History ComicBook / RedHulk

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[[redirect:Characters/MarvelComicsRedHulk

[[redirect:Characters/MarvelComicsRedHulk]]

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[[caption-width-right:275:Someone yell for some Kool-Aid?]]

->''"I've trashed my military career, I'm constantly being attacked by my supposed allies, my family won't talk to me... and the only place I can be human is on a secret base with the one man I can't stand.\\
I'm doing great."''
-->-- '''General Ross'''

General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross was overseeing the testing of the gamma bomb when Bruce Banner raced out onto the testing grounds to save teenager Rick Jones. For Banner's pains, he was blasted with gamma radiation, turning him into [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk the Hulk]].

Ross became the Hulk's most persistent enemy, initially because of the Hulk's attacks against the U.S. Army; as time passed, it developed into something more personal, an obsession. Even as Ross sought to bring the Hulk down, he envied and coveted the power the Hulk possessed.

In the end, the death of Ross' daughter Betty at the hands of the Abomination, the Hulk's betrayal by the Illuminati, and the assassination of ComicBook/CaptainAmerica plunged Ross into the depths of despair, where the Intelligencia, a cabal of MadScientist supervillains, found him. [[DealWithTheDevil They made Ross an offer:]] the power to "rescue" America, and the chance to have Betty brought {{back from the dead}}. He accepted, and by combining cosmic energy with gamma radiation siphoned off from the Hulk, the Intelligencia transformed him into the Red Hulk.

The Red Hulk persona first appeared in ''Hulk'' vol. 3 #1 (March, 2008), created by Creator/JephLoeb and Ed [=McGuinness=]. The Red Hulk's first mission was killing the Abomination, and from there he proceeded to run amok across the MU, [[KickTheDog kicking a lot of dogs]] and getting on the bad side of a lot of major players - culminating in his stripping Banner of the Hulk.

There was at least some method behind the rampage: the Red Hulk was working with the Intelligencia on a coup to overthrow the United States government in the hope of making a better world. Finally, his treatment at the Intelligencia's hands led him to break ranks with them, teaming with the Hulkless Bruce Banner to bring them down in ''ComicBook/FallOfTheHulks''.

In the end, believing he'd been let down by both sides, the Red Hulk made his own bid for power - only to be stopped and de-powered by a re-Hulkified Banner. An all-new all-different Red Hulk will be a part of the upcoming post-[[ComicBook/CivilWarII Civil War II]] title U.S.Avengers. Eventually revealed as Robert Maverick.

Had his own title, officially taking over the ''Hulk'' series while ''Incredible Hulk'' was focused on Banner's story, up until issue 58, where the title was renamed and taken over by Red She-Hulk, his daughter Betty. The Red Hulk was further announced to be moving into a relaunched volume of the ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}}, alongside other anti-heroes such as ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}, ComicBook/{{Elektra}}, ComicBook/{{Venom}}, and ComicBook/ThePunisher.

Ross has made frequent appearances in other Hulk-related media. The Red Hulk made his cross-media debut in ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'', and is part of the main cast in ''[[WesternAnimation/HulkAndTheAgentsOfSMASH Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.]]''. The Red Hulk is also available as an alternate skin for the Hulk in ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance 2'' and ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'' and as his own playable character in ''VideoGame/MarvelAvengersAlliance''. He also appears as a free-roam boss fight and unlockable character in [[VideoGame/LEGOAdaptatioNGame Lego Marvel Super Heroes]]. Red Hulk was added as a playable character to the roster of [[VideoGame/MarvelFutureFight Marvel: Future Fight]] during the Ant-Man game update.

General Ross appeared in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse in ''Film/TheIncredibleHulk'', ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'', ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' and ''Film/AvengersEndgame''.

----
!!Red-Hulk provides examples of:

[[foldercontrol]]

!!General Tropes
* EnergyAbsorption: Can absorb various forms of energy, including gamma radiation and cosmic energy, to boost his strength. He's even able to use this on living beings, allowing him to permanently rob gamma mutates of their powers.
* GatheringSteam: Averted. Unlike Banner, getting angry causes the Red Hulk to overheat and collapse.
* HealingFactor: When he sleeps or transforms.
* PlayingWithFire: Can superheat his body to the point that he is hot to the touch.
* SplitPersonality: Averted, Ross retains his identity in both forms.
* SuperSenses: Able to see various forms of energy, including gamma radiation and cosmic energy
* SuperStrength: Though he can't reach the levels Banner can.
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: Typically has full control over his transformation, though he sometimes reverts when he sleeps.

