First of all, let's give major props to the cop who, on the first page of Incredible Hulk #199 (May 1976) tries to calmly talk the Hulk into coming down off a statue.
Of course, as writer Len Wein and artists Sal Buscema (layouts) and Joe Staton (finished art) soon show us, this doesn't work. Hulk objects to being bothered, wrecks a fire truck and sits down atop a theater marque.
It's here that a SHIELD unit (working with General Ross) finds him. Doc Samson has come along as well. The Doc jumps on Hulk and the ensuing fight moves into the surrounding swamp. (The story takes place in the Everglades.)
This is pretty much an all-action issue. And its a good, solid all-action issue. The Buscema/Staton art looks great; SHIELD gets to use several kinds of sci-fi vehicles and weapons; and the fight progresses in a manner consistant with Comic Book Logic. We also learn why the federal deficit is always so darn high--how many millions of dollars of government equipment does the Hulk wreck THIS time?
The idea is to zap Hulk with super-powerful knock-out gas. But the gas keeps not-quite working and Hulk keeps wrecking stuff.
Finally, Doc Samson, while once again duking it out with the Hulk, orders the SHIELD agents to open fire with their gas guns. He knows he'll be knocked out as well, but if the Hulk goes down with him, he's okay with that.
It works. Hulk claims he's stronger than the gas, but collapses himself a few minutes later.
The story ends with Hulk a prisoner. But we also got a scene, partway through the story, that reminds us Glenn Talbot, recently rescued from the Soviet Union, has had his personality and memories taken away. This scene sets up the next story and the reason an extra effort was made to capture the Hulk. The big green guy is needed to cure Talbot. We'll see exactly how this works next week, when we look at the next issue.
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