Rick Jones was an ordinary teen who became one of the most pivotal figures in superhuman history.[20] Originally a rebellious teenager, Rick's life changed dramatically after he inadvertently triggered the Gamma Bomb test that transformed Dr. Bruce Banner into the Hulk. Feeling responsible, Rick became Bruce's closest friends and was frequently caught in the fallout of the Hulk's battles with the US Military.[21] Over time, he formed significant relationships with numerous heroes and played a crucial role in the formation of the Avengers, helping bring the original team together.[22]
He befriended Captain America, who briefly trained him as the second Bucky.[4] Rick later developed a psychic bond with the Kree hero Captain Marvel, sharing molecules through the Nega-Bands and allowing them to switch places across the Negative Zone.[23] This led to Rick getting caught in the middle of the Kree-Skrull War during which he briefly tapped into the Destiny Force.[24] He again helped another alien warrior, Rom the Spaceknight, in fighting the Dire Wraiths,[25] until the Spaceknight left Earth once the threat was dealt with.[26]
Rick later entered a relationship with Marlo Chandler, an ex-girlfriend of Mr. Fixit who was another personality of Banner,[27] and eventually the two even got married in a big celebratory wedding.[28] Following Captain Marvel's untimely death,[29] Rick partnered with his son Genis-Vell.[30] During World War Hulk, Rick also gained temporary superhuman abilities by becoming the monstrous A-Bomb, a gamma-irradiated form with enhanced strength and durability.[3] Despite lacking permanent powers, his courage and persistence earned him the trust of many superheroes. He adopted multiple identities over time, including the hacker known as the Whisperer, which led to his persecution by government agencies.[11]
Rick was one of the many casualties during Hydra's rise and takeover of America.[19] After being experimented on, Rick was resurrected, briefly taking on an Abomination-like form.[10] These events led him to join Gamma Flight, a government-sanctioned team tasked with handling gamma threats.[31] Later, he left the team and was linked once again with Genis,[32] until their Nega-Bands were destroyed.[33] He briefly bonded with the symbiote offspring Sleeper, temporarily becoming Sleeper Agent, before bonding to Toxin.[34]
