Gamer In Space: Phase 1 Part 7: The Incredible Hulk

Movie

Realeased: 2008

Director: Louis Leterrier

Rating: PG-13

Starring

Edward Norton as Bruce Banner

Liv Tyler as Betty Ross

Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky

William Hurt as General 'Thunderbolt' Ross

Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns

Ty Burrell as Leonard

Christina Cabot as Major Kathleen Sparr

The Introduction gives details on Banners failed experiment which resulted in the creation of the Hulk with nods to the 80's TV show version. The intro continues hinting at the destruction left in the wake of The Hulk, there are references to Stark Industries, Nick Fury and SHIELD as the images flick over the paperwork linked with the incident.

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Banner has secluded himself in Brazil and practicing to keep the Hulk under control, having been on the run from Ross and the Government.

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Banner watches television to help him learn Portuguese

Marvel Cameo 11

Bill Bixby

Bixby starred in shows like Valentine's Day and My Favourite Martian in the 60's, the Magician and Ironside in to 70's before starring as David Banner from 1977 - 1990 in the Incredible Hulk TV show and TV movies.

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Banner is learning Hokkaido to help supress the Hulk

Comic Character Bio

The Hulk

Real Name

Robert Bruce Banner

Notable Relatives

Brian Banner (father)

Rebecca Banner (mother)

Susan Drake-Banner (paternal aunt)

Betty Ross (first wife, estranged)

Caiera (second wife)

Jennifer Walters (She-Hulk) (cousin)

Skaar (son)

Hiro-Kala (son)

Lyra (She-Hulk) (daughter)

Bio

Robert Bruce Banner, son of Dr. Brian Banner, a physicist, and wife Rebecca. Although Rebecca loved Bruce, Brian hated him. Brian was jealousy of Bruce due to Rebecca's love for him. Brian thought that due to his work with radiation over the years meant that Bruce must be a mutant. This led Brian to physically abuse Bruce. Brian went onto murder his wife, and was placed in a mental hospital as a result. Bruce was then raised by his aunt, Susan. Bruce grew up highly withdrawn and a child prodigy.

As a young student Bruce met Tony Stark at Oxford University, they would have a scientific rivalry as well as becoming best friends. Banner went to work at a US nuclear research facility at Desert Base, New Mexico where he met General Ross and his daughter Betty Ross. Banner and Betty fell in love whilst Banner oversaw construction of a "Gamma Bomb".

Banner, present for the test detonation of the Gamma Bomb being conducted underground saw a civilian entering the test area, Banner tried to get his colleague to delay the countdown so he could help the civilian but Banners colleague, secretly a Soviet agent, did nothing, hoping that Banner would die in the explosion, stopping the project. Banner threw the civilian, a teenager named Rick Jones, into a protective trench.

Before Banner could get to safety, the Gamma Bomb detonated, irradiating Banner but due to an unknown genetic defect in his body, Banner was not killed but instead caused him to transform into The Hulk. At first Banner would only change into the Hulk at sunset and turn back into Banner at dawn, this would change and Banner's transformations into the Hulk were triggered when Banner became, excited or angry.

The Hulk possessed little of Banner's memory and intelligence and was easily angered causing him to go on the run from the military who wanted to contain and use him. Rick Jones who felt responsible for Banners accident, helped keep him away from the military.

First Appearance

Incredible Hulk #1

(May, 1962)

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To earn some money, Banner is working at a power drink bottling plant but refuses to be officially on the payroll so he can keep a low profile whilst fixing a machine he cuts his thumb and as a drop of blood falls onto the conveyor Banner rushes to clean it up without realising a drop has fallen into an open bottle.

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Banner intervenes to help Martina a female co worker from a gang of thugs the boss breaks it up

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A delivery guy provides a package for Banner and using a secure satellite connection he re establishes contact with a Mr Blue, we learn that that package is a rare flower that Mr Blue hopes will cure Banner of the Hulk.

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Whilst attempting to create a formula that can cure him, it appeared to succeed but the Hulk genes take over again.

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Learning of the failure, Mr Blue requests a blood sample which Banner sends to him in desperation to find a cure.

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At the Pentagon General Ross receives a report of an old man developing Gamma sickness from a juice drink. Ross wants to know where it was bottled. Stan Lee cameo as the poor irradiated man.

Comic Character Bio

General Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross

Real Name

Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross

Notable Relatives

Patriot (Jeff Mace) (uncle-by-marriage, deceased);[4]

Karen Lee Ross (wife, deceased);

Betty Ross (daughter);

Glenn Talbot (former son-in-law);

Bruce Banner (Hulk) (son-in-law);

Bio

General Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross, attended the US Military Academy, where he fell in love with and eventually married Karen Lee. Ross rose in rank to captain when he went to fight overseas during World War 2. During the war his abilities as a leader and tactition earned him the nickname of "Thunderbolt,".

Following the war Ross was stationed at a nuclear research facility in New Mexico where he met nuclear physicist Brian Banner, the father of Robert Bruce Banner, who Ross would work years later.

