RICK JONES

 

RICK JONES

Real Name: Richard Milhouse Jones

First Appearance: The Incredible Hulk (Vol. 1) #1, May 1962

Powers: Rick Jones is typically a normal human. All of humanity, however, have a potential in their genes to achieve vast power over time, space, matter, and energy. All forms of benevolent mutation among super-beings on Earth are theoretically micro-expressions of this potential. Rick's mind has a greater connection to the ultimate potential of this "Destiny Force" than nearly any other human. He can rarely access this power consciously or repeatedly, but it has manifested temporarily in various ways. He has demonstrated telepathic and clairvoyant awareness across galaxies, summoned people from various points in time and space, frozen time around two space armadas, in addition to feats like levitation, healing, energetic discharges, size-changing, and more.

Rick Jones's first super-hero career was as the new Bucky. Lacking super-powers, he trained extensively for weeks with Captain America to improve his athleticism and martial prowess.

After his partnership with Cap ended, Rick found himself linked to Captain Marvel of the Kree. Mar-Vell's atoms had inverted into anti-matter, trapping him in the Negative Zone. Rick was guided to a set of Kree Nega Bands that created a psionic and molecular link between him and Mar-Vell. By striking the bands together on Earth, Rick could exchange places with Mar-Vell in the Negative Zone. The two could also communicate psychically during their connection. They separated their connection when Mar-Vell used the Negative Zone portal in the Baxter Building to retrieve Rick at the start of the Kree-Skrull War. It was here that the Supreme Intelligence first triggered Rick's Destiny Force, and he nearly died. Mar-Vell sacrificed himself to save Rick, allowing his atoms to bond with Rick's in order to restore his broken body.

Mar-Vell later re-emerged from within Rick thanks to a series of solar treatments that restored his body. Mar-Vell was now positive matter again, and Rick was forced to release him from the Negative Zone at least once every 12 hours. Over time, their bond grew, allowing each partner to animate the other's body across dimensions if they were unconscious. Mar-Vell and Rick could separate at will and rejoin on contact, with Rick's presence doubling Mar-Vell's powers when they were linked. However, their enhanced link was disrupted by a black hole, leaving them completely unable to contact each other anymore, and forcing them to change every 9 hours. Mar-Vell finally separated from Rick by tricking the Super-Adaptoid into duplicating his Nega Bands, then slapping them together to banish the Adaptoid to the Negative Zone and reclaim Rick.

When Bruce Banner and the Hulk were separated, a gamma nutrient bath was designed to merge them back together. Rick fell into that bath with them, absorbing a sizeable amount of their gamma radiation. As a result, he developed a secondary gamma form that copied many of the traditional Hulk changes. Rick transformed into the Hulk at nightfall, manifesting a "Rick smash!" personality based on the classic Savage Hulk. He possessed roughly Class 75 or higher strength, superhuman endurance, durability, and leaping ability. His gamma power was later drained by Samuel Sterns to restore his powers as the Leader, and a psychic link between Rick and the Leader remained for several years after that.

Rick later underwent molecular bonding with Mar-Vell's son, Genis, making him the partner of the next generation of Captain Marvel. Their abilities to communicate and exchange places using the Nega Bands were roughly the same as the original partnership. Because of cosmic happenstance, however, Rick and Genis exchanged places between Earth and the Microverse instead of the Negative Zone.

After separating from Genis, Rick was subjected to the prototype gamma/cosmic process used by the Leader and MODOK of the Intelligencia to create Red Hulk and Red She-Hulk. Rick became a new version of the Abomination, although his "Rick smash!" personality meant he shortened the name to "A-Bomb" for convenience. Rick initially transformed between his normal self and the mentally deficient "A-Bomb" before stabilizing with his normal personality in the A-Bomb body, unable to change back and forth. Eventually, his transformation ability returned as well. As A-Bomb, Rick possessed Class 100 strength, superhuman endurance, leaping ability, and hardened scaly skin with virtual invulnerability to physical harm. He also had a power not possessed by the original Abomination, the chameleon-like ability to alter his skin's appearance and blend in with his surroundings.

When Banner’s Doc Green Hulk persona/form exposed Rick to a process that removed his gamma power, it temporarily augmented his brain power. He turned his enhanced learning capabilities towards computer and communications technology. The effect eventually faded, but his new knowledge remained, making Rick a self-taught genius in the field of computer hacking and cryptology under the new name of the Whisperer.

Rick Jones is also a self-taught musician highly skilled in performing guitar-driven folk and rock n’ roll.