THE HULK
CHAPTER 1: PROLOGUE
Bruce Banner and Betty Ross are a genius scientist couple, working at Culver Laboratories.
"Bruce...", Betty says, "I have to tell you something."
Bruce is writing on a clipboard, barely listening. "Uh-huh."
"Well... my father", Betty continues, "He wants us to work for him. You know. For the government."
Bruce looks up at Betty.
"Betty, I... that'd be great!", Bruce replies.
"It's called Project Rebirth... let me explain it to you...", Betty started, "This next part might be a little too much... it's the same project... the same project, that, um... created Captain America in World War II."
There is a moment of silence.
"Betty, you know Captain America was just a poster-boy. He never actually FOUGHT in the war. He didn't actually have super powers! There are no such thing as superhumans!"
"That's always been arguable, Bruce. You know that."
"Oh, okay, yeah. In the 1940s, they made a super serum. Okay. Then how come they don't use the serum on people today?"
"Abraham Erksine was a brilliant man. His serum, it was... it was groundbreaking! People don't know the truth about Captain America. Only the government does. Well, the government and... some OTHER organization. The Strategic Homeland Group or something. It has an acronym and everything."
"Betty... well, okay. I'll check this out. But I'm sure there's nothing to this."
"Life is full of surprises, Bruce."
The lab intern, Rick Jones, overhears this and walks up.
"Hey... if you two are leaving, then... so am I!"
Betty sighs.
"Look, Rick... this is a big government project. Why would they need an intern?"
"You're right, you're right...", Rick says. "But... I'm not just an intern. Mr. Banner over here taught me everything I know!"
"Bruce taught you everything you know?"
"Well, not EVERYTHING, but he was my high school science teacher! That sort of makes him a mentor, right?"
Bruce interrupts.
"Look, Rick, there's no way a twenty-year-old can be part of this top secret experiment. You probably shouldn't even KNOW about it in the first place!"
"Hm... well, I know my stuff! I can just get a fake ID! Pass myself off as some sort of scientist!"
"Rick, no..."
"No, wait, look, Bruce!" Rick pulls out a fake ID that reads "Dr. Yuri Topolov".
"Best part is, this guy's a real dude! I was on a field trip at some lame lab place back in middle school a bunch of years ago, and I just found this on the ground! Ha!"
"Rick, you can't expect us to help you pull this off..."
"Yeah, I can!" Rick says.
"Well, me and Bruce are going there. Rick... you're on your own."
"And I'm fine with that!" Rick replies.
THE HULK