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Quote1 Navapo, New Mexico, a man-made oasis amidst the burning southwestern wastelands, its flourishing university is a testimonial to man's hunger for knowledge... Quote2
—Desert State University Catalogue[3]

Desert State University, in Navapo, New Mexico, was the university where Bruce Banner got his degree in physics (thou not his doctorate). After becoming the Hulk, Banner returned to DSU a number of times, mainly seeking the help of Gamma experts there, and causing collateral damages in the facilities. The university also had non-superpowered related problems in the past.

History

Desert State University, Navapo from Incredible Hulk Vol 1 226 001

Desert State University campus.

Desert State University was a thriving[3] collegiate[1][2] research university in Navapo, New Mexico. It had an extensive campus with several buildings[4] and carefully-trimmed gardened areas including one with a huge granite statue of Greek philosopher Socrates, with the engraving "Know thyself" in the pedestal; trees and benches surrounded it.[3] Students could stay in college dorms within the campus itself,[5] some of these bedrooms being shared by two students who did not need to attend the same classes - e.g. a student of physics could share bedroom with a student of law.[6] While surrounded by desert, the campus was in a green, more inhabitable area in a so-called "man-made oasis."[3] Navapo proudly announced the DSU in the traffic signs at the entrance of the city.[7]
Desert State University, Herbert Josiah Weller (Earth-616) from Captain Marvel Vol 1 21 001

Professor Weller's laboratory at DSU during a student demonstration.

DSU was co-founded by Professor Herbert Josiah Weller,[3] a famed expert in Gamma rays[7] and relativity theory who later became the head of the DSU research department,[4] as well as one of the teachers.[8][1][2] While it did have a department of law,[6] its science department was preeminent due to the prestige of some of their teachers, including Weller, Max Christiansen, Geoffrey Crawford,[1][2] and Raoul Stoddard, a famous alumnus of DSU[7] and gamma researcher.[9][10]
Desert State University, Bruce Banner (Earth-616) from Captain Marvel Vol 1 21 001

Many buildings in the DSU campus can be seen from a bird's eye view, along with a famous alumnus.

The most famous DSU alumnus was Robert Bruce Banner,[7] who studied nuclear physics at DSU[8] as an undergraduate[5] with the U.S. military's support,[1][2] and possibly before the usual access age.[11] Soon Banner became Professor Weller's star student[8] and surpassing Stoddard, his classmate. Stoddard however began a long-term working relationship with Weller during his class days; yet Banner,[7] far brighter than Stoddard,[4] was Weller's best student ever[3] and his personal favorite.[7] Banner was also Professor Crawford's favorite student,[12] and in turn Banner considered Crawford his personal mentor and one of his favorite teachers.[5] Other classmates of Banner included Karen Costa, Michelle Marchese Wil Moss, David Pepose,[13] and Susan Jacobson.[1][2] Banner shared his bedroom first with Peter Corbeau, then with law student Randy Cantor,[1][2] with whom he talked about the novel The Brothers Karamozov until late at night.[6] While Banner had no trouble with his studies[14] and was full of ambition and aspirations,[5] his social life was mostly sub-par due to him being especially collected and shy.[1][2] He did have a brief relationship with fellow student Sally Moore,[1][2] who was sure he would become a prestigious scientist.[3] After ending this, he dated Susan Jacobson[1][2] for several months; yet she was disappointed as Banner avoided physical displays of affection even if she was trying to hard make him express his feelings. When Banner was twenty years old, she kissed him to no satisfactory reply, then reprimanded him. Banner's explosive reaction, grabbing Jacobson for a smooch while she was angry, led to her immediately breaking up with him, scared.[15][8] Jacobson's wilder friend[1][2] Monica "Nicky" Rappaccini,[16] a University of Padua student temporarily moved to DSU,[17][18] heard from Jacobson about Banner's rough advances and, being attracted to that kind of men, she attended a frat party with Banner the following weekend and was sure that Banner would get drunk.[16] They had a one-time fling[2][1][16] then Banner did not contact Rappaccini again.[16] Rappacini used his relationship with Banner to exploit his scientific expertise for her own work.[17][18] Banner had several further unsatisfactory romances while at DSU,[8] was thrice dart champion,[1][2][19] a was temporarily transferred to Pennsylvania State University,[8][20][1][2] an institution having lab facilities for gamma experiments that DSU lacked at the time.[20] After graduating at DSU, Banner then obtained his doctorate in nuclear physics at California Institute of Technology,[8][1][2] eventually coming to work for the military.[1][2] Professor Weller, still at DSU, discovered that his former student was at Los Diablos Missile Base, and found it not especially surprising, as a good amount of their chosen field used military funding.[13] Meanwhile, Stoddard continued working for Weller at DSU for several years, researching and publishing together; Stoddard's fame as a gamma expert was surpassed only by Banner and Weller. Using money from a lenient yet generous government grant, they built a secret laboratory on the outskirts of Navapo to conduct gamma radiation research privately, without the knowledge of even the authorities who had funded it;[7] and Profesor Crawford worked for many years on a project of teleporter pods, the Telepod System, while his health declined[5] due to a debilitating neuromuscular disease[9][10] that left in him a wheelchair. Feeling that his mind was still unaffected, Crawford insisted on continuing working as a teacher and researcher.[5] Professor Christiansen eventually left his position at DSU to work as a mechanic[21] in Sunville, Florida.[22]
Desert State University from Captain Marvel Vol 1 21 001

