SUSAN JACOBSON

Real Name: Susan Jacobson

Identity/Class: Human

Occupation: Former CIA agent

Group Membership: None;
    formerly the CIA

Affiliations: The Hulk (Bruce Banner), the Pantheon (Achilles, Atalanta, Hector, Ulysses)

Enemies: Warden Tarkington

Known Relatives: Unspecified family (see comments)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Unrevealed, possibly a Pantheon facility abroad;
    formerly Ft. Cheer Maximum Security Prison, Nebraska, USA

First Appearance: Incredible Hulk II#377 (January 1991)

Powers/Abilities: Susan Jacobson did not have any enhanced abilities or powers but was presumably a competent CIA agent.

Height: 5'6" (by approximation)
Weight: 125 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde

History: (Incredible Hulk II#410 (fb)) - Susan Jacobson met Bruce Banner in college when they were about 20 years old, having already heard about his reputation as a brilliant student. The two soon began dating. Banner, suffering from the emotional trauma of his early life, was distant toward Jacobson and shied away from physical intimacy with her. After a few months of dating, Jacobson asked Banner why he was so distant.

(Incredible Hulk II #377 (fb)) - In Bruce Banner's dorm room, Jacobson expressed frustration that Banner showed no interest in being intimate with her. After a brief argument, Banner grabbed Jacobson unexpectedly and kissed her. Jacobson, startled, stormed out of the room.

(Incredible Hulk II# 410 (fb)) - Shortly afterward, Jacobson met with Banner again. She apologized for running away but told Banner that she was frightened of him. The two stopped dating. At some point after college, Jacobson began a career as a CIA agent.

(Incredible Hulk II#411 (fb) - BTS) - During Operation: Desert Storm (see comments), Jacobson learned of Saddam Hussein's plan to launch a gas attack on Israel. Jacobson disobeyed orders not to share the information and notified the Israeli government of the planned attack. For providing confidential information to the Israeli government, Jacobson was found guilty of treason and sent to solitary confinement in Ft. Cheer, a maximum security prison in Nebraska.

(Incredible Hulk II#410) - After Jacobson had been in confinement for over two years, the Hulk learned of her circumstances and determined that he would free her with the aid of his allies in the Pantheon.

Meanwhile, in the prison, Jacobson's guards taunted her, mocking that she would never get out of her cell. Moments later, the Hulk, using the Pantheon's technology, transmitted a message into Ft. Cheer prison, which could be heard by both Jacobson and the prison's warden, Tarkington. The Hulk issued Tarkington the ultimatum to release Jacobson in five minutes or he would liberate her by force. Upon learning of this, prison personnel moved Jacobson from her cell to another location in the prison.

Tarkington did not release Jacobson as the Hulk had directed and so the Hulk and his Pantheon colleague Ulysses stormed Ft. Cheer, breaking through its defenses. When they reached Jacobson's cell, however, they found it empty.

(Incredible Hulk II#411) - Nick Fury and SHIELD came to Ft. Cheer to defend the prison and oppose the Hulk's efforts. After maneuvering by both sides, the Hulk and Fury eventually found themselves in a standoff: Fury had a gun loaded with exploding bullets laser-targeted at the Hulk's eye while the Hulk held Warden Tarkington's head in his hands. The Hulk insisted Jacobson be released while Fury demanded the Hulk withdraw. Eventually, the Hulk bluffed that if Jacobson was not released, he would order the Pantheon's planes to drop tactical warheads on Ft. Cheer. Although he understood that the Hulk was merely bluffing, Fury was sympathetic to Jacobson's predicament and believed her imprisonment to be unjust, and went along with the Hulk's posturing. Fury relented and Jacobson was released.

Later, at the Mount, Hulk informed Jacobson that they would move her to one of the Pantheon's facilities abroad, where Jacobson would be reunited with her family. Jacobson expressed her gratitude and disbelief and, in a light hearted moment, apologized for dumping the Hulk back in college.

Comments: Created by Peter David, Dale Keown and Bob McLeod.

Susan Jacobson's backstory, as given in Incredible Hulk II#411, placed her firmly within the events of the first Gulf War. Given Marvel's sliding timescale, references to the Gulf War, as well as the reference to Saddam Hussein, should likely be replaced in the reader's mind as "generic Middle Eastern conflict" and "generic Middle Eastern dictator." Or for kicks, we could all agree that the dictator she foiled was Farnaq Dahn of Trans-Sabal.

While no specific relatives were identified or known, Hulk once referred to having contacted Jacobson's "family."

Susan Jacobson bears a more than striking resemblance to early 90s Emma Thompson, a frequent collaborator of Rowan Atkinson's. Warden Tarkington seems to be modeled after Mister Bean, mole and all.
--Norvo

Profile by Stunner.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Susan Jacobson has no known connections to:

Warden Tarkington

Warden Tarkington was the warden of Ft. Cheer maximum security prison in Nebraska. The prison received a rating of "inhumane" from Amnesty International. Tarkington presided over the prison while Susan Jacobson was imprisoned there.

Tarkington received a transmission from the Hulk, ordering him to release Susan Jacobson within 5 minutes or else she would be liberated by force. Tarkington did not comply and attempted to organize the prison's personnel and defenses to resist the Hulk and his Pantheon ally Ulysses when they stormed Ft. Cheer to free Jacobson. At the same time, he kept in touch with the Secretary of Defense, keeping him apprised of the situation. Before long, Nick Fury and SHIELD came to Tarkington's assistance.

The Hulk proceeded to force his way into the prison's command center and entered a tense standoff with Nick Fury. Fury had a gun loaded with exploding bullets laser-targeted at the Hulk's eye while the Hulk held Warden Tarkington's head in his hands. The Hulk insisted Jacobson be released while Fury demanded the Hulk withdraw. Tarkington made several unsuccessful attempts to diffuse the situation but neither  Fury nor the Hulk permitted him to speak. Eventually, the Hulk bluffed that if Jacobson was not released, he would order the Pantheon to drop warheads on Ft. Cheer. Fury, although understanding the Hulk was merely bluffing, felt that Jacobson's imprisonment was unjust. Fury relented and Jacobson was freed.

-- Incredible Hulk II#410 (#411,

images: (without ads)
Incredible Hulk II#410, p14, pan2 (main)
Incredible Hulk II#410, p14, pan6 (headshot)
Incredible Hulk II#410, p2, pan2 (as prisoner in Ft. Cheer)
Incredible Hulk II#410, p9, pan2 (Warden Tarkington)

Appearances:
Incredible Hulk II#377 (January 1991) - Peter David (writer), Dale Keown (penciler), Bob McLeod (inker), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Incredible Hulk II#410 (October 1993) - Peter David (writer), Gary Frank (penciler), Cam Smith (inker), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Incredible Hulk II#411 (November 1993) - Peter David (writer), Gary Frank (penciler), Cam Smith (inker), Bobbie Chase (editor)

First Posted: 05/25/2020
Last updated: 05/25/2020

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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