Connection
Thunderbolt Ross
- Infos
- Photos
- Best films
If you like this character, let us know!
Real name Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross
General Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross (alias the Red Hulk) is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Ross, one of the arch-enemies of the Hulk, is a United States military officer, the father of Betty Ross, ex-father in-law of Glenn Talbot, father in-law of Dr. Bruce Banner, and was head of the Gamma Bomb Project that turned Banner into the Hulk. After the creation of the Hulk, Ross pursues the creature with a growing obsession, and after learning that Banner and the Hulk are one and the same, Ross hunts Banner as well. In 2008, Ross was transformed into the Red Hulk in order to better combat his nemesis. He was portrayed by Sam Elliott in film Hulk (2003) and by William Hurt for the Marvel Cinematic Universe films The Incredible Hulk (2008) and Captain America: Civil War (2016).
In 2009, Thunderbolt Ross was named IGN's 71st Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.
Biography
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. Dismissed from the military, 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 superpowers, 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 life 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. He turns him into a mindless replacement for his fallen soldier Redeemer. Ross is eventually recovered and revived by agents of the alien Troyjan, and returns to the Air Force. He would later come up with a more cost-effective method of confronting the Hulk when he is in his childlike stage: active non-resistance. He and his men simply do not fire on or engage the Hulk in any way. The Hulk, confused, does not smash and leaps away.
Ross would make friends with Banner, but when Betty is seemingly killed due to what both Ross and Banner believed to have been Banner's gamma-irradiated DNA interacting with hers, he once more pursues the Hulk with a vendetta.
Around this time, General Ryker takes over the pursuit of the Hulk. Ross is indirectly involved, observing when Ryker mentally tortures Banner to try to figure out how the Hulk works. The Hulk escapes from Ryker's control and after several adventures, is lost in space.
After the Hulk returns from exile and initiates "World War Hulk", General Ross, now wearing the stars of a full general, makes his own return, electing to bring the fight to his nemesis once more after Iron Man is felled by the Goliath. After a failed assault on the Hulk, Ross and his men are captured and placed in chains under the watch of Hulk's Warbound, the army he has brought back from space. The Hulk is eventually defeated via satellite weapons that fire upon him, reverting him to human form.
Military branch
Ross' military affiliation has been inconsistently portrayed in the comics. Many early Hulk stories depicted Ross as an Army general trying to capture or destroy the Hulk with his U.S. Army battalion, called the "Hulkbusters". However, he is also frequently seen in an Air Force uniform, as in his first appearance in Incredible Hulk #1. However, stories about his service during World War II portray him as an Army officer in the U.S. Army Air Corps, as the Air Force was not a separate branch of the Armed Forces until September 18, 1947. In a November 2010 Q&A column, then-Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada clarified that Ross is a member of the U.S. Air Force, and that inconsistencies in his uniform can be explained via the artistic license with which artists attempt to present a more dramatic-looking uniform, and that Ross may be a part of a special unit of the U.S. Air Force, or the Marvel Universe's version of it, which has its own unique dress code.
The Army continuity is also followed in various Hulk adaptations, such as in the original 1966 and 1996–1998 cartoon versions of the Hulk, as well as the 2003 Ang Lee movie, Hulk in which he is portrayed by Sam Elliott, and in the 2008 superhero movie The Incredible Hulk, in which he is played by William Hurt. The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Hulk 2004 issue officially indicates Ross to be a 3-star Lieutenant General in the U.S. Air Force.
Red Hulk
Red Hulk (also known as Rulk or The IncREDible Hulk ) was introduced in 2008 in Hulk #1. The Red Hulk was created to be an uninhibited, tactically intelligent adversary to the Hulk. Although Kenneth Johnson, the creator of the 1970s TV series The Incredible Hulk, had suggested a red Hulk for that adaptation decades earlier, Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada proposed the idea for the comics to debut a red version of the character, whose human identity was a secret. Initially, Red Hulk's identity was unknown both to the characters in the story and to the reading audience.
The opening story arc of the Hulk series that premiered in 2008 established that the character is very aggressive, as the Red Hulk murders Hulk foes the Wendigo and Abomination; destroys the Helicarrier of the spy organization S.H.I.E.L.D.; defeats several Marvel heroes and, after causing an earthquake in San Francisco, is finally defeated by the combined efforts of the Hulk and the thunder god Thor.
In a subsequent storyline, the Collector teams the character with other villains in a team called the Offenders, an evil version of superhero team the Defenders, in a bid to prevent the original Hulk from reuniting with past love Jarella. In this story Red Hulk siphons the power cosmic from the Silver Surfer seemingly killing him,steals his board along with Terrax's cosmic axe, and uses the power to go on a killing spree offing Namor, Tiger Shark, Dr. Strange, Baron Mordo, the Grandmaster and before that Terrax, a time displaced Hulk, and Psycho Man. However when Red Hulk reveals this to Galactus the deity swiftly takes back the power cosmic from him. Adversely most everyone he killed is brought back to life with no memory of the event.
