Peter David Hulk Views

Books

Following Roger Stern, Bill Mantlo took over the writing with issue #245 (March 1980). His Crossroads of Eternity stories, which ran through issues #300-313 (Oct. 1984 – Nov. 1985), explored the idea that Banner had suffered child abuse. Greg Pak, a later writer on The Incredible Hulk (vol. 2), called Mantlo's Crossroads stories one of his biggest influences on approaching the character.[13] After five years, Mantlo and artist Mike Mignola left the title for Alpha Flight,[14] and Alpha Flight writer John Byrne took over the series, followed briefly by Al Milgrom, before new regular writer Peter David took over.

Following David's departure, Joe Casey took over as writer until the series' relaunch after issue #474 (March 1999). Hulk vol. 2[16] began immediately the following month, scripted by John Byrne and penciled by Ron Garney. Byrne supported the editorial decision to push for the return of the savage Hulk, but his work on the book was negatively received. In particular, the 1999 Hulk Annual (which retconned the Skrulls as being responsible for the Gamma Bomb explosion that turned Banner into Hulk) were widely reviled and mocked in the pages of Peter David's Captain Marvel series, which was being published at the same time as Byrne's Hulk run. Byrne would ultimately leave as writers decided to retool the series to appeal to fans who wanted a smarter and less childlike Hulk.[17] Erik Larsen and Jerry Ordway briefly filled scripting duties in his place, and the title returned to The Incredible Hulk (vol. 3)[18] with the arrival of Paul Jenkins in issue #12 (March 2000).

Peter David, who had initially signed a contract for the six-issue Tempest Fugit limited series, returned as writer when it was decided to make the story, now only five parts, part of the ongoing series instead.[20] David contracted to complete a year on the title. Tempest Fugit revealed that Nightmare has manipulated the Hulk for years, tormenting him in various ways for inconveniences that the Hulk had caused him, including the sadistic Hulk Jenkins had introduced.[21] After a four-part tie-in to the House of M crossover and a one-issue epilogue, David left the series once more, citing the need to do non-Hulk work for the sake of his career.[22]

Peter David then introduces the Hulk to the Pantheon, a secretive organization built around an extended family of superpowered people.[38] The family members, mostly distant cousins to each other, had codenames based in the mythos of the Trojan War, and were descendants of the founder of the group, Agamemnon. When Agamemnon leaves, he puts the Hulk in charge of the organization. The storyline ends when it is revealed Agamemnon has traded his offspring to an alien race to gain power. The Hulk leads the Pantheon against the aliens, and then moves on. During his leadership of the Pantheon, Hulk encounters a depraved version of himself from the future called Maestro, who Delphi saw in a vision back in The Incredible Hulk vol. 2, #401 with part of the events occurring concurrently in The Incredible Hulk vol. 2, #415.