Rick Jones was a rebellious youth, and one day he ran away from a state institution for troubled teens...
information

height: 5'9"

weight: 165 lbs

eyes: green

hair: reddish-brown

education: high school dropout

hometown: scottsdale, arizona

Richard "Rick" Jones was orphaned at a young age, and after being expelled from several orphanages for disciplinary reasons he was placed into a state institution called Tempest Town. Jones ran away from the institution after an act of rebellion. He spent the first half of his teens drifting from town to town throughout the Southwest, trying to avoid the authorities, and doing menial work when he could get it.

Later, he accepted a dare to drive out to a bomb testing ground in New Mexico. As luck would have it, the gamma bomb designed by Bruce Banner was being tested. Banner pushed Rick into a protective trench, saving his life, but absorbing the gamma rays that transform Banner into the Hulk. Feeling responsible for Banner's condition and being the only person to know that the rampaging brute was actually Banner, Jones became the Hulk's sometimes unwanted companion and ally. Jones' guilt over causing the incident (and lack of any other place to go) led him to stay close to Banner and the Hulk.

Eventually, the dangerous unpredictability of Hulk forced Rick to keep his distance. Later, Rick formed the Teen Brigade, a loose network of teenagers with ham radios throughout the United States. The first Teen Brigade played a role in the origin of the Avengers when the Norse god Loki tampered with the Teen Brigade's radio transmission. After the Hulk's departure from the team, Rick became an honorary Avenger.

Fandom, Marvel, Wikipedia

abilities

durability: 3

fighting skills: 5

intelligence: 4

strength: 3

abilities: music, martial arts, hacking skills, writing

rick jones' unofficial webpage

Welcome to my webpage celebrating Marvel™ hero Rick Jones! He is very dear to me and I would love for more readers to get to know and appreciate him.

why i love rick

Rick is special to me because he has a heart of gold that is seeped in guilt. He did one idiotic thing as a lonely teenager with a deathwish and can't help but define himself through it in the years to follow. He acts glib and laid back but he's never far from reliving his hurts. He loves people so deeply that it almost consumes him. When he loves someone he's go to the moon and back to save them and put a smile on their face.

The shine of being a hero wore off for him quickly but he's always ready to respond to danger and get himself in trouble for the greater good. He's repeatedly thrown into situations that he seems unlikely to survive but he's both intelligent and reckless enough to rescue himself and others. He's used to being used and having his autonomy violated. He knows when its in his interest to run away but doesn't like to leave others in jeopardy. It's in his nature to try and rescue everyone, even when it seems impossible.

As Rick grows older he learns to be less reactive and less dependant on others, Bruce especially. He discovers how to live a life that is frequenty disrupted by situations beyond his control. He's got a dark sense of humor and tries to add levity when times are tough. Music becomes an outlet for him and a way to express himself as an individual. Soon he's never out of the spotlight, and usually has something creative he's working on. I love him because he is imperfect, he's a light in the darkness, and he's always there when you need a friend or a rescuer. Any hero should feel lucky to have Rick by their side.

rick's playlist

To the left is a playlist I made for Rick and have been updating regularly for several years. I add songs that remind me of him and that I think reflect his perspective on the relationships and events in his life. The songs are organized roughly in order of Rick's experiences.

Further down this page is a joint playlist I made for Rick and Bruce about their friendship and shared experiences. Please enjoy and let me know if you liked them!

projects involving rick
  • adding more of rick's history to this website
  • creating graphics for album art for rick's music
  • creating a book cover for sidekick
  • finishing my drawings of rick and bruce
  • continuing annotated reading list
  • maybe finishing fanfictions i started...
  • and probably much more!
art notes

I like to draw Rick with different looks, his sense of style changes throughout the years and his hair and eye color aren't consistent.

