The Hulk

Super Name: Hulk
Real Name: Robert Bruce Banner
Publisher: Marvel
Creators: Stan Lee,Jack Kirby
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 9 1/2" (Banner), 7'-8' (Savage Hulk), 6'6" (Gray Hulk/Joe Fixit), 7'6" (Merged Hulk), 8'8" (Green Scar).
Weight: 145 lbs (Banner), 1,040 lbs-1,400 lbs (Savage Hulk), 900 lbs (Joe Fixit), 1,150 lbs (Merged Hulk), 2,400 lbs (Green Scar)
Hair Color: Brown (Banner), Green (Green Hulk), Black (Joe Fixit/Gray Hulk)
Eyes Color: Brown (Banner), Black/Grey (Gray Hulk/Joe Fixit), Green (Green Hulk/Green Scar)
Place of Birth: Dayton, Ohio
Citizenship: USA
Education: PhDs in nuclear physics, and two other fields
Occupation: Hunter, former nuclear physicist, former warrior, ruler of Sakaar, gladiator/slave, adventurer, mechanic, enforcer, research scientist,
Character Type: Radiation
First Appearance: The Incredible Hulk #1 - The Coming of the Hulk
Appears in: 5154 issues
Birthday: n/a
Died: Onslaught: Marvel Universe #1 - With Great Power...
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #11 - ...And Dust to Dust!

Origin:

Robert Bruce Banner was born to atomic scientist Dr. Brian Banner and his wife, Rebecca. Although deeply loved by his mother, Bruce’s father who was mentally unstable harbored a deep jealousy and hatred for him. Brian was convinced that his work in atomic science had altered his genetic structure and because of this he also feared that Bruce would grow up a genetic freak, when actually, Bruce was just a very gifted and intelligent child. While growing up Bruce was subjected to Brian’s drunken rages and abuse, as was his mother. Tragically, Rebecca was killed by Brian when she attempted to take young Bruce and leave him. His mother's murder and his father's arrest left Bruce in the care of his aunt, Mrs. Drake, and he grew up a social outcast due to the trauma of being abused by his father as well as witnessing his mother’s abuse and murder at the hands of his father.

After graduating high school, Bruce began studying nuclear physics at Desert State University and later at the California Institute of Technology. He gained employment with the military at Desert Base, New Mexico under the command of General “Thunderbolt” Ross, who was overseeing the test of Banner’s newly-created Gamma Bomb. It was here that he met Ross’s daughter, Betty and the two found a mutual attraction. On the day of the bomb’s scheduled detonation Banner saw someone in the testing area. Hoping to rescue this person, Banner went into the testing area where he encountered the person he'd seen; a young teenager named Rick Jones, who had sneaked onto the test site on a dare. Banner managed to push Jones to safety. However, rather than delay the countdown and halt the detonation as instructed, Banner’s assistant Igor Starsky, (in reality, a foreign secret agent named Igor Drenkov) allowed the countdown and the subsequent detonation to occur. This resulted in Banner being caught in the Gamma Bomb explosion and thus exposed to an incredibly massive amount of gamma radiation. Banner and Jones were later picked up by the base's military personnel and taken back to Desert Base where they were placed in isolation and observation due to their exposure to gamma radiation. They were still in isolation at sundown when Banner transformed into a gray, monstrous, and lumbering brute for the first time. This brute was quickly dubbed “the Hulk” by military personnel.

Creation:

The character of the Hulk was created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee and first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 (May 1962). When creating the Hulk, Lee and Kirby were inspired by the horror/literature characters Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde. The Hulk has seen many writers at the helm, notably Lee himself and greats such as Bill Mantlo, Peter David and Greg Pak. Notable artists include Kirby, Marie Severin, Herb Trimpe, Sal Buscema, John Byrne, Todd McFarlane, Dale Keown, Gary Frank, Adam Kubert, Mike Deodato, Jr., and John Romita Jr.

Lee originally intended the Hulk to be colored gray, believing that "gray would be a heavy, dramatic, somber color, in keeping with the melodramatic mood we wanted to establish." However, initial copies of the first issue showed that the printers had a difficult time maintaining the gray color, and the decision was made to change his skin to the more familiar green. Until 1986, any and all reprints featuring the origin story would depict the Hulk with green skin until writer/artist John Byrne would incorporate the original gray coloring into canon in The Incredible Hulk #318.

Bruce Banner was originally meant to be his real name until the name was written as Bob in few comics. To amend this, his name became Robert Bruce Banner and he went by his middle name.

Major Stories:


Beginnings for the Hulk
A Rogues Gallary
Wedding of Bruce and Betty
The Hulk in Vegas
Evolutionary War
Atlantis Attacks
Professor Hulk
Infinity Gauntlet
Joining the Pantheon
The End of a Great Leader
Leader of the Pantheon
A Future Imperfect
Fall of the Pantheon
Brain Damage
Banner No More
Life Without Betty
Planet Hulk
World War Hulk
Planet Skaar
Red Hulk
Red & Green
Hulk No More
Fall of the Hulks
World War Hulks
Last Hulk Standing
Dark Son
Chaos War
God Smash
Planet Savage
Heart of The Monster
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D
Gods And Monster
Blind rage
AGENT OF TIME
Inhumanity Bomb

Powers:


Adaptive
Agility
Berserker Strength
Energy Absorption
Healing
Immortal
Intellect
Invulnerability
Longevity
Radiation
Shape Shifter
Stamina
Super Speed
Super Strength
Tracking
Unarmed Combat
Weapon Master
Physiology
Vast Superhuman Strength
The Hulk's feats
Superhuman Speed
Vast Superhuman Durability
Healing Factor
Astral Form Perception

Weaknesses:




Hulk's skin can be harmed by materials such as Adamantium and Vibranium. The Hulk can also be knocked out with gas, and is susceptible to mental attacks, but when extremely angry Hulk usually overpowers them. Arguably, when Hulk sees that he is being manipulated, he can overpower them. Like when Amora was manipulating the Hulk. After being manipulated initially, the spell broke when he sqashed the wasp between his hands. Afterwards when Amora tried to manipulate him again, Hulk broke through.