Peter David

Peter David, a prolific writer whose work on "The Incredible Hulk" proved widely influential, died May 24, 2025, at the age of 68 after a long period of poor health.?

A lifelong fan of superheroes, fantasy, and science fiction, David developed an interest in writing through his father, Gunter, who did movie reviews for his local newspaper. While working in sales for Marvel Comics in the mid-1980s, he broke through as a writer in the pages of "The Spectacular Spider-Man," penning "The Death of Jean DeWolff," a story now considered one of the great Spider-Man arcs. However, it was taking over writing duties on "The Incredible Hulk" in 1985 that cemented his legacy for all time. David ended up writing the Hulk for 12 years, during which time he gave the character a new jolt of popularity thanks to his explorations of multiple personality disorder and Bruce Banner's troubled childhood. He presented varied permutations of the character, from raging green monsters to intelligent grey versions, and everything in between.

David's work spanned well beyond the Hulk. A highly prolific writer, he wrote a string of popular Star Trek novels, novelizations of films like "The Rocketeer" and "Fantastic Four," television episodes of "Babylon 5" and "Young Justice," film screenplays, video game scripts, and much more. In 1992, he won an Eisner Award for his work on "The Incredible Hulk." He also took home a GLAAD Media Award in 2011 for his writing on "X-Factor," a Wizard fan award in 1993, and others.

"I always wanted to write like Peter, full of sharp, often funny angles on fantasy and super-heroes," writer, editor, and friend David Seidman said on Facebook. "He was great at pointing out when a beloved cliché was ridiculous. He often seemed to take the viewpoint 'If I were in this character's situation, how would I feel?' … In person, Peter was fun and funny, with a flow of smart (both smart meaning smartass and smart meaning wise) remarks. From time to time, his opinions would drop him into controversy, as irreverent opinions sometimes do. He once wrote that he was a good guy but not necessarily a nice guy - a pretty insightful description, I think. He had been seriously ill for a long time, so his death was no shock, but I will miss him, and I will miss looking forward to the next brilliant thing that he would say or write."

By Eric San Juan

(Image: Steven A Henry/WireImage)