[[folder:Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross]]
!!Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross
* AesopAmnesia: On occasion, Ross would mellow out on his Hulk hate... but sooner or later, he'd be back to form, hating Banner and Hulk alike.
* AlienBlood: Following his initial transformation, Ross now has glowing yellow blood in both forms.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: The Green Hulk of course. Banner even calls himself "the alpha," as in alpha Hulk of the other Hulks, at one point.
* AntiHero: Red Hulk is violent, almost sociopathic and trigger-happy.
* {{Archenemy}}: Probably the closest thing the Comicbook/IncredibleHulk has to one.
* ArtisticLicenseHistory: WordOfGod from Jeff Parker, supported later in the comic, is that the Army Air Force being currently active was intentional (in RealLife, it was abolished in 1947, replaced by the Air Force as an entirely separate arm of the military).
* BackFromTheDead: Twice, both before he ever became the Red Hulk.
* BadassMustache: As Ross. It disappears when he takes his Red Hulk form, and oddly grows back instantly when he becomes human.
* BecameTheirOwnAntithesis: He viewed the Hulk as a monster yet became a Hulk himself. He also ends up being hunted across the world as a fugitive the same way he relentlessly pursued Banner.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Ross always wanted to be the Hulk. Then he got ModeLock.
* BondVillainStupidity: [[spoiler:New]] MODOK is looking to completely avert this. He knows not to underestimate anyone and is very pragmatic. He even thanks Black Fog for beating him down, reminding him to never think oneself invincible.
* BroughtDownToNormal: [[spoiler:At the end of the ''Omega Hulk'' storyline, the "Doc Green" Hulk removes his Red Hulk powers.]]
* BullyingADragon:
** He never could get it into his head that if he just ''left the Hulk alone'', there'd be far less collateral damage.
** Provoking ''Galactus'' did not end well for him either.
* ButtMonkey: Jeff Parker did his best to give Rulk what was coming to him for all the behavior of the early issues - effectively dropping Ross' KarmaHoudiniWarranty. Unfortunately, this was not good news for anyone around Rulk...
* CameBackWrong: When Ross was brought back the first time, the Leader hadn't ''quite'' perfected the requisite technology... Originally, he came back as a SoullessShell, which was later retconned as AndIMustScream.
* CatchPhrase: Under Loeb, Red Hulk was prone to yelling "I'm my own man, my own monster!"
* ComicBookDeath: [[spoiler:He's killed during Coate's ''Captain America'' run. Actually gets explored over in ''Immortal Hulk''. After the last two near-misses, his funeral's not exactly swarming with mourners, and Iron Man (who gives a half-hearted eulogy) keeps glancing at the coffin in case anything happens. It didn't at the time, but a few months later in ''Immortal Hulk'' issue #20, ''something'' comes out of Ross's grave. It soon turned out his corpse had been desecrated, but Ross himself is still very much dead as a dodo.]]
* CreateYourOwnVillain[=/=]NiceJobBreakingItHero: Bad idea disconnecting the scientist trying to stop the Synthegraft subjects before she was done, Ross; now she's been transformed into supervillain Zero/One.
** Ross has impeded and even outright stopped Banner's attempts to cure himself of the Hulk many, many times, usually unwittingly.
* CurbStompBattle: He delivered lots of these to other heroes, before Galactus brought his winning streak to an end. After this, Rulk was on the receiving end of many.
* DarkestHour: During Creator/BillMantlo's run on ''Incredible Hulk'', Ross was faced with either owning up to releasing the Abomination against the Hulk in defiance of a Presidential pardon and being charged with treason, or committing suicide. He opted to own up. The full implications of this were overlooked by later writers, as he eventually returned to military service.
** Jeph Loeb eventually explained Ross' return to service by revealing the charges had been dropped as part of the Intelligencia's schemes.
* DatingWhatDaddyHates: Ross has never been happy with Betty's relationship with Banner.
* DaydreamSurprise: The beginning of ''Hulk'' #32.
* DealWithTheDevil: Has a distinct tendency to end up making these. He made one with one with MODOK, which made him the Red Hulk in the first place, then another with MODOK and Leader to resurrect his daughter. In ''Thunderbolts'', he makes one with Mephisto on behalf of the team.
* DeathFakedForYou: During his plot against the Intelligencia, he and Banner make it look like the Red Hulk killed him.
* {{Determinator}}: Say what else you like about him, but Ross doesn't give up till the bitter end.
