THE MAESTRO
AKA the Hulk from the far-flung Dystopia. When Bruce Banner’s Hulk was transported to an alternate future, he confronted a dark overlord that was a reflection of his most malign, embittered self: The Maestro. Read his greatest comic runs here.
TALES OF A FUTURE HULK
First Appearance
In Hulk: Future Imperfect (1992) #1
In this now-classic epic by writer Peter David and artist George Pérez, an intellectually sound Hulk falls into Dystopia, a “nuked-out future of unreality” overshadowed by illicit dealings and dead heroes. And, the ruler of this broken world is none other than “Doctor Banner”—at least a version of him.
“Symphony in a Gamma Key”
In Maestro (2020) #1
How did the world fall and the Maestro rise? And what happened to the world’s heroes in between? Almost 30 years after “Future Imperfect,” Peter David returns to the far-future of the Maestro—the master of what remains. This run answers questions that have haunted Hulk fans for years—and inspires some new ones!
War and Pax
In Maestro: War and Pax (2021) #1
A tale set decades before “Future Imperfect”! After deposing Dystopia’s ancient ruler, the Maestro sets his sights even bigger. But the Maestro isn’t the only immortal left in the wake of a nuclear apocalypse… and if he wants to truly dominate the planet, he’ll have to face some of the most powerful beings in creation.
“Homecoming”
In Incredible Hulk (1962) #460
In a nightmarish hellscape, Bruce Banner revisits the site of the gamma accident that transformed him into the Incredible Hulk. He also meets his gamma-fied iterations and enemies... including the Maestro.
World Tour: Dystopia
In Exiles (2001) #79
The Exiles, a disparate team of dimension hoppers, face the same fate as the world’s heroes when they’re plunged into the “Future Imperfect.” Read through issue #80 for the fallout!
Secret Wars Tie-In
In Future Imperfect (2015) #1
Under Doctor Doom’s “makeover” of the Marvel Universe, Baron Maestro was the undisputed ruler of the Dystopia domain. But mutant warrior Ruby Summers and “The Thing,” AKA Major Thaddeus Ross, incited seeds of rebellion, tightening the Baron’s green iron fist. As a war brewed for Dystopia, a desperate overlord feared his final hour.
Maestro of Ceremonies
In Contest of Champions (2015) #1
Welcome to the Battlerealm—a broken section of space-time where cosmic beings gamble for the ultimate power while their unwilling pawns fight for their lives and a chance to return back to Earth. As “the Summoner” to these twisted games, Maestro enters an uneasy partnership with the Elders of the Universe for a share of their infinite might.