The Ultimates is an ongoing comic book series about the Ultimates, part of the Ultimate Universe imprint, written by Deniz Camp and illustrated by Juan Frigeri. It began publication in July 2024. The series follows what happened since the events of the "Ultimate Invasion" storyline.[1] The series is part of the new Ultimate Universe timeline, which puts several Marvel characters in a radically altered sociopolitical status quo, including elements of alternate history.
Operating covertly in a Stark/Stane satellite after being sent six months into the future, Iron Lad states to Doom and Sif that they have 18 months before The City opens. Using the Immortus Engine, they can operate in the past, present, and future. They plan on starting a resistance network against the Maker's Council by trying to recreate Earth-616's heroes. When Doom states that some in the files are deceased, Stark states that they can find replacements. After calculations in modifying the Immortus Engine, Doom states they could build their resistance movement six months in the past and have their army overnight in the future. During their work, Iron Lad oversees Captain America's awakening from his coma and explains about the changed political status quo, while Thor still heals from his wounds. A week later, Rogers advises Stark and Doom that they need to start a revolution on the ground. Iron Lad then tries sending "origin-machines" back in time. Only a few take them. Knowing that the second attempt won't work, Iron Lad states that they'll have to do it another way. Meanwhile, in Hoboken, exterminators Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne refused to exterminate some Moloids found in a restaurant basement and suggests that the owner enlists a creature relocation service to properly handle the Moloids. While driving away, they are approached by the Ultimates. While Janet mentioned that they saw the news about what Tony Stark did that cost New York City the lives of a thousand people, Iron Lad asks if she believes everything on the news. Captain America states to them the Maker had robbed them of the chance to be heroes. Just then, they are attacked by Henri Duggary, the new ruler of the East Coast, his Black Crusade, and his army of giants. As the Ultimates battle Henri's forces, Janet becomes Wasp. Hank soon becomes Giant-Man and steps on some of the Black Crusade. The news mentions their battle as Hank's footprint is heavily discussed online. Stark states that the Ultimates are here and are going to leave a mark. 17 months are remaining before The City opens.[2]
On July 4, Iron Lad, Captain America, Giant-Man, and Wasp arrive at the White House. Earlier that day, Steve Rogers views a holo-program from Howard Stark's files on the history of the former United States of America as it shows how Maker remade his Earth into his own image since 1963, starting with him establishing The City and meeting John F. Kennedy. Back in the present, the Ultimates fight their way past H.A.N.D. agents. They enter the Oval Office where they confront a man in an earlier Iron Man armor named "Midas". Iron Lad identifies it as his father's first armor, which Midas says was gained when the Stark/Stane' assets were up for grabs. As Giant-Man and Wasp continue their fight, Midas tries to make a deal with the Ultimates as Rogers state their intentions are to save America. Midas states that his version of America is wider as he considers commerce is what truly represents the nation. Rogers replies that they know what he's doing in his basement and will put a stop to it with or through him. Midas then attacks. They fight Midas until Iron Lad blows a hole to the basement taking the three of them, Giant-Man and Wasp down there amidst the fall. They find a woman trapped in a machine that is feeding off of her cosmic radiation. Midas claims she fell from the future and that her energy is highly valuable. With Giant-Man and Wasp unconscious and Iron Lad's armor in power saving mode, Captain America fights against a ranting and rambling Midas. Wasp regains consciousness and takes the opportunity to shoot the machine, freeing the woman as Rogers gives Midas a neck injury. Midas claims that if they take her, part of the American electrical grid will fail. In a flashback during July 1, Steve learns from Tony that he has been through the entire holographic program, learning the history of decades in a few days. Back in the present, Captain America carries the woman, asking if she remembers her name. She says her name is America as the Ultimates walk away from a burning White House. 16 months are remaining before The City opens.[3]
