Brian Banner

Real Name
Dr. Brian Banner

Occupation

Former atomic physicist

Citizenship
U.S.A.

Place of Birth
Unknown

Known Relatives
Bruce Banner (father, presumed deceased), Unnamed mother (presumed deceased), Rebecca Banner (wife, deceased), Bruce Banner (son), Elaine Banner Walters (sister, deceased), Morris Walters (brother-in-law), Jennifer Walters (niece), Skaar and Hiro-Kala (grandsons), Lyra (granddaughter), Betty Ross-Banner (daughter-in-law)

Group Affiliation
None

Education
Ph.D. in physics

Height

6'2"

Weight
240 lbs.

Eyes

Brown

Hair
Black

Powers
When Brian Banner was resurrected during the "Chaos War," Brian Banner gained the ability to turn into a hybrid replica of the Guilt Hulk and the Devil Hulk. In addition, Brian became as powerful as Bruce perceived him as being. While feared by his son, Brian was easily able to overpower the Hulk family and he shot green fire blasts. However, once he was not feared anymore by Bruce, he was quickly defeated.

Abilities

Scientific genius

Other Info
As a child, Brian and his mother were physically and emotionally abused by his father. Regarding his father as a monster, and believing that he had inherited a "monster gene" from him, Brian promised himself that he would never have any children, for fear of bringing another Banner into the world.

In college, Brian met Rebecca, whom he fell in love with and later married. And after some time, Brian earned a PhD in physics and found a job in Los Alamos, New Mexico and worked for the U.S. government as a member of a project trying to develop a clean way to create nuclear energy.

Later, the stress of his job eventually led Brian to become an alcoholic and he began to develop anger problems. One day, while drunk on the job, Dr. Banner accidentally overloaded some machinery, causing an explosion that caused him to lose his job. Despite doctors saying that the explosion caused him no harm, Brian became convinced that the explosion in Los Alamos had affected him on the genetic level. Fearing it had altered his genetic structure, and due to his vow to never have children, Dr. Banner was horrified when he learned that Rebecca was pregnant with their son. Brian was convinced that his son, Bruce, would be some kind of a mutant. Instantly hating the baby Bruce (who he believed to be a monster created from both the radiation he was exposed to and the "monster gene"), Brian ignored him completely and attempted to keep Rebecca away from him as well. (To learn more about the Hulk, click on the highlighted name above.)

Early one Christmas morning, Brian woke up to Bruce having opened a present from his mother. The present was a complex model, which Bruce had easily put together despite his young age. This discovery convinced Brian that Bruce was definitely abnormal and different. So, he ended up beating up Bruce, and Rebecca when she came to her son's aid. Brian continued to be abusive for several years. Then one day, Rebecca attempted to escape with Bruce. When Brian found them packing up their belongings into their car, Brian again attacked Rebecca; however, this time, he accidentally killed her in his fit of rage while Bruce stood there and witnessed it all. Brian then threatened Bruce that if he testified against him in court that Bruce would be severely punished. Due to the Brian's threats, Bruce ended up lying in court and said that his father never abused him or his mother. Due to lack of evidence, Brian escaped conviction; however, he was later arrested when, after becoming drunk, boasted about how he beat the law by bullying his son. Brian was eventually convicted of manslaughter and put in a mental institution.

After fifteen years of confinement, the doctors believed that Brian was ready to rejoin society and he was released. Despite Bruce's reluctantly, Bruce eventually gave in and allowed his father to stay with him for a short amount of time. However, during this time, Brian began acting a bit strange. It was during this time that Brian also broke down and blurted out the fact that his father, Bruce's grandfather, had abused him too. Brian continued to act even stranger and stranger over time, and Bruce even mentioned that maybe he should check himself back in for more therapy.

One day, Brian and Bruce got into an argument. Bruce ended up calling him crazy and walked away. It being the anniversary of his mother's death, Bruce went to his mother's grave. Brian followed Bruce to Rebecca's grave and started harassing his son again and said how Bruce was an evil monster and how he was just trying to save mankind from a mutant and monster like Bruce. The two continued arguing until it led a physical confrontation. At one point in the scuffle, Bruce was on the ground and Brian was about to jump on him when Bruce pushed him back with his foot. This led to Brian stumbling backwards and cracking his neck on Rebecca's gravestone and dying.

