There are very few people I admire, and I have the highest disdain for celebrity worship, which is modern idolatry. Yet, as an aspiring writer, I cannot help but admire Peter David. Whether it was his sheer volume of work throughout his life or the fact that he kept such high standards with every run, Peter David left a mark all comic lovers should appreciate.
Peter David was my X-Factor writer when I discovered comics. Peter David was the writer for Wolverine when I started reading the Gehenna Stone storyline. Peter David removed Supergirls cooties and made her cool for a boy to read. He continued the true legacy of the real Captain Marvel by bringing Genis-Vell to life. Peter David also accomplished the near impossible and made Aquaman relevant when he was long considered lame in comic fandom.
Most people probably know Peter David for his iconic Incredible Hulk run that introduced the Hulk persona of Joe Fixit that produced probably one of the best covers in comic history.
Image Courtesy of MarvelBut I always remember the more obscure stories that are grounded in reality and the travails of life. I remember when a smarter but weaker Joe Fixit fought a stronger Thing and suffered a humiliating loss, needing Dr. Doom to save his life.
Image Courtesy of Marvel
Image Courtesy of Marvel
I also recall how that Hulk returned for round two, and Peter David came up with the genius idea of how this weaker Hulk could retain his title over the ever-loving Thing.
Image Courtesy of MarvelI’ll never forget when Peter David actually made me feel sorry for a killer who was tricked by a demon into attacking him and nearly won.
Image Courtesy of MarvelOr the time when, during the height of the AIDS epidemic scare, the ever honorable Rick Jones faltered and ran away instead of helping his AIDS-inflicted friend after he was wounded by Speedfreak.
Image Courtesy of MarvelBut I will never forget the time when a monster that could shatter mountains with a punch turned away from the rage inside and gently hugged the woman who told him he was carrying his child.
Image Courtesy of Marvel
Image Courtesy of Marvel
And this was part of Peter David’s magic. He made powerful heroes relatable to the common man, and made you, the reader, picture them in a different light. You never thought about how frustrating and painfully slow the world would be to someone like Quicksilver until Peter David put it on a page.
Image Courtesy of MarvelAfter a century of comic stories, something different, good, and new is all you can ask from a comic writer, and Peter David delivered that in spades. But perhaps his most underrated gift to the world was his book, Writing for Comics with Peter David.
If you are an aspiring comic writer, or even a novelist, you will get Peter’s best insights on how to actually make relatable characters. His thoughts of crafting challenging villains will make you return back to basics, instead of the anti-heroes modern comic writers like to make their antagonists. I learned much from this book that is as witty as his comics, and his unfortunate death is a reminder to give it another read.
On a side note, I will always remember Peter David because I had such a fear of missing out as a kid that I traded a complete Devastator Transformers toy for the sold-out The Incredible Hulk #377.
This was probably the worst trade of my entire life, and I solely blame Peter for being such a dang good writer and salesman for Marvel. It’s a shame they didn’t repay that brilliance by picking up his medical bills.
Thank you Peter David for the legacy you left behind. You were one of the last great comic writers that the industry used and spat out, and comics as a whole is less for them doing so. I won’t write an article for most comic writers, but Peter David absolutely deserves it for the impact he made. Rest in peace, sir.
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English (US) · 