Rick Jones is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Rick has been a sidekick and friend to The Hulk, Captain America, Mar-Vell / Captain Marvel, Rom the Spaceknight, and Genis-Vell / Captain Marvel. The character has been an active participant in many significant Marvel Universe story lines including the Kree-Skrull War and the Destiny War. He later acquired powers, causing his learning capabilities to be greatly increased. He decided to direct his new ability towards communications technology, and ended up becoming a hacktivist known as the Whisperer. Publication history Rick Jones was created in 1962 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appeared in Hulk #1 (May 1962). Fictional character biography Rick Jones was born in Scarsdale, Arizona. He lost his parents at a young age and grew up in an orphanage. Later, he accepts a dare to drive out to a bomb testing ground in New Mexico. As luck would have it, the gamma bomb designed by Dr. Robert Bruce Banner is being tested. Banner pushes Rick into a protective trench saving his life, but absorbing the gamma rays that transform Banner into the Hulk. Rick thus becomes the sole confidant of the Hulk's true identity. Early days with the Hulk and the Avengers Jones' guilt over causing the incident (and lack of any other place to go) leads him to stay close to Dr. Banner and the Hulk alter ego. In one story, he even gains mental control over Hulk. Eventually, the dangerous unpredictability of Hulk forces Rick to keep his distance. Later, Rick forms 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. Originally, the Teen Brigade intended to bring the Fantastic Four together to battle the Hulk, but instead brought Iron Man, Ant-Man, Wasp, and Thor together to form the Avengers. After the Hulk's departure from the team, Rick becomes an honorary Avenger. He alerted the team to the Hulk's presence when they began searching for Hulk. He becomes close to the recently revived Captain America although his guilt leads him to leave the Avengers and seek out Banner and Hulk on his own. Captain America rescues Rick from one of Hulk's rampages, and after that Rick becomes