The Maestro
Real Name: Robert Bruce Banner. However, since the Maestro has abandoned his former identity as the Hulk, you would be wise to only call him the Maestro!
First Appearance: As the Hulk, Incredible Hulk 1. As the Maestro, Future Imperfect 1. Technically, since he was killed when the Hulk sent him back in time to the detonation of the gamma bomb that created the Hulk, the Maestro made his first appearance in Hulk 1. If you look closely at the mushroom cloud, one of those specks was the Maestro!
Final Appearance... for now? Future Imperfect 2. Although the Maestro has perished, he has stated that the Hulk will inevitably become just like him. Whether this occurs remains to be seen. In an alternate time line, represented in "What Savage Beast", the Maestro vanished after he fell into a temporal nexus.
What's His Problem? After several decades of being hounded, used, betrayed, scorned, and hated, the Hulk's good nature began to disappear and was replaced by a disgust of humanity. At some point in time, a nuclear holocaust occurred that devastated the world and killed many of Earth's champions; however, the resulting radiation only served to enhance the Hulk's strength. The Hulk abandoned his previous identity and began calling himself the Maestro. By using his intellect and strength, he created a city, Dystopia, that was shielded from the ambient radiation. Here he imposed his iron will upon everyone by taking whatever food, women,and/or materials he wanted for his amusement and pleasure. As a result, a hundred years in the future the Maestro establishes himself as a dictator who is feared, worshipped, and respected. The Maestro doesn't consider that he has a problem -- he's only getting what he was deprived of.
Abilities: The Maestro is a futuristic incarnation of the Hulk. This means he has a dynamic strength level that increases with respect to his rage, is extremely durable, can leap over many miles in a single leap, heals very quickly (which also retards his aging), and has an almost mystical homing ability. Moreover, the ambient radiation the Maestro was exposed to made his base strength level considerably greater than that of the Hulk's base strength level and hence he lifts well over 100 tons even before becoming enraged. The Maestro's physical abilities coupled with his genius level intellect, craftiness and lack of scruples makes him a lethal opponent.
Heroes He Keeps Running Into: The Maestro doesn't keep running into heroes since he's killed virtually everyone who opposed him.
Favorite Quote: Although the Maestro has said many great one-liners, my favorite quote from him are his prophetic words to the Hulk in Incredible Hulk: Future Imperfect Part 2 that he is destined to become the Maestro.
Maestro: "You don't know what lies ahead for you. I do. Listen to me, Bruce... They're going to take it all away. You're going to end up with nothing and no one. Why go back to that... when you can stay here and have everything?"
Hulk: "You said yourself time has split off. Maybe what happened to you won't happen to me. Maybe things will be different."
Maestro: "Persecution. Betrayal. Hatred. These things don't change."
People Who Think He's Not So Bad: Everyone thinks that the Maestro is bad. However, no one in their right mind dares to say so!
Most Despicable Act: The Maestro doesn't have a single despicable act. Among his many despicable acts are ruthlessly killing his opponents, torturing prisoners, and rounding up women for his harem. However, his attempt to corrupt a wounded and paralyzed Hulk by sending his harem to give the Hulk some "theory" and kidnapping the Hulk's infant from an alternate timeline to raise as his own are on the top of the list.
by Christopher Lawrence III
Maestro Mug Shots!
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