HULK #40-43 (2002)

A Rockwell tribute cover. Inside, another story of Bruce Banner hiding from the law, but allowing his Hulk side to mete out justice in a small town. I love how the cover has that “all American” visual reference but hides what is nearly a horror comic underneath because the same is true for Bruce Banner.

Bruce is in a Ready Mart convenience store when it gets robbed. He fantasizes about blowing his own cover, Hulking out, and taking care of the robber, but by the time he’s ready to take down the criminal, the store is surrounded by cops.

Outside, the local police meet Agent Pratt.

He claims to be FBI, but one of the local policy–Sally Riker–sees through the ruse. (We will learn later in this story that Pratt is from a secret organization hunting Hulk for their own purposes.)

Riker enters the store and Banner convinces her that Pratt is a fake. Pratt’s got snipers nearby that betray his evil identity, Banner gets shot and finally Hulks out.

We also see that Pratt can do some Hulking out of his own…

Riker and Hulk team up to evade Pratt, with the arc ending as Hulk leaves and Pratt appears to be dead.

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