Bruce Banner

Doctor **Robert Bruce Banner**, M.D., Ph.D., is a renowned scientist and a founding member of the Avengers. Highly respected for his work in biochemistry, nuclear physics and Gamma radiation, Banner was tasked by Thaddeus Ross to recreate the Super Soldier Serum that created Captain America. However, Ross elected not to inform Banner what he was creating. During the experiment, Banner substituted vita radiation for gamma radiation and administered the serum on himself. As a result, the mild-mannered scientist found that when angered, provoked or excited, his body and brain would transform into a huge, rage-fueled, primitive-minded creature known as the **Hulk**.

For years, Banner remained on the run from the United States Army. He chose to live a discreet life in South America while communicating with Samuel Sterns to cure himself. However, when General Ross sent a team led by Emil Blonsky to apprehend Banner, Banner was forced to return to New York City. He recruited the help of Betty Ross and Sterns to cure him of his affliction but was captured shortly thereafter at Grayburn College. Blonsky, who had received a variant of the Super Soldier Serum, was administered Banner's gamma-irradiated blood, transforming him into Abomination. This new threat forced Ross to allow Banner to turn into Hulk and battle Blonsky, before allowing Banner to escape.

After a failed suicide attempt, Banner focused on helping people. However, when Loki attacked S.H.I.E.L.D., Banner was personally recruited by Tony Stark to help stop him. Despite losing control and attacking the Avengers on the Helicarrier, Banner joined the Avengers during the Battle of New York, assisting them in defeating Loki and the Chitauri, ending their invasion.

## Biography

### Early Life

As he grew up, he started going by his middle name. During his youth, Banner had an estranged relationship with his father, believing that he was never able to impress him. Banner met Betty Ross while in college, where they fell in love. At Harvard University, the couple participated in an experiment involving hallucinogens.

### Scientist

#### Specializing in Gamma Radiation

*"Remember those experiments we volunteered for at Harvard? Those induced hallucinations?"*
―Bruce Banner to Betty Ross[src]
They soon graduated and moved on to Willowdale, Virginia, while working together at Culver University as instructors, where Banner specialized in nuclear physics, biochemistry, and was a member of the Bioscience Department. While working on his gamma ray experiments, Banner was unable to visit his father, and ultimately missed his passing. Throughout his career, Banner obtained a M.D. and seven Ph.Ds, in nuclear physics, biochemistry, radiophysics, engineering, robotics, computer science, and mathematics.

#### Recreating the Super Soldier Serum

*"So this Dr. Banner was trying to replicate the serum that was used on me?""A lot of people were. You were the world's first superhero. Banner thought gamma radiation might hold the key to unlocking Erskine's original formula."*
―Steve Rogers and Phil Coulson[src]
Following the September 11 attacks, Thaddeus Ross was commissioned by the United States Army to rekindle Project Rebirth from the 1940s in order to create super soldiers. Ross enlisted Banner into the Bio-Tech Force Enhancement Project due to Banner's prowess in biochemistry and radiation but elected not to inform Banner that his task was to recreate Super Soldier Serum and chose not to divulge the serum's true properties to Banner.

Believing he was recreating a serum designed to prevent radiation poisoning, such as to protect soldiers from Depleted uranium, Banner chose to substitute the original formula's vita radiation with gamma radiation. Banner and Betty Ross also saw the project's potential to eliminate malignant brain tumors caused by radiation exposure, find a remedy for neurodegenerative diseases and strengthen the immune system, but they still needed a patient having its hippocampus exposed to radiation.

#### Becoming Hulk

*"He thought he was working on radiation resistance. I would never have told him what the project really was. But he was so sure of what he was onto, that he tested it on himself. And something went very wrong. Or it went very right. As far as I'm concerned, that man's whole body is the property of the U.S. Army."*
―Thaddeus Ross to Emil Blonsky[src]
In 2005, a Super Soldier Serum was recreated by Banner and Betty Ross with military scientists consisting of gamma radiation as an activator and stabilizer as opposed to vita radiation, while the project was being threatened with funding cuts at an early phase. Believing that his serum was designed for radiation resistance, Banner decided to test it on himself and was administered a myostatin primer designed by Betty that allowed his cells to absorb radiation temporarily.

Before entering the radiation room of a Culver University facility, Banner took a picture with Betty for posterity. Betty tried to convince Banner that there was still time to back out, as no one would think less of him, worried that the project might not be ready for human testing. Banner responded that the pressure from General Thaddeus Ross served as a reminder that the budget was not infinite and stressed the importance of the project for science. The two kissed, as she saw it as an act of bravery, and declared their love for each other. Banner sat on the Gamma Ray Projector, winked at a concerned Betty and the procedure was initiated by his colleagues, with his hippocampus being exposed to gamma radiation. Wishing to impress General Ross and gain his approval, Banner manually upped the dosage of the radiation on the device, despite Betty's warnings, after no apparent effects to 15 seconds of exposition at level 1.

Banner was doused with an immense amount of gamma radiation, however, the serum's effects, along with Dr. Ross' primer, caused Banner to transform into a giant, green-skinned, muscle-bound titan with incredible strength, but who possessed little intelligence and was driven by fits of extreme rage. In that instant, gamma pulses stored in Banner's amygdala to be released during high stress moments, serving as a trigger for the transformation. As an enraged, nearly mindless creature, Banner destroyed the lab, accidentally injuring Betty and several graduate students, crushing General Ross' arm and killing two scientists and an army officer who was shooting at him. Following an explosion on the campus, the monster fled the scene and was spotted by students; however, those sightings were attributed by officials as possible effects of a chemical released into the air, causing hallucinations.

In the wake of the accident, the military closed the entire lab building for a year, kept the incident a secret and shut down the entire project. Having managed to revert to his human form, Banner tried to visit Dr. Ross while she was in the hospital, but her father made him leave. Ross admitted to Banner that the project was developed for military offense and informed him that if he did not allow his monstrous form to be used as a weapon in combat, then his troops would come after him.

Three days after the accident, Ross met Banner in the destroyed lab, offering him to take him to another workplace in Maryland to perfect the serum, noting that he has tried for twenty years to create a super soldier. Banner refused and blamed himself for all the people he hurt, including Dr. Ross, and General Ross for not informing him about the project. Banner ran off, hiding inside the janitor's room and using the clothes available for disguise, while prompting Ross to order his own troops to chase after him, only to find that Banner was gone. Now a fugitive of the United States Army, Banner went on the run.

### On the Run

#### Hunted by Thaddeus Ross

*"Is he a fighter?""Your target is a fugitive from the U.S. government who stole military secrets. He is implicated in the deaths of two scientists, a military officer, an Idaho state trooper and possibly two Canadian hunters. So don't wait to see if he's a fighter."*
―Emil Blonsky and Thaddeus Ross[src]
Between the incident and his early run, Banner remained in contact with a friend, Culver University student Rick Jones. Banner protected Jones from a dangerous situation by throwing him in a trench. The United States Army and S.H.I.E.L.D. watched Jones' movements in case he contacted and helped Banner.

