Thunderbolt Ross
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| General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross | |
 Art by John Romita Jr. |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Incredible Hulk #1 (May 1962) |
| Created by | Stan Lee Jack Kirby |
| In story information | |
| Full name | General Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross |
| Team affiliations | Hulkbusters, United States military |
General Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross is a fictional character of Marvel Comics. He is a United States military officer, the father of Betty Ross Banner, ex-father in-law of Glenn Talbot and the father in-law of Dr. Bruce Banner, who transforms into an immensely powerful monster known as the Hulk.
A veteran of several wars, Ross was the military head of the Gamma Bomb Project although he treated the project's research head, Banner, with contempt. When Banner is caught in a test blast of the weapon and acquired his Hulk condition, Ross personally volunteers to kill the monster. As he is not initially aware of the truth of Banner's condition, Ross merely suspects he is a compatriot of the beast. However, when he does learn the truth, Ross hunts Banner as well.
Originally, many early Hulk stories had General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross as an Army general trying to capture or destroy the Hulk with his U.S. Army battalion, called the "Hulkbusters". Ross' military affiliation has been inconsistently portrayed in the comics. At times, Ross has been portrayed as an Army general. However, he is also frequently seen in an Air Force uniform, and indeed, he wore Air Force blues in his first appearance in Incredible Hulk #1. However, stories about his service during World War II correctly portray him as an Army officer in the Army Air Forces. The army continuity would be maintained in various other tellings of the Hulk story, such as in the original 1965 and 1990 cartoon versions of the Hulk as well as the Ang Lee movie. The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Hulk 2004 issue officially lists Ross as a Lieutenant General (3 stars) in the U.S. Air Force.
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[edit] Fictional character biography
Ross is a General in the Air Force who is in charge of Bruce Banner's gamma bomb project. His daughter, Betty, takes a liking to the young scientist, a fact which only enhances the dislike the rough Ross has for the "weakling" scientist Banner. After Banner's transformation into the Hulk, Ross spends years chasing the monster, becoming obsessed enough with it to commit treason by allying himself with the Leader, MODOK and the Abomination[1] in order to destroy the Hulk. Dishonorably discharged, he shows up at Betty and Bruce's wedding with a gun, and shoots Rick Jones. He is recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Clay Quartermain to merge with the electric creature Zzzax, a process that gives Ross superpowers, but also makes him mentally unstable. He is later restored to human form but retains some residual energy-generating powers.
Finally, a mutant who drains people of their mental energy attacks Gamma base in search for a strong host, in this case the Hulk. After witnessing Rick Jones (who was the Hulk at that time) and Banner heroically engaging the mutant, Ross, realizing that he has been wrong about the Hulk being a mindless monster, saves his daughter from being slain by allowing the mutant to latch onto him, and discharging the energy resources he retained from Zzzax. Giving his blessing to Bruce and Betty, he dies in his daughter's arms.
Ross' body is later stolen by the Leader (from an ambulance), who uses the powers of one of his followers to resurrect Ross. He turns him into a mindless replacement for his fallen soldier Redeemer. Ross is eventually recovered and revived by agents of the alien Troyjan, and returns to the Air Force. He would later come up with a more cost-effective method of confronting the Hulk when he is in his child-like stage: active non-resistance. He and his men simply do not fire on or engage the Hulk in any way. The Hulk, confused, does not smash and leaps away.
Ross would make friends with Banner, but when Betty was seemingly killed due to what both Ross and Banner believed to have been Banner's gamma-irradiated DNA interacting with hers, he once more pursues the Hulk with a vendetta.
Around this time, General Ryker takes over the pursuit of the Hulk. Ross is indirectly involved, observing when Ryker mentally tortures Banner in order to try and figure out how the Hulk works.
The Hulk escapes from Ryker's control and after several adventures, is lost in space.
After the Hulk returns from exile and initiates World War Hulk, General Ross makes his own return, electing to bring the fight to his nemesis once more after Iron Man is felled by the goliath. Ross now wears the stars of a full general. After a failed assault on the Hulk, Ross and his men are captured and placed in chains under the watch of Hulk's Warbound, the army he has brought back from space.
