—Betty Ross[source]Dad told me to forget Bruce Banner! But I could as soon forget my heart... or my soul!
History
The Early Years[]
Born in California, Betty was the only child of Air Force General Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross and his wife, Karen Lee. Karen died when Betty was a teenager, and Ross shut Betty out of his life, claiming that a military base was no place for a young woman. Betty went off to boarding school.
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Betty Ross
She returned to Ross' home after finishing school but then, as for much of her life, she was dominated by Ross. By now, Ross was in charge of the top secret Gamma Bomb project at Desert Base in New Mexico. Betty greeted the bomb's creator, Dr. Robert Bruce Banner, when he arrived at the base. A strong attraction grew between Banner and Betty. However, Ross held resentment for the quiet, slender nuclear physicist, thinking him a physical and emotional weakling. Ross' dislike of Banner intensified when he realized that Betty was falling in love with him.[citation needed]
Exposure to intense gamma radiation caused Banner to transform repeatedly from then on into the monstrous Hulk.[18] When Ross began to realize that his daughter was falling in love with Banner, he tried to dissuade her from following those feelings, not liking the secrets that Banner was obviously keeping. Later, Betty was kidnapped by Tyrannus, a long-lived Grecian ruler who controlled one of the underground domains of Subterranea. Tyrannus ordered Ross not to impede his coming invasion of the surface world in order to ensure the safety of his daughter. Ross complied, but Betty was eventually rescued by the Hulk.[19] Although Banner managed at first to keep his identity a secret, his activities as the Hulk led to circumstances that caused Ross and his security chief, Major Glenn Talbot, to suspect Banner of being a traitor.[20] Talbot fell in love with Betty himself. However, Betty remained devoted to Banner throughout all of his troubles, even when it became known that Banner was the Hulk.[21]
At one point, Banner's condition was changed so that he could both control his changes into the Hulk and maintain his normal personality and intelligence when he was in the Hulk's form.[22] Reluctantly, Ross consented to the wedding of Banner and his daughter, which was held in the house in which she had been born. However, during the ceremony, just before Banner and Betty could be pronounced husband and wife, the Hulk's archenemy the Leader, seeking vengeance, fired gamma radiation that returned Banner to his previous condition as the Savage Hulk. The Hulk tore the house apart, and the hopes for the wedding to occur were no more.[23]
Marrying Glenn Talbot[]
Betty remained in love with Banner, but she eventually learned that Banner also loved Jarella,[24][25] a queen from the Microverse world of K'ai. Believing that she had lost Banner to another woman, Betty finally allowed herself to fall in love with Talbot, and they were soon married.[26]
While Betty and Talbot were on their honeymoon, Ross continued his pursuit of the Hulk, only to be captured by the Soviet scientist known as the Gremlin and sent to a Soviet prison. Talbot joined a mission to rescue Ross and was successful, but he himself was captured. Ross and the other Americans on the mission incorrectly believed that Talbot had been killed. When Betty learned of her husband's supposed death, she suffered a nervous breakdown.[citation needed]
The Harpy[]
The Hulk vs. the Harpy
M.O.D.O.K., who at the time was the leader of the subversive scientific organization named A.I.M., discovered Betty's condition and decided to take full advantage of it. In order to create a creature that was powerful enough to defeat the Hulk, he infused an incredible amount of gamma radiation into her, making her into the monstrous and insane Gamma Mutate named the Harpy. The dreadful creature broke out of a special shell, immediately wanting to know where the Hulk was so that she could kill him.
M.O.D.O.K. told the Harpy where to find the Hulk, and she flew off to find him. The Harpy soon found the Hulk, ambushing him and engaging him in combat. The two fought each other without hesitation, but before the Hulk could land the killing blow, the Harpy told him that she was Betty. The Hulk, shocked and confused by her statement, was rendered unconscious by the Harpy's hellbolts.[4]
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Betty as the Harpy standing over the fallen Hulk
Ross saw the Harpy and the Hulk fighting on TV and recognized his daughter. He made his way as quickly as possible to the battle site, running to talk to her right before she blasted and tried to kill the Hulk. Ross tried to convince her that she was a gentle human being but, still under the influence of M.O.D.O.K.'s brainwashing and thinking Ross' words to be a poor trick, the Harpy flew away with the Hulk in her clutches.