#### Bar Evaluation

*"Despite appearences, he's exactly the man I'm looking for... Robert Bruce Banner. So yeah, while one would never believe it looking at this milksop... Guess they don't make ultimate soldiers like they used to anymore."*
―Nick Fury[src]
Banner traveled through the Midwestern U.S. and towards Idaho, where an encounter with some state troopers led to violence and his transformed self was seen by locals like Elliot Litton, who had mistaken him for a green Sasquatch. Somewhere in this area shortly after the original incident, Banner visited Kirby's and watched a soccer game where he met an undercovered Nick Fury, who was curious if Ross had rekindled Project Rebirth and wanted to see the potential super soldier for himself.

In a friendly conversation, Fury claimed to not believe it possible for soccer to become popular in the United States of America, due to it being too calm of a sport, and Banner said that that was why he liked it. Fury tried to buy Banner a drink, but Banner turned down the offer. After talking about shallow topics in their lives, Banner begins to suspect something is amiss after a vague response about his missing eye lost in a supposed war. Unsettled, Banner tried to leave.

On his way to the door, he bumped into agent Johnson who started to flirt with him, which was planned by Fury. Agent Peterson, playing the jealous boyfriend, began to threaten Banner and grabbed him by his shirt. Fury then intervened, trying to calm the situation, but got punched in the face by Peterson. This triggered Banner to transform, much to everyone's shock. He knocked out his aggressor, shoving him away, and started to wreck the bar. Then, he picked up a jukebox, willing to throw at the rest of the fleeing patrons, until being talked down by Fury, who stated he doesn't believe the man he just spoke to wanted to hurt those people. The enraged monster roared in Fury's face, shattering every glass inside the place, and ultimately left by smashing through the bar's door and wall with a jukebox.

#### American-Canadian Border Incident

*"It's not a threat! It's a warning! It's... It's... too late..."*
―Bruce Banner[src]
One month after the original incident, Banner attempted to escape to Quebec, Canada sneaking on board an empty freight truck at a stop. The truck was searched by border patrol, much to the driver's annoyance. Once the driver opened the freight, the agents found Banner, who tried to explain himself. As he was escorted out of the truck, one of the Border Patrol agents learned Banner was a wanted fugitive by the military. He was immediately arrested, with the agents preparing to hand him over to the feds in Virginia. Banner pleaded the agents to release him as he was being cuffed, causing them to believe he was threatening them. Banner realized it was too late as the stress from his arrest triggered his transformation into his monstrous form. He easily broke off the handcuffs before causing a series of mindless destruction in the station in response to the anger fueling him.

As the driver and Border Patrol agents fled, the enraged monster grabbed the freight truck and threw it away, causing it to crash into a nearby busy road. Many cars were crushed together, forming into a pile. The ongoing impact of the cars crashing additionally damaged the pillar of a nearby border highway, causing a portion of it to crumble. Amidst the chaos, the creature managed to flee from the border station, leaving behind a wristwatch that was a gift from Betty Ross. With the civilians focused on protecting themselves from him, no clear video footage of the creature was captured. The scientist was later spotted via satellite recon photo in Canada, where he would be attributed for the death of two hunters.

#### Monitored by S.H.I.E.L.D.

In 2006, a hopeless and depressed Banner tried to contact Betty Ross one last time, but the email was intercepted by the military and she never received it. Meanwhile, S.H.I.E.L.D., in collaboration with the World Security Council, tracked his activities, hiding certain information from Thaddeus Ross. At one point, there was another incident in Alaska that was detected by satellite, the last sighting of Banner in five months.

#### Failed Suicide Attempt

*"I got low. I didn't see an end, so I put a bullet in my mouth, and the other guy spit it out. So I moved on. I focused on helping other people."*
―Bruce Banner to Nick Fury[src]
At one point, seeing no end to his run from Thaddeus Ross nor a chance of getting rid of Hulk, Banner attempted to take his own life. He fired a bullet into his mouth, only to transform and spit out the bullet. Banner then decided to redirect his efforts into providing medical assistance to the poor as he dedicated his life to help people.

#### Hope in South America

Banner made his way to South America, where he would look for Amazonian vascular plants that could inhibit radiation and therefore find the key to cure his condition. On his journey, Banner roamed the world trying to outwit authorities, leaving behind hiding places with research material for a possible cure whenever a hasty escape was needed. Arriving in Asia, he was sighted by the military in Japan, near Osaka and in Sapporo. He passed through Israel, Samara, and Russia, ending up in a Tibetan monastery. While in Tibet, a rug dealer got Internet access he learned about a cellular biologist using the pseudonym "Mr. Blue" who could aid him. He eventually managed to reach South America, having a mysterious incident in Paraguay.

#### Attack on Espinoza's Cartel

*"Who sent you? CIA? DEA? Our own spineless government?!""Please don't make me angry. You wouldn't--""I won't make you angry... I'll make you dead!"*
―Espinoza and Bruce Banner[src]
In the heart of South America, wandering in the rainforest, Banner helped a lost boy Miguel to find his home. He spotted fresh tracks and used them to guide Miguel to reach a compound. Once arriving at a mansion, they were captured by Espinoza and his cartel, who accused Banner of being an American spy. Espinoza interrogated and beat Banner, threatening to kill him, despite Banner's pleas not to anger him. As the criminal continued to brutally beat him, Banner transformed and picked up the members who were holding him down, throwing them away. He then picked up a vehicle nearby and threw it, where it nearly killed Emil Blonsky, Greg Pak, and Bill Mantlo, who were on their way to capture Espinoza. The rest of the cartel heard explosions and ran to help, and Miguel watched as people were knocked away and thrown great distances. With everybody in the cartel rendered unconscious except a traumatized Miguel, the creature walked away from the destroyed cartel hideout, eventually ending up in Brazil.

#### Life within Brazil

*"Não me faça com fome ... Você não gostaria de mim quando estou com fome... No, wait, oh that's not right."*
―Bruce Banner to Tough Guy Leader[src]
Five years after the original incident, Banner eventually settled in the Brazilian slums of the Rocinha favela, Rio de Janeiro, working as a handyman in a soft drink bottling factory that produced Pingo Doce while still attempting to find a cure for his condition, with the aid of his Internet friend Mr. Blue. To keep himself sane while living in his exile, Banner had adopted a dog and taught himself Portuguese by reading a bilingual dictionary and watching television, including translated broadcasts of US TV shows.

He also studied martial arts and meditative breathing techniques with a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu expert to help control his emotions and heart rate, and because of this, had not suffered a transformation for 158 days. During some of his training, Banner would learn new breathing exercises and would allow his sensei to slap him across the face to ensure he maintained control even in harsh environments, although he would stop the lesson if his heart rate went up too far.

