The Gamma Corps is the name of two fictional Gamma-based

military unit Military organization ( AE) or military organisation ( BE) is the structuring of the armed forces of a state so as to offer such military capability as a national defense policy may require. Formal military organization tends to use hiera ...

s appearing in

American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...

s published by

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

Publication history

The original Gamma Corps first appears in '' World War Hulk: Gamma Corps'' #1, and was created by Frank Tieri and Carlos Ferreira. The second Gamma Corps first appeared in ''

The Incredible Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of '' The Incredible Hulk'' (May 1962). In his comic book ...

'' vol. 2 #601 and was created by

Greg Pak Greg Pak is an American comic book writer and film director. He is best known for his work on books published by Marvel Comics, including ''X-Men'' (most notably '' X-Treme X-Men''), several titles featuring the Hulk, and Hercules.Truitt, Brian ...

and

Ariel Olivetti Ariel Olivetti (born November 15, 1967) is an Argentina, Argentine comic book penciller best known for his work on United States, American comic book titles such as ''Daredevil (Marvel Comics series), Daredevil'', ''X-Man'', ''Space Ghost'' and ' ...

Fictional history

First Gamma Corps

The Gamma Corps were selected as individuals whose lives had in some way been harmed or ruined by the

Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk ...

. Using Hulk's

DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid (; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of al ...

(acquired from the scene of a battle with

Wolverine The wolverine ( , ; ''Gulo gulo''), also called the carcajou or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species, member of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscular carnivore and a solitary animal. The w ...

), these people were transformed into gamma-irradiated

supersoldier A super soldier (or supersoldier) is a concept soldier capable of operating beyond normal human abilities through technological augmentation or (in fictional depictions) genetic modification or cybernetic augmentation. Soldiers that obtain greate ...

s. The team was assembled by General

John Ryker General John Ryker is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is depicted as an enemy of the Hulk. Publication history Created by writer Paul Jenkins and artists Ron Garney and Mike McKone, John ...

with the objective of destroying the Hulk. According to the Marvel previews, they are armed with a variety of military weapons and have been trained to destroy the Hulk. Gideon, Grey and Mess are in the group because they hold the Hulk responsible for the loss of their loved ones, while Griffin and Prodigy hold more personal grudges against the Green Goliath. Their first mission involves tracking down the failed Hulk-copy experiment Private Benjamin Tibbits (AKA

Flux Flux describes any effect that appears to pass or travel (whether it actually moves or not) through a surface or substance. Flux is a concept in applied mathematics and vector calculus which has many applications in physics. For transport phe ...

) and killing him. They later appear in ''

World War Hulk "World War Hulk" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled limited series and various titles published by Marvel Comics in 2007, featuring the Hulk. The series consists of five main issues titled ''World War Hulk'', ...

''. After failing to defeat the Hulk, the Gamma Corps discover that he was not directly responsible for their individual situations, so they pursue the people who were, the

Illuminati The Illuminati (; plural of Latin ''illuminatus'', 'enlightened') is a name given to several groups, both real and fictitious. Historically, the name usually refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on 1 ...

. The Gamma Corps return in the '' Dark Reign: Made Men'' series. Without the backing of the US government, the Gamma Corps become fugitives in hiding, but they continue to search for each Illuminati member. Prodigy believes Iron Man is approaching their base, alerting the group, but the Corps is surprised when it is Iron Patriot who arrives. Afraid he has come to arrest them, the group lashes out, unwilling to listen to him. Once Prodigy incapacitates the Patriot, Grey allows him to speak. He offers the Corps a chance at redemption by becoming his

bounty hunter A bounty hunter is a private agent working for a bail bondsman who captures fugitives or criminals for a commission or bounty. The occupation, officially known as a bail enforcement agent or fugitive recovery agent, has traditionally operated ...

s, bringing unregistered superhumans to justice. Eager to regain a purpose, the Gamma Corps agree. The Gamma Corps later encounter Hulk's Doc Green form. Doc Green saves them from the Doc Green A.I. and then depowers the Gamma Corps members.

Gamma Corps: Black

Some time later, Ryker (under the auspices of

Norman Osborn Norman Virgil Osborn is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, he first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #14 (July 1964) as the first and best-known incarnation of th ...

) creates a second Gamma Corps, composed of female "volunteers" (mentally unstable ex-soldiers on

death row Death row, also known as condemned row, is a place in a prison that houses inmates awaiting execution after being convicted of a capital crime and sentenced to death. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting executio ...

) for the Origins Corporation's

gene therapy Gene therapy is Health technology, medical technology that aims to produce a therapeutic effect through the manipulation of gene expression or through altering the biological properties of living cells. The first attempt at modifying human DNA ...

program and sends them to capture the new She-Hulk so that her DNA can be harvested. They kill Lyra's fellow A.R.M.O.R. agents and take her computer Boudicca from her, driving her to hunt them down, killing Morass by drying out her body. The remaining two flee to a small town, attempting to hold the people hostage in order to make Lyra surrender. In the ensuing battle, Lyra badly wounds Aberration, causing her body to mutate into a tumorous mess, before finally killing her with a pipe to the head. Axon threatens to electrocute all the townspeople unless Lyra surrenders. Axon siphons most of Lyra's bioelectric energy, absorbing her powers. Lyra makes Axon angry, waning the stolen powers (Lyra's own

Achilles' Heel An Achilles' heel (or Achilles heel) is a weakness despite overall strength, which can lead to downfall. While the mythological origin refers to a physical vulnerability, idiomatic references to other attributes or qualities that can lead to do ...