When the military sent out fighter jets to try and stop her, she shot one of them out of the sky with her hellbolts before she and the Hulk were swept up in a strange tornado that pulled them into a giant cloud mass. They soon found themselves in a strange city on a floating island that was hidden in the clouds. As the Hulk revived, they were confronted by a two-faced creature that called itself the Bi-Beast. When it grabbed the Harpy purely out of interest, she lashed out with her hellbolts, and the Hulk, wanting to protect Betty, attacked the creature as well. The Harpy was easily knocked out cold with a single blow, but the Hulk proved to be more of a challenge. Despite the fight that the Hulk put up, however, the thin air in the upper atmosphere brought him down to defeat. He collapsed from a lack of oxygen and reverted back to Banner.
When Banner revived, he explained to the Bi-Beast that he was a scientist, leading the creature to believe that destiny had brought Banner to the floating island. It told Banner that the floating island was created by the Bird People and the Bi-Beast was created to be a living monument of their achievements once they passed on. It also explained that the machines that were holding the floating island in the air were starting to break down and that it had no knowledge on how to repair them. It then asked Banner to use his skills to save the floating island, with the predicament now known. Additionally, it explained that it only captured the Harpy because it yearned for the company of someone that resembled its creators. The Harpy fit that description.
Banner, not knowing how Betty's transformation had occurred, figured that he could use the advanced equipment to try and help her. He went looking for the Bi-Beast, finding it trying to communicate with the reluctant and caged Harpy. Banner said that he would help repair the equipment if the Bi-Beast let him take the Harpy with him, to which the Bi-Beast agreed. Banner gathered equipment together that he suspected would cure Betty. Unbeknownst to him, however, M.O.D.O.K. also came to the floating island, looking for both him and the Harpy. He tricked the Bi-Beast into thinking that Banner was going to betray it. The Bi-Beast, fooled, attacked Banner just as he hit the switch to start the equipment. A fight ensued, angering Banner and turning him into the Hulk. The successful M.O.D.O.K. then double-crossed the Bi-Beast and attacked it. As the Bi-Beast hit a self-destruct button, the Hulk became Banner once more and went to search for Betty. He found her in the device, still as the Harpy. He was devastated due to the apparent failure of the machine. Nevertheless, he grabbed her, became the Hulk, and made a run for it as the floating island fell apart. As the Hulk ran in a attempt to bring them both to safety, parts of a building from the floating island fell on top of the Harpy. When the dust cleared, the Harpy had reverted back to Betty. Betty's transformation was reversed permanently after the encounter with the Bi-Beast. She regained both her normal form and her sanity, thus showing that Banner's machine had indeed been successful.[27]
Return[]
Betty and Talbot's marriage was fraught with difficulty, especially due to Talbot's comatose state and Betty's extramarital romantic affair with Doc Samson, which first occurred when Banner temporarily lost his powers,[28] and continued until a plan was concocted to restore Talbot's mind.[29] Talbot was finally rescued, but Betty realized that she was still in love with Banner, and the marriage of Betty and Talbot soon ended in divorce.[30] For a time, Betty lived on her own. Ultimately, she returned to Banner. As for Talbot, he blamed his divorce on Banner and finally died trying to destroy the Hulk.[31]
Again, Banner achieved a state in which he could control his transformations and maintain his normal personality and intelligence while in the form of the Hulk. This time, however, Betty was upset because she wanted Banner to be rid of the Hulk, not to control him. When Betty learned that Ross had conspired with M.O.D.O.K. to kill the Hulk, Betty accused him of treason. Realizing that Betty was right, Ross nearly committed suicide and then disappeared.[citation needed]
Marrying Robert Bruce Banner[]
The Hulk disappeared from Earth for an extended period, and Betty began dating a man named Ramón. Upon learning that the Hulk had been sighted on Earth again, Betty left Ramón and returned to Gamma Base, where the Hulk was subjected to a process that split Bruce and the Hulk apart into separate entities. Believing himself to be cured, Banner proposed to Betty, and she accepted. Ross appeared at the wedding, armed with a gun and demanding that the marriage not take place before shooting Rick. Courageously, Betty confronted her father, accused him of tyrannizing her throughout her life, and cowered him into surrendering the gun. Then, finally, Banner and Betty were pronounced husband and wife.[32]
However, Banner began dying as a result of being physically separated from the Hulk. Banner and the Hulk were secretly merged together once more and Betty soon discovered this.[citation needed]