Although avoiding the daily stress, he was constantly victimized by xenophobia of his coworkers, being supported by the friendship of his colleague and neighbor Martina. While working at the factory one day, the Plant Manager called Banner upstairs in order to fix some broken machinery, offering to place Banner on payroll, which he refused, fearing his name and face being put on the system would then allow Thaddeus Ross to find and capture him.

While finishing all his repairs on the machinery, Banner accidentally sliced open his finger, causing a large drop of his gamma-infected blood to floor down onto the bottles below. Horrified, Banner then demanded that the manager stop the machines while he searched for the blood and cleaned it up. However, Banner was unaware that more of his blood had dripped into a soda bottle, where it was drunk by an ill-fated consumer back in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Once he was done for the day, Banner prepared to go home, only to witness Martina being harassed by a tough guy leader and all his friends. Although Banner initially tried to walk away, he eventually intervened and asked Martina to join him for dinner. When the man tried to push him away, Banner tried to warn him but got his language wrong and claimed he would not like him when he was hungry, not angry, before then leaving.

#### Search for a Cure

*"I found it.""At long last. It's a lovely flower, isn't it? Be sure to use a high dose. Good luck."*
―Bruce Banner and Mr. Blue[src]
The search for a cure for his condition drove Banner to study the Corablanca flower described inside of the book *Inventory of Rare and Endangered Tracheophyta of Amazônia*, and he finally received it from someone he had hired to search for it. Returning to his house, Banner put up a picture of Betty Ross before he contacted Mr. Blue to inform him of the discovery, as Mr. Blue commented on what a beautiful flower it was and then advised Banner to use a high dose of it.

With Mr. Blue advising him to try a high dose of the component extracted from the plant and wishing him good luck, Banner was able to produce a serum using homemade laboratory equipment and every bit of the flower to ensure he had enough to likely cure himself. Banner tried the serum on a drop of his own blood to undo all the effects of the gamma radiation, and while it seemed to be successful at first as all the green gamma-infected blood was reduced, after just a few seconds it triggered a reaction that made all of the cells explode, marking this latest experiment as a failure.

Informing Mr. Blue of the failure, noting that he had used all of the flowers and therefore, he could not try it again. The scientist insisted on meeting Banner in person in the United States of America, as he noted that living with gamma poisoning could be more dangerous than the eventual risks of their meeting. Banner still refused, fearing that Thaddeus Ross could find him; however, Mr. Blue then convinced him to send a blood sample for more testing.

A few days later, Banner finally received some more news from Mr. Blue, that the preliminary blood tests showed some significant gamma reduction, but that in order to develop an appropriate antidote for Banner, he would need more data and requested the details behind the Bio-Tech Force Enhancement Project. Banner realized he would have to return to Culver University to retrieve the data and told Mr. Blue that it would be impossible to get it.

#### Ambush in Rio de Janeiro

*"Leave me alone..."*
―Hulk[src]
While Banner attempted to sleep that night, he became alerted upon hearing one of the nearby dogs yelping out in pain. As it turned out, Thaddeus Ross had tracked Banner's location due to his infected blood falling into a Pingo Doce bottle, and sent his team led by Emil Blonsky to capture him. They attempted to break into his home and take Banner back into custody by force.

Realizing the danger that had arrived, Banner quietly escaped through his window as Blonsky and his unit located Banner's house and burst in to shoot him with tranquilizers, although Banner had already fled through the window and momentarily hid with Martina in her apartment. As Blonsky and the other soldiers looked for Banner, they assumed he had run into the streets of Rocinha, allowing Banner a moment of relief.

However, despite Banner attempting to hide his face with his hood, before long Blonsky had caught sight of him and chased him down. As Banner desperately ran for his life, Blonsky and the other soldiers pursued Banner through the streets and rooftops of Rocinha, with Banner using his knowledge of pre-planned escape routes to ensure he could keep an advantage. Hiding around a corner, Banner tried to slow his heart rate to prevent his transformation before continuing to run.

Continuing to flee from the United States Army unit, Banner came across General Ross himself, realizing that he was the man behind the chase. Once the two enemies had locked eyes for a brief moment, Banner continued to desperately run for his life, only to accidentally crash into the tough guy leader who attempted to start a fight with him. Banner used his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to defend himself against the men away before running from both them and the soldiers.

As Banner ran away for safety, the tough guy leader and his friends followed Banner inside the Pingo Doce factory in order to assault him, with Blonsky and his men not far behind. Attempting to hide from all those chasing him, Banner had attempted to control his heart rate to ensure that he did not transform again, only for the tough guy and his friends to locate Banner and throw him against the wall. Banner attempted to defend himself but the man wanted revenge for Banner saving Martina from him and ignored Banner's warnings that something really bad was about to happen, with the leader punching Banner in the stomach and raising his heart rate.

Blonsky located Banner in the factory and approached to witness the appearance of Banner's transformation, triggered by the men beating him. Unaware that Banner had transformed, the tough guy leader attempted to kick him, only to be thrown through two windows, with the monstrous green giant managing to subdue another thug while the third escaped.

With all the thugs taken out of the picture, the SOCC soldiers began firing their tranquilizer darts, which merely bounced off the green goliath's skin. As the soldiers continued firing, the monster told them to leave him alone before furiously fighting back against the soldiers, using his own incredible strength to his advantage. Following their ferocious battle in the soft drink bottling plant, the monster incapacitated almost all the soldiers.

With only Emil Blonsky remaining, who had watched in astonishment, Blonsky loaded his weapon and fired bullets at the green titan, which continued to have no effect on him. Enraged, the Goliath picked up a forklift truck and launched it at Blonsky, who had barely avoided the attack. He then proceeded the smash through the factory wall, escaping from Brazil and fled into the jungle, much to General Ross' considerable ire the failure.

#### Returning Home

*"I could use a bed for a few nights.""You can have the spare room upstairs.""That'd be so great. There is one other thing."*
―Bruce Banner to Stanley Lieber[src]
Having escaped from the Pingo Doce factory and reverting to normal, Banner awoke in the jungle the morning after the incident, soaking and freezing cold. Spotting an oncoming car, Banner asked for help, only to learn he was no longer in Brazil but had made it all the way to Guatemala. The driver agreed to take Banner to a nearby town, which he thanked him for as the driver wrapped the freezing cold Banner up in a blanket.

Taking the advice of Mr. Blue to gather more information on the incident that started his transformations, in order to research a more effective cure, Banner slowly made his way back to the United States, while passing through Chiapas, Mexico, where he became a beggar and received alms to help pay for his journey. Banner managed to buy himself stretchy clothes but suffered nightmares about Emil Blonsky shooting at him.

Within seventeen days, Banner made enough money and managed to return to the United States of America, heading to Culver University where he knew his research was being kept. While he was still keeping a low profile and hiding behind a *Culver University Press* newspaper, Banner saw that Betty Ross had continued working at the university and was dating another man, a psychiatrist named Leonard Samson, and Banner quietly left there without being seen.

