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Cover: Rich Buckler & Ernie Chan

The Incredible Hulk #212

Name: The Incredible Hulk #212
Brand: Marvel
Availability: InStock

Jun 1977 · Marvel · 0.30 USD

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“Crushed by...the Constrictor!”

★ 1st appearance — Constrictor

About this Issue

The Incredible Hulk #212 marks the debut of the Constrictor — Frank Payne, a former S.H.I.E.L.D. operative gone rogue — one of the more durable street-level mercenary villains Marvel introduced during the Bronze Age. The character's built-in moral ambiguity (a government agent who suffered a breakdown and embraced his criminal cover identity) gave writers something richer than a pure bruiser, and he went on to tangle with Captain America, Iron Man, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist across the following decade. The issue also advances the long-running Betty Ross subplot, showing her quietly disappearing into a new life — a quiet storytelling beat that contrasts effectively with the kinetic superhero action in the main plot.

In "Crushed by...the Constrictor!", the Hulk races to rescue his friend Jim Wilson from the deadly grip of the Constrictor, while Betty Ross vanishes in a sudden twist—only to reappear with a startling new look and a life completely changed. Written by Len Wein and brought to life by Sal Buscema’s dynamic art and Ernie Chan’s sharp inks, this 1977 issue delivers a pulse-pounding mix of action and mystery. The cover by Rich Buckler and Ernie Chan captures the tension perfectly, a 30-cent snapshot of a Hulk at his most desperate.

writer Len Wein · artist Sal Buscema · artist, inker Ernie Chan · colorist Glynis Wein · letterer John Costanza · cover Rich Buckler, Ernie Chan

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (Fine) $7

CGC 9.8 · 29 in census $321*

CGC 9.6 · 65 in census $113

CGC 9.4 · 38 in census $83

CGC 9.2 · 25 in census $58*

CGC 9.0 · 15 in census $47*

CGC 8.5 · 22 in census $39*

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CGC 8.0 · 17 in census $35*

CGC 7.5 · 13 in census $20*

CGC 7.0 · 5 in census $20*

CGC 6.5 · 5 in census $20*

CGC 6.0 · 3 in census $20*

CGC 5.5 none in existence

CGC 5.0 none in existence

CGC 4.5 none in existence

CGC 4.0 none in existence

CGC 3.5 · 1 in census $20*

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CGC 9.8 ▾ $925–$1,296 2 listings

CGC 9.8 $925 CGC 9.8 $1295.8

Raw — VF+ ▾ $11–$21 2 listings

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Raw — VF ▾ $10–$20 7 listings

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VG $4.99 VG · Newsstand $6.99 VG $7.7 VG $16.68 VG $27.98

Raw — GOOD $7.99 1 listing

Raw / ungraded ▾ $5–$40 29 listings

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FN · Newsstand $9.99 FN $14.99 1977 Marvel Comics The Incredible Hulk Crushed By The Constrictor! #212 $10.99

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History

Written by Len Wein and pencilled by Sal Buscema (breakdowns) with Ernie Chan on finished art and inks, the issue carries a cover date of June 1977 and hit stands on March 15, 1977. Wikipedia's entry on the Constrictor credits the character's conception to Len Wein and John Romita Sr., with Buscema handling the visual realization in print. The cover was pencilled by Rich Buckler with inks by Ernie Chan, a common division of labor on the title at the time. The issue was published during the heart of the Bronze Age Hulk run, a period when Wein and Buscema were producing brisk, done-in-one and two-part action stories that regularly seeded new supporting cast and villain concepts into the book.

Trivia · 8 facts

First appearance of the Constrictor (Frank Payne), a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who went undercover as mercenary 'Frank Schlicting' for the criminal Corporation, suffered a breakdown, and became a career villain.
Written by Len Wein; pencils by Sal Buscema (breakdowns) and Ernie Chan (finished art); inks by Ernie Chan; cover by Rich Buckler and Ernie Chan.
Released March 15, 1977; cover-dated June 1977. Published by Marvel Comics Group.
Story title: 'Crushed By... the Constrictor!' The Constrictor is hired to assassinate Jim Wilson, the Hulk's friend, on behalf of the Corporation; the Hulk defeats him when the villain's own electrified adamantium coils are redirected into a lamp post.
Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. appear in a subplot involving recovery of a gamma-radiation-emitting capsule at sea — a narrative thread leading into future issues.
Betty Ross Talbot quietly changes her appearance and starts a new life in a parallel subplot, advancing ongoing character development without a conventional action beat.
The Constrictor's character was co-designed by Len Wein and John Romita Sr., then realized on the page by Sal Buscema.
The issue has been reprinted in Essential Hulk #6 (2010), Marvel Masterworks: The Incredible Hulk #13 (2019), and Incredible Hulk Epic Collection #8 — The Curing of Dr. Banner (2023). A Whitman variant and a 35-cent price variant also exist.