Ross died before his daughter's eyes when he sacrificed his life to destroy an unnamed mutant that nearly killed both Betty and Banner while seeking a strong host to be parasitically linked to.[citation needed]
Betty was distraught upon learning that Banner had sometimes consciously triggered his transformation in the past and was even now willing to become the Hulk in order to deal with very menacing threats. She left Banner and returned to Ramón, but then changed her mind and abandoned Ramón as well. She was then captured by the Leader, who set her free after learning that she was pregnant with Banner's child. She was eventually reunited with Banner, but soon afterward the Hulk seemingly perished in a tremendous explosion at Gammatown. Believing that the Hulk was dead, Betty left for New York City, where she eventually began training to become a nun.[17]
The Hulk, meanwhile, had found a way to prevent Banner from ever surfacing again while in the Microverse world of K'ai, the home of the Hulk's love, Jarella. Returning to Earth, the Hulk adopted the identity of Joe Fixit, and began a romantic relationship with Marlo Chandler, although Banner was still married to Betty. Marlo later ended the relationship, growing uncomfortable with the secrets that Joe kept from her. Betty also long resented what she saw as the Hulk's secret life as Joe Fixit.[5]
After many months, Banner learned of Betty's whereabouts during the Hulk's encounter with the villain the Madman, and was soon reunited with her, but not before the Savage Hulk reappeared as well in an encounter with the hero Prometheus. Banner and Betty searched for Rick and were similarly reunited, as was the Hulk with Rick's new girlfriend, Marlo.[citation needed]
Soon afterwards, the various personalities of the Hulk were fused into one whole personality, and the Hulk was contacted by the enigmatic leader Agamemnon to join his clandestine hero team the Pantheon, after which the Hulk served with the Pantheon for a long time. During this time, his relationship with Betty became strained. She was not comfortable with the merged persona nor did she agree to live at the Pantheon's headquarters with the Hulk. With time and effort, the Hulk and Betty's relationship improved.[citation needed]
After many months, the Pantheon had a falling out with their former leader and in the subsequent battle, the Pantheon's headquarters was destroyed and Betty was fatally wounded. The Hulk lost control over his merged form and the Savage Hulk re-assumed control but physically in Banner's form. Banner was taken into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody and Betty was hospitalized.[citation needed]
At some point, the Hulk sneaked Betty out of the hospital that she was in and Betty and the Hulk began living as fugitives. Betty and the Hulk eventually settled down in a small town in Florida under assumed identities. The Hulk managed to keep their identities secret, despite several adventures in both Florida and New York. Eventually, however, Betty was captured by the U.S. Army's Matt Talbot, Glenn Talbot's nephew, who succeeded in capturing the Hulk despite the re-emergence of the Hulk's fractured personalities.[citation needed]
Betty was freed by the Leader's former creations, collectively known as the Headshop. Betty and the Headshop, in turn, freed the Hulk but in the process the Hulk, still in Banner's body, jumped on a live grenade which left him with shrapnel in his brain and a subsequent penchant for turning into a physical alter ego of the Maestro. After helping the heroes save the world from Onslaught, the Hulk left to begin a series of adventures, ultimately leading to Doc Samson and the U.S. Army hunting the Hulk once more.[citation needed]
Death[]
As Banner returned from Counter-Earth and continued his life as the Hulk, Betty learned that her long association with the Hulk had left her dying from gamma radiation poisoning. The Hulk's archenemy, the Abomination, out of revenge for his brutal defeats by the Hulk, learned of this and then somehow used a transfusion of his own gamma-irradiated blood to poison Betty, killing her.[13]
She later mysteriously reappeared with a new face and began to provide the Hulk with information under the codename of Mr. Blue. Betty did not seem to want a relationship, although she felt obliged to continue helping Banner.[10]
However, some of the mysterious events surrounding the Hulk at that time had been revealed to have been illusions created by the demon Nightmare. Betty washed up on the same beach where the Hulk learned of this manipulation. Nightmare seemed to have taken a particular interest in Betty and his daughter, Daydream, seemed to have taken an appearance similar to hers.[33]
Once again, Betty was mysteriously resurrected and was present at her father's funeral in tears over his death.[34] She was seen with Glenn Talbot, distraught over Banner due to his recent marriage to Caiera the Oldstrong on Sakaar and his subsequent attack on Manhattan. However, it is unknown if there was any sincerity behind her motives or if it was only to help locate and aid her husband.
