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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 Brian Banner. They and their mother were physically and mentally abused by their violent and alcoholic father, Bruce Banner I. For years they suffered from their father's 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, Susan's niece. Susan 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 had a son named after their father Bruce, becoming Susan and Elaine's nephew. As the years went on, Brian went insane with fear and paranoia, and ended up abusing Bruce and Rebecca just like his father had 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 was called to the hospital because Bruce had been beaten up at school. Susan then went down to the school to speak with the principal, who informed her that their officials are looking into who had beaten up Bruce, but no one was coming forward with information, leading to conflict between Susan and the principal. The principal then asked Susan who the "Hulk" was. Susan explained that it was 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 left the principal's office angry and frustrated at the lack of help for her nephew. When she and Bruce made it back home she shockingly received a letter from Bruce's father, Brian Banner, that she crumples up without reading, not wanting to trouble Bruce any further. For the next couple of days Bruce stayed home from school, complaining about not feeling well and Susan didn't push the issue. Then one rainy afternoon, Susan got a call from the police, saying that Bruce had gone back to school and had built a bomb. The local police offered Susan an ultimatum, for the both of them to leave town or they would press charges and arrest Bruce. Susan felt 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 knocked at her house door and told her it was him who convinced the police to give her the ultimatum. As it turned out, Ross wanted Bruce to work for him in weapon designing. Susan ends up agreeing to the deal, hoping it would 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.
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