* DishonoredDead: Downplayed in ''ComicBook/ImmortalHulk'', where he gets what is on the surface a respectful funeral, but everyone is going through the motions and nobody is really sorry to see him go. He’s buried at West Point, but only because that's the only cemetery that would take his body; it's attended by his daughter and some former colleagues who are mostly there out of a sense of obligation; and the eulogy is delivered by [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark]], who is only there because Ross was briefly an Avenger, and gives a very short, awkward and carefully worded speech and generally clearly doesn’t want to be there (and keeps eyeing the casket as if expecting someone to pop out of it).
* DisproportionateRetribution: [[spoiler: In ''Comicbook/AgeOfUltron'', he brutally kills Taskmaster for attempting to escape with the parts of the Ultron drones the group acquired. It gets even worse when you realize that Taskmaster didn't have any means of fighting the Ultron drones, was shaken after witnessing Black Panther's sudden death, and the fact that ''his job was to escape with the Ultron parts!'']]
* DistaffCounterpart: Much to Ross' dismay, when the Intelligencia resurrected Betty, they turned her into the Red She-Hulk.
* TheDragon: Black Fog ''was'' this to Zero/One's EvilGenius, before being released from her control. He considers his 'debt' to her - for freeing him, and for the pain she inflicted on him - paid.
* DramaticIrony: General Fortean believes the Red Hulk killed Ross, and wants him dead. As such, he's unaware that the Red Hulk ''is'' Ross, or the extent to which he's following in Ross's footsteps. Ross, on the other hand, is all too aware of the irony.
* EmpoweredBadassNormal: Quite apart from the Red Hulk, there was the time Ross took over the body of {{energy being}} Zzzax. Or the time he was given the Redeemer armor.
* EnemyMine: Banner and Ross have teamed up on occasion.
* EveryoneHasStandards: On occasion.
** Ross can be a GeneralRipper on his bad days, but even he thinks Brian Banner is a piece of human-shaped scum. ... of course, he follows up on this by hating Bruce even ''more'' for being unable to stand up to the man.
** After his de-powering by Doc Omega, Ross swears off hunting Banner because he feels they're too similar. But this means the job is left to Fortean, who has absolutely none of Ross's restraint or qualms.
* EvilCounterpart: To the Hulk, initially.
* {{Expy}}: General Maverick, who is new Red Hulk in ''U.S.Avengers''. This guy exists solely because Marvel didn't let Al Ewing use Ross and make him Red Hulk again and the biggest difference is that he is [[UpToEleven even more of a]] GeneralRipper than Ross.
* FakingTheDead: As far as most of the world's concerned, Thunderbolt Ross is dead (in truth, it was a Life Model Decoy).
* FaustianRebellion: Against the Intelligencia.
* FourStarBadass: Ross himself. General Fortean also counts, although he's only two-star.
-->'''Ross:''' Son, I didn't get these stars by being somewhere else when the spit hit the fan!
* GeneralRipper: {{Depending on the writer}}, went between this and InspectorJavert.
* GlowingEyesOfDoom: As Red Hulk, Ross has glowing yellow eyes.
* HairReboot: His mustache, as mentioned above.
* {{Hammerspace}}: Creator/MarkWaid has put forth the suggestion that [[http://www.comicvine.com/news/interview-mark-waid-on-indestructible-hulk-daredevil-and-hulk-mustaches/145238/ Ross' mustache]] goes into the Negative Zone when he transforms. It has its own adventures there. According to ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}} Volume 2 issue 21, it goes to Mephisto's realm of {{Hell}}. [[ItMakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext Some of the Thunderbolts have a fight with it, turned enormous.]]
* HeelFaceTurn: He served as an Avenger for a time.
* HenshinHero: Well, AntiHero.
* HeroAntagonist: He was originally portrayed as this since he was trying to stop the Hulk. Over time, Ross became more of a GeneralRipper, however, as he caused more harm than good, and the comics began to emphasize how wrong he was in his methods. He was still ultimately a WellIntentionedExtremist.
-->'''Hulk:''' All Hulk ever wants is to be left alone!!
-->'''Red Hulk:''' Right. You wanted to be left alone when you went to '''war''' with the entire planet? '''''Trashed half of New York City!''''' I'll see to it that you're left alone -- '''''in a graveyard!'''''
* HeroicRedRingOfDeath: The angrier Red Hulk gets, the hotter he gets, until he overheats.
* HeroKiller: As Red Hulk, he murdered Clay Quartermain, a long time supporting SHIELD agent.
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: Ross just doesn't get that he's worse than the Hulk now that he has his powers, owing to his lack of restraint and even less compulsions about beating up whoever got in his way.
* HomeBase: Where Banner has a number of hidden bases, Ross has only one so far: Gamma Base.
* HotBlooded: Literally.
* HulkingOut: He normally chooses when to change and keeps his own mind, but when the general is poisoned it causes him to immediately hulk out and go on an unstoppable rampage.
* {{Hulkspeak}}: Unlike the original Hulk, this is noticeably averted.