After his death, Brian's ghost continued to haunt his son's alter-ego, the Hulk. Brian often appeared to taunt Bruce, stating that he was no better than him. Villains such as Mentallo, the Red Skull, the Devil Hulk, and the Guilt Hulk also used the image of Brian Banner against the Hulk, in an attempt to weaken him. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about the different characters.)

Later, when Bruce Banner and the Hulk were fused back together after being separated on Counter-Earth, Bruce found himself in Hell, where he met his father. Brian terrorized the Hulk there. However, Bruce eventually had taken enough and stood up to Brian. Brian ended up getting beat up by Bruce, and then his son left him and returned to the normal world. (To learn about the Counter-Earth, click on the highlighted name above.)

Later, during the Chaos War, the Chaos King resurrected Brian and Rebecca Banner. In addition, he also gave the Brian Banner the ability to transform into a hybrid of the Guilt Hulk and the Devil Hulk. Now as this new "Hulk-like" monster, Brian fought against his son, Bruce. At one point, Brian tried to kill Rebecca again. When the Hulk saw this, he ended up fighting Brain alongside his son, Skaar. However, Brian fed on the Hulk's anger towards him and actually become stronger. But, it was only when the Hulk's lost love, Jarella, told him to remember his love for her that the tides of the battle turned against Brain. The Hulk instead started focusing on the positive emotions inspired by the rest of his allies and ended up defeating his "Hulk-like" monster father, Brian Banner. (To learn about the different characters above, just click on their highlighted names. Also, Brian Banner as the "Hulk-like" monster is shown in the fifth and sixth picture posted above.)

To learn a tiny bit more about Brian Banner, just click on the following link, http://marvel.com/universe/Banner,_Brian.

In the movie, Hulk, Brian Banner is renamed David Banner (a reference to the television series). However, in the credits, he is named "The Father." In addition, the film version of the Hulk's father attempted to replicate the Hulk's powers and eventually received Absorbing Man-like powers.

X-Men Movie Poll Results

Wow! This was a close poll! Every movie turned out to be just 1 vote behind/above the next movie in line.

So, without further ado...the people's choice of the best X-Men movie is...X-Men: First Class! It received 5 votes. The original X-Men movie took second place with 4 votes. X-Men Origins: Wolverine was third with 3 votes. X2: X-Men United had 2 votes. And, X-Men: The Last Stand received only 1 vote...my vote.

Thanks for all those that participated in the X-Men Movie Poll--we had a GREAT turn out!

Doctor Erskine

Real Name
Abraham Erskine

Occupation
Scientist

Citizenship
German

Place of Birth
Germany

Known Relatives
Anita Erskine (wife), Esme Erskine (daughter), Tyler Paxton (son-in-law), Jacob Paxton/Erskine (grandson, deceased), Brian van Patrick (grandson), Michael van Patrick (great-grandson, deceased)

Group Affiliation
U.S. Army during WWII

Education
Unknown

Height

5' 6"

Weight
160 lbs.

Eyes

Brown

Hair
Black (greying)

Powers
None

Abilities

None

Other Info
Abraham Erskine was a German biochemist and physicist who had spent much of his early life studying the human species. Horrified when he witnessed Adolf Hitler and Baron Zemo test a "death ray" on a human subject, he contacted the United States to get out of Nazi Germany. After the United States Army got him out of Germany (and faked his death), he takes up the alias "Joseph Reinstein." (To learn about the characters above, just click on their highlighted names.)

During his research, Erskine had developed a special diet and isometric exercise regime that he theorized would create a "super-soldier." However, the program was rejected by the U.S. government because it required a lifetime of adherence in order to produce the desired results. However, Abraham Erskine ended up becoming the first person to develop the "Super-Soldier Serum," as well as the Vita-Rays, designed to create an army of enhanced human beings for the United States' World War II efforts. This serum would eliminate the physical defects and limitations humans had.