Banner paid a visit to his old friend Stanley Lieber, who agreed to give him a place to stay at his pizza parlor. As they sat down for a catch-up, Banner insisted that everything Thaddeus Ross and the government had said regarding his fugitive status was untrue, with Lieber responding that he had never believed the news regarding Banner. They then briefly discussed Ross and her relationship with Samson before Lieber agreed to grant Banner some pizza in order to infiltrate the university as a pizza delivery man.

Using Lieber's pizzas, Banner returned to the university and attempted to sneak past a security guard to recover his research, claiming that there was somebody upstairs who had ordered a pizza. When the security guard refused to let him pass without clearance, Banner claimed he risked being fired if he did not collect payment and offered the guard a box of pizza he had not been able to collect on, with the guard accepting the pizza and allowing Banner access into the university.

Having made it upstairs, Banner looked inside a room and recalled it once being the same space where they had worked on the Bio-Tech Force Enhancement Project before everything had gone terribly wrong. Entering the room, Banner bribed Roger Harrington with the pizza and logged on to the computer using Dr. Ross' password. Discovering that all the data regarding the project had been deleted, Banner contact Mr. Blue and notified him that the data no longer existed.

#### Reunion with Betty Ross

*"Listen, I should leave early, as early as I can.""Really? You can't stay at all?""I want to, but it's just not safe for me to be here. If I could borrow some cash... I need to take a bus."*
―Bruce Banner and Betty Ross[src]
In the wake of his failure to reclaim his research, Banner prepared to go on the run again; however, he was unaware that Betty Ross had just arrived to visit Stanley Lieber's pizzeria for a meal. As Banner headed downstairs, he came into the dining room where Ross caught a glimpse of him.

This forced Banner to quickly run outside and hide behind the dumpster, desperate to not be seen by Ross, as he still believed that bringing her into his situation would put her in grave danger. Convinced about what she had seen, Ross came out searching for him. Banner remained hidden as Leonard Samson followed to learn what Ross was looking for. Eventually, they both went back inside to question Lieber, allowing Banner to slip away into the night.

As it began to rain, Banner made his way out of the city, attempting to flee. However, just as Banner attempted to hitch a ride in the pouring rain, he heard a car pull up behind him and discovered that Dr. Ross had successfully tracked him down. The two former lovers then ran into each other's arms and embraced, with Ross then desperately telling Banner not to leave. Banner eventually relented and got in Ross' car as she drove him back to her home to rest so they could discuss everything that had happened since he had gone on the run.

Back at Ross' home, she had revealed to Banner that she had extracted the data on the Bio-Tech Force Enhancement Project before the lab had been raided, which she secretly retained. Ross questioned why they could not go to Thaddeus Ross and explain everything, but Banner told her that the general had made all his intentions clear. Ross gave Banner a bed and agreed to take him to a bus station the following morning.

#### Battle at Culver University

*"They're here. Betty, look at me, look at me! You have to go far away from me as you can! Don't argue with me, just go. Go!"*
―Bruce Banner to Betty Ross[src]
Intending to leave town, Banner and Ross returned to Culver University the following morning. However, as Banner and Ross were having a moment of looking at each other, Banner noticed the United States Army soldiers surrounding the campus.

As the worried Leonard Samson had chosen to inform the military of Banner's whereabouts, Banner ordered Dr. Ross get as far away from him as she could before he ran away as quickly as possible, with the Strategic Operations Command Center soldiers mounting a full-scale assault on the campus.

As the soldiers chased Banner through the university, he managed to hide for a brief moment in the library and, fearing the memory stick containing all the information of the Bio-Tech Force Enhancement Project would be destroyed or lost, chose to ingest it. Having swallowed the flash drive, Banner continued to run, only to find himself trapped in an overpass.

With no escape in sight as soldiers blocked both doorways, Banner watched as Thaddeus Ross ordered his troops to fire tear gas into the overpass. As the gas filled the walkway, Banner removed his shirt and tried to cover his mouth, but became distracted when he witnessed one of the SOCC soldiers knocking Dr. Ross to the ground as she tried to run to his aid.

The emotional response to seeing Dr. Ross being tackled coupled with the effects of the gas triggered Banner to transform. His monstrous persona then destroyed the overpass, leaping out into the lawn and roaring at the soldiers. As the green beast stepped towards them all, he was attacked by the SOCC soldiers under the direct orders of General Ross, who was still determined to capture him.

After transforming, he attempted to reach Dr. Ross, only to be assaulted with gunfire. Despite his near invulnerable skin allowing the bullets to merely bounce off him, the constant attacks caused him to furiously fight back and destroy several Humvees, knocking over one before moving towards a nearby statue, picking up the second Humvee and smashing it apart against the statue, forcing all the nearby soldiers to retreat as the giant titan reduced the vehicle to pieces.

With his troops failing to apprehend Banner, General Ross ordered Emil Blonsky, who had been injected with a variant of the Super Soldier Serum, to enter the fray. Blonsky then fired multiple tear gas grenades at the beast before leaping over his head and shooting him in the face. Angered at the assault, the jade giant attempted to retaliate.

Using his newfound agility, Blonsky evaded being killed before being ordered by General Ross to run, causing the titan to chase him down. As he pursued Blonsky, the soldiers activated the Stark Sonic Cannons made by Stark Industries, which managed to subdue him.

As he was forced onto his knees due to the incredible pain delivered by the sound waves, he heard Dr. Ross calling out Banner's name, which invigorated him into using a metal shard to shield himself from the sonic waves before using it to destroy one of the cannons, and leaping high into the air to destroy the second and final cannon.

Following the destruction of the cannons, Blonsky made his way towards Banner's alter-ego, ignoring General Ross' orders. As Blonsky provoked the titan standing in front of him, he was swiftly kicked into a tree, which crushed most of his bones.

As he paced around the campus, he was approached by Dr. Ross, who was unafraid of him as she attempted to calm him down and turn him back into Banner. However, just as his anger was fading, General Ross ordered a Apache Helicopter to fire on him. With Dr. Ross in danger as she stood near him, the green beast used his makeshift metal shard to destroy the helicopter.

As the helicopter fell to the ground and exploded, he shielded Dr. Ross from the explosion while General Ross looked on in horror. Cradling her unconscious body in his arms, the massive monstrosity proceeded to escape with her to the Smoky Mountain National Forest. The Battle at Culver University marked the first time Banner's alter-ego had been revealed to the public, and during an interview with WHiH World News, Jim Wilson, a student at Culver University, described the green monster he had witnessed as a hulk, prompting the media, the world, the military, and eventually Banner himself, to refer to his beastly persona as "Hulk."

Hulk took the unconscious Ross to the national forest where he laid her inside a cave until she woke up. Upon waking up, Ross screamed in surprise as she looked at Hulk, causing him to hit his head before roaring at the thunder, perceiving it to be a threat. Noting that Hulk was shielding her from the thunder, Ross calmed Hulk down, and the pair sat in silence side by side.

