Thunderbolt Ross (Earth-199999)
General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross is a general in the American military, known for opposing vigilante superheroes, especially the Hulk.
Biography
Around 2003, General Ross was involved in the military's attempt to reproduce the super-soldier serum that had seen such great success in producing Captain America in World War II. Bruce Banner was the lead scientist on the project and ended up testing the result on himself. The results were disastrous, transforming him into a large, green, almost uncontrollable monster that would come to be called the Hulk. During this initial transformation, Banner injured another top scientist on the project, and Thaddeus' daughter, Dr. Elizabeth "Betty" Ross. Banner, who transformed in and out of the Hulk form based on his heartrate, fled and remained on the run across the country for the next several years, as General Ross and his forces attempted to track him down, all the while continuing to attempt to replicate the super-soldier serum.[1] Almost five years after the incident, world-renowned industrialist Tony Stark revealed to the world that he was the heavily suited mechanical hero known as Iron Man.[2] The incredible power of the Iron Man suit, along with Stark's complete refusal to share its design, led to the U.S. government—in particular, Senator Stern—seeking out a way to replicate it. General Ross was enlisted to oversee the project, acting as a "superhuman watchdog," as Ross put it. Together, Ross and Stern (observed by a reluctant James Rhodes) enlisted Stark rival Justin Hammer to construct weapons on par with the Iron Man suit.[3]
Hammer presented them with his first such weapon, a large, aerial, piloted machine, which Ross insisted be used in the field immediately. After being dropped into the Congo, the weapon and its pilot were shot down by Congolese forces, despite Hammer's assurance that it wasn't vulnerable to surface-to-air attack.[4] The pilot was taken captive by local Ten Rings terrorists, and before long Iron Man himself arrived to handle the problem. Ross told his men to hold back any call for reinforcements in order to see what Iron Man could do. Iron Man repelled the terrorists, without killing them, and flew away with the pilot just as General Ross managed to link up with his onboard comm system. Ross ordered Iron Man to meet with him in Cairo, and the latter casually agreed. Iron Man handed over the injured pilot, and Ross chided him for not firing on the terrorists. Iron Man explained that he didn't do so because it was clear to him that that was what the government wanted. He threatened that if the military were to use innocents like the pilot "to advance some pointless military agenda," there would be consequences.[5]
See also
References
- ↑ The Incredible Hulk. Dir. Leterrier, Louis. Perf. Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, Tim Blake Nelson, Ty Burrell, and William Hurt. Universal Pictures, 2008.
- ↑ Iron Man. Dir. Favreau, Jon. Perf. Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Shaun Toub, and Gwyneth Paltrow. Paramount Pictures, 2008.
- ↑ Iron Man 2: Public Identity #1: "No Reason." (April 2010) Casey, Joe and Justin Theroux (w), Kitson, Barry and Ron Lim (p), Kitson, Barry, Tom Palmer and Victor Olazaba (i), Milla, Matt (col), Cowles, Clayton (let), Macchio, Ralph and Alejandro Arbona (ed).
- ↑ Iron Man 2: Public Identity #2. (May 2010) Casey, Joe and Justin Theroux (w), Lim, Ron (p), Kitson, Barry and Stefano Gaudiano (i), Milla, Matt (col), Cowles, Clayton (let), Macchio, Ralph and Alejandro Arbona (ed).
- ↑ Iron Man 2: Public Identity #3. (May 2010) Casey, Joe and Justin Theroux (w), Lim, Ron (p), Kitson, Barry and Stefano Gaudiano (i), Milla, Matt (col), Cowles, Clayton (let), Macchio, Ralph and Alejandro Arbona (ed).