You probably recognize the big, green Avenger in the picture above.That's the Hulk. When he is in a good mood, he is Robert Bruce Banner, brilliant nuclear physicist with a bit of an anger management problem.
In 1962, Marvel introduced this new character.
Bruce's father also worked in atomic sciences, and he was convinced that somehow, his radiation exposure had given his son mutated genes. He thought that the boy's strength and amazing intellect was the result of some sort of freak DNA accident.
The elder Banner, (Dr. Brian Banner) became obsessed with these thoughts and over time, his neurosis drove him to alcoholism and he was a nasty abusive man. Terrible things happened in the Banner household and when all was said and done, Brian was institutionalized, his wife was deceased, and his son went to live with relatives.
Bruce Banner continued to suffer - now at the hands of bullies. He began to develop two personalities. The angry Bruce filled with pain, rage, and hatred, coupled with the mild mannered Bruce who was hyperintelligent, and very sensitive.
After dealing with school bullies in a highly ineffective manner, Bruce was expelled. However, his methodology was noticed by the United States government, who quickly instructed the military to keep an eye on him.
Eventually, Dr. Robert Bruce Banner graduated with a doctorate in nuclear physics and went to work for the Department of Defense where his plans for a gamma radiation bomb come together. He also meets the girl of his dreams there - the boss's daughter - Betty Ross.
On the day the bomb is to be tested, Bruce sneaks into the test area into a shielded spot. He would have been safe, except - just before detonation, he sees a young boy, Rick Jones, out on the test feild. He jumps out to protect him, and gets him into a trench, but absorbs a massive amount of the radiation.
It turns out, Bruce's father was right. The boy DID have a gene mutation. One that allowed him to withstand the gamma rays. But at a price.
The result was:
Whenever his pulse races, and he loses control of his anger, the big, green, rampaging beast (with underdeveloped verbal skills) would appear, and he is terrifying! Only Betty and Rick Jones still see him as the man and not the monster.
From there, my green friend has had many writers, many incarnations, and many faces. He has had a TV series, animated series, and films.
Most recently, he was in the Avengers film, played by Mark Ruffalo. I was happy that Hulk had some excellent lines, and great scenes.
And this - is my favorite Hulk of them all... <3
Thanks to Jenny who hosts AlphabeThursday each week at ...off on my tangent...