### Hunting for a Cure

#### Heading to New York

*"Maybe your mind is in there, it's just overcharged and can't process what's happening.""I don't want to control it. I want to get rid of it."*
―Betty Ross and Bruce Banner[src]
Hulk had eventually reverted into his original human form as Banner overnight and Betty Ross awoke while still hiding out in the Smoky Mountain National Forest. With Banner struggling to even stand due to the trauma of his latest Hulk transformation during the Battle at Culver University, Ross helped him walk as they made their way out of the mountains and chose to hide out in a motel outside of Ashwood, North Carolina in the foothills of the Smokies. Once there, Banner took a shower to relax but was haunted by visions of Emil Blonsky and the helicopter fired at him during the last battle.

While Ross went out to buy him more clothes, since he was torn during his transformation, Banner went to the bathroom and vomited up the memory stick he had swallowed containing all their research on the Bio-Tech Force Enhancement Project. Eventually, Ross then returned and expressed her surprise at his decision to swallow the memory stick before handing Banner the clothes she had bought for him, with Banner rejecting a pair of stretchy purple trousers.

While they hid out inside the motel room, Ross spent time cutting Banner's hair, teasing him as he appeared concerned, she would not do it right. Once she had finished, Ross held Banner in her arms, leading to the pair kissing and falling on the bed. However, Banner noticed that being intimate with Ross was raising his heart rate so, fearing it would cause him to transform into Hulk if they were to have sex, Banner stopped them, much to both of their disappointment.

As they prepared to go on the run once again, Banner explained to Ross how they would avoid detection from the United States Army, noting that she could no longer use her phone or her credit cards due to them being tracked. When Ross questioned how they would be able to get to New York City with only forty dollars, she suggested selling her mother's necklace. Despite Banner refusing to let her, Ross insisted and used the money to buy a truck.

As they prepared to leave, Banner emailed Mr. Blue before Ross took a quick photograph of Banner as they got inside the truck and began the long drive. Along the way, Ross asked Banner what his own experience of turning into Hulk was like, with Banner comparing it to experiments they volunteered for at Harvard University only more intense. Ross inquired as to whether Banner could learn to control Hulk, citing that Hulk knew her and therefore a part of Banner existed within Hulk, only for Banner to respond to her father had made his intentions clear on weaponizing Hulk and that he wished to get rid of his alter-ego permanently.

Having spent several hours asleep while still on the road, Banner was eventually awoken by Ross as she had just seen the New York City Police Department were currently searching all the vehicles which were attempting to get into New York City, clearly searching for the fugitives. Fearing this would mean that the SOCC would be able to locate them, Banner and Ross got out of their truck and got off the bridge, instead of using their remaining cash to hire a boat.

Having made it onto the mainland, Banner and Ross discussed what would be the best way to get across the city in order to finally meet with "Mr. Blue". Ross at first suggested that they take the subway, but fearing Banner turning into Hulk underground, they decided to take a taxi. However, when the taxi driver drove like a maniac, they got out as Ross screamed at the driver. Seeing how angry she was, Banner suggested Ross use some of his calming techniques.

#### Meeting Mr. Blue

*"We have the antidote now.""They don't want the antidote! They want to make it a weapon! And if we let it go, we will never get it back. You don't know how powerful this thing is."*
―Samuel Sterns and Bruce Banner[src]
While they continued to avoid detection, Betty Ross and Banner then arrived at the Grayburn College in Harlem, New York City, where they planned to finally meet with the mysterious "Mr. Blue", a resident scientist named Samuel Sterns. Ross at first greeted Sterns, who was surprised to meet her before Banner made himself known, with Sterns amazed to finally meet Mr. Green.

Accompanying Sterns to his lab, Banner and Ross listened as Sterns expressed his amazement at meeting Banner, noting he was shocked that such an unassuming man had so much gamma radiation inside of him. They learned that Sterns had completed the possible antidote that could potentially cure Banner's condition, or merely reverse a specific transformation, although Sterns warned that the procedure did hold the risk of killing Banner if anything went wrong.

In order to test the antidote's effectiveness, Stern would be forced to trigger a Hulk transformation, and an underdose would prove futile and make Hulk wreak havoc again, while an overdose could kill him. Despite the risks, Banner agreed to test Stern's antidote and was restrained, becoming quite nervous when Stern had begun kicking the machinery to get it all working. With Ross standing close by him, Banner attempted to relax as Stern began the experiment. Sterns then gave Banner an electric shock directly to his head, which caused him to undergo his transformation into Hulk, with Sterns looking on in amazement at the power Banner was manifesting.

When Hulk inadvertently knocked Sterns overdue to attempting to break free of his restraints, Ross was forced to then jump onto his chest and attempted to keep Hulk as calm as possible. Using this brief distraction, Sterns was able to administer the antidote. The antidote succeeded in granting Banner control over Hulk for the first time shortly before prompting Hulk to revert into Banner.

Exhilarated by the success of the antidote, Sterns began gushing how the antidote had never worked for any of his previous test subjects. When Banner questioned what he meant, Sterns revealed that he had synthesized Banner's blood sample into a larger supply with the intention of using its gamma-irradiated properties to benefit mankind, adding that his test subjects did not survive because they were not administered Dr. Ross' myostatic primer, which allowed Banner's blood cells to absorb much of the radiation instead of outright killing him.

Appalled by what Sterns had done and fearful of Hulk's power falling into the wrong hands, Banner then attempted to convince Sterns to immediately destroy the blood supply, claiming it was too powerful if it were to fall into the government's hands. However, just as Sterns attempt to convince Banner that he was being paranoid regarding the government's interest, Banner was shot in the back by a tranquilizer from an SOCC snipers. As Banner dropped onto the floor, Emil Blonsky charged into the room and attempted to trigger his transformation into Hulk, only to be stopped by his fellow SOCC soldiers.

#### Captured

*"You think you can control it?""No, no, not control it, but, I don't know, maybe aim it.""And what if you can't?""We made this thing. All of us. Please."*
―Betty Ross, Bruce Banner and Thaddeus Ross[src]
As both Banner and Betty Ross were taken into custody, Banner was strapped down on a stretcher while the SOCC kept a close watch over him. Banner was then brought to Thaddeus Ross who, upon seeing that Banner had seemingly had no reaction to the ordeal, warned that if he had been successful in curing himself of Hulk, he would then ensure that Banner spent the rest of his life in a prison without any hope of regaining his freedom.

While Banner was handcuffed, they were moved inside a helicopter with General Ross as Dr. Ross, who would be granted freedom by her father, while Samuel Sterns was left to be interrogated by Kathleen Sparr back at Grayburn College, who wished to know what they could do with Banner's blood samples. While in the air, Banner and Dr. Ross made eye contact and smiled at one each other to reassure themselves. However, the helicopter suddenly received news that "Hulk" was terrorizing the citizens of Harlem.

As it turned out, Emil Blonsky had forced Sterns to inject him with Banner's infected blood, which coupled with the imperfect Super Soldier Serum in his system, caused Blonsky to mutate into a behemoth dubbed Abomination. Banner, realizing that Blonsky was Abomination and that he was the only one who could defeat him, informed the Rosses that while he could not necessarily control Hulk, he believed he could aim its power and use it to provide relief to the soldiers and citizens of Harlem.

