THE STORY YOU'VE WAITED DECADES FOR: THE ORIGIN OF MAESTRO!
Maestro (subtitled Symphony In A Gamma Key for the collected edition) is a 2020 Marvel Comics limited series, written by Peter David and largely illustrated by German Peralta, with colors by Jesus Arbutov (Dale Keown illustrates the first issue’s opening scene and a back-up strip, with colors by Jason Keith).
Published almost 30 years after the landmark story The Incredible Hulk: Future Imperfect (also written by Peter David), Maestro is first in a trilogy of prequels that lead into the post-apocalyptic Bad Future shown in that series. In this world, the Hulk is destined to become the titular Maestro, a callous dictator ruling over the human survivors.
Future Imperfect told a story about how that reign ends, whereas Maestro explains how it began, with the Hulk’s decisions taking him down an increasingly dark path.
The short back-up story Relics, which runs in three issues, explains how Rick Jones and Janis acquired some of the superhero remains and equipment that was seen in Rick’s memorabilia room during the original Future Imperfect series.
The initial Maestro series was followed by two others that complete the prequel saga, Maestro: War & Pax and Maestro: World War M.
The first issue was released August 19 2020.
This series has no relation to the Maestros comic from Image Comics, the Leonard Bernstein biopic movie, or the video game Maestro.
Maestro (2020) provides examples of the following tropes:
- Adaptational Heroism: Of a sort. While the miniseries definitely portrays the Maestro with the same ruthless pragmatism and disregard for human life as he's always had, it makes him more sympathetic in giving him a reason for his behavior (namely, him coming to the conclusion that humanity is inherently destructive and need to be culled to survive). Additionally, it was implied that he killed the heroes who survived the nuclear war in his path to power; in the miniseries, the only hero he kills is Hercules, who had already turned into a despot (though, Maestro was more motivated to become a despot himself).
- Adaptational Wimp: When Hulk brawls with Hercules, he notes that Hulk still has vast physical might yet not the mental fortitude than he had in his prime; what would have made madder/stronger now makes him scarier/timider. Herc was able to fight him more evenly before his superior battle skill turns the fight decisively in his favor. Indeed, he is completely unable to take on Hercules in a one-on-one fight, and has to resort to trickery. In the original Future Imperfect storyline, while the Maestro was just as fond of pulling tricks, he was also able to go toe-to-toe with his past self (and was said to have gotten stronger with not just age but the radiation from the nuclear war) and could only be defeated by similar trickery, and that took places years after the miniseries. Though that may be due to the fact that he is still recovering from his time in stasis, combined with Bruce’s mind being in control.
- Affably Evil: Hercules is still his cordial, hedonistic self even after becoming the Maestro, ruling over Dystopia with an iron fist. When he defeats Hulk and gets him to surrender, he is genuinely happy and instantly forgives him.
- And Then What?: The Abomination basically asks this when he realises that everything he and the Hulk originally fought about no longer exists.
- Artistic License – Marine Biology: Namor and his underwater kingdom survived the atomic war as good as new. However, an atomic war would kill the plankton and most marine life would perish as a result. There may be Atlantean survivors but they should be as bad off as the humans on land, not thriving as if nothing had happened. A Hand Wave is given in that even though Atlantis was destroyed, the Atlanteans had other cities such as Pacifica. And there is also the fact that some life forms still thrive due to living around hydrothermal vents.
- Art Shift:
- The original Maestro series does this for the Hulk’s initial virtual reality sequence, with classic Hulk artist Dale Keown illustrating those pages. German Peralta takes over as soon as it shifts to the real world.
- Maestro: World War M does exactly the same thing - but this time it’s the Abomination’s virtual reality experience, illustrated by Pasqual Ferry. Again, German Peralta takes over once it moves back to the real world.
- Back for the Dead: The near-immortal Pantheon, who appeared in Peter David’s original Incredible Hulk run but have barely been seen since, reappear in Maestro: War & Pax. As with the Maestro’s other foes, it doesn’t go well for them.
- Back from the Dead: After being killed by Hulk, Hercules is briefly resurrected by Hades to settle the score. However, he is almost immediately killed for real by a turncoat who uses a gun meant to kill the Hulk.
