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| “ | I don't know. In the cave, I really felt like it knew me. Maybe your mind is in there, it's just overcharged and can't process what's happening. | „ |
| ~ Betty Ross to Bruce Banner. |
| “ | You made him a fugitive... to cover your failures and to protect your career. Don't ever speak to me as your daughter again. | „ |
| ~ Betty Ross to her father, Thaddeus. |
| “ | It's okay. | „ |
| ~ Betty Ross to Hulk for calming him down. |
Doctor Elizabeth "Betty" Ross is the deuteragonist of the 2008 Marvel Cinematic Universe film The Incredible Hulk and the overarching protagonist of the 2025 film Captain America: Brave New World. A different version appears in the Disney+ animated series What If...?. She is Bruce Banner's ex-girlfriend.
She is portrayed by Liv Tyler (who also played Arwen Undómiel in Sir Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy). In What If...?, Stephanie Panisello (who also voiced Claire Redfield in the Resident Evil 2 remake and Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness), voiced a different version of the character in the episode What If...The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?
History[]
Early Life[]
Elizabeth "Betty" Ross was born around the 1970s to Thaddeus Ross and an unnamed mother, whom would later die from unknown causes. Betty would go off to college and majored in biology, and came across fellow science major Bruce Banner, and the two started a romantic relationship. The two would then go off to Harvard University before graduating and becoming scientists at Culver, where Betty taught celluar biology.
Banner's Experiment[]
Following the events of 9/11, Thaddeus and the military decided to start a secret project to re-creater Dr. Abraham Erskine's formula that created the world's first super soldier. Betty and Bruce were recruited to the said program, but didn't know of the miltary's true goal since they were told that it was for radiation sickness. Bruce decided to test the experiment on himself to impress the general, but would be transformed into a giant-like monster and attacked the Ross family. Betty was hospitalized from the incident, leading to Thaddeus to make Banner a fugitive of the United States. Despite the data of the project being erased, Betty kept a back up of it at the her residence. Afterward, Betty would continue to work at Culver, and began a relationship with one of her colleagues Leonard Samson.
The Incredible Hulk (2008)[]
Betty continued to teach at Culver, but would reunite with Bruce five years later, as he returned to in a attempt to cure himself of the monster. Taking him to her her home, Betty provided Bruce with the data that he needed, but Leonard would inform Thaddeus and the military of Banner's presence. The following day, Thaddeus and the Strategic Operations Command Center attacked Banner at the university, where the latter transformed into the Hulk to fight them off. Betty was nearly killed when a gunship shot at the Hulk, but she was saved by Banner in his monster form and taken into hiding. Afterward, Betty aided Banner in traveling to New York to meet with Samuel Sterns, who could make an antidote to get rid of the Hulk. Once the procedure was complete, Bruce was taken into custody by Thaddeus, whom was chastised by Betty for using Bruce as an excuse for his failures.
While traveling with her father and Bruce, they were alerted that the general's subordiante, Emil Blonsky, had transformed into the "Abomination" and was attacking Harlem. Betty and Thaddeus then witnessed the Hulk defeat the Abomation, and she had a brief moment with him before he fled the area. A month later, Betty would receive mail from Bruce, which was a her mother's necklace that she previously sold.
Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame[]
According to Avengers: Infinity War directors the Russo brothers, she was one of many who were killed by Thanos. In Avengers: Endgame, Banner succeeds in undoing the decimation Thanos wrought with the Nano gauntlet, reviving Betty and all the others whom Thanos killed. It's assumed that Thaddeus reunited with his daughter, and he later attended Tony Stark's funeral to honor his sacrifice.
Captain America: Brave New World[]
Due to General Ross's actions that forced Bruce Banner on the run, the creation of the Abomination, and his work in championing the Sokovia Accords that split the Avengers, Betty cut off all ties from her father. Even though Ross attempted to prove he had reformed by promoting a more peaceful and diplomatic attitude when elected President of the United States, she would still refuse his calls.
After years of Sterns dosing him with Gamma radiated heart pills, Ross transformed into a raging monster himself as the Red Hulk. Captain America battled him, but was unable to defeat a Hulk; instead, Sam used his psychology skills, willingness to believe Ross was sincerely trying to atone, and mention of Betty, therefore Red Hulk reverted back to his normal human self.
While transforming into the Red Hulk wasn't his fault, Ross was still responsible for illegally detaining Sterns, which provoked his destructive vengeance in the first place, thus Ross took responsibility for it and his past mistakes with the Hulk manhunt, and Abomination ordeal, by resigning the presidency and surrendering to imprisonment in the Raft.
Due to Ross showing actual decency and nobility, Betty was willing to see him in-person again, and she forgives him during an emotional reunion with him, even divided by a Raft cell wall.
Quotes[]
| “ | Don't go. Don't go. I want you to come with me now. Please. | „ |
| ~ Betty reuniting with Bruce. |
| “ | You're killing him! Stop! | „ |
| ~ Betty to General Ross. |
| “ | I don't know. In the cave, I really felt like it knew me. Maybe your mind is in there, it's just overcharged and can't process what's happening. | „ |
| ~ Betty to Bruce. |
| “ | Hi, dad. | „ |
| ~ Betty when visiting Ross at the Raft. |
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- She is the only love interest of the main superheroes to not appear or be mentioned in The Avengers, and hasn't appeared in any film afterward, although an alternate version of her later appears in an episode of What If...? Her father Thunderbolt Ross, however, became a recurring minor character.
- Betty never met Bruce again after the Battle of Harlem in 2010; by 2016, Bruce had moved on and was attempting a romance with Natasha Romanoff.
- She is set to return in Captain America: Brave New World, along with her father and Samuel Sterns/The Leader.
- According to Joss Whedon, he named the Hulkbuster "Veronica" since Banner was in love with a woman named Betty, with the armor being the opposite of her.
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 Heroes
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