Thaddeus Ross

"Banner’s work was very early phase. It wasn’t even weapons application. He thought he was working on radiation resistance. I would never have told him what the project really was. But he was so sure of what he was onto, that he tested it on himself. And something went very wrong. Or it went very right. As far as I’m concerned, that man’s whole body is property of the US Army."

- Thaddeus Ross

Thaddeus Ross is a high ranking officer of the United States Armed Forces. At some point during his career, he was put in charge of the military project which aimed to recreate the Super Soldier Serum. However, the experiment led to an accident which transformed the scientist Bruce Banner into the Hulk.

Early Work
"You must realize that what I'm about to tell you is very sensitive, both to me and to the Army. You know that we have a Bio-Force Department, and that we had a bio-force enhancement research project developed during World War II..." "A Super-Soldier."

- Thaddeus Ross and Emil Blonsky

After joining the military career and participating in the, a young Thaddeus Ross returned to America at the age of 27. Over the years he rose to the rank of a four-stars general.

Thaddeus Ross was involved in an Army research and development program intended to recreate the "Super Soldier Serum" first developed in World War II. He got an agreement with the scientist Bruce Banner, his daughter's fiance, for working on a government project to render soldiers immune to Gamma Radiation. Involved in early phase research, Banner conducted a test on himself dealing with Gamma Radiation — instead of Vita-Rays — and after an accidental explosion, became a "Hulk", a giant and amazingly strong brute who flees after injuring Betty, leaving her in a coma.

Taken by a sense of guilt and rage, Ross put his life at the service of a single cause: to hunt down and capture Bruce Banner. Ross took charge of the Army's effort to recover the fugitive in coordination with S.H.I.E.L.D..

Meeting Tony Stark
"I know you've been distancing yourself from your father's legacy; you claim you're no longer a weapons maker; but now you are the weapon!"

- Thaddeus Ross to Tony Stark

Five years after the "Hulk incident", when Tony Stark got poisoned from his Arc Reactor palladium core, Senator Stern called Ross. When Ross arrived in Stern's office, he told him to forgive him as he was in a bit of a hurry as this was taking him away from the Gamma Project and he wanted to get back to it. Ross said that the US army couldn't afford to wait for Tony Stark to smarten up. He told both Stern and James Rhodes to follow him. Ross was about to show them something that was classified top secret, Stern asked where Justin Hammer was and Ross told him that Hammer was on the way. Ross told them that their new weapon would be the right way to send the right message to the enemies of freedom, the message being that they don't need Tony Stark. When Hammer arrived he presented to Rhodes and Ross the Aerodynamic Marvel, which he considered to be the next step on close-quarter combat with full protection and attack capabilities.

When testing the machine it was shot down and fell into an enemy zone. Ross was informed that Iron Man was heading in to clean up. Ross was interested in seeing what Stark could do. After Stark saved the pilot, Ross ordered him to land on Cairo's Weat Air Base immediately. Stark met with Ross and asked if he had something to ask him, Ross told him that they picked up on a shoot out with the Congolese Army and Stark didn't return fire, stating that when someone fires on an American, that American has to fire back; he also told him that by claiming that he won't make any more weapons, he was distancing himself from his father's legacy. Stark warned him that if he heard about another innocent being put in harm's way there would be consequences.

Hunt for the Hulk
"I will never forgive what you’ve done to him." "He’s a fugitive." "You made him a fugitive. To cover your failures, and to protect your career. Don’t ever speak to me as your daughter again."

- Betty Ross and Thaddeus Ross

Later, Ross managed to track Bruce Banner because of his contaminated blood, found in a bottle of Guaranito. Ross engaged one of the best operatives at his disposal, Emil Blonsky, and sent him to the village of Rocinha, near Rio de Janeiro, where the drink is produced. The team failed to capture Banner, who became the Hulk and fled.

When Blonsky returned and was told how Banner became the Hulk, he accepted to be injected with an experimental version of the Super Soldier Serum, developed by Ross' researchers. When Leonard Samson, Betty Ross's new boyfriend, warned Ross that Banner had returned to Virginia, Ross and his forces, super-powered Blonsky included, attacked at Culver University in an attempt to capture Banner. Ross uses all his men and his new weapons created by Stark Industries, but failed once again, and Betty fled with Bruce.

In need of new information about the Hulk's movements, Ross obtained the World Security Council's permission to extract the data from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s computers. A few hours later, Ross was confronted by Nick Fury himself. Ross told Fury that he wasn't going to leave the safety of the world in his hands.

Battle against Abomination
"Use that thing, soldier. Give him some help!" "Which one?" "Help the green one, dammit! Which one do you think? Cut the other one in half!"

- Thaddeus Ross and a soldier

With much of Ross' surprise, Emil Blonsky managed to recover very quickly from the wounds suffered in the battle with Bruce Banner, because of the Super Soldier Serum. General Ross managed to track Banner's accomplice and has his lab taken in custody by the Army. Ross discovered Banner's and Betty's whereabouts and takes them both into custody by a helicopter.

Unknown to Ross, Blonsky goes to Samuel Sterns' lab and forced him to inject him with Banner's DNA, which reacts with the Serum and transforms him into a Hulk-like monster. For stopping Blonsky, Ross reluctantly accepted Banner's help, and has the Hulk fight the Abomination. At the end of the battle, Ross takes Blonsky in custody, while Banner is disappears once again.

Talk with Stark
"You should talk." "You should listen. What if I told you we were putting a team together?" "Who's "we"?"

- Thaddeus Ross and Tony Stark

Later, in a bar, Ross meets Tony Stark, who wants to talk with him about the "Avengers Initiative" that might interest him. However, the talk ended up with Stark annoying Ross so much that Ross tried to have him removed from the bar. In reply, Stark bought the bar, and scheduled it for demolition.

Equipment and Skills
General Ross is a highly experienced soldier and Vietnam War veteran. He possesses the normal human strength of a man of his age, height, and build who engages in moderate regular exercise. Ross uses all kinds of military vehicles at his disposal, mainly helicopters.

Relationships

 * Bruce Banner/The Hulk - Enemy/Ally
 * Emil Blonsky/Abomination - Ally turned enemy
 * Betty Ross - Daughter
 * Joe Greller - Ally
 * Ross' Unit - Subordinates
 * Kathleen Sparr

Trivia

 * In the comics, General Ross eventually becomes a Hulk himself, Red Hulk.