For my works, I like to draw his hair wavier and more reddish-brown than it usually is. I color his eyes green as a reference to the '96 cartoon. I also like to give him earrings, which he had in the cartoon too.

color palette
1 / 16
2 / 16
3 / 16
4 / 16
5 / 16
6 / 16
7 / 16
8 / 16
9 / 16
10 / 16
11 / 16
12 / 16
13 / 16
14 / 16
15 / 16
16 / 16

"Now he runs towards every big threat, always recreating that day, solving it over
and over."

significant series

Incredible Hulk (1962)

avengers (1963)

captain america (1968)

captain marvel (1968)

Incredible Hulk (1968)

rom (1979)

avengers forever (1998)

captain marvel (2000)

captain marvel (2002)

hulk (2008)

incredible hulk (2009)

immortal hulk (2018)

gamma flight (2021)

genis vell:
captain marvel (2022)

all-new-venom (2024)

status

alive, formerly deceased

aliases: bucky, a-bomb, whisperer, subject b

friends and allies

bruce
banner

betty
ross

marlo
chandler

jennifer
walters

lyra
walters

amadeus
cho

maddy
cho

skaar
banner

jim
wilson

mar
-vell

genis
-vell

phyla
-vell

heather
douglas

steve
rogers

sam
wilson

tony
stark

essential reading list
    Incredible Hulk (1962) #1-6
  • Rick Jones, a teenage runaway, inadvertently causes the creation of a monster.
    • Fantastic Four (1961) #12
  • Rick is abducted by a spy while assisting Bruce in his assignment to end Hulk.
    • The Avengers (1963) #1-4, #7, #10
  • Rick’s distress call to help the Hulk results in the formation of a new super team.
    • Fantastic Four (1961) #25
  • Rick is abducted away from the Avengers from an angry and jealous Hulk.
    • Tales to Astonish (1959) #62, 64
  • Rick learns of the plans for Hulk's execution and heads back to New Mexico to rescue Bruce.
    • The Avengers (1963) #15-17
  • Rick is abducted again, this time by Baron Zemo. Rick and Steve make their way back home, only to find that the Avengers’ lineup has drastically changed.
    • Tales to Astonish (1959) #68-71
  • Rick attempts to prevent Bruce’s execution, and later runs into the danger zone of another bomb, attempting to rescue Hulk.
    • Tales to Astonish (1959) #77
  • An intensely traumatized Rick is manipulated into revealing Bruce’s secret.
    • Tales to Astonish (1959) #84, #85, #87, 91
  • Rick accepts a suspicious task in order to follow Hulk into the city. Rick learns he’s been tricked, Hulk provides damage control.
    • Tales to Astonish (1959) #100
  • Rick is attacked by a mind-controlled Hulk, and finally loses trust in him.
    • Incredible Hulk (1968) #103, #104, #106
  • A traumatized Rick goes to desperate lengths to protect himself from Hulk. Later, Rick, still suffering guilt from turning on Bruce, risks his life to rescue him.
    • Captain America (1968) #110, #111, #113, #115, #116
  • Steve brings Rick back to his home after he’s injured by Hulk. Rick once again begs to be his new sidekick, this time with different results.
    • Captain Marvel (1968) #17, #18, #20, #21
  • Rick, still reeling from his perceived abandonment, is manipulated into serving as a host for a stranded alien hero.
    • The Avengers (1963) #89, #96, #97
  • Rick and Mar-Vell manage to return to separate existences, but their problems are far from over. Rick is brought before the Supreme Intelligence who plans to use him as a pawn.
    • Captain Marvel (1968) #22, #23
  • Rick is frustrated by being attached to Mar-Vell again, and soon learns he’s in dire straits. A new friend rushes to save his life.
    • The Avengers (1963) #106
  • Rick reveals his secret identity to his old teammates in a fury.
    • Captain Marvel (1968) #34, #37, #40, #41-47
  • Rick begins his music career. He leaves Earth behind and head to Mar-Vell’s homeworld after his first concert doesn't go as planned.
    • Captain Marvel (1968) #50, #51, #54, #61, #62
  • Rick performs at another concert before coming to the Avengers’ aid. Rick and Mar-Vell attempt to enjoy their separate lives.
    • Marvel Spotlight (1979) #3
  • Rick and Gertie decide it’s time to head home from Titan.
    • The Incredible Hulk (1968) #245, #261, #263-265
  • Betty Ross joins Rick’s search to locate the Hulk. Rick and Betty attempt to teach Hulk that he shares a body with Bruce. The group meets members of the new Teen Brigade.
    • Marvel Graphic Novel (1982) #1
  • A devastated Rick returns to Mar-Vell’s side during his last days.
    • The Incredible Hulk (1968) #267-269, #273, #276, #280, #285
  • Rick questions why Hulk should not have a right to exist, and begins to act furiously protective over him. Rick and Betty clash on their opinion of the Hulk. Rick makes a horrible mistake with heroic intentions.
    • ROM (1979) #54, #55, #60-61, #64, #71, #72
  • Rick learns that he has incurable cancer from his radiation poisoning. He assumes guardianship over a young girl he helped rescue, who holds secrets of the apocalypse in her mind.
    • The Incredible Hulk (1968) #319
  • Rick returns to Bruce and Betty in time for their wedding.

