Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #341

Title: “The Savage Bull Doth Bear the Yoke!”

Writer: Peter David

Penciller: Todd McFarlane

Inker: Todd McFarlane

Colors: Petra Scotese

Editor: Bob Harras

Two farmers, Bob and Ed, are walking through the fields looking for Ed’s two cows. Ed says that he thinks it is the UFO’s. Bob says that he thinks Ed should stop reading the Enquirer. Bob steps on something. He shines the light on it to reveal a mutilated cow. Bob says that they just have to find the other one now. He says that this one is gutted just like the others in the last few weeks. Bob says that is some predator. Ed says that it has to be UFO’s and asks what kind of creature could walk in and then walk out carrying a cow under each arm.

Hulk says that he is hungry. Rick stands by the phone booth while Clay calls the reporter Diane Bellamy. Clay tells her that he can’t talk that long and that her phone might be tapped. Clay tells her that he read that there is going to be a SHIELD press conference tomorrow about the destruction of Gamma Base. He says that he wanted to let her know what was going on. Clay tells her that he won’t be there since he is on the run. Clay says that he is on the run because he is the one that blew up Gamma Base. He tells her to shut up and he will tell her why. Hulk wanders off. He feels Banner rattling around and thinks about how the sun will be up soon. Hulk thinks about the fact that he can’t remember what the sun feels like. Suddenly Hulk’s eyes widen as he sees a horned creature chewing on the remains of another mutilated cow. Hulk says, “You’re a savage one, ain’t cha?” The creature says, “Saa-viig help saa-viij” Hulk asks if he is supposed to help him floss. He says that he doesn’t know why he would help him even if he knew what he wanted. Savage says that if Hulk helps him that he will share his kill. Hulk says that he is hungry, but that he isn’t that hungry. Hulk yells at Savage to get out of there. Savage runs away scared.

Back at the telephone booth, Clay has just finished talking to Diane. He says that now it is just an hour’s drive to his brother’s house. He says that by then the Hulk should have changed back into Bruce. Clay asks where Hulk is anyway. Suddenly, Hulk is standing right behind Clay and Rick. He says that he is right there. Rick tells Hulk not to do that. Rick asks Hulk if he is okay. He says that he looks like he saw something strange. Hulk says that it was nothing strange. Hulk can’t seem to get the creature out of his head. He thinks that it wasn’t an animal, but that by the way it ripped the cow apart that it sure wasn’t a man.

Inside the Henderson’s house, Savage is rooting through the refrigerator. The door is smashed in. Mr. Henderson yells for Savage to hold it. Savage turns around to see Mr. Henderson holding a shotgun on Savage. He tells Martha to get their son back. The boy shouts for his dad to kill it. The father fires, but Savage is unhurt. Savage says, “Not… it. Savage!” Savage charges the family.

June Quartermain, Clay’s sister-in-law, asks Clay why he didn’t tell them that he would be in town. Clay says that it was kind of unexpected. He asks if Alan is home. June says that he is inside eating breakfast and asks Clay who his friends are. Clay introduces Rick Jones and Doctor Banner. June says that little Jenny has a cold. They walk into the kitchen. Alan and Clay strain as they shake hands. Clay and Alan walk outside together. Alan asks Clay what he wants. Clay says that he only wants to find out how he and his family are. He says that he has been worried since he gave up computers for farming. Alan says that his concern is touching, but that he hasn’t given up on computers completely. He says that he has been tinkering with a home rig for years now. Alan says that he will show Clay. Clay says that Alan always was a wiz.

They walk into the computer room. Alan says that he has sold a few programs that he developed and that between them and the games he designed that he has a small fortune that gets them through during the smaller crops. Alan says that he can get grain forecasts and weather predictions on it. He says that he can do just about anything with his set up. Clay asks if he can break into SHIELD’s security systems to find out where the government is stockpiling gamma bombs.