General Ross ordered the soldiers to land the helicopter, but Banner insisted that they remain in the air so that he could jump out and keep everyone else safe, while also using the altitude to trigger a transformation. Dr. Ross attempted to stop Banner, warning that he was unsure if he had been cured or not, but Banner insisted that he had to try regardless in order to save all of the United States Army soldiers and the many innocent civilians from Abomination's rampage. Having kissed her goodbye, Banner then fell from the helicopter, hoping that the fall would trigger his transformation. To his horror, he discovered that it was not working; however, the fear of dying from such a height triggered Banner's transformation into Hulk right before he slammed into the street below.

#### Duel of Harlem

*"Any last words?""Hulk... SMASH!"*
―Abomination and Hulk[src]
Having survived the fall out from Thaddeus Ross' helicopter, Banner transformed into Hulk and punched his way back to the surface, while many of the people of Harlem ran in terror. Getting to his feet, Hulk roared as loud as he could, getting the attention of Abomination, who stopped killing all of the people as he clearly delighted at the chance to fight Hulk and try to prove himself the superior monster.

Ripping off the remains of Banner's shirt, Hulk furiously charged towards his enemy, as Abomination did the same. Both roaring as loud as they could, Hulk and Abomination launched at one another, only for the larger and more powerful Abomination to counter Hulk's attack as Hulk was thrown across the street. The impact of the hit shocked Hulk as he had struggled to get back onto his feet, while Abomination laughed at his suffering, challenging Hulk to get up and continue their fight to the death.

Getting back up, Hulk saw a New York City Police Department car parked just beside him and proceeded to then smash the police car in half and used the pieces as boxing gloves. As Abomination came closer to him, Hulk furiously smashed the two ends of the car together before striking his enemy as he repeatedly punched Abomination into the pavement so hard that it caused a deep crater and had completely destroyed the remains of the car.

Having seemingly beaten Abomination into submission, Hulk prepared to unleash one more punch to finish off his enemy, only for Abomination to question if that was all Hulk had in him, as Emil Blonsky had done during the Battle at Culver University. Getting his revenge for what happened to him during that previous encounter, Abomination proceeded to kick Hulk across Harlem and through a wall into a nearby building, giving chase in order to continue their battle, while Hulk recovered while inside a nearby dumpster.

As Abomination had climbed up the wall and searched for Hulk, Ross then ordered his gunman inside of the helicopter to open fire on him, with the soldiers of the United States Army briefly unsure about which monster to target. As Abomination ran after the helicopter across the rooftops, Hulk recovered from the last hit and chased after Abomination, who was now targeting General Ross' military helicopter itself.

Before Hulk could reach him, Abomination lunged and grabbed the helicopter just as Hulk arrived and grasped him. Desperate to do whatever he could to protect Betty Ross and everyone else on board the helicopter, Hulk began punching and pulling at Abomination, even trying to crack his exposed spine. However, despite all of Hulk's efforts, the helicopter still lost control and crashed down onto the ground, with Hulk and Abomination being briefly separated.

While Hulk recovered from the crash and went to see if Betty and the general had survived, Abomination reappeared and challenged Hulk to continue fighting. The two furiously faced off once again and Abomination pinned Hulk against a wall and stabbed him in the chest with his exposed elbow, while Banner briefly gained control of Hulk, unable to defeat his foe. Telling Hulk that he did not deserve his power, he threatened that Hulk would be forced to watch Betty die.

With Abomination threatening Betty, Hulk began to feel rage, which augmented his strength. Reasserting his control, Hulk liberated himself from Abomination's grasp, pulling him away from him before slamming him into the wall with all his might just as the helicopter caught fire due to the leaking fuel. Seeing this, Hulk charged forward and thunder-clapped his hands together and managed to blow out the entire fire, saving Betty and the general from being consumed by the flames.

However, just as Hulk watched as Betty and the general were pulling themselves out of the wreckage of the helicopter, Betty screamed out a warning just before Abomination hit Hulk from behind with a concrete pillar on a high-tensile chain. The power of the hard blow was enough to knock Hulk to the ground, with another hit almost rendering Hulk unable to move while Abomination relished at all of the painful sufferings he was inflicting onto Hulk.

With Hulk seemingly unable to continue the fight, Abomination then turned his attention to Ross, swinging the concrete pillar and chain to kill Betty and the general. As Abomination inquired as to whether they had any last words, Hulk rushed to his feet and uttered "Hulk Smash!" as he stamped on the ground, shattering the concrete and trapping one of Abomination's legs. As Abomination lost his footing, the chain flew into the air and wrapped itself around his neck.

Charging back into the battle, Hulk then grabbed the chain and began strangling Abomination. The pair engaged in a brutal fight, as Abomination desperately tried to free himself from Hulk's powerful grasp as he struggled for air, with Hulk even managing to rip out one of Abomination's exposed elbows and stabbing him with it. Poised to deliver a final blow and crush Abomination's throat, Hulk was stopped in the act of killing by the intervention of Betty as Hulk finally let out a powerful, victorious roar.

With Abomination finally defeated, members of the New York City Police Department as well as the Strategic Operations Command Center arrived on the scene with the guns aimed directly at Hulk. However, Ross ordered all the men to lower the weapons as Hulk and Betty had a moment as they briefly looked at one another. As more soldiers arrived in a helicopter, Hulk was left with no other option and fled the scene to avoid capture.

#### Learning to Control Hulk

*"You've been more than a year without an incident. I don't think you wanna break that streak."*
―Natasha Romanoff to Bruce Banner[src]
Thirty-one days after his fight with Abomination, Banner arrived at a cabin in Bella Coola, British Columbia. Having repurchased Betty Ross' necklace from a pawn shop, he left the necklace in a letter addressed to Ross. After his first success in controlling Hulk, Banner focused on trying to gain control over Hulk instead of suppressing it.

Banner eventually managed to learn how to retain control over his alter-ego if he chose to transform. Banner traveled to Asia, crossing the border from Pakistan into India, where an incident involving some local mercenary bandits soon forced him into transforming into Hulk and protecting local residents from the attempted terrorist attack. However, Banner continued to reside in India for over a year and focused his efforts on helping others.

### Chitauri Invasion

#### Recruited by Tony Stark

One evening, in December 2023, Banner was approached by a girl that claimed her parents were very ill. He followed her to her home on the outskirts of the city where she made a quick escape. Banner remarked to himself that he should have been paid upfront. To his surprise, he was approached by Tony Stark. Banner asked Stark if he was sent there to kill him, to which he assured him that he was sent by S.H.I.E.L.D. Suspicious, Banner suggested that the building was already surrounded.

