"An explosion occurred recently at a research facility connected to Culver University. Witnesses report the appearance of a giant humanoid creature. Military units have sealed the area, but the creature is believed to have escaped. Stay tuned for further updates…"
Karl stared at the television, eyes narrowing slightly.
Culver University.
The name tugged at his memory.
Then realization struck.
This wasn't just an accident.
This was where the Hulk was born.
Dr. Bruce Banner — recruited by the U.S. military to research gamma radiation as part of a supersoldier revival program — had tested the serum on himself after miscalculating the gamma exposure.
Instead of recreating Captain America…
he created the Hulk.
Karl leaned back on the sofa.
"So it's begun."
Understanding the Timeline
Banner would soon flee the United States.
He would hide in Brazil, working in a bottling plant while learning meditation techniques to suppress his transformation.
He would communicate online with a mysterious ally known as "Mr. Blue."
A single drop of his blood would contaminate a soda bottle.
That bottle would reach the United States.
General Ross would trace the radiation signature.
Then the hunt would begin.
Karl exhaled slowly.
"I actually feel sorry for the guy…"
Banner would later return to New York.
He would discover Betty Ross had moved on with her life.
Not betrayal.
Just reality.
Still… painful.
Ross's Interest
Karl quickly searched recent reports.
Within minutes he found it:
A man in Milwaukee had suffered severe radiation poisoning after drinking contaminated soda.
Gamma radiation exposure.
Karl's eyes sharpened.
"So Ross already traced him."
He leaned back, thinking.
"The sonic weapons Ross asked Tony for…"
"They weren't for mutants."
"They were for the Hulk."
Karl's Consideration
Karl began weighing his options.
Bruce Banner was:
one of the greatest scientific minds on Earth
an expert in gamma biology
a potential key to stabilizing genetic mutation
a seven-doctorate polymath
But…
The Hulk was unpredictable.
If Hulk emerged uncontrollably, even Karl might be forced to withdraw temporarily.
"I need Banner," Karl muttered.
"But I don't need Hulk rampaging through Manhattan."
Brazil — Rocinha Favela
Night fell over the dense labyrinth of Rio's Rocinha slum.
Inside a cramped apartment, Bruce Banner worked quietly at a laptop.
An alert appeared.
He froze.
Someone was searching for him.
Military surveillance patterns.
They had found him.
Without hesitation, Banner tied a rope to the window frame and descended into the alley below.
He slipped into the home of a woman he had previously helped — using her doorway as cover while patrol units passed.
Ross's Team Deploys
Colonel Glenn Talbot coordinated the search while General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross monitored from the command vehicle.
Their objective:
Capture Banner alive.
If necessary:
tranquilize immediately.
No lethal force.
The Slum Encounter
Banner navigated the narrow corridors of Rocinha, using elevation changes and tight passages to evade pursuit.
But fate intervened.
Three men stepped into his path.
One of them was the bald factory worker Banner had stopped earlier when he tried to assault a woman.
They recognized him instantly.
This time, there would be no interference.
They grabbed him.
Banner broke free and sprinted back into the bottling plant.
Heart Rate Rising
He ducked behind machinery.
Beep… beep… beep…
His pulse monitor climbed rapidly:
148
156
163
168
Banner forced himself to breathe slowly.
Inhale.
Exhale.
A technique learned from his Brazilian yoga instructor.
After two minutes, his heart rate dropped.
He closed his eyes in relief.
Then footsteps echoed.
Cornered
The trio found him.
They snatched his backpack and threw him to the ground.
"My computer! Give it back!"
The bald man punched Banner hard in the stomach.
Pain exploded through his body.
His pulse spiked again.
The men laughed and continued kicking him.
"No… you don't understand," Banner gasped.
"I don't want to get angry."
"You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."
They laughed harder.
Military Engagement
Outside, Emil Blonsky led a special forces unit equipped with night-vision gear and tranquilizer rifles.
They spotted movement inside.
They prepared to fire.
Then—
one of the attackers was hurled across the factory like a rag doll.
The other two collapsed in terror.
A deep, guttural roar echoed.
The Hulk Emerges
Through night-vision optics, Blonsky saw it:
A towering green humanoid form.
Muscle density beyond human limits.
Eyes burning with primal fury.
The Hulk.
It ripped a piece of industrial machinery free and hurled it.
Blonsky dove aside.
Tranquilizer darts struck the creature's chest.
The Hulk looked down.
Pulled them out.
Unimpressed.
He roared and charged.
Two soldiers were thrown aside.
Another machine sailed through the air.
The Hulk smashed through the wall and escaped into the night, vanishing across rooftops in massive leaps.
Ross watched the feed in grim silence.
"Stand down," he ordered.
Discovering "Mr. Blue"
Recovered equipment revealed Banner's encrypted communications.
Within hours, military intelligence traced the contact:
Samuel Sterns
Cellular biologist
Harlem, New York
Ross's eyes hardened.
"Prepare transport."
Banner Returns to New York
Banner illegally entered the United States and made his way back to Culver University.
He learned Betty Ross had moved on.
She was now dating Dr. Leonard Samson, a psychiatrist.
Banner accepted the truth in silence.
He rented a room above a pizzeria owned by an old acquaintance and kept to himself.
Searching for His Research
Disguised as a delivery worker, Banner infiltrated the university laboratory.
He accessed Betty's login credentials.
His original data — the only key to reversing the transformation — was gone.
Deleted.
He contacted Mr. Blue.
The reply came quickly:
Without the original data, a cure would be extremely difficult.
Banner closed his eyes in exhaustion.
A Chance Encounter
Later, outside the pizzeria, he packed his belongings.
He planned to disappear again.
Then he saw her.
Betty Ross.
Standing nearby with Leonard Samson.
Banner froze.
He stepped behind a trash container, hidden from view.
He watched silently.
Then turned away.
Karl switched off the television.
The world was changing rapidly.
And the Hulk had entered the board.
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