* ILoveNuclearPower: Gamma radiation + cosmic energy = Red Hulk.
* InAnotherMansShoes: In Jeff Parker's run. Transformed into a Hulk, hunted by the U.S. Army, unable to convince them of his good intentions... Ross has ''finally'' found out what Banner was going through when Ross was leading the hunt. Whether he's actually figured that out yet is another matter - seeing the other person's perspective has never been one of his strong suits.
* InNameOnly: His team of ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}} seemingly has no relation to previous Thunderbolts team. But then again, "Thunderbolt" ''is'' his nickname to begin with.
* InASingleBound: Thanks to his super strength.
* InSeriesNickname: Ross was nicknamed 'Thunderbolt' by his troops because he 'struck like a thunderbolt' against their enemies.
* TheInsomniac: Type D, superpowered. Red Hulk is able to go for long stretches without sleep... but even he needs to sleep eventually. It's very bad news when Fortean infected him with nanites that would kill him if he turned human, which he does whenever he sleeps. Ironically, this prevented Ross from taking the opportunity to show Fortean that Rulk and Ross are one and the same.
* InterruptedCooldownHug: Was often the reason for this. Doesn't apply to ''him'', though, since his anger usually shorts him out.
* IWishItWereReal: PlayedForDrama. Zero/One, being [[DaydreamBeliever unable to distinguish]] between the 'real' [[SerialKiller Black Fog]], and the [[ShroudedInMyth tall stories]] that sprang up around him, 'upgrades' him into the creature of her childhood nightmares.
* {{Jerkass}}: Ross was never Mr. Nice Guy before. Getting the super powers he so craved didn't help his disposition.
* KickTheDog: When he and Banner first met, Ross accidentally destroyed Bruce's childhood doll. And the jerkward didn't even bother apologizing for it.
* KickTheSonOfABitch: [[spoiler:Abomination]] most certainly had his fate coming, as weirdly-written as it may have been.
* LampshadeHanging: ''Hulk'' #30.1, [[LiteraryAllusionTitle "The Whale"]], points out Ross and Fortean's similarities to [[Literature/MobyDick Captain Ahab]], and to each other. Ross is aware of the parallels; Fortean isn't.
* LaserGuidedKarma: For decades, he has ruined Bruce's/Hulk's life. And after becoming the Red Hulk, it was Bruce who gave him a taste of his own medicine by making the public believe Ross had died as a hero. Because of this, Rulk can't ever be Ross again in public and live a normal life, or he would (like Hulk said) hang for treason for his crimes as Rulk.
* LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain: Ross and Banner, following the Compound Hulk incident.
* MadScientist: Zero/One presents herself as rational and efficient - but to outside observers, she's a mad scientist with no sense of ethics who's unable to distinguish fiction from reality.
* MagicPants: Although Ross' are black, rather than purple.
* MilitaryBrat: Ross' family has been in the military at least since the UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar.
* MuggleBestFriend: Jacob's an unusual variant of this: he's the MBF for Zero/One, a villain. He's not exactly thrilled about it.
** Jacob is incredibly afraid of Zero/One. So much so that he refused her offer for synthetic skin graft transplants on his horrifically burned body.
* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: At one point, gets briefly possessed by both the Comicbook/{{Venom}} symbiote and the [[Comicbook/GhostRider Spirit of Vengeance]], turning him into a gamma-mutated symbiotic red colored FourStarBadass. [[https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.pinterest.com/amp/pin/561683384756633705/ It looks]] every bit as awesome as it sounds.
** He then [[RoyalWe manages to]] [[HulkSpeak combine all]] [[{{Revenge}} three voice tics]] into one epic line.
-->'''Venom Rulk Rider''' "Wwe am smassh for venggeance!"
* NotSoDifferent: Subverted with Ross and Fortean. Ross attempts to point this out to warn Fortean off his mission to kill Red Hulk but, well, the Hulks have never been known for their good fortune...
* NotSoStoic: When it comes to his family.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: Briefly did this very early on as Rulk, but it didn't work because Iron Man pointed out a stupid, mindless Hulk doesn't use a gun.
* OldSoldier: A rare officer version.
* PapaWolf: For all Ross' faults, he's fiercely protective of his daughter Betty. One of the reasons he hunted the Hulk so obsessively is because he felt Betty's relationship with Banner would endanger her... and he was arguably right. [[spoiler: Not to mention that right after becoming the Red Hulk, [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge he tracked down the Abomination, who had killed her, and murdered him.]]]]
* PlayingWithFire: When he starts to overheat, it's quite literal, as his body puts out a extreme amount of heat hot enough to melt some of the sand in a desert he was in.