Resurrection and the Red She-Hulk[]
Betty as the Red She Hulk
A mysterious female version of the Red Hulk first appeared when the Red Hulk had gathered a team of mercenaries to hunt down Domino.[35]
The Red Hulk's team of mercenaries, Code Red, found Domino in a bar located in the heart of Hell's Kitchen. However, Domino had been waiting for them and ambushed Code Red with X-Force. All the various team members paired off and began their individual battles, with Wolverine facing the Red Hulk. Wolverine slashed his claws across the Red Hulk's eyes, blinding him until his healing factor restored his eyesight. Wolverine was about to deliver the killing blow to the Red Hulk when the Red She-Hulk appeared, blindsiding him. The Red She-Hulk protected the Red Hulk long enough in challenging Wolverine.[3]
The Red Hulk had no idea who had come to his aid and Thundra was forced to explain that it was a female counterpart who looked just like him. While the Red She-Hulk and Wolverine battled, she proudly boasted that she had stolen Elektra's sai and Domino's automatic firearm and clothes after killing both of them. Enraged, Wolverine plunged his claws into a power line and electrocuted them both. Having forced the Red She-Hulk away, Wolverine went off to search for Domino, but the Red She-Hulk pulled herself to her feet and lunged at Wolverine once more. When Wolverine stabbed the Red She-Hulk with his claws, she distracted him by spitting acidic saliva on his face. The Punisher distracted Wolverine long enough for the Red She-Hulk to drag the Red Hulk away from the fight. She dragged him down into the sewers to escape. Down there, the Red Hulk slowly followed the Red She-Hulk around while the Red She-Hulk evaded his questioning. There was a moment of silence after the Red Hulk told the story of a blind man and an elephant and she screamed that the last person who told her that story was dead to her.[36]
However, just as the Red Hulk began to trust the Red She-Hulk, she double-crossed him and plunged Elektra's stolen sai into his neck. Code Red were gathered in the sewers and awaiting the orders of Doc Samson. Their encounter ended with the Red She-Hulk kicking the Red Hulk off of the Empire State Building.[37] She was next seen capturing Hank Pym for the Intelligencia.[38] Her identity was finally revealed when she was stabbed with a sword by Skaar and reverted to her human form, revealing her to be Betty.[39]
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The Red She-Hulk's identity revealed!
Betty told Banner how she came back to life, and asked that Banner leave her to die, but as soon as Doc Samson showed up, Betty's anger at his betrayal transformed her back into the Red She-Hulk, healing her injuries;[14] this time in control of her own mind, Betty helped Banner reconcile with his son, Skaar.[40]
When Banner gained the upper hand in the fight against Ross, Betty worried about her father which, combined with her heightened aggression as the Red She-Hulk, led to a conflict with the original She-Hulk, Betty fought hard as the Red She-Hulk, but ultimately lost the fight. After Ross himself was defeated as the Red Hulk and locked up, Betty managed to convince Banner to give her father the opportunity to redeem himself.[41]
After the Leader's attempted takeover, Betty had difficulty coping with being resurrected, brainwashed, and turned into the Red She-Hulk all at once, and while talking to Banner, she reasoned that they were no longer married, as she had been declared legally dead. Because everyone else knew that Banner had married Caiera while he was the Green Scar, she figured that they should just go their separate ways. Even though Banner tried to argue, it only served to stress Betty and she transformed into the Red She-Hulk again.[42]
Chaos War[]
As the Red She-Hulk, Betty joined the Hulk, Skaar, A-Bomb, and Korg in their fight against the Abomination, as well as a Zom-possessed Doctor Strange and the forces of Amatsu-Mikaboshi.[43]
Pandora's Box[]
Betty again went on the run, pursued by Banner, who had discovered that her gamma levels were unstable, and that transforming only a few more times could lead to her being permanently trapped in her Red She-Hulk form. After finally catching up with her in Rome, he found that she had teamed up with his old nemesis Tyrannus to steal Pandora's Box, framing the Hulk for its theft.[44] When Banner confronted Betty and Tyrannus with the help of the museum curator, Dr. Sofia di Cosimo, an expert on artifacts of antiquity who planned to use Pandora's Box to form a new Roman Empire, they were attacked by a pair of men in armor claiming to be the "Knights of Rome", who disappeared with Tyrannus, Dr. di Cosimo, and Pandora's Box, forcing Betty and Banner to team up as the Red She-Hulk and the Hulk.[45] Banner and Betty were able to track down and defeat the Knights of Rome, but Tyrannus used the opportunity to transform their magical floating fortress into a giant impregnable stone golem while keeping Dr. di Cosimo captive.[46]
