BRUNO CAPER

Real Name: Bruno Caper

Identity/Class: Human technology user

Occupation: Crime boss, convict

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Elmo, Rocko, Tinkerer (Phineas Mason)

Enemies: Hulk (Bruce Banner)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Boss (as called by Elmo and Rocko)

Base of Operations: Unidentified men's detention center on Manhattan's lower west side

First Appearance: Incredible Hulk II#208 (February, 1977)

Powers/Abilities: Professional criminal Bruno Caper possessed no paranormal abilities; however, he was fairly athletic and could support the weight of his body while he slid down a cable.

He employed a "Concussion Tank" in his prison escape.

Height: Unrevealed (6'; by approximation)
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Bald

History:
(Incredible Hulk II#208 (fb) - BTS) - The criminal past of Bruno Caper is unrevealed, but "a few months back," he purchased a "Concussion-Tank" from the Tinkerer (see comments).

   Later, under unrevealed circumstances, Bruno was incarcerated in a Manhattan men's detention facility; however, he made arrangements with his underlings for his escape.

(Incredible Hulk II#208) - Rocko and Elmo transported the tank to the prison in a moving van, then used it to blast a hole in the wall. Rocko fired a "grapple-gizmo" through the hole, and Bruno slid down the cable to freedom (see comments). After climbing in the tank, Bruno and his two thugs made their getaway in a hail of gunshots fired by the prison guards.

   But as they sped down the street, the wandering Hulk (lamenting the recent death of his beloved Jarella during his battle with the Crypto-Man) unknowingly stepped into their path, and he was struck by the tank and knocked through a wall. Wrongfully thinking he was being attacked, the enraged Hulk climbed out of the rubble and leapt in front of the armored vehicle.

   Bruno and his men fired the tank's cannon at the jade giant, to no avail. After tearing off the cannon barrel, the Hulk lifted the tank, then smashed it down to the street. Stunned, Bruno and his men crawled out of the wreckage to face a very angry Hulk, who was about to make an example of them so as to keep others from ever bothering him again; but upon hearing the wail of approaching sirens, the Hulk decided that it wasn't worth the trouble, so he leapt off, having put a swift end to the run of Bruno Caper.

Comments: Created by Len Wein, Sal Buscema, and Joe Staton.

   Bruno was presumably apprehended and returned to prison, probably with a few years added to his sentence.

   ("Bruno Caper"?! -- with a name like that, one can only conjecture that he was doing hard time for stealing Hostess Twinkies.)

   The armored vehicle was never actually referred to as a "Concussion-Tank," but since it had a "concussion-cannon," it's as good of a name for it as any...

   During this same time-period, the Tinkerer was also known to supply equipment and weaponry to other criminals, including Big Wheel, Binary Bug, Hypno-Hustler, and Stinger.

   And that cable Bruno used to slide down was probably greased, otherwise the palms of his hands would be really sore from friction burns.
--Ron Fredricks

   Bruno's escape unintentionally resulted in the release of the Absorbing Man (Carl "Crusher" Creel), who was also being held in that same detention center following his defeat at the hands of Thor (@ Thor I#236) -- y'see, Thor had tricked the Absorbing Man into turning himself into cardboard and sealed him in a cardboard box, which was locked in a nearby cell, and the vibrations caused by the blast of the concussion-cannon cracked a water-pipe, and... ah, go read it yourself!

Profile by John Kaminski. Expansion by Ron Fredricks.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Bruno Caper has no known connections to:

Elmo should not be confused with:

Rocko should not be confused with:

Elmo and Rocko

Two of Bruno Caper's hired thugs, they used the "Concussion-Tank" to free their boss from prison.

Using a cargo van, they transported the tank to the detention center where Bruno was incarcerated.

After they blasted a hole in the prison with the tank's cannon, Rocko used a "grapple-gizmo" to fire a cable, which Caper slid down to make his escape.

The two made their getaway with Bruno in the tank, but unintentionally got involved in a confrontation with the Hulk, and the jade giant subsequently destroyed the tank -- one of them (either Elmo or Rocko) seemed to be able to jump to safety (see third image in main profile) and possibly made his escape, but the stunned Bruno and the other one crawled from the wreckage and were apprehended by the police.

--Incredible Hulk II#208

"Concussion Tank"

Built by the Tinkerer (Phineas Mason), it was purchased by Bruno Caper and later used to break him out of prison.

Armed with a concussion-cannon, the tank was capable of traveling at rapid speeds.

Although it was heavily armored and resistant to standard gunfire, it couldn't stand up to the strength of the Hulk -- the jade giant lifted the tank up and slammed it back down to the street, which completely destroyed it.

--Incredible Hulk II#208

images: (without ads)
Incredible Hulk II#208, p3, pan2 (main image - Bruno Caper slides down "grapple-gizmo's" cable)
Incredible Hulk II#208, p3, pan3 (Bruno Caper slides to "Concussion Tank")
Incredible Hulk II#208, p5, pan6 (Bruno Caper in open hatch of "Concussion Tank" as Hulk attacks)
Incredible Hulk II#208, p6, pan2 (Bruno Caper and one of his men crawl from wreckage of "Concussion Tank")
Incredible Hulk II#208, p3, pan1 (Rocko holding "grapple-gizmo", Elmo)
Incredible Hulk II#208, p2, pan4 ("Concussion Tank" rolling out of van)
Incredible Hulk II#208, p4, pan3 (after hitting Hulk, "Concussion Tank" [rear view] speeds down street)
Incredible Hulk II#208, p5, pan1 (Concussion-Cannon firing at Hulk)
Incredible Hulk II#208, p6, pan1 (Hulk destroys "Concussion Tank")

Appearances:
Incredible Hulk II#208 (February, 1977) - Len Wein (writer/editor), Sal Buscema (pencils), Joe Staton (inks), Glynis Wein (colors), Joe Rosen/Irv Watanabe (letters)

First posted: 07/04/2008
Last updated: 03/08/2026

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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