Trump is walking to the SHIELD press conference and tells LaRoquette and Saunders to come with him so they can get it over with. A man in a hat and overcoat brushes by them making sure to touch each of them. He says to excuse him and that he just remembered an appointment he has. Trump, LaRoquette, and Saunders’ eyes glow. As the three of them walk to the front of the hall, Diane Bellamy asks Agent Trump if it is true that Gamma Base was blown up by Clay Quartermain , who is now a fugitive from the law. He says to wait for the press conference. She asks if it wasn’t because Clay was concerned about the government’s building of a gamma bomb. She asks if Bruce Banner isn’t also concerned. All the other reporters start dog-piling on. Leader, the man in the overcoat, smiles as he takes his leave.

Alan asks if he understands this. He says that Clay won’t go to Nick Fury because he disobeyed orders from Fury’s bosses. Clay says that he doesn’t want to put Fury in the middle of it. Alan says that he has no problem asking his brother to commit espionage and treason. Clay says that Alan could be saving millions of lives. Alan asks what the obsession with gamma bombs is and asks about the other bombs that exist. Bruce and Rick walk into the room. Bruce says that he created the gamma bomb, and that he can’t let it go on existing. Alan asks if he is the Dr. Banner that becomes the Hulk. Alan asks who Bruce is to talk. He says that the bomb would only cause a fraction of the damage that the Hulk has caused. He asks if he is supposed to risk everything to assuage Banner’s guilty conscience. He asks Bruce what he thought the bomb was for when he created it anyway. June screams from the house.

They run inside and Alan asks what is the matter. June is crying as she hangs up the phone. She says that she just got off the phone with Hilda Kramer. She says that the entire Henderson family is in the hospital. She says that they were nearly trampled to death by some kind of horned creature that stood like a man. Bruce remembers the Hulk’s encounter with Savage and says that it figures that the one time Hulk doesn’t just start punching something is the one time that he could have helped save some people. Alan says that if Bruce knows something about this creature that he has to go to the authorities. Bruce says that he is sorry, but that he can’t get involved because he can’t let the government know where he is. Clay says that they can send the Hulk after the thing if Alan will get them the information that they need. Alan asks Clay if he would blackmail his own brother like this and to forget it. June tells Alan that if they can get rid of the creature to do what they want. Bruce folds his arms across his chest. He says that he isn’t going to trade one monster for another. He says that he won’t be a bargaining chip. Clay gets right in Bruce’s face and says that he has had it. He reminds Bruce that they are on borrowed time and that they won’t be able to stay ahead of SHIELD forever. Clay says that he put his neck on the line for Bruce, but that if Bruce doesn’t do this that he will kill him without being ordered to do it. Bruce says that he doesn’t like what Clay is becoming. Clay says that is funny considering the source. Alan says that Clay has a deal and that he can’t take a chance of the thing hurting his family. June thanks Alan. Alan says not to thank him and that he just hopes that the thing isn’t too hard to find. Outside, behind the Quartermain’s tractor, Savage is crunched up sitting.

