Robert Bruce Banner

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Alias: Hulk
Place of birth: Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA


Eyes: Bruce Banner: Brown
Hair: Bruce Banner: Brown
Height: Bruce Banner: 5'9''
Weight: Bruce Banner: 128 lbs.
Race: Human


Occupation: Unemployed, former nuclear physicist
Legal status: U.S. citizen
Marital Status: Widowed
Identity: Publicly known
Known relatives: Brian Banner (father, deceased)
Group affiliation: Avengers
Base of operations: Mobile


Story: The scientist Bruce Banner had created a new type of bomb called the gamma-bomb or the G-bomb. On the day he and the military were going to test the bomb he met Betty Ross. While the countdown was on, Banner suddenly discovered a young man driving into the test site. The youth, Rick Jones had made a bet that he didn't have the nerve to sneak past the guards. Banner's assistant, Igor, who wanted the formula for the bomb for himself, detonated the bomb before Banner got into safety [Incredible Hulk (vol. 1) #1].

Banner miraculously survived. When he woke up back at the base, he gave off radiation and when the sun went down he was transformed into a monstrous looking hulk. The first time of his transformation he was gray but soon changed into green [Incredible Hulk (vol. 1) #2] (Later revisions have kept him gray for a longer time). Hulk and Bruce Banner were two different personalities. Bruce Banner knew he was the Hulk but Hulk did not really understand that he was also Banner.

To keep the Hulk in check until he could cure himself, Banner made a cell in a cavern he had discovered earlier [Incredible Hulk (vol. 1) #2]. Here he could lock up the Hulk until it became day. The conditions for change changed shortly after.


Continuity: Marvel Universe (616)
Publisher(s): Marvel Comics
First app.: Incredible Hulk (vol. 1) #1 (1962)
Creator(s): Stan Lee
Country of origin: USA


Background notes: Having been a comic book icon for 40 years, the Hulk has been adapted in other medias than comics.

Incredible Hulk was done as a TV series which ran over 82 episodes from 1977 to 1982. The TV series deviated in many ways from the comic. Bruce Banner was renamed David Banner, and his origin was changed from a gamma bomb blast to gamma injections. Also he was given a sister, Helen Banner, and two wives, Laura and Carolyn Fields. David Banner was played by Bill Bixby, who also instructed some of the episodes, and Lou Ferrigno played the Hulk. After the TV series, three TV moves were made in 1988,1989,and 1990. After the death of Bill Bixby in 1990 the series was finally stopped. The latest Hulk movie was the 2003 movie "Hulk" featuring Eric Bana as bruce Banner and Hulk done with CGI.

Incredible Hulk was also made into a cartoon. Three times actually. The cartoon were all closer to the comic book continuity than the TV series. Especially the 1966 series stuck to the comic book continuity.

The first series ran 39 episode in 1966-1983 and was made by Grantray-Lawrence Animation. The animations were not much more than pictures from the comic with a little movement added to the lips for speech.

The second series was made by Marvel and ran 13 episode in 1981-1983. The voice of Bruce Banner/Hulk was done by Peter Cullen.

The third series, also made by Marvel, ran 21 episode in 1996-1997. The voice of Bruce Banner was done by Neal McDonough and the voice of the Hulk by Lou Ferrigno.

Following the Hulk movie in 2003, a Hulk computer game was released. The game was released for PC, xbox, PlayStation 2 and GameCube. A game for GameBoy Advance has also been made in 2003.


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