The Monster Inside
The child of an abusive father, Bruce Banner grew up shy and introverted, yet a scientific genius. As a young man, thanks to his standout work in the field of nuclear physics, he attracted the attention of the U.S. Army who wanted to adapt his theories for weaponry. Banner resisted such notions, but failed attempts at landing steady work convinced him to accept a position at a federal nuclear research facility at a missile base in the New Mexico desert.
At the base, Banner was befriended by Betty Ross, daughter of General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, a man who took an instant disliking to the diminutive, passive scientist. While at the base, Banner began to develop and build a bomb that utilized a high concentration of gamma radiation, a project of high interest to an undercover foreign agent stationed there. When a teenager named Rick Jones wandered onto the test field just as Banner started the countdown for the gamma bomb’s initial test detonation, the scientist rushed out to the area to warn Jones, but the foreign agent purposefully continued the test. The bomb exploded, bathing Bruce Banner in its radiation.