* {{Pride}}: Probably Ross's defining feature, for better and worse.
* PsychoRangers: Headed up the Offenders, an EvilCounterpart team to ComicBook/TheDefenders.
* RadiationImmuneMutants: In fact, he gains his powers from it.
* RedBaron: Known as "thunderbolt" to many.
* RedIsViolent: As Red Hulk, being even more ravaging than Hulk himself.
* ReluctantRetiree: All Ross has known has been military service. Once he was unable to go back, he was at a loss for what to do with himself. Always somewhat unhappy about superheroes and super-teams, he joined the Avengers, probably because it was the closest thing to military service he can do now.
* RememberTheNewGuy: General Fortean, who used to be one of Ross' subordinates in his Hulk-hunting days.
* {{Revenge}}: Ross has been on both sides of this, but perhaps the most impressive example is Uatu the Watcher retaliating for Ross punching him in the face by launching what may be the most passive-aggressive revenge schemes ever, courtesy of the AlienNonInterferenceClause.
* RevengeBeforeReason: Ross' desire to take down the Hulk took him down some very dark paths in the past.
* RidiculouslyHumanRobots: The Life Model Decoys at Gamma Base, who are aware of their nature, and serve as Ross's supporting cast.
* SecondaryColorNemesis: Inverted, along with PrimaryColorChampion. The green and purple original Hulk is the hero, while Red Hulk is the villain.
* SecretIdentity: If Ross ever tries pulling a BackFromTheDead, Banner will publicly reveal he's the Red Hulk... and given that he tore up the White House, that isn't going to go down well.
* ShapeshifterModeLock: [[spoiler:Red Hulk's EnergyAbsorption abilities are set to force this sooner or later. General Fortean implanted him with nano-mines set to go off when he turned human, but he managed to get them deactivated.]]
* ShockwaveClap: Comes with the Hulk territory.
* ShootingSuperman: When it came to the Hulk, this was generally his Plan A.
* SmugSuper: Again, getting Hulk powers did not do the man's ego any favors.
* TheStoic: Ross allows himself few displays of emotion beyond anger. The Red Hulk's a different matter.
* SupernaturallyDeliciousAndNutritious: Vampires ''love'' snacking on his blood.
* TwoBeingsOneBody: The Compound Hulk in ''Hulk'' #30.
* TwoFirstNames: His first name is Thaddeus -- a name relatively popular in America during the 1970s -- and his last name is Ross.
* WeaponizedExhaust: When he starts overheating, the heat is extreme enough to melt sand, let alone the effects it can have on his opponent.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Ross has always been one of these.
* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: On the one hand, Ross is rather uncomfortable with the Life Model Decoys' nature; on the other, they're human enough he often acts as he would around flesh-and-blood humans. It turns out [[spoiler:these [=LMDs=] dissolve when they're destroyed; they can't be repaired. Like humans, they only have one life. Taken further when Ross eventually enters [[{{Robosexual}} a relationship with Annie]]. ]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Robert L. Maverick]]
!!Robert L. Maverick
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/main_qimg_f3126f5b869990a2dc16dd6d421a9006.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350: Meet Robert Maverick, everybody.]]
* BadassMustache: Unlike the Ross Red Hulk, Maverick retains his mustache when he hulks out.
* CatchPhrase: "Hulk Plug-In, [[HulkingOut do your sluggin']]!"
* CoolShades: He's also usually seen with sunglasses.
* DePower: During ''Avengers: No Surrender'', the Immortal Hulk drains all the gamma radiation out of him.
* GeneralRipper: How much so? General Ross thinks this guy goes ''too extreme''. For example, his response to A.I.M. operating on American soil was to immediately and angrily shoot down any possibility of talking to them in favour of letting loose the Amerikaiju.
* HourOfPower: His power-up only works for an hour, then takes a day to recharge. In the first issue he hulks out, his teammates watch him demolish a flying airbase within seconds of hulking out, and wonder what he's going to do with the remaining fifty-something minutes. The HYDRA moles within AIM manage to trick him by offering a work-around, which he accepts.
* SeenItAll: He's apparently had his own career dealing with mad science long before he shows up in ''New Avengers'', and as a result is not remotely threatened by the Maker's monologues.
* ShoutOut: His CatchPhrase seems to be an ''incredibly'' tongue-in-cheek one to the infamous ''The Thing'' segments of ''WesternAnimation/FredAndBarneyMeetTheThing''.
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: [[http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_original/zbhr5g8bxkbkcerp4xrr.png Look at this guy.]] OldSoldier and GeneralRipper Rulk with [[BadAssMoustache a handlebar of sheer, unadulterated MAN!]] Oh, It's Thunderbolt Ross? Nope. Meet Robert Maverick, everybody.
[[/folder]]
----

