The Hulk (Bruce Banner)

Robert "Bruce" Banner was born to Dr. Brian and Rebecca Banner in Dayton, Ohio. Brian never wanted to have a baby but his wife convinced him. Brian believed that his work with radiation, as he was an atomic scientist, had turned his son into an abomination. He was also driven insane by jealousy as he thought that Bruce had stolen Rebecca's love for him. So, he began to drink and physically abuse Bruce. Bruce found solace in spending summer-time in books with his cousin, Jennifer Walters. After Brian killed Rebecca and was placed in a mental asylum, Bruce was raised by Susan Banner. Susan was Bruce's aunt and understood all the pain as well as suffering he had undergone with his father. She cared for him as if he were her own child. From there, Bruce had a very happy childhood and grew into a highly intellectual youth. One day, when visiting Jennifer at Los Angeles, Bruce managed to save her when she was shot and severely wounded. He was told by the medical staff that Jen needed a blood transfusion after quickly rushing her to a local hospital. Bruce gave his blood while keeping in mind both the facts that his blood had gamma radiation and his cousin was dying.Bruce hulked-out due to the stress of the situation and fear of losing Jen. Then, he leapt away from the hospital. After graduating from the Science High School, Bruce studied nuclear physics at the Desert State University in Navapo, New Mexico. He also studied for a time at Harvard University. He was transferred to Pennsylvania State University where worked with Walter Langkowski, who had a similar interest in gamma radiation. It was during his time there that Banner found inspiration from Albert Einstein. Bruce obtained his doctorate in nuclear physics at Caltech. Banner couldn't receive any financial funding for his projects, and had to work at a United States Defense Department nuclear research facility at the Desert Base, New Mexico. There, Banner met Gen. Thaddeus Ross and Betty Ross. Ross was the Air Force officer in command of the base. Banner and Betty, Ross's daughter, fell in love with each other. Banner designed and oversaw construction of a "Gamma(or G-) Bomb." The bomb was a high gamma radiation-possessing nuclear weapon. He met another brilliant mind known as Tony Stark at the Oxford University. Rick Jones offered to take up a teenager on the challenge of riding out with him to the desert, where the bomb was going to be tested. He drove his car out to the test site and discover his challenger was too timid to show up. Bruce learned that someone had ventured onto the test site and, assuming the countdown had been delayed, ran out to the desert to warn him. Bruce managed to throw Rick into a protective trench but himself was bombarded with gamma radiation. This radiation triggered a mutagenic change in him and caused him to turn into the Hulk. Feeling responsible for this and being the only person to know that the Hulk was actually Bruce, Rick became his companion and ally.