Incredible Hulk by Peter David Omnibus #2

In the aftermath of Hurricane Hugo, the fragile peace between hero and government is tested when Freedom Force moves to capture the Hulk. Amid the chaos, a young boy whose quiet struggle echoes Bruce Banner’s own past becomes caught in the crossfire, forcing Banner to confront the cost of his dual identity in ways he never expected.

In "Quality of Mercy [Lifeform Part 3]," former actor and AIM agent George Prufrock, wracked by the Lifeform virus, pleads with the enigmatic Mercy to end his suffering—only for her to offer something far more unexpected: a meeting with the Hulk. The story unfolds in tense, intimate moments as Mercy navigates the fragile line between mercy and transformation, leaving George’s fate—and the consequences of this encounter—hanging in the balance.

In "Strange Matters," Bruce Banner stumbles into a New York dawn only to interrupt Doctor Strange’s battle with a shadowy entity hiding in a closet. With Namor’s unexpected aid, the Defenders regroup as Strange guides Banner into his own mind to confront the Hulk—only for a fragment of the creature to slip through and take hold.

In "Strange but True," Bruce Banner struggles to reclaim his mind as the Strange Universe’s Sorcerer Supreme takes control of the Hulk, forcing a battle within Bruce’s psyche while Doc Strange and Namor fight the beast in the real world. As Bruce confronts the darkness inside, he unlocks a hidden door in his mind—one so profound it unsettles even the Hulk himself. Back in the world, a scar on Bruce’s back catches Doc Strange’s eye, and he journeys to Connecticut, where he finds Betty has become a nun.

In "He's Back," Bruce Banner returns to the nunnery where Betty has taken refuge, hoping to reconnect after years apart. When he overhears her confession, he’s forced to confront the painful truth that her life may be better without him. As danger erupts and the Green Hulk tears free in a violent surge, Bruce must fight to reclaim his humanity—only to find that love, against all odds, might still have a chance.

In "Mending Fences," Bruce and Betty share a fragile moment of reunion before being forced to flee from the military, seeking refuge in the quiet sanctuary of a nunnery. As shadows lengthen, the Hulk emerges to confront both the army and Doc Samson in a desperate bid to protect the woman he loves.

In "No Autographs," Bruce and Betty hit the road chasing a lead on Rick, only to stumble into a quiet Utah town where a book signing was supposed to happen. What starts as a search for a missing friend quickly turns tense when the Hulk finds himself confronting the Super Skrull in an unexpected showdown.

In "Night of the Living Skrulls," Rick—dressed as Bucky—makes a daring escape from the Skrulls while Hulk clashes with the Super Skrull in a high-stakes showdown. Back in Reno, Rick’s new girlfriend shows up at his apartment, and something about her feels eerily familiar.

In "Honey, I Shrunk the Hulk," Doc Samson and the Ringmaster team up to help Bruce Banner attempt a radical fusion of his fractured identities, resulting in a new Hulk—one who wields jade-hued power with Banner’s intellect intact. The experiment pushes the limits of science and psyche, testing how far a man can go to reclaim control over himself.

In "Rhino Plastered," Rick Jones spins a holiday tale for a group of kids, recounting the time the Grey Hulk crossed paths with a very unconventional Santa—Rhino, who’d taken a job at a department store. What starts as a festive misadventure quickly spirals into chaos when the big guy in the red suit isn’t quite who he seems.

In "Green Canard," Marlo’s mishap turns Betty’s hair an unexpected shade of green, sparking a moment of levity amid the strain in her marriage to the Hulk. As they navigate their rocky relationship, the sudden disappearance of half the universe—including Betty’s friend Rick—throws their lives into chaos. When Abomination kidnaps his ex-wife, the Hulk races to save her, only to be pulled into a strange, otherworldly vortex that leaves his fate uncertain.

In "Old as the Hills [Subterranean Wars Part 2]," Tyrannus—now powerless and desperate after losing his war against Brutus—teams up with the reclusive Mole Man to manipulate the Hulk into confronting Brutus, hoping the battle will restore his strength. With the stakes higher than ever, the underground war takes a dangerous turn as old enemies and buried secrets rise to the surface.

In "Thicker Than Water," Jim Wilson faces a personal crisis when he reveals he has AIDS, testing the limits of his friendship with Rick. When Jim is brutally attacked by Speedfreek, Rick is torn between helping his friend and fearing infection—his hesitation echoing the very stigma Jim already battles.

In "This Means War," the Hulk and the Pantheon clash with rebel forces in Trans-Sabal, where government troops in Mandroid armor hold the line. When the country’s leader appeals to the U.S. for aid, X-Factor is dispatched to quell the uprising—putting them directly in the crossfire of a conflict that’s already boiling over.

In "X-Calation [War & Pieces Part 2]," the Hulk and the Pantheon clash with X-Factor in the midst of a volatile international crisis in Trans-Sabal, caught in a web of shifting alliances and escalating tensions. Amid the chaos, Betty and Marlo share an unexpected encounter with Rick’s mother, adding a personal dimension to the growing conflict.

In "War and Pieces: Conclusion Fortunes of War," the Hulk races to stop dictator Farnoq Dahn from unleashing a deadly weapon using Havok’s powers, as the Pantheon clashes with X-Factor and innocent lives hang in the balance. With Dahn’s brutal tactics exposed and the fate of his people uncertain, the line between heroism and vengeance blurs—especially when a shocking act of violence upends everything.

In "Four on the Floor," a mysterious book on magic unleashes a wave of demonic chaos, forcing the former Defenders to reunite when even their allies fall under supernatural siege. With Namor mysteriously trapped in Rick Jones' body and the line between hero and horror blurring, the team must navigate both otherworldly threats and their own fractured pasts.

In "Return to Vegas," the Hulk, operating as Joe Fixit, returns to Sin City with a mission: to avenge the death of Berengetti. With the Punisher also tracking the same target, an uneasy alliance begins to form. Meanwhile, Rick confronts his mother for the first time, facing the complicated emotions of a lifetime shaped by her absence.

In "Frost Bite," the Hulk and the Punisher track down a mob enforcer with a chilling secret, diving into a violent clash that tests their limits. Meanwhile, Rick Jones finds himself drawn closer to his mother, navigating the fragile space between family and the life he’s come to know.

In "Ghosts of the Past, Conclusion; Deus Ex Machina Part 1," Prometheus brings Betty to Pantheon headquarters for a tense reunion with her husband, while the Hulk sets out to face the Leader. Meanwhile, Rick delivers Marlo to the Leader, who offers her a dangerous promise of resurrection.

In "Deux Ex Machina, Part 2," the Hulk and Hydra converge on the Leader's compound at the same moment Soul Man attempts to resurrect Marlo from the dead. Despite Rick's desperate warnings, the Hulk intervenes, disrupting the ritual—Marlo is restored to life, but her mind has vanished.