—Professor Weller[source]My name is Professor Herbert Josiah Weller -- I teach physics at Desert State University... and I taught Bruce Banner everything he knows.
History
Professor Herbert Josiah Weller was the co-founder of Desert State University,[1] in Navapo, New Mexico, and later became the head of its research department,[2] He was one of the lead researchers in the theory of relativity,[2] and a foremost authority in Gamma Radiation.[3] Weller had his own laboratory in the University campus[2] and taught physics[4] in night classes.[3]
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Professor Weller
When Bruce Banner went to study nuclear physics at DSU[5][6][7] with the military's support,[6][7] he was taught by DSU teachers Max Christiansen and Geoffrey Crawford, whom Banner came to consider a mentor, but also went to Weller's classes,[6][7] with Weller claiming to have taught Banner everything Banner knew[4] (although Banner had had other teachers and later got a PhD in a different college).[6][7] Weller considered Banner a unique, inquisitive, attentive, and extraordinarily intelligent pupil with great potential,[4] considering Banner as the brightest[2] and best student Weller had ever had,[1] and the celebrity member of his classes.[5][6][7] Banner's classmate Raoul Stoddard was the next best student in Weller's class, and even before Stoddard got a diploma, he started collaborating with Weller in important projects. Stoddard felt some resentment toward Banner because Banner was getting fame and attention as Weller's charge, while Stoddard was going the extra mile working for Weller even in menial tasks.[3]
After graduation, Banner began working for military projects, which did not surprise Weller,[4] while Stoddard continued working with Weller at DSU. Stoddard became a famed expert on gamma radiation, surpassed only by Weller and Banner. Using money from a lenient yet generous government grant, Weller and Stoddard built a secret laboratory on the outskirts of Navapo to conduct gamma radiation research privately, without the knowledge of even the authorities who had funded it.[3]
Weller heard about Banner building a gamma bomb in Los Diablos Missile Base, and surviving to its explosion. At that point, he initially thought that Banner had been lucky and was glad at him surviving; not much later Weller discovered that the explosion had turned Banner into the monstrous Hulk, and understood that Banner had not been as fortunate as Weller has initially thought.[4]
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Weller is sieged during the student demonstrations
In the following years, Weller remained at the University during several crises, including the marches and the tuition increase protest,[1] even though he had a heart condition and such violent situations could be especially life-threatening to him.[2][1] Weller was in his laboratory during the student demonstrations, in which several misinformed students accused DSU of contributing to immoral purposes with their state-funded research, and rioted, causing serious damage. Weller was a virtual prisoner in his own laboratory, besieged by students, one of whom broke his window by throwing a rock from the outside. At that time, Banner was telephoning Weller, asking for his help regarding a scientific situation, but Weller told him that the university was dangerous at the moment and that Banner should not go there. Worrying about his former professor, Banner transformed into the Incredible Hulk and, half-remembering that the students were an enemy, went to the DSU,[2] where he caused more destruction[3] before being chased away by Rick Jones.[2] Throughout the ruckus, Weller ended up in a stage of nervous collapse, but was stable, and simply had to stop teaching for a day or two while recovering, with Stoddard filling in for him.[3]
Hulk transformed into Banner on the outskirts of Navapo, and went to the city to find out if Weller was okay, realizing that his transformation had been due to his fear for Weller's safety. Banner found Stoddard, who calmed him down by telling him about Weller's situation. Stoddard agreed to help Banner search for a cure for his condition, and took him to Weller's secret laboratory. In that encounter, the military of General Ross found the laboratory, the Hulk caused damage to its facilities, and Stoddard attempted to kill Banner motivated by jealousy over Weller's superior fame and attention Weller had always spared Banner. Stoddard was then arrested;[3] the secret laboratory has not been seen since.
Weller returned to his position. Some time later, the University was alerted that the Hulk was approaching there, and an evacuation of the campus was ordered. Dean Harvey Slater noticed that Weller was still in his office; Weller told him that he was consciously ignoring orders, since he had not left the university during the previous problems, and would not do so when the problem was his own student. Slater escaped, and when Hulk arrived, Weller approached the Hulk, wanting to help him. However, Weller addressed the Hulk by calling him Bruce repeatedly, when the Hulk hated Bruce Banner and reacted violently to that name. Hulk's teenage friend Jim Wilson had come to DSU upon hearing about the Hulk and attempted to protect Weller. Distrustful, Hulk shook Weller, and then Wilson pointed out that the Hulk was hurting a sick old man. Hulk, confused and ashamed, let go of Weller, realized that he himself was a danger, and ended up collapsing into Banner in tears on the campus before Weller and Wilson's eyes. Doc Samson from Gamma Base arrived at the DSU[1] to take the Hulk; Weller told them goodbye, wishing he could have done more for his former apprentice, and Samson told him that he had helped a lot, with the help of the university environment.[8]
In more recent times, Weller was interviewed for a Hulk documentary directed by Ryland Grant (posthumous; Grant died before finishing it).[4]Attributes
Abilities
Weaknesses
Notes
- Weller's hair color is alternatively colored black (interior of Incredible Hulk #226, which is his longest single appearance) or brown (cameo in Captain Marvel #21, cover of Incredible Hulk #226, short appearance in Hulk Annual (Vol. 3) #1 in which he's no longer balding). His moustache also disappears in some panels of Incredible Hulk #226.
Trivia
- Weller is a Christian, believing in acts of God.[4]
- Jim Wilson somehow knew that Weller was sick even before meeting him.[1] Wilson either recognized the symptoms or, more likely, had been told of it by Banner or someone else like General Ross - Ross was friends with Jim Wilson and had found Professor Weller's secret laboratory, so Ross likely had information on Weller.[3]
- In Ryland Grant's documentary it is said that they will interview "Los Diablos alumnus", after which the interview with Weller is presented.[4] Los Diablos is a military base, not an educational institution, and therefore has no students. This can be interpreted as a false take or a mistake in the editing of the documentary.
See Also
- 3 appearance(s) of Herbert Josiah Weller (Earth-616)
- 1 mention(s) of Herbert Josiah Weller (Earth-616)
- 4 image(s) of Herbert Josiah Weller (Earth-616)
- 1 quotation(s) by or about Herbert Josiah Weller (Earth-616)
Links and References
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 Incredible Hulk #226
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 Captain Marvel #21
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 Incredible Hulk #130
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 Hulk Annual (Vol. 3) #1
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Hulk 2004 #1 ; Hulk's profile
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 World War Hulk: Gamma Files #1 ; Hulk's profile
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #5 ; Hulk's profile
- ↑ Incredible Hulk #227