Table of Contents

Sidekick

  • Man or Monster? Alias (2001) #7
  • Rocket's Red Glare Alias (2001) #7
  • A Hero's Hero Alias (2001) #8
  • Kree-Skrull War Alias (2001) #8

Introduction from Ultimate Hulk

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE: The Oral History of Earth's Mightiest Heroes

  • Chapter #1 Avengers (2010) #1
  • Chapter #1 continued New Avengers #1 (2010)

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE: The Oral History of Earth's Mightiest Heroes

  • Chapter #2 Avengers (2010) #2
  • Chapter #3 New Avengers (2010) #2
  • Chapter #4 Avengers (2010) #3
  • Chapter #5 New Avengers (2010) #3
  • Chapter #6 Avengers (2010) #4
  • Chapter #8 New Avengers (2010) #5
  • Chapter #13 Avengers (2010) #8
  • Chapter #13 continued New Avengers (2010) #8
  • Chapter #13 continued Avengers (2010) #9
  • Chapter #13 continued New Avengers (2010) #9
  • Chapter #14 New Avengers (2010) #10

Sidekick

Continue reading for select chapters from AVENGERS ASSEMBLE: The Oral History of Earth's Mightiest Heroes

sidekick biography

Sidekick is Rick's fictional biography that was introduced in Incredible Hulk #374. Over the years there have been few excerpts from the biography published in other Marvel™ comics. Most significant are the pages that were published in Alias (2001) #7 and #8, written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Bill Sienkiewicz.

Ultimate Hulk (1998) is a collection of short stories edited by Peter David and Stan Lee. In it, Rick writes an introduction focusing on his relationship with Bruce. He provides more of his own history to illustrate how different Bruce was from other adults he knew growing up, and how Bruce became his family.

Avengers Assemble: An Oral History of Earth's Mightiest Heroes is a prose retelling in interview format written by Brian Michael Bendis that focuses on the early history of the Avengers. I have included the chapters where Rick is interviewed and gives his perspective on the formation of the Avengers and the Kree-Skrull War.

To scroll through the book, click on the corners of the pages. The table of contents describes the organization of the book and the chapters included.

I hope this book makes it more accessible to read about Rick's early history and his perspective on the heroes he spent the most time with. Enjoy!

sources

incredible hulk (1968) #374

alias (2001) #7-8

the avengers (2010)

the new avengers (2010)

mentioned heroes

bruce
banner

mar
-vell

steve
rogers

bucky
barnes

tony
stark

thor
odinson

hank
pym

janet
van dyne

edwin
jarvis

clint
barton

wanda
maximoff

pietro
maximoff

the
vision

namor
mckenzie

carol
danvers

reed
richards

ben
grimm

peter
parker

bruce & rick

Bruce is Rick's closest friend. He rescued Rick from the Gamma Bomb blast when Rick was sixteen. Although Rick never forgave himself for the incident, Bruce never resented him for it. From that day Bruce became Rick's first real family member. Rick ties Bruce to his humanity and views him as a true hero.

Bruce is an imperfect friend and mentor to Rick. When he's the Hulk, he is never far from violence. He urges Rick to stay away from him to avoid danger, but Rick doesn't always listen. It takes him a long time to accept that Bruce truly does not feel that Rick owes him.

