General Thunderbolt Ross’s Lifelong Vendetta Against the Hulk Led to His Transformation into the Red Hulk
By ATC
Long before he bulked up into the Red Hulk, General Thadeus “Thunderbolt” Ross was already giving Bruce Banner nightmares. Debuting in The Incredible Hulk #1, courtesy of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Ross was your typical gruff, trigger-happy military man. Hailing from a lineage of military service dating back to the Civil War, he was as American as apple pie—and as stubborn as a mule. Ross served as the military attaché on the gamma bomb project in New Mexico, which, surprise, surprise, transformed Bruce Banner into the Hulk. Understandably peeved that a scientist had the final say over the project, Ross developed a lifelong obsession with capturing the green giant.
Complicating matters was his daughter, Betty, who had the audacity to fall in love with Banner. This made Ross’s vendetta against the Hulk a tangled web of military duty and personal grudges. If you’re drafting a list of the Hulk’s top adversaries, make sure General Ross is at the top.
General Ross: The Hulk’s Ultimate Foe
Ross wasn’t just your average military man; he was a World War II veteran turned Air Force General with an excess of jingoistic fervor. Despising Banner for his perceived weakness, Ross wanted his daughter to marry a military man, not a frail scientist. When Banner turned into the Hulk, Ross allied with villains like Abomination and the Leader, committing borderline treason in his obsessive quest to capture the Jade Giant. Heading operations like Greenskin out of Hulkbuster Base, Ross was relentless.
Thunderbolt Ross: His Fall and Revival
Years of futile attempts to stop the Hulk culminated in Ross merging with the energy being Zzzax to fight him. His lowest point came when he tried to shoot Banner at his wedding but ended up shooting Rick Jones instead. Finally realizing his mistake, Ross helped Banner fight a mutant threat, only to die in Betty’s arms, giving the couple his blessing. But, in the Marvel universe, death is more of a suggestion than a rule.
Ross’s Resurgence as the Red Hulk
Ross’s resurrection by the gamma-powered Leader set the stage for his most dramatic transformation. In 2008, 45 years after his creation, he debuted as the Red Hulk in Hulk #1, thanks to writer Jeph Loeb and artist Ed McGuinness. This crimson doppelgänger of the Hulk, whose true identity was shrouded in mystery for two years, was stronger, smarter, and more ruthless. It wasn’t until Hulk #23 that Marvel revealed General Ross as the Red Hulk, courtesy of M.O.D.O.K. and some cosmic ray manipulation.
The Red Hulk’s Unique Powers and Moral Ambiguity
Unlike the green Hulk, Red Hulk can emit heat from his eyes and absorb various types of energy, including gamma radiation. His strength and cunning made him a formidable foe, though he couldn’t revert to human form without fatal consequences. Initially a villain, Red Hulk eventually reformed, joining the Avengers and later the Thunderbolts.
General Ross in the MCU and Beyond
In the MCU, William Hurt brought Thunderbolt Ross to life, portraying him as a military general turned Secretary of State. Harrison Ford is now taking over the role in Captain America: Brave New World, where Ross, now President of the United States, will likely morph into the Red Hulk. Expect political intrigue, gamma radiation, and probably some collateral damage.
And there you have it—General Thadeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, the military man who took his job a tad too seriously, transforming into the Red Hulk. Stay tuned for more gamma-powered chaos.
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