"You, my friend, are a hero! Don't hide from your power." ―Roger Harrington to Bruce Banner

Roger Harrington is a science teacher at Midtown School of Science and Technology and the head of the school's Academic Decathlon Team.

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Biography

Early Life

Culver University Student

"I was in terrible need. You heard my plea, and you came. To help me." ―Roger Harrington to Bruce Banner

By 2010, Roger Harrington was studying at Culver University, being one of the smartest students in the class. He worked in the computer class by night, and granted Bruce Banner access to the computers in exchange for some pizza.[1]

Married Life

Harrington was once married to a poet named Tabitha. However, it was hard for Harrington to leave some space to his wife, and in spite of the couple trying marriage counseling, they ultimately divorced. Harrington had a hard time dealing with this breakup.[2]

While a teacher, under unknown circumstances, Harrington lost a student during a school trip.[3]

Academic Decathlon Team

Peter Parker's Choice

"Peter, it's nationals. Is there no way you could take one weekend off?"

"I can't go to Washington because if Mr. Stark needs me, then I have to make sure that I'm here." ―Roger Harrington and Peter Parker

On an average school day, Peter Parker came to see Harrington to inform him that he could not join the Midtown School of Science and Technology's Academic Decathlon Team for the national tournament in Washington, D.C., pretending that he should be available for his internship in Stark Industries.[3]

Trip to Washington D.C.

"Taking it all in, Michelle?"

"Oh, yeah, I just... um, I don't really want to celebrate something that was built by slaves."

"Oh, I'm sure the Washington Monument wasn't built by... Okay. Enjoy your book." ―Roger Harrington and Michelle Jones

Peter Parker eventually changed his mind and joined the Academic Decathlon Team right before they left New York. Harrington enthusiastically welcomed him and informed Flash Thompson that he would leave his place to Parker. Harrington then took his team to Washington, D.C. for the national tournament.

In order to celebrate the Decathlon Team's victory in the nationals, albeit without Parker who had departed the night before the tournament, Harrington took his students to the top of the Washington Monument. While they were in the lift, there was a mysterious burst of energy which damaged the elevator. Harrington tried to have all his students escape the elevator, but the cabin ultimately free fell in the shaft with Harrington, Ned Leeds and Liz Toomes still in it.

The fall was averted by Spider-Man, who hold the elevator with his Web-Shooters before it started to plummet to the ground. After Spider-Man managed to save the elevator again, Harrington was relieved to know that he was safe as well as the students. Once Spider-Man took Harrington and the other students to safety at the top at the Monument, Harrington belatedly thanked the superhero as he fell in the shaft when his web string broke.[3]

Back to Midtown

"As you know, we made it out alive. And that's the important thing. I couldn't bear to lose a student on a school trip. Not again." ―Roger Harrington

Harrington returned his students to Midtown School of Science and Technology. He was interviewed by some students for the School's TV channel and declared that he was relieved as he would not bear losing a student on a school trip once again. Harrington also reported Peter Parker's multiple absences, which led Parker into detention.[3]

New Captain

"I'm gonna have to put this back in the trophy case soon, but just for motivation right now at this practice. I'm a little ahead of the game, but we will need a new team captain next year. So I'm appointing Michelle." ―Roger Harrington

Harrington congratulated his Decathlon Team for their victory in the nationals. With Liz Toomes leaving Midtown School of Science and Technology following her father's arrest, Harrington appointed Michelle Jones or MJ as the new captain of the Academic Decathlon Team.[3]

Post-Snap

Wife's Deception

"Did I tell you how my wife pretended to blip out? Turns out she ran off with a guy in her hiking group. We had a fake funeral for her and everything... Well, the funeral was real. 'Cause we thought she was really dead." ―Roger Harrington to Peter Parker

In 2018, the Snap took place when Thanos snapped his fingers with the Infinity Gauntlet, causing many of Harrington's students to crumble into dust with the rest of half of all life in the universe, while Harrington himself survived. Even after the Snap was reversed in 2023, Harrington was traumatized and remained in therapy for a while.[4] During this time, Harrington believed that his wife had also disintegrated and held a funeral for her. In actuality, she had used the Snap as an opportunity to run off with another man.[5] In an interview with the The Daily Bugle, Harrington was asked about the Blip before being brought to tears about his wife faking her death.[6]

Europe School Trip

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Chaotic Coach Ride

"Peter, plant your fanny in that seat and buckle up, right now!."

"Look at the baby mountain goats!"

"Baby mountain goats? Don't see any mountain goats." ―Roger Harrington and Peter Parker

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Trip to the Opera

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Return to New York

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Personality

A former student of the Culver University, Roger Harrington is a serious and reliable teacher who strongly supports his Academic Decathlon Team. He knew which elements of the team were the best and did not hesitate to replace Flash Thompson with Peter Parker once the latter joined back the team. Harrington cares about the well-being of his students, and tried to ensure that every one of them was safe when they were endangered in the Washington Monument before he could exit the elevator himself. Back to New York, Harrington expressed considerable relief at the idea that all the students had been unharmed during the accident.

Like many teachers of the Midtown School of Science and Technology, Harrington loves his students as if they were his family. When many of his students temporarily perished due to Thanos' Snap, Harrington had to go to therapy to deal with his trauma, demonstrating how much he cares for them. However, along with most of his colleagues, Harrington doesn't tolerate perversion or voyeurism among his pupils: when Brad Davis was revealed by Michelle Jones to have photographed Peter Parker half-naked with a woman, Harrington looked greatly disgusted, believing Davis to be a voyeur.

During the trip to Europe, Harrington was seen to be a hilariously incompetent and clumsy field trip chaperone. He dropped his camera into a canal in Venice and lacked the foresight to do his research for the field trip ahead of time, landing his class in a dilapidated motel and being astonished that a museum he wanted to visit was shut down, something his colleague Julius Dell criticized to him. He also never seemed to question the oddity of his class's "travel company" upgrades and detours throughout their trip, like the presence of Mysterio and "Night Monkey."

Despite his likable attitude, however, Harrington seems to have problems when forming relationships or pursue romance. He has married two times, but both marriages ended up sourly. His first wife left him as Harrington had problems with leaving some space to her and his second wife took advantage of the Infinity War's outcome to fake her death and run off with another man, while Harrington believed her to have been snapped. This last abandonment was enough for Harrington to break down in tears when commenting about it, possibly demonstrating that he really loved his second wife.

Facilities

"My kingdom is yours." ―Roger Harrington to Bruce Banner

Culver University : To be added

: Midtown School of Science and Technology: Harrington worked at Midtown School of Science and Technology as a science teacher.

Relationships

Trivia

In the comics, Roger Harrington was the principal of Midtown High School long after Peter Parker had graduated. He hires Peter to teach there, as well as Flash Thompson to coach. He was later killed by the Chameleon of an alternative future and briefly replaced.

Behind the Scenes

Martin Starr's role in The Incredible Hulk was credited as "Computer Nerd" while the official novelization named him "Amadeus Cho." On May 15, 2019, during an AMA on Reddit, Kevin Feige confirmed that Martin Starr's character in The Incredible Hulk was the same character as the one he portrayed in Spider-Man: Homecoming.[7]

References