The subsequent "Code Red" story arc made further allusions to Red Hulk's real identity, and introduced a Red She-Hulk character.
It is later revealed that the Red Hulk was created as part of a Super Soldier program by persons including Doc Samson, and the criminal think tank Intelligencia, headed by the Hulk foe MODOK.
In Fall of the Hulks: Gamma, Red Hulk is related in flashback to have killed General Ross at the behest of Bruce Banner, with whom he has formed an alliance. However, the 2010 "World War Hulks" storyline reveals that Red Hulk is Thunderbolt Ross himself, the Red She-Hulk his daughter Betty, and that the Ross who was "killed" was a Life Model Decoy used to convince the world that he had died. Red Hulk then thwarts the Intelligencia's plan to take over the United States with a Life Model Decoy of Glenn Talbot by destroying the Talbot LMD, and attempts to take over the country himself. He is thwarted by a restored Hulk (in possession of Banner's intelligence) who beats Red Hulk mostly due to Red's exhaustion and from overheating. Hulk tells Red Hulk that it was his idea to fake Ross' death and that he can never again resume that identity. After imprisoning Red Hulk in the Gamma Base, Banner makes arrangements with Captain Steve Rogers for Red Hulk to join the Avengers.
After Captain Steve Rogers recruits Red Hulk, Red Hulk manages to stop Intelligencia's failsafe plan, "Scorched Earth." Although Banner had claimed that he removed Red Hulk's energy-draining ability from him because it was killing Red Hulk, Red Hulk is shown to still possess this ability. After the events of the Scorched Earth program, Red Hulk was paired up with a female Life Model Decoy named Annie. Red Hulk was occasionally assaulted by Thunderbolt Ross' former protege General Reginald Fortean (who used a special gun that caused remote-activated nano-mines to enter Red Hulk's brain that would take action if Red Hulk changed back), Zero/One (a scientist who was exposed to a virus created by MODOK), and Black Fog (a serial killer from India that was empowered by Zero/One).
Red Hulk plays a vital role in the Infinity Gem crisis of the 2010 "Heroic Age" storyline. After being soundly defeated by a Power Gem-wielding Hood, he later helps Namor and Thor reclaim Namor's Time Gem from the ocean, and acquires the Power Gem from the Hood. Red Hulk is then inducted into the Avengers.
During the 2011 "Fear Itself" storyline, Red Hulk attempts unsuccessfully to stop the Thing (in the form of Angir: Breaker of Souls) from destroying the Avengers Tower, as MODOK Superior and Black Fog converge on both combatants during the fight. Angir dispatches Red Hulk by knocking him out of the city and into Vermont.
During the "X-Sanction" story arc, Red Hulk fights Cable, who mistakes Red Hulk for "Talbot", as Red Hulk tells him that his true identity is someone that Cable had never fought before. Cable infects Red Hulk with a techno-organic virus, but Red Hulk is able to superheat his body and burn the virus out of his system.
During the Avengers vs. X-Men storyline, Red Hulk fights Colossus, damaging the pillar that held up the X-Men's island headquarters Utopia, and spurring Colossus to forfeit the battle. Considering the Phoenix Five a threat to Earth, Red Hulk invades Utopia to assassinate Cyclops. However, he is confronted by Cyclops and the X-Men, who send Red Hulk back to the Avengers with an "X" carved in his chest. Nevertheless, Red Hulk considers that Cyclops lost the war the moment he spared his life.
As part of the Marvel NOW! relaunch, Red Hulk leads a non-government sponsored version of the Thunderbolts. This incarnation is a strike team that cleans up the messes left by Ross' military career, but the team later decides on a new arrangement where the team will do one mission for Ross, then a mission for a random member.
After Hulk's Doc Green form depowered Rick Jones, Skaar and Betty Ross, Thunderbolt Ross started monitoring Hulk's moves. He found Doc Green in San Francisco and engaged him in combat as Red Hulk. Doc Green tried to inject Red Hulk with the cure in the middle of the fight, but Red Hulk broke the needle. After having his arm broken by Red Hulk, Doc Green lured him to a portal to his base, the Beehive. There, Doc Green took the time to scan Red Hulk for data before teleporting him back elsewhere. The following days, Ross made the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository his base, so he could be ready and absorb its radiation in case Doc Green found him. Doc Green ultimately found Ross with the help of Deadpool. He also used Deadpool's help for another purpose....when Doc Green confronted the Red Hulk, Deadpool shot Ross' ear with a bullet that delivered a compound that interfered with his ability to absorb energy. After a furious battle, Doc Green was finally able to subdue the Red Hulk and inject him with the cure reverting him to Thunderbolt Ross. The army was alerted to the confrontation. When they arrived, the army arrested Ross for deserting his country.