Students demonstrating in the campus against research.

The DSU had a number of crises, including the tuition increase protest and the marches, during which Weller remained in his position[3] (even though he had a heart condition and such violent situations could be especially life-threatening to him),[4][3] either by choice to send a message,[3] or because he was unable to leave: During the so-called demonstrations, students violently protested against government-subsized research at DSU, believing it was being used for immoral purposes. Weller described his situation as a virtual state of siege, a prisoner in his own laboratory while at least one student threw a rock from the outside, breaking a window. At that moment, Banner was ephoning Weller, asking for his scientific help, but Weller told him that the university was dangerous at the moment and that Banner should not go there. Worrying about his former professor, Banner transformed into the Incredible Hulk and, half-remembering that the students were an enemy, went to the DSU,[4] where he caused more destruction.[7] Captain Marvel tried to stop him from hurting the students, but eventually Hulk was chased away by Rick Jones.[4] Throughout the ruckus, Weller ended up in a stage of nervous collapse, but was stable, and simply had to stop teaching for a day or two while recovering, with Stoddard filling in for him.[7] The FBI managed to keep the superpowered fight a secret, yet Captain Marvel was allowed to fill in a report and include it in his memoirs for confidential use of the Avengers, in File 227-B.[23] The following day, Hulk transformed into Banner on the outskirts of Navapo, and checked out whether Weller was okay, realizing that his transformation had been due to his fear for Weller's safety. Banner found Stoddard and convinced him to help him find a cure for his condition in his secret laboratory; but this led to General General Ross finding it, and Stoddard attempting to murder Banner, only to be arrested by the Army.[7] Weller later returned to his position.[24]
Desert State University, Geoffrey Crawford (Earth-616), Bruce Banner from Rampaging Hulk Vol 2 2 001

DSU student dorms.

Banner next visited DSU seeking help from Crawford to cure his Hulk condition.[1][2][5] Crawford had just finished the Telepod, having tested it on rats, and offered to use it to map Banner's body chemistry, comparing it to a normal human and filtering out gamma mutations from his DNA, before reconstructing him in the second pod.[5] Crawford however planned to install Banner's gamma mutations within his own body, to cure himself from his disease,[9][10][5] as Hulk famously had an important regenerative power.[5] Banner found Crawford submitting himself to the process, and the stress turned him into the Hulk.[5] Crawford emerged from the pod as a savage, power-hungry monster. Calling himself Ravage, Crawford confronted the Hulk.[9][10][5] Their fight was seen from the students' dorms, and the students phoned Gamma Base to notify of a Hulk sighting.[5] Ravage defeated the Hulk,[12] then fled - but at sunrise, Ravage returned to his human form as Crawford, with useless legs.[9][10][12] Banner found Crawford and tried to convince Crawford to revert the process because Ravage was a threat to anyone around him; but Crawford, unwilling to stay as a disabled, dying sick man, instead wanted to stay as Ravage even during the day. Gamma Bases' General Ross and Major Talbot arrived at Desert State University after the monsters had left, but after checking Crawford's lab, they tracked the destruction to Crawford's home.[12] Crawford had Banner captured by Ross and Talbot, to keep him away from his plans; Banner was arrested. The following night, Ravage reappeared on a spree of destruction,[9][10][12] mad with power, destroying everything in Navapo. The Hulkbusters sent military troops and equipment against him, but were unable to stop him. Meanwhile, Banner revealed to Ross that Ravage was Crawford,[12] and asked to go to Crawford's laboratory to stop him. Ross begrudgingly accepted.[9][10][12] Banner's plan was to apprehend Crawford in his vulnerable, human form; then place him in the pods,[12] where Banner would be able to revert the process.[9][10][12] However, Ravage noticed intruders entering his lab, and went to check, finding Banner and Ross.[12] Correctly assuming they intended to use the pods against him, Ravage destroyed them;[9][10][12] Crawford claimed to have already corrected that while Banner was imprisoned. Enraged, Banner became the Hulk and fought Ravage at Crawford's lab. The lab crumbled on their heads, but Hulk saved General Ross.[12] Ravage burst from the wreckage to find Major Talbot waiting for him, with a cryonizing weapon called a Cryogenic Inducer; Talbot captured Ravage by freezing him[9][10][12] in suspended animation[25] but the Hulk escaped.[12] Ravage was kept frozen in Gamma Base.[25]
Desert State University, Navapo from Incredible Hulk Vol 1 226 002

