Betty Ross

For alternate versions of Betty Ross, see Betty Ross' Character Hub

Doctor Elizabeth "Betty" Ross is a scientist and professor at Culver University who became infatuated with her colleague Bruce Banner. In 2005, she joined Banner in the Project Gamma Pulse, administering Banner with a primer she developed that allowed him to survive his exposure to gamma radiation and become Hulk. For five years, she was separated from Banner, while her father Thaddeus Ross spearheaded an international manhunt.

In Banner's absence, Ross had begun dating Leonard Samson. In 2010, she became an accomplice of Banner after she was reunited with him in the United States. Together, they went on the run from the Strategic Operations Command Center, until Banner was captured in New York City while consulting Samuel Sterns. During the Duel of Harlem, when Banner was released to fight Abomination, Ross' life was saved by Hulk. Afterwards, she and Banner went their own separate ways.

In 2018, Ross was a victim of Thanos' Snap, but was resurrected by Bruce Banner five years later.

Biography[]

Early Life[]

Professor at Culver University[]

Elizabeth Ross was born the daughter of Thaddeus Ross and Karen Ross. Her mother, Karen died of unrevealed causes, after which Ross always wore a necklace belonging to her. Later in college, she met Bruce Banner, where they fell in love. At Harvard University, both participated in an experiment involving hallucinogenic drugs.

After college, Ross and Banner both worked at Culver University as scientists and professors, with Ross teaching cellular biology and Banner working in nuclear physics and biochemistry.^[1]

Gamma Experiment[]

As a response to the September 11 attacks, General Thaddeus Ross commissioned the Project Gamma Pulse, designed to recreate Abraham Erskine's Super Soldier Serum from World War II. Both Ross and Bruce Banner were recruited into the program, although they were not informed of the serum's true purpose, instead being told that it would treat radiation sickness. While working on the project, Ross developed a myostatic primer that allowed an individual's blood cells to absorb gamma radiation temporarily.^[1] The scientists also saw the project's potential to eliminate malignant brain tumors caused by radiation exposure, find a remedy for neurodegenerative diseases and strengthen the immune system, but they still needed a patient having its hippocampus exposed to radiation.^[7]

Banner, who had substituted the original serum's vita radiation with gamma radiation, decided to inject himself with both the primer and replicated serum in an effort to impress Thaddeus.^[1] At a Culver University facility, Ross took a picture of herself and Banner before the operation for posterity. She reassured her boyfriend that he could still back out of the experiment if he believed it wasn't ready, but Banner insisted. Ross then gave him a kiss before they commenced with testing.

During the procedure, Banner increased the Gamma Ray Projector's dosage of radiation to speed up the results, over Ross' objections.^[8] Her primer allowed Banner to survive the tremendous amount of radiation he was subjected to. However, this caused him to transform into a giant green monster. With no control over the beast, Banner destroyed the lab, attacking Ross and injuring her, along with their student assistants. As a result, Ross was hospitalized.

Following her recovery, her father ordered that any data regarding the project was to be deleted, forcing Ross to covertly extract the data and keep it hidden, in the event that Banner would require it someday. While being separated from Banner after he became a fugitive, Ross moved on after over four years and began dating Dr. Leonard Samson, one of her colleagues at Culver University.^[1]

Bruce Banner Manhunt[]

Bruce Banner's Return[]

Ross was at a pizzeria owned by Stanley Lieber during a dinner date with Leonard Samson, when she thought she saw her old partner, Bruce Banner. She ran outside, but couldn't find him. When she returned, she asked Lieber if it was really Banner. Leiber told her he didn't know what to say. She then chased him down the street, hugged him, and convinced him to stay the night. He gave him data that she stole before the military deleted his data. This greatly helped him. Before going to bed, Banner told her he'd leave in the morning. Despite her pleads not to, he had his mind set. She asked to at least let her bring him to the station.^[1]

Battle at Culver University[]

The next day before Bruce Banner left, Leonard Samson informed Thaddeus Ross that Banner and Ross had reunited and that they were headed to Culver University. A battle ensued on the university campus which lead to Banner transforming into Hulk. During the battle, Hulk connected with Ross on multiple levels, as he realized that she was the only one without the intention to hurt him. This resulted in his anger increasing when he saw Ross being hassled by the Strategic Operations Command Center.

After Hulk had defeated Thaddeus' forces, including super soldier Emil Blonsky, Ross approached him, being the only one who was not hurt in his presence. When a military gunship arrived and fired at both Hulk and Ross, Hulk shielded her from the gunfire as well as the helicopter's explosion. He then carried her unconscious body to safety, hiding within the Smoky Mountain National Forest.^[1]

Aiding Bruce Banner[]

Upon gaining conscience, she connected with Hulk, with Hulk demonstrating the intent to protect her in the face of the thunder and lightning of a nearby storm. Ross calmed him, sitting beside him and holding his hand. Due to his calmed condition, Hulk changed back to Banner overnight.

Later, the pair stayed at a motel for some time, where Ross wished to have sex with Banner, but he stopped her when he noticed his heart rate was getting too high from the excitement and would trigger his transformation into the Hulk, much to her dismay. After procuring him with some clothes and leaving every traceable possession behind, Ross sold her mother's last remembrance, a necklace, to help the pair to travel to Grayburn College in Harlem, New York City, and meet Samuel Sterns, a close ally of Banner under the moniker "Mr. Blue". However, Thaddeus Ross had hacked the S.H.I.E.L.D. database to track all communication between Banner and Sterns and discovered Sterns' location.