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Betty as the Red She-Hulk
Tyrannus immediately flung the Hulk away, while Betty followed after him as the Red She-Hulk to Tyrannus' obvious dismay, as he had feelings for her. She arrived to find the Hulk unhurt and both reverted to their human forms, giving her the opportunity to tell Banner about her struggle to keep the Red She-Hulk at bay. They returned to the Colosseum, with Banner turning back into the Hulk but Betty still remaining human. Tyrannus gathered thousands of locals to witness the opening of Pandora's Box; but with Amadeus Cho having disabled the mystical defenses of the fortress, the Hulk was able to rescue Dr. di Cosimo and Pandora's Box. Tyrannus and the Hulk fought with Tyrannus having the upper hand, prompting Dr. di Cosimo to ask Betty to become the Red She-Hulk again to help the Hulk. Both Amadeus and the Hulk told her not to, and the Hulk threw Pandora's Box to her so she could keep it away from Tyrannus. Tyrannus exited the golem to shoot Pandora's Box, unleashing the corrupted spirit of Hope contained within, which took possession of Betty. The Hulk was able to both absorb and overcome it, freeing Betty from its hold while returning to his human form of Banner. The two embraced, but Betty realized that she and Banner would never be able to have a normal life together and gave in to her Red She-Hulk persona who, telling the Hulk that she did not care, fled with Tyrannus.[47]
Fear Itself and Shattered Heroes[]
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Betty on a tropical island
Betty and Banner eventually reconciled and decided to make a life. The two were in Brazil when the Serpent began his invasion of Earth. They were enjoying their time together when the Hammer of Nul landed next to them. The Hulk, entranced, picked it up and became Nul, Breaker of Worlds. Betty struggled to stop him and rescued the civilians caught in the path of his rampage.[48]
Iron Man returned from Svartalfheim with Uru weaponry. One of these items, a sword, was given to Betty.[49] Unlike the other heroes that were gifted Uru weaponry, she refused to return it afterwards.[50]
After the Hulk and Banner were split asunder, Betty and Banner left to a tropical island together. When she found out, however, that Banner had been working on turning himself back into the Hulk despite promising that he would do nothing but spend his time with her, she turned into the Red She-Hulk and remarked that, after seeing him without the Hulk, she was not sure who she fell in love with, the man or the monster. She then left in disgust, feeling betrayed. After the Hulk seemingly killed Banner by holding him point-blank in the explosion of a Gamma Bomb, she sensed that something had happened to Banner and left to find out whoever was responsible.[citation needed]
De-powered[]
When the Order of the Shield's Terranometer determined that Banner was going to be responsible for an extinction-level event, she reluctantly enlisted Banner's assistant, Melinda Leucenstern, to kill him.[51] After being shot, the Order of the Shield took Banner and attempted to implant a device to control him, but they failed when Banner changed into the Hulk in the middle of the surgery.[52]
Banner was later cured from his brain damage by Arno Stark with the use of a new version of the Extremis virus;[53] however, this procedure unleashed a new personality for Banner, the super-intelligent, determined, and arrogant Doc Green.[54]
When Doc Green began work on de-powering every Gamma Mutate on Earth, he enlisted the help of Rick, who had been the first gamma-powered super-hero to be reverted back to normal, to de-power the Red She-Hulk. Rick visited Betty to inform her that the Hulk was coming for her to take away her powers, and slipped the cure into her food. Doc Green appeared in Betty's house and fought her until the effects of the serum took effect. Doc Green then confronted her about the shooting of Banner, thanking her for causing his emergence, and telling her that Banner was now dead. After Doc Green left the scene, Betty realized with dismay that she had made the same mistake that Banner had; she had created a monster.[51]
Betty later confronted Doc Green to ask for forgiveness from Banner for shooting him and he answered her plea by choosing to be Banner once more. Betty apologized to Banner, who ignored the apology in favor of the data that Betty was carrying on her tablet device. Happy at Banner being back to normal, she happily kissed him before he went off on his next adventure.[55]
The Red Harpy[]
