Incredible Hulk vol. 3 #49Incredible Hulk vol. 3 #49
Title: “Pratt Fall”
Writer: Bruce Jones
Penciller: Stuart Immonen
Inker: Scott Koblish
Colors: Studio F
Editor: Alex Alonso
Inside a sex shop the man behind the counter smells something. He gets up and goes into the projection room. The film inside is smoking.
A man walks down the street back towards the bar. The woman behind the counter says, “Back again, stranger?” The man says that he thought she was off at five. She says that she is just finishing up and that she had a feeling that he would be back. She says that her offer is still good. He thanks her but says that he has a plane to catch. He asks for a shot of Johnny Walker. She asks if he is sure that is all he wants and that the “full-bodied stuff” is back at her apartment. The man looks at his watch.
The powered up
Pratt holds Bruce Banner up by the neck. Verdugo has the Hulk gun
aimed at Pratt. Pratt asks Verdugo what a mother is to do. He
says, “These kids today! Can’t live with ‘em…
can’t kill ‘em! Or actually you can kill
‘em.” He says that she isn’t going to pick Bruce
Banner, “formerly the baddest Hulk in town!”, over her
only son Ricky Myers. Sandra asks what guarantee she has that
Pratt will hold up his end. Pratt says, “Only thing more
admirable than a beautiful fellow rogue… is a beautiful,
intelligent fellow rogue!” Pratt takes out his cell and
calls his former bosses. He tells S-1 that he has the Hulk blood
and Banner. He says that he is ready to come home and be good. He
says that he does have a problem though because another rogue
operative Sandra Verdugo has the Hulk gun aimed at him. Pratt
tosses Verdugo the phone. She holds the phone up to her ear and
says that she has their guarantee that she and her son will go
free. S-1 says that all they want is the blood. He says to tell
Pratt that if anything happens before the delivery and all bets
are off. Sandra starts to tell him, but Pratt already figured
they would say that. Pratt asks if they have a deal; the Hulk gun
for his joy buzzer. Pratt pushes the “joy buzzer” and
Ricky reels in pain. Verdugo agrees and says that Ricky goes free
first. Pratt drops Banner and says that works for him.
As they walk up to Ricky and Pratt’s
agents’ cars, Pratt says that she will excuse him if he
conserves what is left of his new power. Pratt shrinks back to
regular size. Sandra looks back at Bruce lying on the ground.
Pratt says that this is no time for second thoughts and that they
both know that there are no free lunches in their business.
Verdugo says to save it and that what she is doing she is doing
for her son. As they approach Ricky, Pratt pulls the Hulk gun
from Verdugo’s hand. He hands her the buzzer. Ricky and
Sandra hug. Pratt says that he has one addendum to their bargain.
He holds the gun to Ricky’s head and says, “One ting
more admirable than a beautiful, intelligent fellow rogue…
is a beautiful, intelligent, naked fellow rogue.” Verdugo
tells Pratt that he is mad. Pratt says that was the chief
determinate in his hiring and to take her clothes off. Verdugo
tells him to go to hell. Pratt asks if she is embarrassed about
being in the spotlight. He says that his men won’t see a
thing and shows her that he has killed all his men. He says that
he put a little cyanide in the air-conditioning and that there
was a problem with the majority vote. Verdugo reminds him about
Home Base’s conditions. Pratt says that he had that worked
out days ago and that you always have to leave yourself a
backdoor. He tells her to start stripping. Sandra tells Ricky to
close his eyes. Pratt tells him not to and that it is time he
became a man. Verdugo gets down to her bra. She unhooks it, but
then decides that she isn’t going to let it end this way.
Pratt commends her bravery and then snaps Ricky’s neck.
Verdugo doesn’t even react. Pratt guesses that she must be
in shock. Sandra asks Pratt why he is doing this. Pratt hold the
gun to her head and says that it is just greed and that the fewer
there are to share the more there is to go around. 
Suddenly a
voice says, “I suppose this is where I’m supposed to
say… ‘Hulk Smash’!” Pratt turns to see the
Hulk standing behind him. Pratt says that there is no end to the
surprises and that the “line twixt man and beast blurs ever
more!” Pratt pulls the trigger to the Hulk gun, but nothing
happens. Sandra shows Pratt that she had the dart inside her bra
the entire time. She says that she took it out before he even
called Home Base and reminds him to always leave a back door.
Pratt says that is his philosophy. He powers up and back hands
Verdugo. He says that this will just take a second and hits Hulk.
Hulk stands in place and says, “…that’s one second
and counting. You have our full attention, Pratt… was there
something else?” Hulk lifts Pratt over his head. Pratt
shouts, “Nooooooo!” Hulk says, “No?” He
throws Pratt through a car. Pratt is on the ground. He says that
they can talk about this. Hulk says, “We’re a
reasonable colossus… talk away!” Hulk pounds Pratt in
the face. He hits him again and again and again. Verdugo says,
“Enough! Bruce, if you’re still in there
somewhere… he’s had enough!” Hulk continues to
pound Pratt.
In the morning, Bruce sits next to Ricky’s dead body. Verdugo returns. He asks her if she buried Pratt. She says that she buried all seventy-eight pieces of him and that it was her pleasure. Bruce asks if she is ready for another shock. Sandra says, “…This one you mean?” She removes her “son’s” robotic head. Bruce asks how long she has known. She says that she knew the moment she hugged him. Sandra starts to dig another grave. Bruce says that he is only a robot. She says that for a while there he wasn’t and that she needs a little closure even if it is only imaginary. Bruce says that he understands. After “Ricky” is buried, Sandra says, “…then you go your way and I go mine… and we keep looking until we find my son…”
The man and woman bartender arrive at her apartment. She says that they are going to have to make this quick and that she only gets a half hour for dinner. She tells him to make himself comfortable while she freshens up. In the bathroom, the woman gets down to her bra and panties. Outside on the bed, the man hides a gold disc beneath the mattress. The woman walks out and closes the drapes making the room completely dark. She tells him to lie back and let her do all the work. There is a gun shot. The woman stands there with a smoking gun in one hand and a gold disc in the other. She says, “… there now… that didn’t hurt at all… did it?” The man lies dead on the bed with a bullet hole in his head.
No Excuses rating: 6 out of 10
Easily the best Hulk in a while. Hulk shows, Hulk speaks, and Hulk fights someone. The latter two are firsts in Jones’ run. I have to say that I am more than a little pleased that the Hulk seems to be cogent. What incarnation he is remains to be seen, perhaps a whole new incarnation, but at least we’re seeing something. I finally feel a little excitement with the upcoming Abomination storyline. Immonen does a decent job. He actually draws a few sets of eyes and should do so more often. The cover, by the way, is perhaps the greatest in Hulk history.