Upon arriving in Harlem, Ross and Banner met with Sterns who tested his experimental antidote on him. During his transformed state, Hulk was at the verge of losing control and destroying the laboratory, only to be calmed by Ross, who managed to prevent Hulk's thrashing long enough for Sterns to administer the antidote, allowing Banner to briefly control Hulk before reverting to his human form.^[1]

Duel of Harlem[]

However, soon after, the Strategic Operations Command Center intervened, arresting Banner and taking the pair back into custody. On their way back to base, the soldiers reported that Hulk had been spotted in the streets. Thaddeus Ross, Banner, and Ross realized that it was a transformed Emil Blonsky. Banner requested that Thaddeus let him attempt to stop him, to which the general grudgingly complied.

A battle between Hulk and Abomination ensured throughout the streets of Harlem, where Abomination was able to best Hulk, causing Banner to briefly regain control. As Abomination pinned Hulk and informed him that he would kill Ross, Hulk regained control and managed to defeat Abomination, while also saving both the Rosses from an explosion. Hulk prepared to strangle Abomination to death but elected to spare his life upon Ross' pleading. She and Hulk shared a brief moment together, in which he spoke her name and wiped her tear, before fleeing as more authorities arrived.^[1]

A Gift from Bruce Banner[]

While visiting the Statue of Liberty sometime after, Ross began reflecting back on her memories with Banner by looking back at some pictures of him stored on her camera. Thirty-one days later, Banner, now in hiding at Bella Coola, British Columbia, Canada, purchased Ross' necklace from the pawn shop and arranged for it to be mailed back to her under the pseudonym "David B".^[1]

The Snap[]

In 2018, Ross was a victim of the Snap.^[9] Five years later, Ross was restored to life in the Blip.^[10]

Personality[]

Betty Ross is a kind-hearted and gentle individual. She is impressively intelligent, hard-working and resourceful and is shown to be a skillful and charismatic scientist. However, despite her relative happiness, Betty possessed hard relationships with her father Thaddeus Ross. Ross also had a tragic past, as she lost her mother. This was also a tragedy to her father, as well, but they became temporary enemies nonetheless, as Ross had helped Bruce Banner, who was hunted by Thaddeus. It took time for her father to realize his mistakes and finally join and help Banner.

Abilities[]

• Genius-Level Intellect: Ross is highly intelligent, mainly in the areas of biology and radiation. She helped Bruce Banner develop a version of the Super Soldier Serum, but this version failed as it turned Banner into the Hulk. After graduating, she went on to become a professor at Culver University, the college that she went to.
• Master Scientist: Ross is exceptionally skilled in several fields of science, even majoring in it. She successfully teaches a class at Culver University and even helped in the Project Gamma Pulse. She also had part of the idea of how to help Bruce Banner when they met Samuel Sterns.

Facilities[]

• Culver University: Ross was a professor at Culver University, where Ross and Bruce Banner met and worked on experiments together, until an experiment turned Banner into the Hulk. Ross later began dating one of her colleagues, Leonard Samson. Ross reunited with Banner at Culver University and witnessed a confrontation between Hulk and her father at the university.
• Leonard Samson's House: While helping Bruce Banner run from her father, Ross took Banner to Leonard Samson's house, where Samson agreed to help them. They spent the night and discussed their predicament.

Relationships[]

Family[] Thaddeus Ross - Father Karen Ross † - Mother Allies[] Bruce Banner/Hulk - Ex-Boyfriend, Former Colleague and Resurrector Culver University Leonard Samson - Ex-Boyfriend Stanley Lieber - Friend Samuel Sterns Berry Dennis

Enemies[] Harlem Cab Driver † Emil Blonsky/Abomination - Attempted Killer Thanos † - Killer

Appearances[]

In chronological order:

• The Incredible Hulk: The Big Picture
• The Incredible Hulk
  • Thor: Ragnarok Prelude, Issue 1
  • Thor: Ragnarok Prelude, Issue 2
  • The Avengers Prelude: Fury's Big Week, Chapter 7 (concurrent events)
  • The Avengers: The Avengers Assemble
• Black Widow Prelude, Issue 1 (mentioned)
• The Wakanda Files: A Technological Exploration of the Avengers and Beyond (files)
• Captain America: Brave New World (unreleased)^[6]

Trivia[]

• In the comics, Betty Ross was married to Glenn Talbot for a time. She suffered a mental breakdown after Talbot was believed dead and M.O.D.O.K used gamma radiation to transform her into a green-skinned, winged creature known as the Harpy. After being returned to normal and marrying Bruce Banner, she was poisoned to death by the Abomination after receiving a transfusion of his irradiated blood, but reappeared to aid Bruce using the codename Mr. Blue. She later appeared as the Red She-Hulk and gained a third gamma transformation called Red Harpy, after being shot in the head.

Behind the Scenes[]

• Betty Ross in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the second live-action incarnation of the character, following an incarnation portrayed by Jennifer Connelly.
• Joss Whedon said that the reason why the Hulkbuster is named Veronica is a reference to Archie Comics character Veronica Lodge, who is a rival to Betty Cooper: "I just decided to call [the armor] Veronica because [Banner] used to be in love with a girl named Betty and Veronica is the opposite of that."^[11]
• Brittney Banks was a stunt double for Liv Tyler in the role of Betty Ross.
• Lenka Matuska was a stand-in for Liv Tyler in the role of Betty Ross.

References[]

External Links[]

• Betty Ross on Marvel Database
• Betty Ross on Wikipedia