Elizabeth Ross

"What is it like? When it happens, what do you experience?"

- Betty Ross

Betty Ross is the love interest of Bruce Banner and the only daughter of renowned military general General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross. After the the Hulk's creation, Bruce and Betty had to stop dating because of her father. Ross is a cellular biologist, who is able to work with Bruce Banner on a cure for his "condition".

The Incredible Hulk
Five years prior to the events of the Culver University battle, Betty Ross was working at Culver University as a cellular biologist. She was Bruce Banner's girlfriend, and she was assisting him with the Gamma Pulse experiment that resulted in the unintentional creation of The Incredible Hulk. An accident in the lab caused Betty to be hurt and taken to the hospital. When she awoke, she found that Bruce had already left. Bruce later quit his job and left in search of a cure to his unwilling transformation.

When Betty returned to work, General Ross had all of her work and data on the Gamma Pulse experiment taken away, but she had already made a back-up in case Bruce would ever come back.

Bruce eventually returns to Culver University, but not with the intentions to meet her. She however sees him, and forces him to stay the night, and gives him the data he required. The next day before Bruce left, Leonard Samson informs Gen. Ross of his presence, a battle ensues after Bruce is forced to transfer into the Hulk. During the battle, Hulk is shown to connect with Betty at multiple levels, as he realizes that she is the only one not wanting to hurt him. This results in his anger increase when he sees Betty being pressurized by Army Soldiers. With the fight over, Betty goes near him, being the only one who was not hurt near his presence. Hulk ensures her safety when a helicopter crashes upon them, and takes her in the mountains, where upon gaining conscience, she connects with the Hulk someone had never before, involving sitting beside him and holding his hand. Due to his calmed condition, Hulk changes back to Bruce overnight.

Later, the pair stays at a motel for some time, and sexual tensions follow, where Betty apparently wanted to have the connections with Bruce, but he pulled back, as it excited him to the level which might change him back into the Hulk. Leaving every traceable things behind, Betty sells her mother’s last remembrance; a necklace; for the pair to travel to New York, and meet Dr. Samuel Sterns (Mr. Blue), a close ally of Bruce. Bruce underestimates the track on him, and his email to Mr. Blue is tracked by S.H.I.E.L.D., who then responds to the U.S. Army and Gen. Ross.

In New York, Dr. Sterns experiment an antidote on Bruce. During his transformed state, the Hulk is at the verge of destroying the laboratory, only to be controlled by Betty, whose interaction and soothing words to the Hulk makes him control his anger and change back to Bruce, their by, making the antidote work.

U.S. Army intervenes, arrests Bruce and takes the pair back. On their way, Army Soldiers report them that the ‘Hulk’ is in the streets. Gen. Ross, Bruce and Betty realize that he is Emil Blonsky. Bruce request Gen. Ross to let him try to stop him. A battle follows, in which The Hulk falls weak in front of a now improved Blonsky, only to beat him when Blonsky’s action endanger Betty’s life. After beating him, Hulk and Betty share a peaceful moment together, in which he calls her name, and then flees before getting arrested.

Later, Bruce, now in hiding at Bella Cooper, British Columbia, manages to retain Betty’s necklace, and arranges it to be sent back to her.

Character traits
According to the 2008 film co-writer Edward Norton, "Betty has the totally unique quality of being able to look at Hulk and still see Bruce. Everybody else sees this horrific force of rage. And she basically still keeps looking for her friend in there and she ultimately is the only one in the film who's able to connect with him by relating to him as Bruce."

She is very devoted and loving, in a sense the only person who truly understands Bruce, and Hulk.

Relationships
Betty Ross and Bruce Banner were romantically involved in the past. 5-years prior to the film, when Banner first became the Hulk, they split up due to Bruce heading to Alaska. Since that time Betty has tried to move on, eventually becoming temporarily involved with Leonard Samson. According to actress Liv Tyler, "[Betty and Bruce] are real star-crossed lovers. They are two peas in a pod. They share so much in their hearts together, but also in their work together."

Appearances/Actresses

 * Marvel Cinematic Universe (1 film)


 * The Incredible Hulk (First appearance) - Liv Tyler
 * Marvel Cinematic Universe (2 comic)
 * The Incredible Hulk: The Big Picture
 * Fury's Big Week

Behind the scenes

 * Liv Tyler immediately accepted the role of Betty without even reading the script, since she was a fan of the television series and was attracted by the love story in the movie.
 * In order to film the scenes between Betty and Hulk, actor Ed Norton would stand on a box in front of Liv Tyler, while a crewman held up a dummy head.
 * According to Liv Tyler, there were many schemes for making the scene where Hulk carries her away realistic. The original idea was to have her carried by a mechanical arm. Eventually she was carried by two men, to more accurately represent Hulk's width.

Trivia

 * Betty is the only Pre-Avengers love interests not to be featured, or even mentioned, in The Avengers. Pepper Potts is featured in an extended cameo, Peggy Carter is featured in flashbacks, and Jane Foster is shown on S.H.I.E.L.D. screen to Thor Odinson by Agent Phil Coulson.
 * Jennifer Connelly played Betty Ross in The Hulk Tyler work with Connelly as sisters in 1997's Inventing the Abbotts.