Brian Banner

Brian Banner debuted in The Incredible Hulk #267 (January 1982), created by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema.{{cite book |last1=DeFalco |first1=Tom |last2=Sanderson |first2=Peter |last3=Brevoort |first3=Tom |last4=Teitelbaum |first4=Michael |last5=Wallace |first5=Daniel |last6=Darling |first6=Andrew |last7=Forbeck |first7=Matt |last8=Cowsill |first8=Alan |last9=Bray |first9=Adam |title=The Marvel Encyclopedia |date=2019 |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn=978-1-4654-7890-0 |page=40}} He appeared in the 2010 Immortal Hulk series,{{Cite web |last=Cronin |first=Brian |date=September 9, 2018 |title=Immortal Hulk's Returning Villain, Explained! |url=https://www.cbr.com/hulk-returning-villain-explainer/ |access-date=January 7, 2025 |website=Comic Book Resources |language=en}} the 2018 Immortal Hulk series,{{Cite web |last=Corley |first=Shaun |date=October 28, 2020 |title=The Return of Hulk's Father Finally Explained By Marvel |url=https://screenrant.com/hulk-brian-banner-returns-explained-marvel/ |access-date=January 7, 2025 |website=Screen Rant |language=en}} and in the 2020 Immortal Hulk #0 one-shot.{{Cite web |last=Marston |first=George |date=June 19, 2020 |title=Immortal Hulk #0 adds Marvel exclusive artist for interiors |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/immortal-hulk-revisits-classic-mantlo-and-david-stories-and-connects-them-to-the-one-below-all/ |access-date=January 7, 2025 |website=Newsarama |language=en}} Diamond Comic Distributors reported that Immortal Hulk #0 was the 40th best-selling comic book in September 2020.{{Cite web |date=October 21, 2020 |title=Top 100 Comics: September 2020 |url=https://www.previewsworld.com/Article/246598-Top-100-Comics-September-2020 |access-date=January 7, 2025 |website=Previews World |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=October 21, 2020 |title=Diamond's Top 500 Comics--September 2020 |url=https://icv2.com/articles/markets/view/46794/diamonds-top-500-comics-september-2020 |access-date=January 7, 2025 |website=ICv2 |language=en}}

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 had inherited a "monster gene" from him, and so promised himself that he would never have any children, for fear of bringing another Banner into the world.The Incredible Hulk #-1 (July 1997)

As an adult, Brian marries a woman named Rebecca, earns a PhD in physics, and finds a job in Los Alamos, New Mexico, working for the United States government on a project developing a clean way to create nuclear energy. The stress of his job leads Brian to become an alcoholic 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" and genetic 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 one Christmas 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.The Incredible Hulk #312 (October 1985)

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.The Incredible Hulk #377 (January 1991) 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 to Hell. Terrified, Bruce perjures himself, testifying that his father never abused him or Rebecca, and that his mother tried to run away for no reason.The Incredible Hulk #403 (March 1993) 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 a mental institution. Bruce is left in the care of his aunt Susan, now known as Mrs. Drake.

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. The police department, sympathetic toward Bruce and having had enough of Brian’s violent behavior, ignores the evidence of Bruce having killed his father.{{Cite web |last=Mollo |first=Drew |date=August 26, 2021 |title=Marvel Confirms How The Hulk Got Away with Murdering His Father |url=https://screenrant.com/immortal-hulk-bruce-banner-father-brian-murder/ |access-date=September 27, 2024 |website=Screen Rant |language=en}} Bruce represses the memories of Brian's stay with him and his subsequent death, making himself believe that Brian was killed by muggers.

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 as Mentallo, the Red Skull, Devil Hulk, and Guilt 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 the Juggernaut 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.The Incredible Hulk #404 (April 1993)

When Bruce Banner and the Hulk were fused back together after the events of Heroes Return, Bruce found himself in Hell, where he met several former adversaries, including Brian's spirit. Bruce was terrorized by Brian, Leader, and Maestro. He eventually stood up to his father, attacking and strangling him before being returned to Earth by an image of his wife, Betty Ross.The Incredible Hulk #460 (January 1998) Having faced his father, Bruce's haunting by him ceases.

When Bruce Banner develops ALS, 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.The Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #32 (November 2001)

It is later implied that Bruce killing Brian was not actually an accident. He notes during a confrontation with Daken and Wolverine 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.The Incredible Hulk #603 (December 2009)

File:BrianBannerHulkMonster.jpg/Devil Hulk hybrid.]]

