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Dr. Geoffrey Crawford was a professor of physics suffering a debilitating neuromuscular disease. He used one of his inventions on Bruce Banner in a purported attempt to cure Banner from the Hulk state - but instead used the device on himself to become the Hulk-like monster Ravage. However, Ravage turned into weak Crawford again at sunrise. Unlike Banner, Crawford wanted to become Ravage full-time so as to get rid of his disablements, even if Ravage proved to be a threat to people and things around him. Crawford had Banner arrested so as to not have Banner hindering his attempts to become Ravage full-time. Banner allied with General Ross in a plan to cure Crawford with the same device Crawford had created and used on himself and on Banner; this plan failed, but Major Talbot captured Ravage placing him in suspended animation and took him to Gamma Base for study.

History

Geoffrey Crawford was a professor of physics at Desert State University in Navapo, New Mexico.[4][5] Crawford devoted years to develop and built a two-pod teleportation device called Telepod System: Subjects would enter the first pod. The system would then scan the occupant's matter, turn it into energy, then transmit the energy to a second, receptor pod, where it would be restored to its original form, including post-birth modifications. Crawford, a fan of TV show Star Trek, claimed to have been influenced by it to create the system; thou it took him long years to create.[1]

At one point, Crawford was one of the physics professors[2][3] of DSU star student Bruce Banner,[4][5] also becoming his mentor,[4][5][1] inspiration and one of his favorite teachers;[1] in turn, Banner was Crawford's favorite student.[6] After Banner finished his studies, he and Crawford lost contact.[1] Crawford began to suffer a debilitating neuromuscular disease[2][3] that left him wheelchair-ridden, every passing day his movements being slightly harder. The disease would eventually affect Crawford so much that he would be unable to work, yet he insisted on working for as long as he could, also trying to not let his condition to be widely known. Banner did hear Crawford was sick, but did not imagine the extent.[1]

After several years, Banner suffered a mutation that turned him into the monstrous Hulk. Desperate to find a cure, he sought help from experts like Crawford.[4][5][1] When Banner approached Crawford, he was surprised to find Crawford in a wheelchair, and considered not bothering him; Crawford insisted and showed him his Telepod System, which he had tested on rats. Crawford proposed mapping 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. After some preliminary scans of Banner, they stopped for the night, and Crawford insisted on hosting Banner at his home.[1] Crawford however planned to install Banner's gamma mutations within his own body, to cure himself,[2][3][1] as Hulk famously had an important regenerative power.[1]

During the night, Crawford snuck back to the lab and Banner stealthily followed him. So as to avoid interference when he was his own Guinea pig, Crawford programmed a fail-safe in the computer controlling the pods, so that the process could not be stopped. Banner found Crawford submitting himself to the process, but was helpless and the stress turned him into the Hulk.[1] Crawford emerged from the pod as a savage, power-hungry monster,[2][3][1] thou far more intelligent that the Hulk at the time.[1] Calling himself Ravage, Crawford confronted the Hulk, believing that Banner had intentionally tried to keep Hulk's powers for himself.[2][3][1] Their fight was seen from the students' dorms, and the students phoned Gamma Base to notify the Hulkbusters of a Hulk sighting.[1] Ravage broke the Hulk's neck,[6] then fled - but at sunrise, Ravage returned to his human form as Crawford, with useless legs.[2][3][6] Banner found Crawford, helped him to his home, and theorized that the change was the same effect Banner experienced after he was first transformed; transforming to human during the day. Banner 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 sick man with running-out time, instead wanted to continue the experiments to correct the problems and stay as Ravage even during the day.[6]

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.[6] Crawford arranged for Banner to be 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,[2][3][6] mad with power, destroying everything in Navapo including buildings, cars and street furniture; the locals, believing him to be Hulk, tried to escape from him. The Hulkbusters sent military troops and equipment against him, but were unable to stop him. Meanwhile, General Ross confirmed that Banner was still imprisoned at Gamma Base, and questioned him about this second Hulk; Banner revealed that Ravage was Crawford,[6] and asked to go to Crawford's laboratory to stop him. Ross begrudgingly accepted.[2][3][6] Banner's plan was to apprehend Crawford in his vulnerable, human form; then place him in the pods,[6] where Banner would be able to revert the process and restore Crawford's original DNA.[2][3][6] However, Ravage noticed intruders entering his lab, and went to check, finding Banner and Ross.[6] Correctly assuming they intended to use the pods against him, Ravage destroyed them;[2][3][6] Banner reminded him of his weak Crawford form, but 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.[6] 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[2][3][6] in suspended animation[7] but the Hulk escaped.[6]

Ravage was kept frozen in Gamma Base. Ross confirmed that Ravage was still alive, and kept him in constant scientific observation, trying to find something - especially something that could be used against the Hulk.[7] Gamma Base confirmed Ravage's origin by analyzing his manipulated DNA, and continued studying and retaining him; Major Talbot later used that as an argument when Major Reeves claimed that Gamma Base had made no progress in capturing the Hulk.[8]

Attributes

Powers

Ravage possessed superhuman strength, durability, and regeneration comparable to the green Hulk's.[1] He was able to move with extraordinary leaps as the Hulk did.[6]

Abilities

Crawford was highly skilled in the field of physics.[1]

Weaknesses

Due to his debilitating neuromuscular disease,[2][3] Crawford was unable to walk and movement was more difficult every passing day.[1] As Ravage, he suffered from a different problem: At dawn, he reverted to his helpless human form. As Ravage, he was vulnerable to the Cryogenic Inducer,[6] which kept him frozen in suspended animation indefinitely.[7]

Paraphernalia

Equipment

He built,[1] and later destroyed, the Telepod System. He claimed to have another prototype pod, but this one was not found.[6]

Transportation

Crawford was able to drive a car even in his weakened condition.[1]

Trivia

  • After Banner's arrest, Crawford claimed that he had used the pods, including a hidden spare set he supposedly had, to alter his own state and remain permanently as Ravage - but this could have been a lie.[6]
  • Ravage's intelligence was altered from Crawford. Although Banner insisted in wanting a cure for his Hulk status, Ravage believed that Banner had been trying to keep the power for himself, leading to Ravage attacking him.[2][3][1] Ravage also wrecked havoc in Navapo as a vengeance as he perceived that the locals had pitied disabled Crawford, and instead wanted them to fear him.[6]

See Also

Links and References

References

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