Peter David, legendary comic book writer behind The Incredible Hulk and X-Factor, dies at 68

Comic book writer extraordinaire Peter David has passed away at the age of 68. Peter was responsible for turning many struggling superhero franchises into household names, and the news comes as a shock to many of his fans worldwide who grew up reading the Incredible Hulk and X-Factor. The news was shared by Keith DeCandido on social media, who is also a close family friend. While honoring Peter David's legacy, Keith wrote on social media:

"Just got the news that Peter David finally lost his rather lengthy battle with his failing physical form last night. Over the last three-and-a-half decades, he has been a respected creator, a good friend, a valued colleague, and a generally wonderful person."

Over the years, David gathered many honors for his work on projects, for example, Spider-Man 2099, Aquaman, Supergirl, Young Justice, and Captain Marvel. In addition, he penned several stories for Star Trek, and his influence on the Hulk lasts to this day.

Peter David's health struggles

During the past few years, he started to have health problems and suffered several strokes and trouble with his kidneys. Back in March, a crowdfunding campaign was even launched for the creator, which was able to raise over $118,000 for his medical expenses as fans rallied in with their support. While giving out the details of her husband's health issues, the writer's wife, Kathleen David, requested fans for their support:

"We are starting this up again due to circumstances beyond our control. The short version is we are swimming in medical debt due to Peter being rejected for Medicaid – which was one of the few things that had been going right.”

She then went on to add:

“Insurance will only pay so much and so far. Once one has used that up, one depends on the social services to allow one to live without being homeless and broke. That is what Medicaid has been doing for the last two years. Yes, as of November, we started our third year of this journey.

David's death has since been confirmed by his wife on social media as well, who has asked fans to allow her some time to recover from the tragic loss. In the late hours of the evening, she shared an update with the fans in which she wrote:

"Since it is out there. Peter David passed away last night. We are devastated. More when I can write about it."

With Peter David's demise, the comic book industry has lost one of its most distinctive voices, but his characters, stories, and influence will continue to shape comics for generations to come.

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