In the late 1960's, scientist David Banner is conducting genetics tests on himself. His mutated DNA is subsequently passed onto his son, Bruce. When the military try to shut Banner down, he goes into a rage and accidentally kills his wife. David vanishes and Bruce is adopted. Meanwhile, the janitor breaks into Bruce's destroyed lab and steals the nanomed technology he had been studying and injects himself with them. He is then granted the ability to meld with and absorb anything he touches. He then turns himself in, on condition that he can speak with Bruce.