This article contains spoilers for Maestro #3
In one of his more popular storylines, an alternate version of the Hulk went crazy, adopted the name "Maestro" and took over a post-apocalyptic world after humans had nearly bombed themselves out of existence. In the most recent Maestro miniseries, Hulk writer Peter David is finally revealing how this Hulk rose to power – and it turns out that he had some help from a company related to Spider-Man 2099.
In Maestro #3, the Hulk – who’s been trapped in a virtual reality prison for years – finally escapes and makes it to one of the few surviving human colonies. There, he discovers the Greek god Hercules has taken over this part of society. After meeting the Hulk, Hercules is overjoyed that his old sparring partner has survived. Some human survivors lead Hulk to Rick Jones’ hideout. There, Hulk finds his old friend has aged horribly, becoming a wheelchair-bound decrepit man at the age of 39 thanks to the radiation from the war and his various injuries.
Hulk is initially happy to see Rick, who introduces him to his granddaughter Janis. When the conversation eventually turns to Hercules, however, things get a bit more alarming, with Hulk deciding that Hercules shouldn’t have to care about normal humans as they were the ones responsible for the nuclear war that devastated the world. Already showing signs of megalomania, Hulk claims the surviving humans should be ruled by an iron hand. Rick is disturbed, but when Hulk states he needs a laboratory, Rick has Janis take him to Alchemax, and that's where Spider-Man comes into the mix.
In Peter David’s Spider-Man 2099 comic book, Alchemax is a massive corporation that employed Miguel O’Hara, the geneticist who suffered a lab accident that turned him into the new Spider-Man. Although the Maestro Hulk’s timeline is not the same as the 2099 timeline, Alchemax did emerge in the mainstream Marvel universe and apparently had enough time to accumulate some significant scientific resources before the war that ended human civilization.
The Hulk and Janis eventually travel to Alchemax’s main tower. After searching through the building, Hulk comes across a genetics lab where he discovers a huge room with preserved human bodies (or artificial beings). Hulk spends the next few months building mechanical “Dogs of War,” capable of usurping Hercules and establishing a new order. He offers to give the remaining humans a chance to be in his army by cleaning up after the dogs, but virtually everyone rejects his plan, leaving a disgruntled Hulk to sic his dogs on Hercules. The story ends with Hercules moving to engage his new enemies, so it’s a sure bet that what happens next won’t be pretty.
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