Ross's and his wife Karen, had a child, Elizabeth "Betty" Ross, Karen died whilst Betty was in her teens. General Ross, now in command of Desert Base, New Mexico, believed the base was no place to raise a young girl and sent her to a boarding school. Though Betty would later return.

Bruce Banner was sent to Desert Base to oversee construction of a Gamma Bomb. General Ross resented that Banner, was supervising the project as he was a civilian. Ross also disliked Banner for failing to live up to his own vision of manhood. due to his slim build and lack of athleticism. Ross also hated the developing romance between Betty and Bruce.

Following the test of the Gamma Bomb, Banner was exposed to intense, gamma radiation, which caused him into the Hulk who easily enraged caused Ross to considered him a menace.

First Appearance

Incredible Hulk #1

(May, 1962)

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Having joined Ross' team, Blonsky is told a story about Banner being a fugitive trading in secrets who needed to be stopped.

Comic Character Bio

Abomination

Real Name

Emil Blonsky

Alias

Abomination

Relatives

Nadia Dornova Blonsky (wife, separated)

Bio

Blonsky was a spy who infiltrated the base which housed Banners Gamma ray, and whilst Banner was attempting to commit suicide by flooding his body with enough Gamma radiation to kill him and rid the world of the Hulk, he was stopped by Ross' forces and dragged away from his machine, but unbeknownst to them all Blonsky was hiding in the room with the device and curious to know what it did activated it and used it on himself with a much higher dosage, mutating him and giving him green, scaly skin, two toes on each foot, webbed and pointed ears and a massively muscled body, less resembling a human. due to an unknown genetic defect in Blonsky, the high levels of Gamma did not kill him, it left him with the strength of the Hulk (except when Hulk becomes angrier) he retained his intelligence but was left unable to turn back into his human self as the Hulk can

First Comic Book Appearance

Tales to Astonish #90

(April, 1967)

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Blonsky leads a black ops team to capture Banner but he realises and escapes his apartment, which leads to a foot chase across and through the slums.

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Banner bumps into the thugs he crossed earlier and is chased into the bottling plant where they work. The thugs corner Banner and beat him, triggering his transformation into the hulk

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Hulk appears for the first time and tears through the thugs and the bottling plant as Blonsky and the team attempt to stop him.

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Blonsky manages to annoy Hulk significantly so he throws a forklift truck at him before breaking out of the plant and escaping

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The next day Banner wakes up hundreds of miles away in Guatemala where he finds a ride

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Blonsky wants more information from Ross about Hulk. Ross tells Blonsky about the super soldier program started In World War 2 being reactivated, Ross tells Blonsky that Banner was working on this thinking that it was to help build soldiers resistance to radiation. Ross offers to use the serum on Blonsky

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Banner arrives back at Culver University where he looks for Betty Ross.

Comic Character BioBetty Ross

Real Name
Elizabeth "Betty" Ross Talbot Banner

Notable Relatives
Jeffrey Mace - (paternal great uncle, deceased)
Thaddeus Ross - (father);
Karen Lee Ross - (mother, deceased);
Glenn Talbot - (first ex-husband, deceased);
Bruce Banner - (second husband, deceased);
Gwen - (daughter)
Lyra - (step-daughter)

Occupation
Former spy and field agent for the Team
supervisor and field agent for Home Base
Former author
librarian
crisis hotline volunteer
Formerly trained to be a nun

Bio
Born in California, Betty was the only child of General Ross and Karen Lee. Betty's mother died whilst she was a teenager and as a result General Ross Pushed her away sending her to boarding school.

Years later Betty finished school and returned home, by now General Ross was in charge of the secret Gamma Bomb Project in New Mexico. Betty met the bomb's creator, Dr. Banner. Bruce and Betty grew close However, General Ross resented Bruce as the quiet, slender, nuclear physicist thinking him physical and emotional pathetic, these feelings of resentment grew stronger towards Bruce when he realised Betty had fallen in love with Bruce.

Following the Gamma accident that caused Banners transformations into the Hulk, General Ross tried to dissuade Betty from pursuing a relationship with Bruce. Although Bruce managed at first to keep his identity a secret, the incidents that occurred, General Ross and his security chief Major Glenn Talbot to treat Banner as a traitor. Talbot woud fall in love with Betty himself Though Betty would remain in love with Bruce even when it became known that he was the Hulk.

First Comic Book Appearance

Incredible Hulk #1

(May, 1962)

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Before Banner can speak to Betty he finds she has a new partner in Dr Leonard Samson

Comic Character Bio

Doc Samson

Real Name

Leonard Samson

Relatives

Leonard Skivorski - (father);

Mrs. Skivorski - (mother);

Ricky Myers - (son, deceased)

Occupation

Psychiatrist

Teacher

Adventurer

Former special consultant to Gamma Base

Bio

Born Leonard Skivorski, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Samson was the son of Dr. Leonard Skivorski, Sr. a successful psychiatrist. His father treated young women often embarking on affairs with them.