Savage wakes up as the sun is setting. He watches as Bruce Banner is telling Clay that he is “unhappy with the present situation”. Savage is stunned as he sees Bruce turn into the Hulk. Hulk says that he thinks it stinks. Hulk walks up to Alan and asks why he should bargain with him. He says that he will be happy to help them after he tears off a couple of his limbs. Clay says that if Hulk beats him up that he won’t be in any condition to help them. Clay adds that this is his brother and that he would appreciate knowing the his family was safe. Rick sees that Hulk is smiling. Hulk says, “Aw… sure Clay. What the heck.” Clay closes his eyes and says that he knew Hulk would listen to reason. Hulk flicks his finger and hits Clay in the chin with it. Clay is sent flying and Hulk tells him that is for his attitude problem. As he leaps away, Hulk says, “I’ll be back.” Rick says that now he is the Terminator. Alan tries to help Clay up, but Clay just tells his mother that he doesn’t want to go to school. Suddenly, Savage steps out from behind the tractor. June yells for Alan to run. Rick tries to draw Savage off. June runs to the phone and calls for help. Rick stands down Savage. He says that it is weird, but that he reminds him of the Hulk the way he used to be. Hulk lands between Rick and Savage. He says that it is lucky for Rick that he spotted him just as he leapt away. Savage tells Hulk to help him again. Rick says that it wants help. Hulk says that it will help him shut up and punches him into the tractor. Rick tells Hulk to wait. He says that Savage is like Hulk used to be. He says that he could wind up like that again if something happened. Hulk shouts that he will never be a stupid animal like that again. Savage gets up. He says that he is not stupid and not an animal. He rams into the Hulk and knocks him into the barn. Savage says that he was a man once and that it was scientists that made him into Man-Bull. He says that he is more animal than man and that he is getting worse now. Savage says that he saw Hulk before and that he looked like Savage used to… human. Savage tells Hulk to show him how to change back to human or he is going to kill him. Hulk shouts, “Fat chance!” and slams his fist into Savage’s face breaking one of his teeth.

Elsewhere the townspeople are getting their shotguns and gathering to help the Quartermains.

Savage charges into Hulk and knocks him back into the barn. Hulk says that he wouldn’t help Savage even if he could. He says that he is the reality and that Banner is the weakling. Hulk hits the ground and knocks Man-Bull off his feet and flying back out the barn wall. Rick’s word haunt Hulk, “He’s what I was. What I could be.” Hulk sees Savage getting up. He thinks to himself that if he could give him his humanity that he would in a second. Man-Bull starts to get up again, and Hulk charges into him.

Ed tells Bob that he just knows that the UFO’s have landed. Bob tells Ed to shut up and that the Quartermain place is just ahead.

Hulk punches Savage in the face and wonders why he keeps getting up. Hulk thinks that surely he knows that he can’t beat him by now. Hulk picks up a large piece of equipment and hits Savage with it. He thinks to himself that he sure hopes that this does it because his heart is no longer in the fight. Hulk sees Savage getting up again and says, “Again you’re standing up? Stop it! Stop making me hit you!” Hulk punches Savage in the face again. He asks him why he is doing this and what he wants from him. Savage says to cure him. Hulk shouts that he can’t. Savage tells Hulk to kill him then. He says that he can’t go on like this. Hulk thinks to himself that he can’t do it. At first he claims not to know why, but he knows why and just doesn’t want to admit it. Hulk turns and sees “angry, scared villagers” as if they were out of an old horror film. The people pause when they see Hulk and Savage. Hulk realizes that they don’t know which monster they have come for. Alan says that it is the thing on the ground and to kill it. Hulk tells them to stay back. Alan says that it is just an animal and that they have to kill it. Hulk says that Savage is human. He tells Savage to talk and let them know or they will kill him. Savage doesn’t say anything. Hulk says that he gets it and that dying is what Savage wants. Hulk says that Rick was wrong. He says that he is nothing like him because he never gives up. Hulk tells Savage to go ahead and let them kill him. He says that he doesn’t care anymore. Alan says to wait as he sees Savage beginning to cry. One of the people asks what they should do now. He says that it has to be punished. Hulk says that it doesn’t matter what else they do. He says that they are already punishing him because they are going to let him live.

No Excuses rating: 9 out of 10

I love the parallels between Man-Bull and the old Savage Hulk. It’s funny to see that even the gray Hulk has his own fears about becoming something other than what he is. Bruce is always afraid of becoming the Hulk, but even gray Hulk is worried about becoming savage again. Love the Leader foreshadowing again. This is easily McFarlane’s best issue to date. His style and detail are remarkable and his storytelling really flows in this issue. This issue really makes me wish that McFarlane had stuck around long enough to do a Hulk/Abomination fight.

Review by The Leader

Pictures by Captain Nate

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