Had his own title, officially taking over the ''Hulk'' series while ''Incredible Hulk'' was focused on Banner's story, up until issue 58, where the title was renamed and taken over by Red She-Hulk, his daughter Betty. The Red Hulk was further announced to be moving into a relaunched volume of the ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}}, alongside other anti-heroes such as SelfDemonstrating/{{Deadpool}}, ComicBook/{{Elektra}}, ComicBook/{{Venom}}, and ComicBook/ThePunisher.

* HealingFactor: Ehen he sleeps or transforms.
* SplitPersonality: Averted, retains his identity in both forms.

* BullyingADragon: He never could get it into his head that if he just ''left the Hulk alone'', there'd be far less collateral damage.

* ComicBookDeath: [[spoiler:He's killed during Coate's ''Captain America'' run. Actually gets explored over in ''Immortal Hulk''. After the last two near-misses, his funeral's not exactly swarming with mourners, and Iron Man (who gives a half-hearted eulogy) keeps glancing at the coffin in case anything happens. It didn't at the time, but a few months later in ''Immortal Hulk'' issue #20, ''something'' comes out of Ross's grave...]]

* DishonoredDead: Downplayed in ''ComicBook/ImmortalHulk '', where he gets what is on the surface a respectful funeral, but everyone is going through the motions and nobody is really sorry to see him go. He’s buried at West Point, but only because that’s the only cemetery that would take his body; it’s attended by his daughter and some former colleagues who are mostly there out of a sense of obligation; and the eulogy is delivered by [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark]], who is only there because Ross was briefly an Avenger, and gives a very short, awkward and carefully worded speech and generally clearly doesn’t want to be there.