Samson was given his nickname by his wife due to his long hair

Samson helped General Ross when Betty Ross, had been transformed into a crystalline form. He devised a Ray projector that would drain gamma and psionic energy from Bruce Banner whilst transforming into the Hulk. Samson believed that this process would also cure Banner stopping him from transforming. Banner desperate to save Betty agreed to the experiment. once his energy was drained Samson successfully used the energy to turn Betty back to normal.

However, most of the psionic and some Gamma energy remained in the device. curious Samson irradiated himself. the experiment changed him into a muscled, green-haired superhuman with Gamma-boosted strength.

First Comic Book Appearance

Incredible Hulk #141

(July, 1971)

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Banner approaches Stanley, the owner of a pizzeria and a close friend who gives him a place to stay.

Marvel Cameo 12
Paul Soles

Soles has had numerous voice acting roles for Marvel over the year, in the 60's he voiced Happy Hogan in the Iron Man TV show, Rick Jones in the Captain America TV show, Dr Bruce Banner and Rick Jones in the Incredible Hulk show, he voiced Spider-Man/Peter Parker and reprised the role in the Spider-Woman show in the late 70's.

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Banner calls in a favour and sneaks into Culver university to retrieve his data, disguised as a pizza guy

Marvel Cameo 13

Lou Ferrigno cameo

As well as appearing as Hercules, and Sinbad in the 80's, Ferrigno is best known for paying the Hulk in the 70's/80's TV show and TV Movies as well as providing the voice of the Hulk in the 1996 Cartoon, the 2008 Incredible Hulk movie, Avengers and Avengers Age Of Ultron.

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Banner learns that all record of his research had been removed. He contacts Mr Blue to tell him.

Marvel Cameo 14
Martin Starr

Starr has appeared in numerous TV shows like Freaks And Geeks, Roswell, Hawaii 5-0, Silicon Valley and Drunk Histories, he also goes on to play Peter Parkers teacher Mr Harrington in Spider-Man Homecoming.

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Having been spotted at Stanley's Betty tracks him down taking him in, she gives him a drive full of all of his research.

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Ross injects Blonsky with their version of Erskine's Super Soldier Serum.

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Banner and Betty arrive at Culver University. Banner notices the Military who give chase.

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Banner is trapped in a walkway as the military fire gas, Banner loses control and becomes the Hulk again

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Betty sees The Hulk for the first time as he fights the Military and Blonsky.

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Blonsky tries again to stop him but Hulk annihilates him.

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General Ross calls in an airship but Hulk destroys it while still trying to protect Betty.

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Blonsky is crippled in hospital following his encounter with The Hulk but he still wakes up

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Betty and Banner go on the run, hiding out in a motel as Banner recovers the data on the drive

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Banner and Betty make it to New York where they meet Mr Blue aka Samuel Sterns

Comic Character Bio

The Leader

Real Name

Samuel Sterns

Relatives

Phil Sterns (Madman) (brother, deceased)

Bio

Samuel Sterns was a slow-witted, high school dropout whose family preferred his more successful older brother. He found work at a chemical research plant. One evening while moving canisters of waste, one cracked open flooding him with gamma radiation. Sterns survived a normally lethal dose of radiation and at first the side-effects seemed beneficial. Sterns found his intellect had increased massively, he retained information like a computer. Sterns began reading everything he could find, accumulating as much knowledge as he could. Sterns body still continued to mutate. His skin turned permanently green, and his head increased in size. Sterns abandoned his human name, calling himself The Leader. he would then use his abilities to become a criminal mastermind

First Appearance

Tales to Astonish #62

(December, 1964)

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as the team prepare to leave for New York Blonsky begins to undergo a horrific transformation

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Sterns begins his experiment to cure Banner strapping him to a table, and triggering the transformation.

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Sterns tells Banner that he has used the sample of blood Banner sent him to experiment on. Banner tries to get Sterns to destroy the samples as Blonsky storms the building without orders.

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Blonsky forces Sterns at gunpoint to replicate the experiment on him. Under duress Sterns replicates the incident creating an Abomination, Blonsky destroys the machine causing Banners blood to splatter on Sterns.

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The military are unable to stop Blonsky as he destroys them with a taxi.

Marvel Cameo 15

Michael Kenneth Williams

Williams has appeared in shows like The Kill Point, Community and Boardwalk Empire as well as on the big screen in movies like Gone Baby Gone, The Purge: Anarchy and Inherent Vice. Williams will be best known for playing Omar Little on The Wire

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Banner jumps out of the chopper to try and stop Abomination, the fall mirroring the Characters death in The Death of the incredible Hulk TV movie (19990) (though that was a fall from a plane), though surviving he fights Abomination with a shattered taxi.

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Abomination and Hulk jump onto Ross' helicopter causing it to crash leaving the occupants dead or unconscious. Blonsky survives and attacks the Hulk.

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Abomination stabs Hulk forcing him to become angrier and increase in strength. The chopper catches on fire and Hulk uses a clap to extinguish the flames.

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Following the fight Hulk subdues Abomination but Betty stops Hulk from killing him at the last minute.

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After being allowed to escape, Banner secludes himself far north in a cabin hidden away from everyone. Banner seems to learn to control his transformations into the the Hulk.