Peter David, legendary writer behind some of Marvel and DC’s most memorable stories, passed away at age 68. The news came from his wife via BlueSky, who shared that David died during the night of May 24, 2025, after a long illness.
David first started his career in prose and journalism before joining Marvel’s sales department in the 1980s. He impressed editors there and got his first comic book story published in 1985’s The Spectacular Spider-Man #103. Soon after, he wrote the classic “The Death of Jean DeWolff” storyline for Spectacular Spider-Man, which helped launch his career as a writer.
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His most famous work was his 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk. David redefined the Hulk for a whole generation, adding new depth and emotion to the character. He explored Bruce Banner’s troubled past, introduced the smart Hulk, and created the popular “Joe Fixit” version of the character. Fans and critics praised his stories for making the Hulk more realistic and relatable.
David also wrote many other Marvel favorites, including X-Factor and Spider-Man 2099. In the 1990s, he moved to DC Comics, where he gave Aquaman his famous hook hand and brought his signature humor and realism to the king of Atlantis. He also wrote Star Trek comics for DC and co-created the DC vs. Marvel crossover with Ron Marz. His other DC work included well-received runs on Supergirl and Teen Titans.
Over the course of his storied career, David wrote stories for nearly every major Marvel and DC character, as well as for other publishers. Some of his highlights included Marvel’s Dark Tower comics, co-writing Stan Lee’s autobiography Amazing Fantastic Incredible, and writing several Star Trek novels focused on the villain Q.
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David faced serious health problems starting in 2012, when he suffered a stroke that affected his vision and mobility. In 2022, his wife Kathleen started a GoFundMe to help with medical expenses after he experienced more strokes and kidney failure. As recently as May 20, David was on a ventilator and under light sedation, though he had shown some signs of improvement.
Peter David won many awards during his career, including the 1992 Eisner Award, and a 2016 Inkpot Award. His influence on comics and pop culture is undeniable, and he will be deeply missed by fans and fellow creators alike.
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