), allowing Lyra to defeat her. Ryker's men then kill Axon by remote.

Members

First Gamma Corps members

* Grey - Lieutenant Brian Talbot is the younger brother of Colonel

Glenn Talbot Major (later Colonel) Glenn Talbot is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in ''Tales to Astonish'' #61 (November 1964). He is a c ...

. Created with

and

Leader Leadership, is defined as the ability of an individual, group, or organization to "", influence, or guide other individuals, teams, or organizations. "Leadership" is a contested term. Specialist literature debates various viewpoints on the co ...

's DNA, Brian Talbot was trained in martial arts. The Leader DNA doesn't make him as smart as Prodigy, but he's a brilliant military strategist and it seems to have been meant as a way to prevent him from losing control. Brian was often bullied and beaten by his older brother and had actually been delighted to hear of his death. With his powers, Talbot can assume a

Grey Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk ...

-like appearance at will. During the battle with the Hulk, the Leader DNA failsafe failed due to the Hulk taunting with his true reasons for fighting. This sent Grey on a rampage. *

Griffin The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (; Classical Latin: ''gryps'' or ''grypus''; Late and Medieval Latin: ''gryphes'', ''grypho'' etc.; Old French: ''griffon'') is a -4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk ...

- Private First Class Eliot Franklin, formerly Clown of the

Circus of Crime The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several fictional teams and organizations and this page lists them. 0–9 198 A A-Force A-Next A.I. Army The A.I. Army is a fictional organization appearing i ...

. A

Harpy In Greek and Roman mythology, a harpy (plural harpies, , ; ) is a half-human and half-bird mythical creature, often believed to be a personification of storm winds. They feature in Homeric poems. Descriptions Harpies were generally depict ...

-like man based on the

Betty Ross Elizabeth "Betty" Ross (later Talbot and then Banner) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in ''The Incredible Hulk'' #1 (1962) as a romanti ...

mutation.Marvel Universe.com catalog: Gamma Corps #2
>Se
Marvel Universe.com catalog: Gamma Corps #2
/ref> He has sharp claws and talons, and can spit slimy corrosive venom. Griffin is shown to be somewhat mentally unstable, and apparently joined because he just wants someone to be mad at. * Mess - Corporal Nicole Martin is an Abomination-like red-haired woman.Marvel Universe.com catalog: Gamma Corps #2
>Se
Marvel Universe.com catalog: Gamma Corps #2
/ref> She and her son were caught in the sidelines of a battle between Hulk and Abomination. Consequently, her son burned to death in a car fire and she was left badly scarred. Parts of her body were replaced with parts cloned from Abomination. While her Abomination parts possess superhuman qualities, her human parts retain normal human strength and durability. She is skilled at marksmanship and is the most well-trained member of the team. * Mister Gideon - Gideon Wilson is a Master Sergeant and former Catholic minister who is the father of Jim Wilson (and presumably the older brother of Sam Wilson). He blames the Hulk for his son's death. A muscular African-American man similar to

Doc Samson Doc Samson (Leonard Skivorski Jr.) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as a superhero and psychiatrist in the Marvel Universe, known as a supporting character in ...

,Marvel Universe.com catalog: Gamma Corps #2
>Se
Marvel Universe.com catalog: Gamma Corps #2
/ref> Gideon is armed with titanium brass knuckles. When the Hulk seemed to be defeated, he realized that it wasn't what he wanted after all. He originally blamed Hulk for his son's death, but Hulk pointed out that he as Banner had refused a blood transfusion to Jim out of fear that he'd become a Hulk like him. In addition, Hulk stated that Jim had actually died of

AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

. Furthermore, Jim had him believing he was an orphan for years. Gideon realized his hatred was actually self-directed and he later offered advice to the Hulk about his own revenge pursuits. * Prodigy - Private Timothy Wilkerson was created using the Leader's DNA and artificially aged. While he was still in the womb, his mother was frightened by the Hulk's appearance and suffered a stroke that affected her son's development. Prodigy has limited telepathic abilities and can project psychic blasts. He is responsible for creating the team's equipment. Prodigy later discovered that the real cause of his condition was his mother taking

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a morphinan opioid substance synthesized from the Opium, dried latex of the Papaver somniferum, opium poppy; it is mainly used as a recreational drug for its eupho ...

while she was pregnant.

Gamma Corps: Black members

* Aberration - Private Rana Philips is another Abomination/human hybrid experiment that is similar to Mess, but with the end result being more akin to a svelte version of the Abomination. Her commanding officer used her as a scapegoat for his torture of prisoners, leading her to kill him and be sentenced to death herself. This left Rana her open for the chance to be altered by Ryker instead. * Axon - Staff Sergeant Erin Cicero is a human/Zzzax creation. Following a military skirmish, she suffered post-traumatic stress disorder, leaving her so paranoid that she believed everyone around her was an enemy agent, leading her to kill her squad and even her family. Erin was sentenced to death and given the choice to be part of Ryker's experiments instead. Axon is the most vicious of the group, electrocuting a wounded A.R.M.O.R. agent just for the sheer fun of it. * Morass - A human/Glob (comics), Glob fusion.