Following Banner's assisted suicide at the hands of Hawkeye during the Second Superhuman Civil War, Betty attended his funeral and later visited her father in prison to convince him to help her in a plan to avenge Banner, but he refused. She rescinded any plans once she listened to a pre-recorded message left by Banner for her and his friends.[56] Not long afterwards, Banner returned to life. Since he had not contacted any of his allies since then due to emotional turmoil, Betty was conflicted whether to believe the rumors of the return of the Hulk or not. Banner eventually made contact with Betty and met up with her at her house. They were watched by Shadow Base agent the Bushwacker, who shot and killed Betty in an attempt to take out Banner.[15]
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Betty as the Red Harpy
Due to the newly-discovered immortality of Gamma Mutates, Betty quickly returned to life, mutated into a new version of the Harpy named the Red Harpy,[16] which manifested her buried spite and resentment both for the world and for Banner.[57] The Red Harpy fled from the scene while the Hulk was fighting the Bushwacker,[58] and resurfaced days later when reporter Jackie McGee investigated Betty's house.[59] As the Red Harpy, Betty tracked down the Hulk and took McGee to a motel in Reno, Nevada, where he was being attacked by a mutated Rick Jones, who was being controlled by Shadow Base.[57] The Red Harpy helped fight Rick, and escaped with McGee and the Hulk after he dug out Rick's body from the gamma-activated tissue which had mutated him.[60] During this time, the Red Harpy was cooperative with the Hulk but remained scornful of Banner, refusing to change back into her human form in his presence.[61]
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Betty and the Hulk make love
The Hulk and his allies retaliated against Shadow Base and raided it,[62] resulting in the Hulk seizing control of their operations from their leader, General Reginald Fortean.[63] As the Red Harpy, Betty aided the Hulk on several occasions, including his plot to fight humankind for the destruction of the environment,[64] fight off four monsters that were sent by Roxxon when the Hulk declared war on the company,[65] and fight Roxxon one last time in order to stop Xemnu the Living Titan's mind control.[66] Eventually, Betty grew tired of living in the cramped Shadow Base Site G and left against Banner's wishes.[67] Betty reunited with the Hulk after sensing his gamma signature while traveling to New York,[68] and helped him fend off the Avengers.[69] Gamma Flight later arrived and provided an escape route via teleportation.[70] At around this time, Joe Fixit was the Hulk's dominant alter, and he had a one-night stand with Betty. After learning that Joe had left Banner behind in the Below-Place Betty left, tired of Banner and his alters keeping secrets from her.[5]
The Defenders[]
When Doctor Strange used magic to pick a new team of Defenders to help the Masked Raider III hunt down Carlo Zota, the Red Harpy was one of the candidates who was abruptly summoned by his spell.[2] The Red Harpy reluctantly took part in this adventure, which saw the Defenders routinely pulled into past iterations of the universe. When the Defenders visited the Fifth Cosmos, a realm of primordial magic, they confronted the eldritch wizard Moridun. During their fight, Doctor Strange channeled his magic into the Red Harpy to open a Green Door in order to defeat the elder mage.[71] The Defenders' final stop was the Third Cosmos, where they witnessed the primordial fight between existence and nothingness, a battle between Lifebringer One and the Old Dragon known as the Anti-All. After Carlo Zota killed the Masked Raider III, only to discover that he was his future self, he helped fight the Anti-All while the Defenders empowered Lifebringer One to ensure his victory. With all of existence saved, the Defenders were returned to their proper time.[72]
Death Again[]
Betty was one of the many Gamma Mutates that was kidnapped and used by Eldest in an attempt to open the doors of the Mother of Horrors that resulted in her destruction. [73] Eldest continued to impersonate Betty in order to bait the Hulk into giving up being the Hulk until he realized it was not her after seeing her remains.[74]Personality
Initially, Betty was a milquetoast of a girl who wanted to do what her father said, yet felt drawn to Banner; later, she became more independent and showed a vindictive side when she attacked the Hulk as the Harpy. She is usually sweet and devoted to Banner.[citation needed]
As the Red She-Hulk, she was more of a bitter and vengeful woman and addicted to the gamma-spawned power afforded to her, also being more provocative in her attire and attitude.Attributes
 |
Powers
As herself, Betty has the regular strength, speed and endurance of an average human being with normal exercise.[citation needed]
The Harpy and the Red Harpy
- Superhuman Strength: As the Harpy, Betty had superhuman strength that enabled her to lift up to 10 tons,[75] which was enough to take on the Hulk, but she could not get stronger as she got angrier.