Best films
Played by the actors
Filmography of Thunderbolt Ross (5 films)
Add to a movie list
Black Widow (2021)
Directed by Cate Shortland
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Science fiction, Thriller, Action, Adventure, Spy
Themes Spy films, Superhero films, Super-héros inspiré de comics, Children's films
Actors Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, Rachel Weisz, O. T. Fagbenle, David Harbour, Ray Winstone
Rating66%
À la suite des événements de Captain America : Civil War (2016) et avant ceux de Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Natasha Romanoff se retrouve seule et contrainte à affronter son passé.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
, 3h1Directed by Martin Scorsese, Anthony Russo et Joe Russo
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Action, Adventure
Themes Space adventure films, Monde imaginaire, Time travel films, Sur une planète fictive, Films set in the future, Hulk (comics) films, Superhero films, Super-héros inspiré de comics, Children's films
Actors Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Hugh Jackman, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Holland
Rating82%
Le Titan Thanos ayant réussi à s'approprier les six Pierres d'Infinité et à les réunir sur le Gantelet doré, a pu réaliser son objectif de pulvériser la moitié de la population de l'Univers d'un claquement de doigts. Les quelques Avengers et Gardiens de la Galaxie ayant survécu, Captain America, Thor, Natasha Romanoff, Bruce Banner, War Machine, Nébula et Rocket, espèrent réparer le méfait de Thanos. Ils le retrouvent mais il s'avère que ce dernier a détruit les pierres et Thor le décapite. Cinq ans plus tard, alors que chacun essaie de continuer sa vie et d'oublier les nombreuses pertes dramatiques, Scott Lang, alias Ant-Man, parvient à s'échapper de la dimension subatomique où il était coincé depuis la disparition du Docteur Hank Pym, de sa femme Janet Van Dyne et de sa fille Hope Van Dyne. Lang propose aux Avengers une solution pour faire revenir à la vie tous les êtres disparus, dont leurs alliés et coéquipiers : récupérer les Pierres d'Infinité dans le passé grâce à l'univers quantique.
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
, 2h27Directed by Anthony Russo et Joe Russo
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Thriller, Fantastic, Action, Adventure
Themes Films about animals, Monde imaginaire, Films about spiders, Spider-Man films, Superhero films, Super-héros inspiré de comics, Children's films
Actors Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Chadwick Boseman, Daniel Brühl, Elizabeth Olsen, Scarlett Johansson
Rating77%
Le Soldat de l'Hiver (alias Bucky Barnes) a autrefois été reconditionné dans une base militaire soviétique sibérienne et hypnotisé à l'aide de certains mots. Quiconque prononce ces mots en russe plonge le Soldat de l'Hiver en transe et peut lui donner n'importe quel ordre sans qu'il puisse désobéir. C'est ainsi qu'en 1991, le Soldat de l'Hiver a provoqué l'arrêt brutal d'une voiture pour s'emparer dans son coffre d'une valise avec un étrange contenu.
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
, 1h54Directed by Louis Leterrier
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Thriller, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes Hulk (comics) films, Superhero films, Super-héros inspiré de comics, Children's films
Actors Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt, Tim Blake Nelson, Ty Burrell
Rating65%
At Culver University in Virginia, General Thunderbolt Ross meets with Dr. Bruce Banner, the colleague and boyfriend of his daughter Betty, regarding an experiment that Ross claims is meant to make humans immune to gamma radiation. The experiment — part of a World War II era "super soldier" program that Ross hopes to recreate — fails, and the exposure to gamma radiation causes Banner to transform into the Hulk for brief periods of time, whenever his heart rate rises above 200. The Hulk destroys the lab and injures or kills the people inside. Banner becomes a fugitive from the U.S. military and Ross in particular, who wants to weaponize the Hulk process.
Hulk (2003)
, 2h18Directed by Ang Lee
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Science fiction, Fantastic, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes Hulk (comics) films, Superhero films, Super-héros inspiré de comics
Actors Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Josh Lucas, Nick Nolte, Stan Lee
Rating56%
Scientist David Banner introduces the idea of creating super soldiers by introducing modified DNA sequences extracted from various animals to strengthen the human cellular response, making them effectively impervious to any weaponized agent, but General Thaddeus Ross denies him permission to use human subjects. Banner subsequently conducts the experiments on himself. After the birth of his son Bruce, he finds that his son may have inherited the effects and seeks a cure, but is stopped in the process. Bruce remembers nothing of the incident after a traumatic event, and has been raised by the Krenzlers. Years later, Bruce is a geneticist working with his ex-girlfriend Betty Ross, within the Berkeley Biotechnology Institute on nanomed research. The pair hope to achieve instantenous cell repair by using low level Gamma radiation exposure to activate the nanomeds once they are introduced into a living organism. During routine maintenance of their appropriated Gammaspectrometer, a circuit shorts and triggers the experiment's program sequence. Unable to prevent the machine from firing, Bruce throws himself in front of his colleague to shield him and is exposed to incredibly toxic levels of Gamma.