This is Peter David’s Greatest Hulk Comics Story Arc of All Time

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The late great Peter David was one of the most legendary creators in comic books, with his talent being seen across various books from Marvel Comics, DC Comics and numerous other publishers. These included a landmark run on Aquaman that forever defined the character, as well as other books such as Supergirl, Young Justice, X-Factor and others. Perhaps his biggest triumph, however, was his long tenure on Marvel’s Hulk comic books, resulting in one of the best “dark future” stories from the publisher.

“Future Imperfect” showcased the threat of the Hulk through the power of the Maestro, an evil version of the character in a brutal, post-apocalyptic future. This was the ultimate manifestation of the Hulk’s very nature, proving that his being the “strongest there is” wasn’t always a good thing. Its ramifications were felt years later for the character, and one of Peter David’s final stories in the 2020s revisited the origins of this dark tale that still ranks as one of his best.

Future Imperfect Revealed Just How Dangerous Hulk Was

Issues: The Incredible Hulk: Future Imperfect #1-#2 by Peter David and George Pérez

Writing the hero for 12 years, Peter David’s iconic run on The Incredible Hulk saw many changes for the iconic Marvel character. Most notably, he transitioned back to his initial gray coloration, also regaining his classic thuggish mentality and taking on the guise of “Joe Fixit”. After consolidating his various personas into one, Dr. Bruce Banner became “Professor Hulk,” keeping his intellect while having the Hulk’s body and strength.

This was the Hulk: Future Imperfect arc, a two-issue story that envisioned a brutal future where Hulk truly was the strongest there is. Unfortunately, this take on the Hulk wasn’t nearly as heroic, and there was also a notable lack of actual heroes to stand in his way.

The world of Hulk: Future Imperfect was ruled by the villainous Maestro, a vile, vain, hedonistic and totalitarian version of The Hulk. He was one of the only “superhero” survivors of a nuclear war from years ago, with the radiation killing the other heroes while further empowering Hulk. This made him stronger and smarter than ever, and he used his intellect and pent-up frustration with society and humanity to become the new ruler of mankind’s remnants.

His fittingly-named locale of Dystopia kept the radiation levels low enough not to kill the humans there, all while still further strengthening their new ruler. Standing against The Maestro were three dissidents named Janis Jones, Pizfiz, Dakord and Skooter, who embarked on a harrowing plan to stop the villain. This involved repairing a Time Platform created by the Latverian ruler Doctor Doom and going back in time to find the young Rick Jones (a former sidekick of the Hulk). Through this plan, the present-day Hulk was brought to the future and clued in on what had happened after meeting an elderly and senile Rick Jones.

The first encounter between Maestro and The Hulk didn’t go in the latter’s favor, with Hulk’s neck being broken, and the character left paralyzed for a time. Using this as a ruse as he secretly healed much faster, Hulk was kept in the castle of The Maestro and taunted by a sex slave who was intentionally chosen for her resemblance to his long-dead wife, Betty. The Maestro urged his present-day counterpart to stand alongside him, as society in the past had always mistreated them both and given them nothing but heartache.

Seizing the opportunity, Hulk attacked The Maestro and his forces once more, though soon at the loss of Rick Jones. Using the Time Platform after luring Maestro near it, Hulk sent him back in time to the creation of them both during an atomic test. This incident atomized and killed The Maestro, all while Rick Jones’ body was buried with Captain America’s iconic shield.

Why Future Imperfect Was the Perfect Hulk Story

The Storyline Was Hulk’s Equivalent to an Iconic Batman Comic Book

The idea of a purely evil version of The Hulk was what made The Maestro such an interesting character, as he showcased the unbridled carnage and power inherent in the character. With no one to answer to and society now at his beck and call, he was able to turn the tables on a world that had long tormented his very existence.

If anything, it justified society’s current hatred and fear of him in a way that shocked even the Hulk, and it proved that the merged personality of the Professor Hulk wasn’t the cure-all that Banner hoped it would be. Despite coming out five years before the end of Peter David’s Hulk run, it could have easily acted as an epilogue, as it encapsulated many of the ideas and themes present in the writer’s other stories.

Hulk: Future Imperfect was similar to other “dark future” stories in comic books, with these being veritable signs of a brand’s success. After all, “Days of Future Past” came out when Chris Claremont’s run on The Uncanny X-Men was reaching new heights, and it was one of several dark alternate X-Men universes. Since then, it’s inspired various stories and adaptations and remains one of the most seminal X-Men stories of all time.

Over at DC Comics in the mid to late 1980s, Frank Miller’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns revitalized the Caped Crusader for a new generation and helped put him on the map like never before with comic book readers. These stories all boiled down their characters to a sort of central ethos, showcasing what was left in a future gone bad. That was exactly what was on display in Future Imperfect, with the Hulk forced to realize just how dangerous he could become. This was also seen in the lack of other heroes, who had all died in a world where Hulk was actually “alone” and the “strongest” in that regard. By granting the deepest wishes of the character, Peter David delivered a story that proved what a nightmare this would be.

The Best Story and Villain of Peter David’s Hulk Run Still Influences the Character

Doc Green Is Essentially a Present-Day Maestro

While Peter David’s Hulk run ended in 1998, the acclaim given to the run means that it’s still revered by fans and creators alike. This is why, over 20 years after the publication of Hulk: Future Imperfect, the story of The Maestro was revisited once more. During one storyline, Bruce Banner was shot in the head, and the Iron Man-related technology Extremis was used to try and treat him.

This saw him using his intelligence to cure others mutated by gamma radiation, but this was revealed to be an inner desire to eliminate potential rivals. Likewise, after pondering whether he should grow a beard and having visions of the future world of The Maestro, Hulk feared that he would become the villain. Thus, he chose to lose his extra intellect when Extremis wore off instead of posing the threat of turning into his imperfectly dark future counterpart. Even several elements of the acclaimed Immortal Hulk comic book were built upon aspects introduced by Peter David, including alternate personalities such as The Maestro.

In the 2020s, Peter David wrote numerous miniseries featuring The Maestro, with the first of these being Maestro: Symphony in a Gamma Key. This showcased the beginnings of the dark future that the character would soon rule, revealing that the surviving Greek god Hercules initially used the name Maestro before being killed by Hulk. In 2023, Marvel released Hulk: Maestro by Peter David Omnibus, which contained the original Hulk: Future Imperfect storyline, the three miniseries from the 2020s and other related comics by Peter David. These and the Joe Fixit miniseries that David also wrote recently proved that he was easily the most influential writer for The Hulk, and that The Maestro was perhaps his most iconic addition to the mythos in terms of a villain.

Sadly, Maestro and Hulk: Future Imperfect have only occasionally had elements adapted to other mediums, meaning that he perhaps isn’t as iconic as he could be. Nevertheless, the Hulk’s darkest nightmare coming true in the future was one of the finest hours of Peter David’s Hulk run, and the passing of the legendary writer and the creative loss it creates is its own “future imperfect” for the comic book industry.

“}]] Written by the late Peter David, Hulk: Future Imperfect was a dark future story arc that was perhaps the best part of the legendary writer’s run.  Read More