- Winged Flight: She could also fly at high speeds with huge bird-like wings on her back, which she could also use to perform aerial attacks from above.[citation needed]
- Superhuman Durability: While Betty was the Harpy she could withstand powerful impacts from both the Hulk and the Bi-Beast, and she had the stamina and endurance to back it up.[citation needed]
- Superhuman Stamina: The Harpy had an advanced muscular structure which produced less fatigue and toxins during physical activity than the muscular stature of an ordinary human. which gave her energy reserves which could keep her alert and moving and still hold her own whether she was fighting or flying.[citation needed]
- Superhuman Speed: The Harpy was fast on the ground and especially in the air, which gave her the advantage during her fight with the Hulk because of her great muscular strength, along with the development of her leg and wing muscles, and combined with her wing span; she was thus capable of moving, running and flying at up to speeds that were beyond the natural physical limits of the finest human athlete or the fastest jet plane.[citation needed]
- Superhuman Agility: When Betty was the Harpy, her natural agility increased tenfold, which was especially useful when performing her aerial attacks from above on her opponents.[citation needed] The Harpy's agility, balance and bodily coordination were enhanced beyond that of an ordinary human; not even the world's finest non-powered humans could match them.[citation needed]
- Energy Blasts: The Harpy could also fire powerful concussion blasts that she called hellbolts from her hands; which were so powerful that she both hurt and knocked out the Hulk when they fought.[4]
- Claws and Talons: She also had razor-sharp claws and talons on her hands and feet, which could easy cut through even the Hulk's flesh.[57]
- Regenerative Healing Factor: After becoming the Red Harpy, Betty developed an incredible healing ability, allowing her to survive a head wound that would normally be fatal.[15][16]
- Superhuman Smelling: As the Red Harpy, Betty was able to track down Banner through smell alone.[76]
Abilities
- Marksmanship: As both the daughter and the ex-wife of soldiers, Betty grew up with weapons. Aware of the dangers of being the Hulk's wife, she maintained her proficiency.[80] She is an highly skilled markswoman.[11]
- Espionage: Betty is highly skilled in espionage.[11]
- Skilled Combatant: Betty is highly skilled in armed and unarmed combat, notably in the use of small firearms and bladed weaponry.[77][11]
Paraphernalia
Weapons
Sharp Talons: As the Harpy and then as the Red Harpy, she had razor-sharp talons on her feet which could cut and tear through materials such as rock and metal, as well as carry heavy objects such as the Hulk himself when they fought; they were also useful as weapons when fighting in close combat against her enemies when she fought both the Hulk and the Bi-Beast.[82]
Notes
- Betty's face was used on Harpy robots to ensure that Banner did not escape from Gamma Base after being captured post-World War Hulk.