[[folder:Robert Maverick]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Oh, It's Thunderbolt Ross? Nope. Meet Robert Maverick, everybody.]]
* HourOfPower: Using the Hulk Plug-in, He is able to transform into the Red-Hulk for 1 hour every 36 hours.
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: [[http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_original/zbhr5g8bxkbkcerp4xrr.png Look at this guy.]] OldSoldier and GeneralRipper Rulk with [[BadAssMoustache a handlebar of sheer, unadulterated MAN!]]

In the end, believing he'd been let down by both sides, the Red Hulk made his own bid for power - only to be stopped and de-powered by a re-Hulkified Banner. An all-new all-different Red Hulk will be a part of the upcoming post-[[ComicBook/CivilWarII Civil War II]] title U.S.Avengers.

* HourOfPower: Using the Hulk Plug-in, He is able to transform into the Red-Hulk for 1 hour every 36 hours

!!!The Red Hulk's powers are somewhat different from the original's:
* VoluntaryShapeshifting - typically has full control over his transformation, though he sometimes reverts when he sleeps.
* SuperStrength, though he can't reach the levels Banner can.
* HealingFactor - when he sleeps or transforms.
* EnergyAbsorption and SuperSenses - able to see various forms of energy, including gamma radiation and cosmic energy, and absorb them to boost his strength. He's even able to use this on living beings, allowing him to permanently rob gamma mutates of their powers.
* PlayingWithFire: Can superheat his body to the point that he is hot to the touch.

Unlike Banner, getting angry causes the Red Hulk to overheat and collapse. He also lacks Banner's SplitPersonality, retaining his identity in both forms.

!!This comicbook character provides examples of:

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: [[http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_original/zbhr5g8bxkbkcerp4xrr.png Look at this guy.]] OldSoldier and GeneralRipper Rulk with [[BadAssMoustache a handlebar of sheer, unadulterated MAN!]] Oh, it's Thunderbolt Ross? Nope. Meet Robert Maverick, everybody.

* ComicBookDeath: [[spoiler:He's killed during Coate's ''Captain America'' run. Actually gets explored over in ''Immortal Hulk''. After the last two near-misses, his funeral's not exactly swarming with mourners, and Iron Man (who gives a half-hearted eulogy) keeps glancing at the coffin in case anything happens.]]

* {{Expy}}: General Maverick, who is new Red Hulk in U.S.Avengers. This guy exists solely because Marvel didn't let Al Ewing use Ross and make him Red Hulk again and the biggest difference is that he is [[UpToEleven even more of a]] GeneralRipper than Ross.

General Ross appeared in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse in ''Film/TheIncredibleHulk'', ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' and ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''.

* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: At one point, gets briefly possessed by both the Comicbook/{{Venom}} symbiote and the [[Comicbook/GhostRider Spirit of Vengeance]], turning him into a gamma-mutated symbiotic red colored FourStarBadass. [[https://www.reddit.com/r/Marvel/comments/95ut7n/in_case_anyone_forgot_about_when_red_hulk_bonded// It looks]] every bit as awesome as it sounds.

* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: At one point, gets briefly possessed by both the Comicbook/{{Venom}} symbiote and the [[Comicbook/GhostRider Spirit of Vengeance]], turning him into a gamma-mutated symbiotic red colored FourStarBadass [[https://i.redd.it/jnx52bxy91f11.jpg/ It looks]] every bit as awesome as it sounds.

* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: At one point, gets briefly possessed by both the Comicbook/{{Venom}} symbiote and the [[Comicbook/GhostRider Spirit of Vengeance]], turning him into a gamma-mutated symbiotic red colored FourStarBadass
[[https://external-preview.redd.it/Ajoa31owzaUBu5NGtMsdoHDUVoLx4wgcH70sC39pNr4.jpg?width=526&auto=webp&s=36282085b0c4e3add51b1e929e5e2fa2618ef307/ It looks]] every bit as awesome as it sounds.