I love Bruce and Rick's friendship because they are devoted to saving each other, over and over. They've seen each other at their worst and at their happiest. No matter what happens, they believe in one another's goodness. Although life pulls them in increasingly different directions, they always come back to each other in the end.

essential reading list
    Incredible Hulk (1962) #1 - 6
  • Bruce is mutated while saving Rick, Rick vows repay him by protecting him from the military and the world from Hulk.
    • Fantastic Four (1961) #12
  • Bruce has to save Rick from a kidnapper.
    • The Avengers (1963) #1 - 3
  • Rick accidentally helps form the Avengers while trying to help the Hulk, who doesn't stay with the team for long.
    • Fantastic Four (1961) #25
  • A jealous Hulk steals Rick away from the Avengers' mansion.
    • Tales to Astonish (1959) #62,#64, #70, #71, #77, #100
  • Rick returns to assist Bruce, disaster and tragedy ensues.
    • Incredible Hulk (1968) #103 - #106
  • Rick loses trust in Bruce, then tries to make amends.
    • Captain Marvel (1968) #21
  • Bruce tries to help Rick regain agency over his life by dissolving his bond to Mar-vell, but things don't go as planned.
    • Incredible Hulk (1968) #204
  • Bruce is given the opportunity to travel back in time to the original gamma bomb incident and do things differently.
    • Incredible Hulk (1968) #263 - 269, #276 - #282 & #285
  • Bruce, Betty and Rick reunite to support Bruce in ending the Hulk. Villains, alien abductions and radiation poisoning stand in his way before earning a pardon.
    • Incredible Hulk (1968) #319 - 332
  • Rick returns for Bruce and Betty's wedding, which is violently interrupted. After surviving their respective near death experiences, Bruce must protect Rick once he's mutated.
    • Incredible Hulk (1968) #346
  • Rick testifies after 'Gammagate' to describe the type of person Bruce was, now that he's presumed dead..
    • Incredible Hulk (1968) #374 - 377
  • Bruce and Betty search for Rick after he's gone missing. Afterwards at Rick's home, Bruce's lies are revealed.
    • Incredible Hulk (1968) #457, #458, #462, #467 & 468
  • Bruce returns after years of Professor Hulk's fronting and tries to make up for Hulk having injured Rick.
    • Incredible Hulk (2000) #108
  • Rick remembers his teenage years of acting responsible for the Hulk while trying to locate him.
    • World War Hulk (2007) #2 - 5
  • Rick tries to reason with the devastated Green Scar and end his war on the heroes who betrayed him.
    • Hulk (2008) #13, second stories of #26 - #27 & #28
  • A newly mutated Rick finds the newly depowered Bruce, wanting to protect him. Bruce later guides Rick on missions protecting people from monsters.
    • Incredible Hulk (1968) #603
  • Rick meets Skaar and tries to give Bruce parenting advice.
    • Fall of the Hulks: Gamma (2010) #1
  • Rick attempts to speak his mind at General Ross' funeral, before Bruce interrupts him to speak his.
    • Fall of the Hulks: Red Hulk (2010) #3
  • Bruce risks his life to undo Rick's brainwashing.
    • Incredible Hulks (2010) #612 & #613
  • Bruce and his family try to rest at the oceanside.
    • Incredible Hulks (2010) #618 - #620, #631 - #633, #635
  • Bruce tries to protect his family from magical mayhem.
    • Hulk (2014) #5, #6 & #8
  • Doc Green depowers Rick and reveals a terrible secret to him.
    • Totally Awesome Hulk (2015) #8
  • Bruce is visited by his family while recovering from the flu.
    • The Fallen (2016) #1
  • Bruce's family attend his funeral and the reading of his will.
    • Immortal Hulk (2018) #13 - #20, #22, #23, #28, #35, #36
  • Bruce has difficulty accepting Rick's death after surviving his own, and later must rescue his desecrated corpse.

"He was like a father and a brother, a best friend who could be your rock, and then just as suddenly need you for a tether to reality."

rick's musical history

Rick began performing music professionally in Captain Marvel (1968). Soon after he secured a record and touring contract, and a gig on Saturday Night Live. Although Rick is well known as a guitarist, songwriter, and performer throughout the galaxy in universe, the comics don't give us many specifics about his albums or songs. I'm curious to know more his music, and thought it would be interesting to create my own graphics and titles for albums he could have created.

  • destiny force
  • lyrics list
  • atomic emotion
  • lyrics list