The MCU’s Hulk Would Be Impossible Without The Legendary Run That Ended 28 Years Ago

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe successfully introduced Marvel’s heroes to a wider audience and became a dominant force in entertainment for ten years. A particularly popular character within the MCU is the Hulk. While the Hulk only had one solo movie, he was a vital part of many storylines. This version of the Hulk resonated with fans, but its roots actually go back much further – to a celebrated run of the comic book The Incredible Hulk written by Peter David, which concluded 28 years ago. This earlier version is considered by many to be the definitive take on the character.

David wrote about the Hulk for eleven years, beginning with issue #328. He took on the established character – a monster striving to be a hero – and began to explore the reasons why the Hulk was the way he was, questioning his monstrous nature. His exploration, spanning his entire run, resulted in some of the most memorable moments in Hulk history. Later, highly-regarded Hulk stories, such as the acclaimed The Immortal Hulk, built upon the foundation he laid. Despite all the changes the Hulk has undergone, David’s work remains the definitive interpretation and is essential for truly understanding the character.

Peter David’s Run Made the Hulk a Much More Complex Character

David was a highly respected comic book writer with a long and successful career. While he consistently produced excellent work, he achieved true stardom when he began writing The Incredible Hulk. The Hulk was a popular character, but it had become predictable, mostly fighting monsters and other heroes. David quickly began to shift the focus towards the character’s inner life, understanding that the Hulk’s ability to change was central to his appeal.

David explored the character of the Hulk and concluded that Bruce Banner’s monstrous alter ego stemmed from severe childhood trauma. Banner’s father, Brian, was a violent alcoholic consumed by jealousy, resenting his son for ‘taking’ his wife. Brian subjected his family to abuse and was ultimately responsible for his wife’s death. David theorized that Bruce Banner suffered from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), creating different personalities – including the various iterations of the Hulk seen over the years – as a way to cope with and protect himself from the horrors of his upbringing. Essentially, each Hulk represented a traumatized child desperately trying to survive a life filled with pain and suffering.

One of my favorite issues from David’s run on The Incredible Hulk is issue -1. It’s a powerful story that takes place before Bruce Banner becomes a superhero, focusing on the death of his father, Brian Banner. The issue shows Brian being released from prison and attempting to build a relationship with Bruce, pretending to be a changed man. However, he secretly intends to destroy what he sees as the ‘monster’ that ruined his life and led to his wife’s death. The story culminates at his wife’s grave, where Bruce fatally kicks his father into her tombstone. It’s a deeply emotional issue that explores not just what the Hulk is, but why the Hulk exists.

David’s work on the Hulk wasn’t just about exploring the character’s mind – he also delivered incredible storylines. He reintroduced the grey Hulk as Joe Fixit, creating a completely new personality for the character, and gave us one of the Hulk’s most memorable battles against Wolverine. He put the Hulk up against his toughest enemies, like in the Infinity Gauntlet storyline where a tiny Hulk, controlled by the Abomination, appeared. He also introduced the Pantheon, the immortal children of Agamemnon, and their dark goals. Beyond that, he created Professor Hulk, brought Bruce and Betty Ross together in marriage, introduced a new, more savage version of the Hulk, even made Rick Jones a popular character, and ultimately, expanded the possibilities for what the Hulk could be.

The MCU’s Hulk Would Never Exist Without Peter David

The Hulk’s story in the Marvel Cinematic Universe differed significantly from his comic book origins. While his background wasn’t fully explored on screen, fans of Peter David’s run on The Incredible Hulk immediately recognized the character. David transformed a straightforward monster-hero into a complex and deeply tragic figure within the Marvel Universe. I began reading comics in 1991 and became a huge Hulk fan thanks to David’s portrayal, which was a far cry from the version I remembered from childhood TV reruns of The Incredible Hulk.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe tried several approaches to develop the Hulk character, ultimately introducing Professor Hulk, a version originally created by Peter David. Although some fans weren’t thrilled with this change – particularly those who preferred the Hulk’s constant fighting – it was a natural progression and stayed true to the spirit of David’s comic book run. David’s final issue of The Incredible Hulk (#467) featured a particularly thoughtful Hulk, reflecting on his past struggles. It was a fitting conclusion to a run that redefined the character and expanded what the Hulk could represent.

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2026-01-20 00:11