The terrifying future variant of the Incredible Hulk puts the hero’s current form to shame in both raw strength and ferocity. Hulk 2099 is an absolute beast, sporting razor sharp claws, gnarly fangs, and a monstrous body. While the future incarnation of the Hulk is much more bestial than the original, the impacts of Bruce Banner’s Hulk are still felt by this alternate-reality antihero.
First appearing in 2099 Unlimited #1 - where he was created by Gerard Jones and Dwayne Turner - the character took center stage in Hulk 2099 #1 (written by Jones with art by Malcolm Davis and Chris Ivy). In the comic, John Eisenhart AKA the Hulk is fighting against a massive corporation that is working to take even more of the already developed Los Angeles under their control. In the alternate 2099 future, corporations have basically taken over the world. Hulk fights against this in the future in which he lives, battling the corporate overlords as they continue their corrupt crusade to exploit anything and everything that could feasibly turn a profit.
Hulk 2099 may act heroically, but the character looks like a demon with attributes that resemble a cross between a hulked-out Sabretooth and Venom. Not only does the 2099 version of the Hulk look way more vicious than the original, he also has way more perks included in his powerset. John has the ability to change into the Hulk at will and retains his full intelligence and control while in the monstrous form. But while Hulk 2099 puts the original Hulk to shame in terms of the character’s ferocity and control over his powers, the future version wouldn’t exist at all if it wasn't for Bruce Banner.
The origins of the Hulk in the year 2099 lie with a futuristic Hulk cult who go by the name of the “Knights of Banner.” The Knights of Banner were working to recreate their own version of the Hulk as Bruce Banner had become something of a deity in their eyes. When John Eisenhart found out about their plans, he called the police to stop the cult before they did something that could have a great negative impact on the whole world. When the police arrived, they gunned down nearly every member of the cult and amid the mayhem, the cult’s gamma ray went off and blasted John, transforming him into the Hulk.
Many other elements from the original Hulk are brought to life with a futuristic twist in Hulk 2099, including Hulk’s arch enemy, the Leader. In Hulk 2099, the Hulk faces off against a cybernetic villain named Draco who has an oversized head and a chip on his shoulder when it comes to the power the Hulk wields - clearly a futuristic adaptation of the Leader. Both on and off the page, there would be no Hulk 2099 without the original Hulk, but even though Bruce Banner has seniority, the terrifying future variant of the Hulk puts his classic form to shame.