During the "Chaos War" storyline, Brian Banner is temporarily resurrected after Death flees her realm and transforms into a Guilt 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 by Jarella.The Incredible Hulk #619-620 (March 2011)

In The Immortal Hulk, Brian Banner returns as a ghost under the One Below All's command and possesses Jailbat of Riot Squad. Then he possessed Sasquatch.The Immortal Hulk #3-4 (July-August 2018){{Cite web |last=Zachary |first=Brandon |date=November 7, 2020 |title=Immortal Hulk: The Leader Knows EXACTLY How to Break the Hulk |url=https://www.cbr.com/immortal-hulk-the-leader-defeats-devil-hulk/ |access-date=September 24, 2024 |website=Comic Book Resources |language=en}} Brian Banner's ghost later possessed Absorbing Man at the time when he was operating as Red Dog of the U.S. Hulk Operations.The Immortal Hulk #9 (November 2018)

The Leader later assimilates Brian's body and mind and removes his skeleton from his body for research.{{Cite web |last=Matadeen |first=Renaldo |date=November 8, 2020 |title=The Immortal Hulk's Deadliest Villain Upgraded Through A HORRIFIC Power Boost |url=https://www.cbr.com/immortal-hulk-leader-power-boost/ |access-date=September 24, 2024 |website=CBR |language=en}}The Immortal Hulk #33-34 (May - August 2020)

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.The Immortal Hulk #42

Brian Banner has genius-level intellect. When Banner was resurrected during the Chaos 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.The Immortal Hulk #5-7 (November - December 2018)

An alternate universe version of Brian Banner from Earth-8816 appears in Devil's Reign: Superior Four #1.Devil's Reign: Superior Four #1 (March 2022)

An alternate universe version of Brian Banner from Earth-58163 appears in House of M.[http://www.marvel.com/universe/Hulk_(House_of_M) Hulk (House of M) - Marvel Universe: The definitive online source for Marvel super hero bios]

• A predated version of Brian Banner appears in The Incredible Hulk episode "Homecoming", portrayed by John Marley.{{cite episode |title=Homecoming |series=The Incredible Hulk |network=CBS |airdate=November 30, 1979 |season=3 |number=8 |credits=Kenneth Johnson, Andrew Schneider (writers)}} This version is a farmer named D.W. Banner who is also the father of Helen Banner (portrayed by Diana Muldaur).
• Brian Banner, renamed David Banner, appears in Hulk, portrayed primarily by Nick Nolte and by Paul Kersey as a young adult.{{Cite web |last=Chitwood |first=Scott |date=June 20, 2003 |title=The Hulk |url=https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/reviews/335-the-hulk |access-date=January 7, 2025 |website=ComingSoon.net |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Dick |first=Jeremy |date=January 29, 2024 |title=Hulk Actor Eric Bana Addresses Possible Multiverse Return as Bruce Banner |url=https://www.cbr.com/hulk-eric-bana-on-mcu-return/ |access-date=January 7, 2025 |website=Comic Book Resources |language=en}} This version is a geneticist who experimented on and mutated his DNA, which his son Bruce inherited. While attempting to find a cure for Bruce's condition thirty years prior to the film, General Thunderbolt Ross halted David's research. Angered by this, the latter destroys his laboratory to prevent the military from using his data and tries to murder Bruce, believing he will mutate out of control. However, David accidentally kills his wife Edith when she tries to stop him before he is remanded to a mental institution while Bruce is taken into foster care. In the present, David is released and learns of Bruce's transformation into the Hulk. Seeing Hulk as his "true son", David attempts to replicate his powers, giving himself the ability to absorb matter similar to Absorbing Man. He eventually fights Hulk in combat only to be killed in an explosion.{{cite video|people = Ang Lee (Director) |title = Hulk |medium = DVD |location = United States |publisher = Universal Pictures|date = 2003}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Brian_Banner_(Earth-616) Brian Banner] on Marvel Comics Database
• [https://comicvine.gamespot.com/brian-banner/4005-10874/ Brian Banner] on Comic Vine
• [http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/bannerbrian.htm Brian Banner] on Marvel Appendix

{{Hulk}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Banner, Brian}}

Category:Characters created by Bill Mantlo

Category:Characters created by Mike Mignola

Category:Characters created by Sal Buscema

Category:Comics characters introduced in 1982

Category:Fictional alcohol abusers

Category:Fictional child abusers

Category:Fictional domestic abusers

Category:Fictional geneticists

Category:Fictional ghosts

Category:Fictional nuclear physicists

Category:Fictional uxoricides

Category:Genetically engineered characters in comics

Category:Hulk (comics)

Category:Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength

Category:Marvel Comics male supervillains

Category:Marvel Comics scientists

Category:Marvel Comics shapeshifters

Category:Marvel Comics undead characters

Category:Undead supervillains