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| Brian Banner | |
|---|---|
 Brian Banner as seen inThe Incredible Hulk #-1. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | The Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #267 (January 1982) (cameo) The Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #312 (October 1985) (full appearance) |
| Created by | Bill Mantlo (writer) Sal Buscema (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Full name | Dr. Brian David Banner |
| Species | Human (originally) Human mutate (briefly revived form) |
| Notable aliases | Devil Hulk Guilt Hulk |
| Abilities |
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Brian David Banner is a character appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Created byBill Mantlo andSal Buscema, the characterfirst appeared inThe Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #267 (January 1982).[1] He is theabusive father ofBruce Banner.[2] His abuse was a contributing factor to Bruce Banner's eventual transformation into theHulk.[3][4]
Nick Nolte portrays a renamed version of Brian Banner named David Banner inHulk.
Brian Banner debuted inThe Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #267 (January 1982), created byBill Mantlo andSal Buscema.[5] He appeared in the 2010Immortal Hulk series,[6] the 2018Immortal Hulk series,[7] and in the 2020The Immortal Hulk #0one-shot.[8]Diamond Comic Distributors reported thatThe Immortal Hulk #0 was the 40th best-selling comic book in September 2020.[9][10]
As a small child, Brian and his two sisters, Elaine and Susan and their mother were physically and mentally abused by their violent alcoholic father. Brian regarded his father as a monster and believed that he hadinherited a "monstergene" from him, and so promised himself that he would never have any children, for fear of bringing another Banner into the world.[11]
As an adult, Brian marries a woman namedRebecca, earns aPhD inphysics, and finds a job inLos Alamos, New Mexico, working for theUnited States government on a project developing a clean way to createnuclear energy. The stress of his job leads Brian to become analcoholic himself, and he frequently lashes out at those around him. While drunk at work one day, Brian accidentally overloads some machinery, causing an explosion that costs him his job. Despite his vow never to have children, Brian impregnates Rebecca, who gives birth to their only child, Robert Bruce Banner. Brian believes Bruce has inherited both the "monster gene" andgenetic defects due to the accident in Los Alamos, so he ignores him completely and attempts to keep Rebecca away from him. He frequently leaves Bruce in the care of the neglectful Nurse Meachum. When Bruce wakes up oneChristmas morning and opens a present from his mother, a complex model, he assembles it easily despite his young age. This convinces Brian that his assumptions about Bruce were correct. As a result, he beats Bruce as well as Rebecca after she comes to his aid.[12]
After enduring years of heavy abuse from Brian, Rebecca attempts to escape from him with Bruce. Brian discovers his wife and son packing the car just before their escape and smashes Rebecca's head against the pavement, killing her in front of Bruce.[13] Brian manages to stop Bruce from testifying against him at his trial for Rebecca's murder, saying that if he did so, he would go toHell. Terrified, Bruceperjures himself, testifying that his father never abused him or Rebecca, and that his mother tried to run away for no reason.[14] Brian escapes conviction due to lack of evidence, but soon afterwards is arrested again when he drunkenly boasts about beating the law by bullying his son. Brian is imprisoned, but he pleads insanity as a last resort, and is later transferred to amental institution. Bruce is left in the care of his aunt Susan, now known as Mrs. Drake.[11]
After 15 years of confinement, Brian, who is believed fit for reintroduction into society, is released into a reluctant Bruce's care. Living with Bruce causes Brian's delusions to resurface and, on the anniversary of Rebecca's death, Brian and Bruce engage in a verbal and later physical fight at Rebecca's grave. During the fight, Bruce accidentally kills Brian by knocking him headfirst into Rebecca's headstone.[11] The police department, sympathetic toward Bruce and having had enough of Brian’s violent behavior, ignores the evidence of Bruce having killed his father.[15] Brucerepresses the memories of Brian's stay with him and his subsequent death, making himself believe that Brian was killed bymuggers.[12]
Brian's ghost continues to haunt Bruce's alter-ego the Hulk after his death, often appearing to taunt him, stating that Bruce was no better than himself; villains such asMentallo, theRed Skull,Devil Hulk, andGuilt Hulk also use the image of Brian Banner against the Hulk in an attempt to weaken him. One prominent storyline saw the Red Skull use mind-manipulating technology to make the Hulk see theJuggernaut as his father and use the Hulk to attack other heroes, but this plan failed when the Juggernaut praised the Hulk's efforts, something that the true Brian had never done.[16]
When Bruce Banner and the Hulk were fused back together after the events ofHeroes Return, Bruce found himself in Hell, where he met several former adversaries, including Brian's spirit. Bruce was terrorized by Brian,Leader, andMaestro. He eventually stood up to his father, attacking and strangling him before being returned to Earth by an image of his wife,Betty Ross.[17] Having faced his father, Bruce's haunting by him ceases.
When Bruce Banner developsALS,Mister Fantastic collects DNA from Brian Banner's corpse to cure him. Bruce subsequently visits his father's grave and laments his confusion over his feelings for his father, noting the fact that he now owes his life to the man despite his old issues with him.[18]
It is later implied that Bruce killing Brian was not actually an accident. He notes during a confrontation withDaken andWolverine that he has managed to avoid causing any innocent deaths when he is rampaging as the Hulk—save for those occasions when he is under the control or influence of something else—and suggesting that it is unlikely that he would make such a 'mistake' in his more limited human form.[19]
During the "Chaos War" storyline, Brian Banner is temporarily resurrected afterDeath flees her realm and transforms into aGuilt Hulk/Devil Hulk hybrid. As Rebecca was also revived, Brian tried to kill Rebecca again only for Hulk to protect her. Brian started feeding off his son's fears and got stronger. Hulk overcomes his fear of Brian and defeats him after being encouraged byJarella.[20]
InThe Immortal Hulk, Brian Banner returns as a ghost under theOne Below All's command and possesses Jailbat ofRiot Squad. Then he possessedSasquatch.[21][22][7] Brian Banner's ghost later possessedAbsorbing Man at the time when he was operating as Red Dog of the U.S. Hulk Operations.[23]
The Leader later assimilates Brian's body and mind and removes his skeleton from his body for research.[15][24][25]
At the time when Leader brought Bruce Banner to the Below-Place, Brian Banner's ghost appears again stating that the only reason that his "Gamma Circuit" worked is because the One Below All possessed him. He does get horrified when Leader gets possessed by the One Below All.[26]
Brian Banner has genius-level intellect. When Banner was resurrected during theChaos War storyline, he gained the ability to turn into a hybrid replica of the Guilt Hulk and the Devil Hulk. While in this state, Brian possessed power and strength relative to how powerful Bruce perceived him as being. As a ghost, Brian can possess gamma-powered beings.[27]
An alternate universe version of Brian Banner from Earth-8816 appears inDevil's Reign: Superior Four #1.[28]
An alternate universe version of Brian Banner from Earth-58163 appears inHouse of M.[29]
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