto the commuter subway train after having committed a jewel robbery, one of them takes an interest in a woman also riding the train, but she rejects him. David witnesses the assault and transforms into the Hulk, which results in the usual disruption and chaos. A short while later, David is arrested by the police and wrongfully charged with the crime. While awaiting trial, blinddefense attorneyMatt Murdock is assigned to David's case. David is uncooperative, but Murdock has faith that he is innocent and is determined to prove so. One night while asleep in jail, David has a nightmare about his upcoming trial and dreams about transforming into the Hulk on the witness stand. The stress of this causes him to transform in reality, and the Hulk goes berserk and breaks free of the prison. Subsequent events see David Banner team up with Daredevil who reveals his identity as Matt Murdock. Matt tells David about his origins which David initially has trouble accepting. Daredevil also reveals that he has an ally on the police force who provides him with information relating to criminal activity. Daredevil goes to investigate a tip provided by his informant, but the tip was planted by Wilson Fisk, and Daredevil is badly injured in an ambush by Fisk's men. David rushes to save Matt but he is too late. but he transforms and the Hulk saves Matt in time from Fisk and his men, who flee the scene. Matt, barely conscious, traces the Hulk's face as he transforms back to David, thus learning David's secret. Meanwhile, Fisk has the witness to events on the subway abducted from protective custody in order to have her killed, but she charms Fisk's assistant, who saves her. Fisk plans a major meeting of underworld crime bosses in order to propose the consolidation of their operations into a syndicate with himself as chairman. Using his training as a medical doctor, David treats Matt's injuries and spreads a cover story about Matt's injuries being the result of falling down stairs. While Matt's self-confidence is seriously shaken, David's confidence has been restored by seeing how Matt has embraced his unique gifts, which are also caused by exposure to radiation. After a little coaxing from David, Matt begins to recover and retrain his body. Soon enough, the two return to work and go to save the captured woman. The two engage Wilson Fisk and his men and ultimately succeed in besting him, without the Hulk appearing. Fisk and his assistant escape, but the prisoner is freed. David and Matt part ways as friends. David continues his search of a cure for himself, and Matt remains in the city to protect it.
The Trial of the Incredible Hulk began the long history of discreet live action cameo appearaces by Stan Lee, co-creator of the Hulk. He is the jury foreman in the dream sequence. It is not, however, the first cameo appearance by a Marvel creator. Jack Kirby had already made an uncredited cameo appearance in the 1979 Incredible Hulk episode "No Escape".
Reception
Though it did not succeed in giving birth to a Daredevil television series, The Trial of the Incredible Hulk garnered very high ratings. Viewers were less enthusiastic about it than The Incredible Hulk Returns. The most common criticisms were the absence of the Hulk himself from the final act and the misleading title. In a retrospective review for the Radio Times Guide to Films, film critic Narinder Flora awarded the film two stars out of five, calling it "tame action fare" with "all the hallmarks of an idea that has run out of steam".