The campus is evacuated due to a Hulk alert.

Some time later, the University was alerted that the Hulk was approaching there, and an evacuation of the campus was ordered; police of nearby towns, including Tecumcari, was summoned as reinforcements. Dean Harvey Slater noticed that Weller was still in his office; Weller told him that he was consciously ignoring orders, wanting to help his former student. Slater escaped, and when Hulk arrived, Weller approached the Hulk - However, Weller addressed the Hulk by calling him Bruce repeatedly, when the Hulk hated Bruce Banner and reacted violently to that name. Hulk's teenage friend Jim Wilson had come to DSU upon hearing about the Hulk and attempted to protect Weller. Distrustful, Hulk shook Weller, and then Wilson pointed out that the Hulk was hurting a sick old man. Hulk, confused and ashamed, let go of Weller, realized that he himself was a danger, and stumbled on a Socrates statue with the engraving "know thyself", which caused him an inner conflict. Although the Hulk broke the statue, the message was so deep that it triggered his transformation into Banner. Doc Samson from Gamma Base arrived at the DSU[3] to take the Hulk; Weller told them goodbye, wishing he could have done more for his former apprentice, and Samson told him that he had helped a lot, with the help of the university environment including Socrates' statue.[24] In more recent times, Professor Weller was interviewed for a Hulk documentary directed by Ryland Grant (posthumous; Grant died before finishing it).[13]

Points of Interest

  • Crawford's laboratory[5] (destroyed)[12]
  • Park with Socrates statue (destroyed)[3]
  • Weller's classroom[7]
  • Weller's laboratory[4]

Residents

Staff:

Alumni:

Trivia

See Also

Links and References

References

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 World War Hulk: Gamma Files #1 ; Hulk's profile
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #5 ; Hulk's profile
  3. 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 Incredible Hulk #226
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 Captain Marvel #21
  5. 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 Rampaging Hulk (Vol. 2) #2
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Hulk! #26
  7. 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 Incredible Hulk #130
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Hulk 2004 #1 ; Hulk's profile
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 9.8 9.9 World War Hulk: Gamma Files #1 ; Gamma Mutates's profile
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.8 10.9 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #4 ; Gamma Mutates's profile
  11. Indestructible Hulk Annual #1
  12. 12.00 12.01 12.02 12.03 12.04 12.05 12.06 12.07 12.08 12.09 12.10 12.11 12.12 12.13 12.14 12.15 Rampaging Hulk (Vol. 2) #3
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 Hulk Annual (Vol. 3) #1
  14. Avengers Annual #13
  15. Incredible Hulk #377
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 Incredible Hulk (Vol. 2) #85
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #5 ; Monica Rapaccini's profile
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #9 ; Monica Rapaccini's profile
  19. Incredible Hulk Annual #19
  20. 20.0 20.1 Immortal Hulk #4
  21. 21.0 21.1 Incredible Hulk #436
  22. Incredible Hulk #431
  23. Hulk Smash Avengers #3
  24. 24.0 24.1 Incredible Hulk #227
  25. 25.0 25.1 Rampaging Hulk (Vol. 2) #4
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