Thaddeus Ross

"As far as I'm concerned, that man's whole body is property of the U.S. army."

- Thaddeus Ross

General Thaddeus Ross is the military leader responsible for getting Bruce Banner involved in the experiment which led to the accident that turned him into Hulk. He is consequently obsessed with stopping Banner and his alter-ego Hulk at all costs. It is under his command that Emil Blonsky takes the super-serum and turns into The Abomination.

Iron Man 2: Public Identity
With Tony Stark getting worse, Senator Stern called Ross. When Ross arrived in Stern's office, he told him to forgive him as he was in a bit of a hurry as this was taking him away from the Gamma Project and he wanted to get back to it. Ross said that the US army couldn't afford to wait Tony Stark to smarten up. He told both Stern and James Rhodes to follow him. Ross was about to show them something that was classified top secret, Stern asked where Justin Hammer was and Ross told him that Hammer was on the way, Ross told them that their new weapon would be the right way to send the right message to the enemies of freedom, the message being that they don't need Tony Stark. When Hammer arrived he presented to Rhodes and Ross the Aerodymamic Marvel, which he considered to be the next step on close-quarter combat with full protection and attack capabilities.

When testing the machine it was shot down and fell into an enemy zone. Ross was informed that Iron Man was heading in to clean up. Ross was interested in seeing what Stark could do. After Stark saved the pilot, Ross ordered him to land on Cairo Weat Air Base immediately. Stark met with Ross and asked if he had something to ask him, Ross told him that they picked up on a shoot out with the Congolese Army and Stark didn't return fire, stating that when someone fires on an American, that American has to fire back, he also told him that by claiming that he won't make any more weapons, he was distancing himself from his father's legacy. Stark warned him that if he heard about another innocent being put in harm's way there would be consequences.

The Incredible Hulk
General Thaddeus Ross gets an agreement with the scientist Bruce Banner, his daughter's fiance, for working on a Government's project to render soldiers immune to Gamma Radiations. The experiment fails and Bruce transforms in to a giant and amazingly strong brute, who flees after injuring Betty. Taken by a sense of guilt and rage, Ross puts his life at the service of a single cause: to hunt down and capture Bruce Banner.

Five years later, Ross manages to track Banner because of his contaminated blood, found in a bottle of Guaranito. Ross engages one of the best operatives at his disposal, Emil Blonsky, and sends him in the village of Rocinha, near Rio De Janeiro, where the drink is produced. The team fails to capture Bruce, who becomes the Hulk and flees.

When Blonsky comes back and is told how Banner has become the Hulk, he accepts to be injected with an experimental version of the Super Soldier Serum, developed by Ross' researchers. When Leonard Samson, Betty's new boyfriend, warns Ross that Bruce has come back to Virginia, Ross and his forces, super-powered Blonsky included, attacks the Culver University in an attempt to capture Banner. Ross uses all his men and his new weapons created by Stark Industries, but fails once again, and Betty flees with Bruce.

With much of Ross' surprise, Blonsky manages to recover very fast from the wounds suffered in the battle with Banner, that because of the Serum. General Ross manages to track Banner's accomplice and has his lab taken in custody by the Army. Unknown to Ross, anyway, Blonsky goes to Samuel Sterns' lab and forces him to inject him with Bruce's DNA, which reacts with the Serum and transforms him into a Hulk-like monster. For stopping Blonsky, Ross accepts Banner's help, and has The Hulk fight The Abomination. At the end of the battle, Ross takes Blonsky in custody, while Banner is disappeared once again. Later, in a bar, Ross meets Tony Stark, who wants to talk with him about the "Avengers Initiative" that might interest him.

Fury Big Week
To be added

The Consultant
It is revealed that Tony Stark meeting with Ross was arranged by Phil Coulson and Jasper Sitwell to prevent Ross from releasing Blonsky.

Character Traits
"Ross is a military mind. He's completely galvanized by images of superior power."

He's a patriot and a loyal soldier, and thinks of the benefit for his Country before anything else, family included. He's a loner, and tends to keep a distance from everyone, even from his own daughter, in order to accomplish the best to his duties. He sees The Hulk as a precious resource for the Army and considers him and Bruce Banner properties of the US Government.

Ross is a skilled pilot and an amazing leader, authoritarian and charismatic, a man capable of gaining the respect of every soldier.

Relationships

 * Bruce Banner - Former Ally
 * Emil Blonsky - Former Ally
 * Betty Ross - Daughter
 * Leonard Samson - Former Ally
 * Tony Stark - Associate

Behind the scenes

 * It took 75 minutes to apply Ross' makeup each day for The Incredible Hulk. This included facial scars, a toupee, eyebrows, and his moustache.
 * William Hurt's stature played some part in his casting for this role. Director Louis Leterrier wanted Ross to be a "big, scary mountain of a man".

Appearances/Actors

 * MArvel Cinematic Universe (2 films)
 * The Incredible Hulk (First appearance) - William Hurt
 * The Consultant (Recycled Footage) - William Hurt
 * Marvel Cinematic Universe (2 comics)
 * Iron Man 2: Public Identity
 * Fury's Big Week

Trivia

 * General Ross is the father of Betty Ross. His love for her, however, conflicts with his love for his country and his duty.