In the aftermath of the War, Ross is one of many experts called to investigate the appearance of a Red Hulk.[2]
[edit] Other versions
[edit] 1602
In the Marvel 1602 sequel 1602: New World, an Admiral Ross of the Royal Navy captains a vessel sent to Roanoke to quell the "Witchbreed", including the 1602 version of the Hulk.
[edit] Age of Apocalypse
In the Age of Apocalypse, General "Thunderbolt" Ross is a member of the Human High Council; a movement dedicated to protecting humans from the murderous rampages of Apocalypse.
[edit] Ultimate General Ross
In the Ultimate Marvel universe, General Ross (clearly identified in Ultimate FF #1 as an Army general) is the head of S.H.I.E.L.D..
He decides to shut down the Weapon X program. Its director, John Wraith, stages a coup attempt by bombing Ross' offices. He somehow survives this, waking up on the autopsy table and telling the attendant "Hands off my precious bodily fluids, soldier." a nod to General Ripper of Dr. Strangelove. His body still physically damaged he has retired from active S.H.I.E.L.D. duty and has taken a role as a liaison of the government for the think tank headquartered in the Baxter Building, the one that runs the Fantastic Four.
[edit] Amalgam Comcs
Ross appears as the head of Project Cadmus. He is a far more likeable character, as he adopts Spider-Boy, giving him the name Pete Ross, after feeling sorry for the clone. He plays a role similar to Uncle Ben, as he is called "Uncle Gen" by Pete, and after he is killed by a mugger, Pete decides to become a hero.
[edit] In other media
[edit] The Incredible Hulk (1996 TV series)
- In the 1996 UPN The Incredible Hulk animated series, General Ross appears, voiced by actor John Vernon. He sends Army forces and Hulkbusters to capture or destroy the Hulk, but Ross is also capable of fighting the Hulk one-on-one, using a laser gun Bruce Banner created against the creature in Return of the Beast, part 1 and 2, and again in Darkness and Light, part 3. Like in the comics, Ross is a 3-star general.
[edit] Hulk (film)
- Actor Sam Elliott played the role of General Ross in the 2003 movie Hulk, directed by Ang Lee. The film portrays him as a 4-star general. In the film, it is revealed that Ross was responsible for locking away David Banner, Bruce's father, when Bruce was 4 years old after learning of David's dangerous experiments. He thinks that both Bruce and David are dangerous to his daughter, Betty. His motive of thinking is that Bruce is dangerous because he might follow in the footsteps of his father, who was creating the same experiment in Bruce's childhood. Ross hunts the Hulk after the Hulk breaks out of the military base. Upon discovering that Bruce Banner is the Hulk, he releases David and takes him to Bruce. When David transforms into a being similar to Absorbing Man, Ross deploys a bomb in order to destroy David. Months after that event, Ross talks to Betty, who was sad from the loss of Bruce, who is believed dead. He asks her if she can do anything to find him, which she denies.
[edit] The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
- In The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction video game, General Ross appears as one of the major bosses. Ross is voiced by Dave Thomas. In the game, he teams up with Emil Blonsky to get rid of the Hulk by sending armed forces. In the Proving Grounds section, Ross creates the Hulkbuster Destroyer prototype to battle the Hulk but destroyed it. In Turning Point, Ross creates a Hulkbuster titan for him to control that can shoot missiles, chainguns, and laser beams. After the Hulk's capture, Ross opens his mind, and Samson reminds him to treat Banner fairly. After Hulk and Abomination destroys his base, Ross orders his enforcers to destroy the two. Ross is revealed to be a 4-star general.
[edit] Fantastic Four (2006 TV series)
- Thunderbolt Ross made a cameo at the end of the Fantastic Four episode "Hard Knocks" when the Army arrests Agent Pratt.
[edit] The Incredible Hulk (film)
- William Hurt will portray General Ross in director Louis Leterrier's The Incredible Hulk scheduled for a June 13, 2008 release.[3]