#### Working with S.H.I.E.L.D.

*"You really have got a lid on it, haven't you? What's your secret? Mellow jazz? Bongo drums? Huge bag of weed?""Is everything a joke to you? Threatening the safety of everyone on this ship isn't funny. No offense, Doctor.""No, it's all right. I wouldn't have come aboard if I couldn't handle pointy things."*
―Tony Stark, Steve Rogers and Bruce Banner[src]
#### Attack on the Helicarrier

*"Sir, the Hulk will tear this place apart!"*
*"Get his attention."*
―Maria Hill and Nick Fury[src]
#### Battle of New York

*"Dr. Banner, now might be a really good time for you to get angry."*
*"That's my secret, Cap. I'm always angry."*
―Captain America and Bruce Banner[src]
Banner arrived during the midst of the Battle of New York, where he apologized to Hank Pym for attacking her earlier. As Captain America informed Iron Man that the latter's prediction of Banner returning had come true, Iron Man informed them that he was leading an enemy towards them.

As the Avengers witnessed the Leviathan heading their way, Banner made his way towards the creature. As Captain America claimed that now would be a good time for Banner to get angry, Banner responded that his secret to learning how to induce a controlled transformation was that he was always angry. Banner then instantly transformed into Hulk, stopping the Leviathan with one punch, causing its armor plates to fall off and allowing Iron Man to kill it. Hulk then roared out loud as he joined the Avengers and was tasked by Captain America to "smash" the Chitauri.

Hulk threw himself at the Chitauri army, immediately killing many soldiers climbing buildings, using his incredible strength and leaping abilities he was able to leap high in the air and hit the Chitauri Chariots out of the sky. Landing on the streets on New York, Hulk repeatedly smashed a car on top of a Chitauri soldier, before furiously ripping off the tire and jumping on the car as he continued smashing his enemies. Hulk also killed several Leviathan creatures, battling on top of one alongside Thor. Together, they killed one and caused it to crash into the Grand Central Terminal. As they took a moment to catch their breath, Banner punched Thor across the room, getting revenge for their earlier fight.

Continuing to fight the Chitauri on the streets, Banner witnessed Loki being knocked off his glider and into Stark Tower. Hulk then bounded into the skyscraper and prepared to attack Loki but stopped at Loki's command. Loki then declared that he was a god and referred to Hulk as a dull creature but was unable to finish his speech as Banner grabbed him by the legs and repeatedly flung him into the ground. As the defeated Loki whined in pain, Hulk referred to Loki as "puny god" as he walked away.

Returning outside, Banner rejoined the battle, prompting a Chitauri commander to order the Chitauri Chariots to all fire down at him together. While Hulk survived the onslaught, the attack caused him to have a nosebleed. As the battle looked almost hopeless, the World Security Council eventually sent a nuclear missile to destroy Manhattan.

Stark flew the missile to the Wormhole, destroying the Chitauri Command Center which in turn killed all of the Chitauri on Earth. While Stark managed to fall back through the wormhole to New York, he fell unconscious and his suit had lost its power. As Stark plummeted down, Banner leaped up and grabbed him, saving his life. He observed the unconscious Stark alongside Thor and Captain America, who feared Stark had died, although Hulk roared in his face and woke him up.

## Personalities

### Bruce Banner's Personality

Bruce Banner is shown as a mild-mannered, mysterious, shy, logical and analytical man of science. The incident at Culver University caused Banner to become somewhat mentally troubled and obsessed with finding a cure for his mutation. He is compassionate and afraid of hurting someone unintentionally, so he tries not to get close to something or someone that leaves him stressed.

Ever since his first transformation Banner was terribly afraid of Hulk and the risk of him hurting those around him. He abandoned everyone and everything he cared about and became a fugitive for years to prevent Hulk's power from falling into the wrong hands, while desperately searching for a cure and attempting to avoid transforming at all costs. On some occasions, he lost hope of getting rid of his other persona and showed suicidal tendencies, attempting to kill himself once. Banner also appears to suffer from post-traumatic stress, such as being awakened by nightmares of Hulk being shot by Emil Blonsky or falling into the bathtub when the shower reminded him of a minigun that previously attacked Hulk and Betty Ross.

### Hulk's Personality

Hulk is more primitive and illogical, with his senses amplified to such an extent that it is difficult for his brain to process it all. In his earliest transformations, Hulk appeared as a simple-minded savage with little to no ability to distinguish friend from foe. Because of this, he was responsible for the deaths of two scientists, an army officer, a police officer from Idaho, and two Canadian hunters when he was a fugitive. However, while extremely aggressive and destructive, Hulk primarily attacked when provoked as a form of self-defense and wanted to be alone, often fleeing and ending up in areas uninhabited by humans like caves or forests to calm himself.

Hulk keeps fragments of Banner's personality and gradually attained a better reasoning capacity over time, becoming able to show affection, demonstrating a capacity to work collaboratively with others once they've established a rapport with him, and evidencing he's capable of directing his savagery at foes instead of allies. Betty suggested that this is because Banner's mind is still within Hulk and can influence his behavior to a degree.

