Thunderbolt Ross

General "Thunderbolt" Ross
File:Rossthunderbolt.jpeg Art by Lee Weeks
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Incredible Hulk #1
Created by	Stan Lee Jack Kirby
In-story information
Full name	General Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross
Supporting character of	Hulk

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 was caught in a test blast of the weapon and acquired his Hulk condition, Ross personally volunteered to kill the monster. As he was not aware of the truth of Banner's condition, Ross merely suspected he was a compatriot of the beast. However, when he did learn the truth, Ross hunted Banner as well.

Character history

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.

Ross's old ally, Clay Quartermain, enabled Ross to participate in a SHIELD experiment which transferred his mind into the body of Zzzax. Afterwards, he tried to kill the Hulk and his friend Rick Jones.

Ultimate Marvel

In the Ultimate Marvel universe, General Ross was the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. before an attempt on his life was made by John Wraith when he decided to shut down the Weapon X Program. After which his position was succeeded by Nick Fury. He has recently been seen alive and well as the government liaison for the Fantastic Four . During the beginning of the first arc, it was believed that the events were a prequel to the other Ultimate titles, but with frequent references to his having been dead (or nearly dead) and a line in the first arc referring to the Ultimates (The Ultimate Universe version of the Avengers) already existing, it can be presumed that the events take place after the "Return to Weapon X" story arc in Ultimate X-Men.

Other media

• Actor Sam Elliott was portrayed in the role of General Ross in the 2003 movie Hulk, directed by Ang Lee. The film portrayed him as a 4-star general.

• 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 was 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 created the Hulkbuster Destroyer prototype to battle the Hulk but destroyed it. In Turning Point, Ross created 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.