Eventually, after the scrawny Steve Rogers was chosen to become a Super-Soldier, Dr. Erskine administered the Super-Soldier Serum which changed Rogers into the muscular Captain America. However, right after this, a Nazi agent named Heinz Kruger infiltrated the top-secret military base and assassinated Erskine; thus, eliminating the Super-Soldier Serum formula--Erskine had committed the formula to memory and had not not written it down anywhere. (To learn about the highlighted characters above, just click on their names.)

To date, nobody has ever been able to duplicate the Super Soldier Serum as successfully as Erskine was with Steve Rogers. Others have recreated powerful human transformation techniques similar to Erskine's (including Wilfred Nagel and William Burnside), but none have been as successful. (To learn about a different "Captain America," click on the highlighted name above.)

As mentioned earlier, Erskine had developed a special diet and isometric exercise regime that he theorized would create a super-soldier. And even though the U.S. government rejected the theory, Erskine passed the research on through his family. In fact, his grandson applied the theory and used it as the basis for both a successful organic food business and the physical development of his own son Michael van Patrick. Micheal's peak human physiology proved the accuracy of Erskine's theories. (To learn about MVP, click on his highlighted name above.)

There is nothing there, but here is the link to the Marvel.com bio of Doctor Erskine, http://marvel.com/universe/Erskine,_Abraham.

X-Men Movie Poll

Next year, The Wolverine is supposedly coming out and is supposed to be a sequel to X-Men Origins: Wolverine and still a prequel to the first X-Men movie. With the success of the X-Men movie franchise, I'm sure more will still come out.

However, I would like to know which of the five
X-Men movies that have come out so far is your favorite. Please vote in the X-Men Movie Poll. And if you have time, in the "Comment" section below, explain the reason why the movie you voted for was your favorite X-Men movie over all the others.

Here are the covers to the five X-Men movies that have come out so far:

X-MenX2: X-Men United
X-Men: The Last StandX-Men Origins: WolverineX-Men: First Class

General Phillips

Real Name
Chester Richards Phillips

Occupation

General

Citizenship
U.S.A.

Place of Birth
Unknown

Known Relatives
Unknown

Group Affiliation
U.S. Army

Education
Military

Height

5' 11"

Weight
175 lbs.

Eyes

Brown

Hair
Grey (formerly Brown)

Powers
None

Abilities

None

Other Info
General Chester Philips was an advisor to President Roosevelt during World War II

General Phillips was one of the many army officers overseeing subject selection for Project: Rebirth. He takes personal interest in an 4-F army reject named Steve Rogers and ends up choosing him to become a part of the project. In particular, he admired Rogers patriotic spirit. Soon after, Phillips was a part of picking Rogers as the eventual Super-Soldier "Captain America." He and Abraham Erskine refused to allow General Maxfield Saunders to have Clinton McIntyre received the first full treatment. General Phillips even oversaw Rogers' initial training as well as some of his early missions. (To learn more about the above highlighted project and/or characters, just click on their names.)

When Saunders steals the serum and apparently kills McIntyre, Phillips has the body shipped away and Saunders arrested.)

Prior to Rogers receiving the serum, Phillips was aware that Saunders had stolen the Super Soldier Serum and administered it to McIntyre (now known as "Protocide") anyway. However in doing so, Protocide was apparently killed. After this, General Phillips Phillips shipped away the body of McIntyre, and dealt severely with the perpetrators through military channels.

During this military career, Phillips was a hard nosed commander who did not tolerate errors from those he was in charge of. After a long career, Phillips eventually retired from the military and lived to an old age.

Much later in his life, while in a rest home in Kentucky, Phillips and Captain America were both attacked by Lemurian assassins. Both men battled off the assailants; unfortunately, General Chester Phillips was killed during the skirmish. (Click on the highlighted name above to learn about the Lemurians.)

There is nothing there, but here is the link to the Marvel.com bio of General Phillips, http://marvel.com/universe/General_phillips.

In the movie, Captain America: The First Avenger, Chester Phillips is a colonel rather than a general.

