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Thunderbolt Ross
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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General Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross is a fictional character of Marvel Comics. He is a United States military officer, the father of Betty Ross, ex-father in-law of Glenn Talbot and the father in-law of Dr. Bruce Banner.
A veteran of several wars, Ross was the military head of the Gamma Bomb Project although he treated the project's research head, Banner, with contempt. When Banner is caught in a test blast of the weapon and acquired his Hulk condition, Ross personally volunteers to kill the monster. As he is not initially aware of the truth of Banner's condition, Ross merely suspects he is a compatriot of the beast. However, when he does learn the truth, Ross hunts Banner as well.
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Ross is a General in the Air Force who is in charge of Bruce Banner's gamma bomb project. His daughter, Betty, takes a liking to the young scientist, a fact which only enhances the dislike the rough Ross has for the "weakling" scientist Banner. After Banner's transformation into the Hulk, Ross spends years chasing the monster, becoming obsessed enough with it to commit treason by allying himself with the Leader, MODOK and the Abomination in order to destroy the Hulk. Dishonorably discharged, he shows up at Betty and Bruce's wedding with a gun, and shoots Rick Jones. He is recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Clay Quartermain to merge with the electric creature Zzzax, a process that gives Ross super-powers, but also makes him mentally unstable. He is later restored to human form but retains some residual energy-generating powers.
Finally, a mutant who drains people of their mental energy attacks Gamma base in search for a strong host, in this case the Hulk. After witnessing Rick Jones (who was the Hulk at that time) and Banner heroically engaging the mutant, Ross, realizing that he has been wrong about the Hulk being a mindless monster, saves his daughter from being slain by allowing the mutant to latch onto him, and discharging the energy resources he retained from Zzzax. Giving his blessing to Bruce and Betty, he dies in his daughter's arms.
Ross' body is later stolen by the Leader, who uses the powers of one of his followers to resurrect Ross, turning him into a mindless replacement for his fallen soldier Redeemer. Ross is eventually recovered and revived by agents of the alient Troyjan, and returns to the Air Force.
Ross' military affiliation has been inconsistently portrayed in the comics. At times, Ross has been portrayed as an Army general. However, he is also frequently seen in an Air Force uniform, and indeed, he wore Air Force blues in his first appearance in Incredible Hulk #1. The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Hulk 2004 issue officially lists Ross as a Lieutenant General (3 stars) in the U.S. Air Force.
In the Ultimate Marvel universe, General Ross (clearly identified in Ultimate FF #1 as an Army general) is the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. before an attempt on his life is made by John Wraith when he decides to shut down the Weapon X Program, after which he is succeeded by Nick Fury. He had survived this attack however, and revived during the begining of his own autopsy. His words being, "get your hands off my precious organs son." His body still physically damaged he has retired from active shield duty and has taken a role as a liason of the government for the fantastic four and the think tank.
In the Age of Apocalypse, General Thunderbolt Ross is a member of the Human High Council.
In the Marvel 1602 sequel 1602: New World, an Admiral Ross of the Royal Navy captains a vessel sent to Roanoke to quell the "Witchbreed", including the 1602 version of the Hulk.
- Actor Sam Elliott was portrayed in the role of General Ross in the 2003 movie Hulk, directed by Ang Lee. The film portrays him as a 4-star general. In the film, it is revealed that Ross was responsible for locking away David Banner, Bruce's father, when Bruce was 4 years old. He thinks that both Bruce and David are dangerous to his daughter, Betty. Ross hunts the Hulk after the Hulk breaks out of the military base. Upon discovering that Bruce Banner is the Hulk, he releases David and takes him to Bruce. When David transforms into a being similar to Absorbing Man, Ross deploys a bomb in order to destroy David. Months after that event, Ross talks to Betty, who was sad from the loss of Bruce, who is believed dead. He asks her if she can do anything to find him, which she denies.
- In 1996 UPN The Incredible Hulk animated series, General Ross appears, voiced by actor John Vernon. He sends army forces and Hulkbusters to capture or destroy the Hulk, but Ross is also capable of fighting the Hulk one-on-one, using a laser gun Bruce Banner created against the creature in Return of the Beast, part 1 and 2, and again in Darkness and Light, part 3. Like in the comics, Ross is a 3-star general.
- In The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction video game, General Ross appears as one of the major bosses. Ross is voiced by Dave Thomas. In the game, he teams up with Emil Blonsky to get rid of the Hulk by sending armed forces. In the Proving Grounds section, Ross creates the Hulkbuster Destroyer prototype to battle the Hulk but destroyed it. In Turning Point, Ross creates a Hulkbuster titan for him to control that can shoot missiles, chainguns, and laser beams. After the Hulk's capture, Ross opens his mind, and Samson reminds him to treat Banner fairly. After Hulk and Abomination destroys his base, Ross orders his enforcers to destroy the two. Ross is revealed to be a 4-star general.
- Thunderbolt Ross made a cameo at the end of the Fantastic Four episode "Hard Knocks" when the army arrests Agent Pratt.
- It has been recently confirmed by Louis Leterrier, director of The Incredible Hulk film, scheduled for a June 27, 2008 release, that "Thunderbolt" Ross will be the main villain of the film.[1] Emil Blonsky, aka Abomination, would be the second villain.