Susan Banner is a fictional and supporting character appearing in Marvel Comics and later in multiple spin-offs and dramatizations of the Hulk comic book titles, She was created by writers and artists Bill Mantlo and Mike Mignola in Incredible Hulk #312 of October, in 1985. She is the sister of Elaine and Brian Banner, and the Aunt of Bruce Banner who would grow up to be the Gamma-Powered superhero known as the Hulk.
Publication history
Susan Banner was created by Writers and Artists Bill Mantlo and Mike Mignola in Incredible Hulk #312 of late 1985 in October.
Fictional character biography
Susan Banner is the sister of Elaine Banner and their brother Brian Banner. Together all three of them including their Mother were physically and mentally abused by their violent and alcoholic Father, Bruce Banner I.
For years they suffered at their father rage and fury whenever he lashed out at them in one of his temper-tantrums and started drinking.
Soon after their father died, their mother soon followed and eventually all three of moved on with their lives. Elaine went on to marry Morris Walters, and together they had a Daughter named Jennifer becoming Susan's niece; while Susan herself married a man by the name of Drake, making her Susan Banner-Drake.
In the meantime Brian had distanced himself from his sisters and didn't want anything to do with their lives or their families, because he was still traumatized from their childhood with their Father, and seeing them just reminded him of the past. Eventually Brian married a woman named Rebecca, and eventually had a son who named after their father Bruce, becoming Susan and Elaine's nephew. As the years went on, Brian went insane with fear and paranoia, he ended up abusing Bruce and Rebecca just like his Father abused their family.
After a few years, Brian finally went too far and killed Rebecca; he was then placed in a mental institution for the next 15 years, while Bruce went to stay with his Aunt Susan, becoming a surrogate family to him from then on.
While Bruce was in high school he was under the care of Susan, She recently finalized the divorce from her husband Mr. Drake and preferred to be called Miss Banner once again. One day she is called to the hospital because Bruce has been beaten up at school.
Susan then goes down to the school to speak with the principle who informs her that their officials are looking into who beat up Bruce, but no one was coming forward with information, leading to conflict between Susan and The Principle. The principle then asks Susan who the 'Hulk' is, Susan explains to him that it's an imaginary friend that Bruce had created 10 years ago to combat the stress of what his father had done to him and his mother.
Susan leaves the principle's office angry and frustrated at the lack of help for her nephew; When she and Bruce make it back home she shockingly receives a letter from Bruce's father Brian Banner, that she crumbles up with out reading, not wanting to trouble Bruce any further.
For the next couple of days Bruce stays at home from school, complaining about not feeling well and Susan doesn't push the issue.
Then one rainy afternoon, Susan gets a call from the police, saying that Bruce had run off back to the school and built a bomb. The local police offer Susan an ultimatum, for the both of them to leave town or they would press charges and arrest Bruce.
Susan feels there is no choice but to pack up her things from home and take Bruce with her, hoping to find a town where they can have a better start. But out of nowhere a Major Thaddeus Ross knocks at her house door and goes on to tell her it was him who convinced the police to give her the ultimatum. As it turns out, Ross wants Bruce to work for him in weapon designing, Susan ends up agreeing to the deal hoping it will help Bruce. A few years after that Bruce became a high-class nuclear physicist with a PhD, and worked with Ross who became General Ross to make the Gamma Bomb, which would eventually lead up to Bruce becoming The Incredible Hulk.
Powers, skills, and equipment
Susan Banner has no special powers and has average human strength.
References
1. Incredible Hulk Vol 1 #312
External links
- http://www.comicvine.com/susan-drake/4005-83305/
- http://marvel.wikia.com/Susan_Banner_(Earth-616)