Detective Soap

Real Name
Martin Soap

Occupation

Detective, police officer, and (former) Police Commissioner

Citizenship
U.S.A.

Place of Birth
Unknown

Known Relatives
Unknown

Group Affiliation
New York Police Department (NYPD)

Education
Unknown

Height

Unknown

Weight
Unknown

Eyes

Brown

Hair
Blond

Powers
None

Abilities

None

Other Info

Martin Soap suffers misfortune right from the beginning. Moments after his birth, the nurse drops him on his head. After his unwed teenage mother gave birth to him, she gave Martin up for adoption and left him to be raised at an orphanage. Here, Martin was treated cruelly by the other children and the adults alike. When couples would come looking for children to adopt they would laugh at Soap along with the other children viewing him as pathetic.

When Soap was ten years old he ran away from the orphanage. While he was out, Martin was picked up by a drunken police officer who only pulled over to vomit and saw Soap by coincidence. The detective then gave Soap a ride back to the orphanage. After meeting this police officer whom was kind to him, he decided he would like to be a police officer himself.

During his education, Martin met a high school bully who also wanted to be a police officer; a boy whom Martin stated had a talent for exploiting weakness. This finally convinced Martin to to be a police officer when he grew up, because he dreaded the thought that all police officers would be like this boy.

When Martin became an adult, he joined the NYPD. And despite being promoted to detective, Soap becomes known as a screw-up, describing himself as "the department's biggest loser." When the police department became pressured by Ma Gnucci to crack down on the Punisher, Soap was placed on the "Punisher Task Force," so the department could look like it was after the Punisher without really putting him in danger, as the Punisher is quite popular among most police officers. (To learn about the Punisher, just click on the highlighted name above.)

Soon afterward, Soap is partnered with Lieutenant Molly von Richthofen because she wasn't liked in the force either. The two worked well together. In fact, Soap eventually develops romantic feelings for Richthofen; however, she gently rebuffed him when she told him that she was not interested in men. After the Punisher's assault on Ma Gnucci compound, Soap and Richthofen are surprised when they run into the Punisher, but they let him get away in exchange for compromising pictures of the Mayor and the NYPD Commissioner. Using the pictures for blackmail, Soap becomes the new Police Commissioner and Molly retires to another country.

Later on, Soap is demoted back to a detective after he himself was blackmailed with pictures too. Distraught over the dead end his life had become, Soap decided to end his life; however, before he could do this, he is approached by the Punisher. The Punisher convinced Soap to not end his life and the detective agreed to become a mole for the Punisher. As a mole, Soap would supply the Punisher with information on criminals from the police database.

After some time, Soap is taken hostage by hired goons working for ruthless Daily Bugle reporter Chuck Self. But, the Punisher rescued Soap while also taking out Self and his thugs. (To learn about Self and/or the Bugle, just click on their highlighted names above.)

Soap frequently went to bars. However, one bartender named Kevin constantly ridiculed Soap when he came to his bar. Eventually, Soap hit his boiling point and snapped at Kevin one night. Pulling his gun out, Soap told Kevin what he thought of his constant ridicule while Kevin just cried. Kevin begged for his life pointing out also that Soap was a cop. Soap replied to Kevin by saying, "Yes. So I am," then started to walk out of the bar. On his way out, Kevin managed to choke out, "Where're yeh goin' Soap?" And Martin replied, "I'm going to do my job." Detective Soap, now full of intent and purpose, swore off drinking and vowed to return to the Punisher Task Force.

More recently, after grabbing Inskipp the snitch and breaking his nose--thus showing how he had come out of his shell and decided to be more forceful--Soap finally tracked down the Punisher. After shooting the Punisher (but not killing him due to his body armor), Soap lost his confidence once again believing that he may be a loser all his life. However, all this changed, when the Punisher echoed his earlier sentiment that "When things aren't getting any better, just go." Through tears, Soap's eyes glimmered with hope and he took the Punisher's advice and left. He quit the NYPD and moved to Los Angeles in search of a new and better life.

There is nothing there, but here is the link to the Marvel.com bio of Detective Soap, http://marvel.com/universe/Martin_Soap.