- When the Red She-Hulk was first revealed, one of the few details that was provided was that she had some sort of connection to Domino, yet she was seen wielding Elektra's weapon of choice (the sai) and had Thundra's large muscular physique. These three characters all featured in the first issue where the Red She-Hulk first appeared, and therefore added to the mystery and debate.[citation needed]
Trivia
- Doc Samson has noted that, as the Red Harpy, Betty never speaks more than five or six words at a time.[83]
See Also
- 427 appearance(s) of Elizabeth Ross (Earth-616)
- 15 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Elizabeth Ross (Earth-616)
- 94 minor appearance(s) of Elizabeth Ross (Earth-616)
- 56 mention(s) of Elizabeth Ross (Earth-616)
- 9 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Elizabeth Ross (Earth-616)
- 286 image(s) of Elizabeth Ross (Earth-616)
- 21 quotation(s) by or about Elizabeth Ross (Earth-616)
- 3 victim(s) killed by Elizabeth Ross (Earth-616)
- 2 item(s) used/owned by Elizabeth Ross (Earth-616)
Links and References
References
- ↑ Hulk (Vol. 2) #22
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Defenders (Vol. 6) #1
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Hulk (Vol. 2) #15
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Incredible Hulk #168
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Immortal Hulk #48
- ↑ Incredible Hulk (Vol. 2) #44
- ↑ Incredible Hulk #427
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Red She-Hulk #58
- ↑ Incredible Hulk #212
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Incredible Hulk (Vol. 2) #34
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 Defenders: Strange Heroes #1
- ↑ Incredible Hulk (Vol. 2) #81
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Incredible Hulk #466
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Incredible Hulk (Vol. 3) #610
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Immortal Hulk #14
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Immortal Hulk #16
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Incredible Hulk #371
- ↑ Incredible Hulk #1
- ↑ Incredible Hulk #6
- ↑ Tales to Astonish #61
- ↑ Tales to Astonish #77
- ↑ Incredible Hulk #123
- ↑ Incredible Hulk #124
- ↑ Avengers #88
- ↑ Incredible Hulk #140
- ↑ Incredible Hulk #158
- ↑ Incredible Hulk #169
- ↑ Incredible Hulk #141–147
- ↑ Incredible Hulk #199–200
- ↑ Incredible Hulk #238
- ↑ Incredible Hulk #260
- ↑ Incredible Hulk #319
- ↑ Incredible Hulk (Vol. 2) #77
- ↑ the Fall of the Hulks storyline
- ↑ Hulk (Vol. 2) #14
- ↑ Hulk (Vol. 2) #16
- ↑ Hulk (Vol. 2) #17
- ↑ Incredible Hulk (Vol. 3) #607
- ↑ Incredible Hulk (Vol. 3) #609
- ↑ Incredible Hulk (Vol. 3) #611
- ↑ Hulk (Vol. 2) #24
- ↑ Incredible Hulks #612
- ↑ Incredible Hulks #618–620
- ↑ Incredible Hulks #626
- ↑ Incredible Hulks #627
- ↑ Incredible Hulks #628
- ↑ Incredible Hulks #629
- ↑ Fear Itself #2–3
- ↑ Fear Itself #7
- ↑ Defenders (Vol. 4) #1–12
- ↑ 51.0 51.1 Hulk (Vol. 3) #8
- ↑ Hulk (Vol. 3) #1
- ↑ Hulk (Vol. 3) #4
- ↑ Hulk (Vol. 3) #5
- ↑ Hulk (Vol. 3) #16
- ↑ Fallen #1
- ↑ 57.0 57.1 57.2 Immortal Hulk #19
- ↑ Immortal Hulk #15
- ↑ Immortal Hulk #18
- ↑ Immortal Hulk #20
- ↑ Immortal Hulk #22
- ↑ Immortal Hulk #23
- ↑ Immortal Hulk #24
- ↑ Immortal Hulk #26
- ↑ Immortal Hulk #29–31
- ↑ Immortal Hulk #33
- ↑ Immortal Hulk #35
- ↑ Immortal Hulk #45
- ↑ Immortal Hulk #46
- ↑ Immortal Hulk #47
- ↑ Defenders (Vol. 6) #3
- ↑ Defenders (Vol. 6) #5
- ↑ Incredible Hulk (Vol. 6) #29
- ↑ Incredible Hulk (Vol. 6) #30
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #9
- ↑ Immortal Hulk #18–19
- ↑ 77.0 77.1 77.2 77.3 77.4 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Update #5
- ↑ Red She-Hulk #63
- ↑ 79.0 79.1 Women of Marvel: Celebrating Seven Decades Handbook #1
- ↑ Incredible Hulk #421
- ↑ Fall of the Hulks: Gamma #1
- ↑ Incredible Hulk #168–169
- ↑ Immortal Hulk #30
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Hulk 2004 #1, Women of Marvel: Celebrating Seven Decades Handbook #1, Immortal Hulk #19
- ↑ Defenders: Strange Heroes Vol 1 1