- Canon Character All Along: The Maestro's first minister is revealed to be an elderly Toro, Rick recognising him due to his distinctive accent.
- Canon Welding: The story is an origin story for the Maestro, but also ties into Hulk: The End with the presence of the flying, flesh-eating cockroaches and a post-apocalyptic nuclear wasteland. With the existence of Alchemax, it also relates to the dystopian 2099 seen in 2014's Spider-Man 2099.
- Combat Pragmatist: The Hulk could not defeat Hercules in a fair fight, so he uses another tactic: have Vapor seduce and poison Herc.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: In a serious fight, Hercules has no trouble tossing Hulk around like a ragdoll. He has to result to having Vapor seduce and poison Herc to dispose of him.
- Cynicism Catalyst: Waking up After the End out of an illusion where his happy life was a lie clearly set the Hulk in a dark mood. After that, it was finding out it was regular humans that destroyed the world and not some supervillain.
- Deuteragonist: Rick Jones is given a secondary story at the end of each issue detailing his backstory, particularly what happened to Marlo Chandler and what it was like raising Janis.
- Downer Ending: Hulk has completed his Face–Heel Turn, destroyed the only person who could stand a chance against him, and as seen in the Future Imperfect storyline this is based on, makes Dystopia even worse until he is defeated by an alternate version of his past self.
- Et Tu, Brute?: Hulk surrenders to Hercules after a failed coup, and offers Vapor as a sign of good will. In reality, she was instructed by Hulk to seduce and kill Hercules; when she succeeds, he immediately turns on her, freezing and shattering her so that she is unable to reform.
- Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Surprisingly, not even the Maestro is immune to this. It's also something the Pantheon are not above exploiting.
- Face–Heel Turn: Obsessed with partying and his nostalgia for the glory days, Hercules created Dystopia, having killed all opposition and caring nothing for the layman.
- The whole series is about Hulk's one.
- Foregone Conclusion: Hulk becomes the Maestro, whose reign over Dystopia will not be challenged until his past self arrives and takes him down.
- Heel–Face Turn: MODOK has given up his villainous ways and is protecting a group of survivors.
- Horrifying the Horror: The Hulk has seen many messed up things before AND after becoming Maestro. When Dr. Doom's face mask falls off, however, he is genuinely taken aback.
- I Surrender, Suckers: Hulk surrenders after losing to Hercules. He makes amends by offering him an attractive young woman. However, it turns out to be a trap; the woman is Vapor, who kills Herc by transforming into arsenic and forcing him to inhale.
- Legacy Character: Hercules was the original Maestro. Hulk killed him and took his place.
- Lotus-Eater Machine: The series opens with the Professor in an idyllic life before slowly realizing none of it is real. When he breaks out he learns that A.I.M. had captured him and put him in a simulation.
- Mythology Gag: In Relics, during Rick's flashback during the end times, we see Wolverine being vaporized by a Sentinel in a way nearly identical to the famous cover to Uncanny X-Men #142.
- Never My Fault: Even decades after the deaths of the Fantastic Four, Doctor Doom continues to blame Reed for his villainous actions rather than just admit he's evil.
- Only the Chosen May Wield: One Relics story shows Janis, still a child, lifting Thor’s hammer Mjolnir.
- Protagonist Journey to Villain: This series elaborates just how the Hulk came to be the Maestro.
- Saved by Canon:
- Hulk, Rick and Janis are all assured of survival, as we see them again in Future Imperfect
- A slightly darker version for Pizfiz and Dakord, who are killed near the start of Future Imperfect. Especially when, in this series, they hope Hulk will help Rick to save Dystopia - and it's the Hulk and his troops who kill them once he becomes the Maestro.
- Start of Darkness: How the Hulk became the Maestro.
- Would Hurt a Child: Zigzagged. Like the Hulk, Maestro does not like seeing children hurt and will avoid doing so himself. Unlike the Hulk, the Maestro does have an army that is willing do so for him.
- The Worf Effect: A combination of years in stasis and Banner's mind in control of the Hulk's body made him a far less effective fighter than he was at his prime, something that Hercules notes while he's manhandling him.