## Powers and Abilities

### Powers

* **Artificially Enhanced Physiology**: Bruce Banner subjected himself to a recreated version of the Super Soldier Serum in an attempt to replicate the same results to the original Project Rebirth from World War II, albeit substituting vita radiation with gamma radiation. As a result, Banner was able to transform into Hulk when his heart rate increases to high levels or when he loses control of his emotions, thus transforming back to his original human form when calmed or rested. The process involving gamma energy that abates in his body, with an initial pulse in his amygdala and a chemical reaction that produces a myostatin primer, changes his metabolism, musculature, bone structure, skin, size, color and durability, which results in his superhuman powers. As Hulk, Banner is a giant, green-skinned humanoid with immense strength and is one of the most physically powerful beings on Earth. Director S.H.I.E.L.D. Nick Fury classified Hulk as **THREAT LEVEL RED**, only to be dealt with using surveillance in the future.
	+ **Superhuman Strength**: Hulk's primary power is his immense superhuman strength, which can be augmented by his rage. His incredible high-level of superhuman strength allows him to perform feats such as ripping apart steel, destroying vehicles with a single punch, stopping a speeding Humvee in its tracks by stomping it into the ground, and stopping a massive Leviathan with a single punch. In combat, Hulk often uses his strength to throw heavy objects such as vehicles or his smaller opponents in order to defeat his enemies, such as when Hulk threw a human-sized Emil Blonsky more than 40 feet away with a single kick (leading a doctor to state that most of his bones looked like crushed gravel afterwards, even with his enhancements) or when he hurled Loki around repeatedly while holding him by the leg. Overall, few individuals have been able to match or surpass Hulk's strength, such as Abomination, who despite his greater base level of strength ultimately succumbed to Hulk's when he endangered the life of Betty Ross, angering him enough to overpower the gamma monster. Hulk was also able to lift and throw a Chitauri a great distance.
	+ **Superhuman Durability**: Hulk is able to withstand blows and attacks of considerable force; tranquilizer darts and even high caliber bullets bounce off him, and flames cause him no damage whatsoever. His bones, skin, and muscles have an extreme density, and he possesses a high degree of resistance to injury, pain, and disease. Hulk has bulletproofed skin and near unbreakable bones. Hulk also withstood multiple energy blasts from Chitauri weaponry, extreme cold in the Arctic, and great impacts from heights of several miles (though the impact knocked him unconscious, forcing him to revert into Banner). In addition, Iron Man noted the amount of gamma radiation Banner was exposed to would have killed him if it had not given him the ability to transform into Hulk. Only beings with incredible force or extremely powerful weapons can harm him, such as when Hulk was painfully pierced by Abomination's skeletal spike.
	+ **Superhuman Speed**: Regardless of his size, Hulk can run and move at great superhuman speed, allowing him to run at speeds that are far beyond the natural physical limits of a human being. After the Ambush in Rio de Janeiro, Hulk traveled on foot from southeastern Brazil to the forests of Guatemala in a single night, covering at least from 4,000 (6,500 km) to 4,100 miles (6,600 km) in over 7 to 10 hours, implying his superhuman displays of leaping power, speed and stamina.
	+ **Superhuman Agility**: Regardless of his size, Hulk can leap great distances and heights with precision due to the superhuman strength in his legs. His powerful legs can leap hundreds of meters. His powerful legs can leap hundreds of meters. Allowing him to reach the top of Stark Tower from ground level in a single leap.
	+ **Superhuman Stamina**: Hulk has substantially greater endurance than a normal human, allowing him to run and fight for extremely long periods of time. Hulk has the ability to withstand major amounts of damage without breaking a sweat.
	+ **Superhuman Reflexes**: Hulk can react and dodge objects traveling at high speeds.
	+ **Regenerative Healing Factor**: Should he receive damage that penetrates his extreme durability, his biology has a very high rate of cellular regeneration. Grievous bodily harm has also proven to be a trigger for Banner's transformations, and he has recovered from otherwise fatal injuries sustained in his normal form. Banner said he tried to put a bullet in his mouth, but the "other guy" merely spit it out. Hulk also has an enhanced immune system; Samuel Sterns described that a synthesized sample of Banner's blood would make humans impervious to diseases. These attributes make him extremely difficult to kill, even if he is in his human form. During his fight with Abomination, Hulk suffered a strike to the chest, but it has since healed well leaving only a scar.
	+ **Radiation Immunity**: Due to the exposure of high levels of gamma radiation, Banner has developed a high level of immunity to radiation.

* **Transformation**: After being exposed to gamma radiation, Banner was able to morph from his human form to his Hulk form. His skin turns green and hardens as his size and musculature becomes gigantic, with his eyes occasionally turning green as well. Unable to control the transformation, Banner would involuntarily transform into Hulk if his heart rate exceeded 200 beats per minute, usually caused by strong emotional responses like anger or stress. The transformation process is often physically excruciating and exhausting. According to Samuel Sterns, the transformation is triggered when an electric pulse generated on the amygdala increases the gamma radiation of Bruce's cells. Betty Ross' reagent allows the cells to absorb the energy temporarily, which then abates, resulting in a chemical reaction that produces a myostatin primer. When Hulk transforms back into Banner, the excess muscle mass and energy is dissipated, with the metabolic shift in his system requiring him to refuel. The total time of transformation falls anywhere between seconds to several minutes, depending on the initial adrenaline surge, which will be determined by the original stimulus. Despite Banner's initial inability to control the transformations, he managed to attain some level of control through training and practice, and Banner's consciousness is buried within Hulk, influencing his behavior to a very limited extent. If a transformation was occurring and Banner unsuccessfully attempted to repress it, the Hulk personality would be in control; however, if Banner willingly allowed himself to transform, he would retain some mental control over Hulk.

### Abilities

* **Genius-Level Intellect**: Bruce Banner is among the smartest humans in the world. Hence, Banner achieved his doctorate at Harvard University and worked as a biochemist and nuclear physics professor at Culver University. Among them, he is the world's foremost expert on Gamma Radiation. He has a M.D. and 7 PhDs, in Nuclear physics, Biochemistry, Radiophysics, Engineering, Robotics, Computer science, and Mathematics.
* **Master Scientist**: Banner is an ingeniously resourceful and brilliant scientist who is extremely skilled in many different fields of science, notably biochemistry and nuclear physics, being a former professor at Culver University, and one of the world's most renown scientists overall. Banner was able to replicate to a certain degree the Super Soldier Serum, a feat many other scientists were unable to accomplish.
* **Expert Tactician**: Banner has over the years become an expert in developing strategies to go unnoticed and run from the government, military, by using his intellect to quickly evaluate his surroundings and develop feasible escape strategies. As such, Banner also became quite skilled at going undercover.
* **Expert Combatant**: As Hulk, while having no formal training from the beginning, he is a formidable and experienced hand-to-hand combatant simply due to his great physical attributes. Hulk often engages his enemies using brawling techniques and street fighting skills that make full use of his incredible strength and also employs pieces of his immediate environment to fight with, often using them as range projectiles to strike distant targets, while sometimes for melee attacks or protection. He demonstrated proficiency in boxing against Abomination.
* **Martial Artist**: Banner learned Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Aikido and basic meditative breathing techniques in Brazil from a martial arts expert. This allowed him to defeat the Tough Guy Leader and his thugs when he was confronted by them.
* **Multilingualism**: Banner is fluent in his native English, as well as some Hindi, Spanish, and Portuguese. However, he only demonstrated fluency in Hindi, while in Kolkata, and had notable trouble with Spanish and Portuguese while in South America, occasionally mixing up words. According to his S.H.I.E.L.D. file, Banner can speak English, Latin, Portuguese, Malay, and Punjabi.

## Relationships

### Allies

#### Current

* Culver University
	+ Betty Ross - Ex-Girlfriend and Former Colleague
	+ Samuel Sterns - Contact
	+ Rick Jones - Friend
* S.H.I.E.L.D. - Former Enemies
	+ Nick Fury
	+ Maria Hill
	+ Phil Coulson
	+ Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow
* Avengers - Teammates and Friends
	+ Steve Rogers/Captain America - Co-Leader
	+ Tony Stark/Iron Man - Co-Leader, Recruiter and Close Friend
	+ Thor Odinson - "Hulk's" smashing buddy
	+ Hank Pym/Ant-Man
	+ Janet van Dyne/Wasp
* J.A.R.V.I.S.

### Enemies

#### Current

* United States Army
	+ Thaddeus Ross - Former Superior

#### Former

* Emil Blonsky/Abomination - Attempted Killer and Attempted Victim; incarcerated
* Loki; sent to asgard
	+ Chitauri
	+ Leviathans

## Appearances

In chronological order:

* The Incredible Hulk
* The Avengers

## Behind the Scenes

* Hulk's origin in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a combination of the Ultimate comics version, where his transformation was the result of an attempt to recreate the Super Soldier Serum and 1970s television version, who was overexposed to gamma radiation on a Gamma Ray Projector.