In 1962, young scientist David Banner reintroduces the idea of creating super soldiers by introducing modified DNA sequences extracted from various animals to strengthen the human cellular response, making them effectively impervious to any weaponized agent, but General Thaddeus Ross denies him permission to use human subjects. Banner subsequently conducts the experiments on himself. 23 years later, after the birth of his son Bruce, he finds that his son may have inherited the effects and seeks a cure, but is stopped in the process. Bruce remembers nothing of the incident after a traumatic event, and has been raised by the Devonsons. 20 years later, Bruce is a geneticist working with his ex-girlfriend Betty Ross, within the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology on nano-med research