Culver University

"I need you to get to Culver University and put eyes on Dr. Banner. I got word that General Ross is about to make a move on him."

- Nick Fury to Black Widow

Culver University is a university situated in Willowdale, Virginia, with another campus in West Virginia. It has extensive resources devoted to scientific research and has been linked to a number of high profile scientists.

Gamma Incident
Scientists Bruce Banner and Betty Ross from Culver University were recruited by the United States Armed Forces to develop a top-secret research project called the Bio-Tech Force Enhancement Project.

The project, initially thought to be researching radiation resistance, had the purpose of duplicating the results of the Project Rebirth developed during World War II, triggering the whole process with the use of Gamma Radiation. General Thaddeus Ross, father of Betty Ross, was the military overseer of the whole project. Banner, being confident that their research was worthy enough to take the risk, decided to test a combination of their replica of the Super Soldier Serum and high doses of Gamma Radiation. However, the amount of radiation caused instead a violent non-permanent transformation into a giant, green-skinned, muscle-bound humanoid who went to become known as Hulk, a transformation that woud be triggered by anger and emotional stress. Hulk, driven by fits of extreme rage, destroyed the laboratory and injured both Thaddeus and Betty Ross.

General Ross, with a broken arm as a result of Banner's first transformation, met Banner again at the local hospital three days after the accident, offering him to take him to a military laboratory in Maryland while trying to visit Betty Ross. Banner, refusing Ross' conditions and blaming himself for all the people hurt during the incident, ran off, evading the troops sent by General Ross in order to chase him.

Banner became a fugitive of the United States Armed Forces and left the town and his lover, Betty Ross, behind.

Battle at Culver University
Bruce Banner eventually returned to Culver University years after his first transformation, to retrieve all data regarding the project in an attempt to cure himself of his conditions. Banner first tried to enter the University, but heavy security measures have been implemented since his departure, so he had to devise a new plan.

While walking through the campus, he could not help approaching the Biological Sciences Building, and check on Betty Ross, watching her without being sighted, and realizing she started a new relationship with Leonard Samson.

Banner disguised himself as a pizza delivery boy from his old friend Stanley Lieber's restaurant, to infiltrate Culver University, tricking a security guard to gain access to his former laboratory, experiencing flashbacks of the incident.

However, all data about the project had been erased, and contacted the man who was helping him through his research of a cure, codenamed "Mister Blue", to inform him of the setback. Banner spent the night with Betty Ross, who gave him a copy of the investigation, and promised to depart the following morning. Banner realized that they were being observed, and tried to run from a large group of soldiers led by an enhanced Emil Blonsky and commanded by General Ross himself. Banner took advantage of his knowledge of the universy, and hid to swallow the USB containing the data about the project, in order to protect it if he was captured.

Betty tried to convince her father to leave Banner alone, but as they were speaking, Banner was trapped inside an elevated hallway, where the soldiers tried to render him unconscious using gas grenades. Instead, the stress of the situation triggered his transformation into Hulk.

Under Nick Fury's request, S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Natasha Romanoff was undercover in Culver University trying to keep an eye on Banner, and she arrived in time to witness Banner's transformation. General Ross let his daughter witness Hulk to convince her of the importance of his capture, and a ferocious battle between Hulk and the United States Armed Forces began. Hulk was able to neutralize the heavily armed soldiers and vehicles, resisting their attacks without being harmed.

Students Jack McGee and Jim Wilson arrived at the location and witnessed Hulk's rampage, recording what they could on a cellphone.

Romanoff, startled by Banner's transformation, called Fury to receive orders about how to proceed. Fury simply demanded to not let Ross take Banner, either dead or alive.

Blonsky was ordered to act, approaching Hulk confident that his enhancements with a Super Soldier Serum would help him confront the green giant. Hulk used two pieces of debris to shield himself of the grenades shot by Blonsky. Blonsky was able to evade the attacks and lured his opponent to a pair of Stark Sonic Cannons, that almost subdued him.

Hulk was moved by Betty's pleas and overcame the sonic attacks. Blonsky approached Hulk again, taunting him despite Ross' direct orders, and Hulk defeated him with a single kick that crushed most of Blonsky's bones.

An helicopter opened fire over Hulk while Betty was approaching him, and Hulk protected her from harm, throwing his remaining debris to bring down the helicopter, shielding her again from the ensuing explosion that rendered her unconscious. Hulk escaped with her to the Smoky Mountain National Forest.

The following day, Culver University filled with news reporters from different channels, including the WHiH World News, to report the incident, showing Jack McGee's footage in the news.

Reunion
While at work in Culver University's campus in West Virginia, psychologist and professor Andrew Garner was speaking to a student when he spotted his ex-wife Melinda May waiting for him. She explained that Phil Coulson was now running S.H.I.E.L.D. and they required his help with a newly-powered individual. They also discussed why May did not return his calls during the HYDRA Uprising; she said it was a busy time, to which he frowned, citing that Lian May kept him informed. Garner asked May if she had returned to field work; Garner disapproved when she said she had. Garner made it clear that his responsibility would be to the subject, not to her, not to S.H.I.E.L.D.

Trivia

 * The name of the university comes from the Culver Institute, where David Banner worked when he became Hulk in the 1978  TV series. The name "Culver" itself is the middle name of series creator and producer,.