Later at an island somewhere in the South Pacific, Iron Lad, Thor, and Sif arrive where they find gamma-irradiated lizards as they are confronted by one of them. One minute later, Thor and Sif manage to slay it. Then they see different gamma-irradiated wildlife which Thor and Sif keep killing much to the dismay of Iron Lad who states that they can set off an extinction event. Just then, the three are confronted by a gamma-irradiated humanoid. Before Thor can strike a blow to it, they are confronted by a She-Hulk. She introduces herself as Lejori Zakaria who is the protector of the island and its people. Iron Lad states that they didn't come to fight and just wanted to talk. Lejori then calms down the gamma-irradiated humanoid as it regresses to a human baby as she talks about how Bruce Banner left her fellow islanders to live in the fallout after the "Banner-Ulam Gamma Bomb" was tested nearby. When Iron Lad asks if there are others like her, Lejori takes them to her village and shows off the mutated islanders who aren't like her. Iron Lad states that the terrorist claims that are mentioned on TV are lies and that everyone will soon be involved in a war. Lejori mentions about the day when her parents died from the side-effects of their mutations. Then she asks Iron Lad to fix their island before it was affected by the Gamma Bomb before she can join the fight against Banner and the Maker's Council. Meanwhile, Hulk is shown watching this from a hidden camera as he declares the Ultimates as intruders on his land. He gives the orders to assemble the Immortal Weapons as the Ultimates are "making him angry". 15 months are remaining before The City opens.[4]
Doom is later visited by Iron Lad who stated that he missed another mission where Giant-Man would've been dead if it weren't for America Chavez. He mentions how he suffers from extreme despair since the incident involving what happened the day when Maker came to Earth-6160 as he calls it his "Negative Zone". He mentioned how Maker had sabotaged the rocket launch they did against the space program project's director Franklin Storm where Johnny Storm suddenly burned to death, Ben Grimm was found dead at the bottom of a quarry, and Reed and Susan Storm were detained. Franklin used his high-level connections to let Reed see Susan one last time. Then he proceeded to blame Reed for killing his children and cursing the day he saw his face. Maker later brought Reed to The city and tortured him into becoming Doom while claiming that he doomed three lives that day. Doom then states that he has been trying to find the right composition of cosmic radiation to use while testing it on the laboratory mice in his possession as they keep dying. He says that he lost some people while Iron Lad hasn't lost anybody to an accident. Doom will try Iron Lad's way for now. When the laboratory mice stop dying, the Fantastic Four will return. While noting that he has work to do, Doom tells Iron Lad to close the door on the way out. 14 months are remaining before The City opens.[5]
At the Secret Stark Satellite that's been dubbed the Triskelion, Tony Stark briefs Captain America on what has happened to some Roxxon locations where survivors have talked about seeing flying arrows that are of Stark/Stane's design. While noting that the person who was supposed to be Hawkeye rejected the offer, someone has obtained the Hawkeye equipment. Tony sends Captain America to confront them since Tony is swamped with the Gamma island reclamation and Human Torch's repairs, America Chavez is on a mission in Eurasia, Giant-Man and Wasp are investigating a lead on a trapped hero, Thor and Sif are nowhere to be found, She-Hulk will only leave her island to confront Maker's Council, and Doom is busy. At Roxxon Refinery 15, Hawkeye is confronted by Captain America who identifies them as Charli Ramsey. Hawkeye goes on the attack using the different arrows on Captain America while claiming that Roxxon does whatever they want and anyone who stands up to them gets arrested. Captain America finally subdues Hawkeye just as armed soldiers that Hawkeye calls "Roxxon's Cleanup Crew" arrive. Captain America hears that they are a team of mercenaries who secure mining operations and were the ones who put down the Savage Land Revolt in the 70s. Captain America and Hawkeye defeat "Roxxon's Cleanup Crew". Hawkeye agrees to accompany him as they answer Captain America's question on if their spirit name was "Charli Hawk's Eye" by stating "You white people will believe anything". Meanwhile, Emmanuel da Costa and Hulk talk about what happened to Midas and Roxxon's facilities. With Emanuel infuriated that they harmed Roxxon which is part of his profile, Hulk calms him down while stating that he had time to study their strengths and weaknesses while considering them an insurgency. When Emmanuel asks what he would propose, Hulk states that he's going to kill them once and for all. 13 months are remaining before The City opens.[6]
Iron Lad has cracked the Overnet used by Maker's Council and has brought Captain America, Thor, Sif, Giant-Man, Wasp, Human Torch, America Chavez, Hawkeye, and She-Hulk to a Damage Control location that is said to contain a dozen super-powered prisoners that they plan to rescue before the prisoners are executed tomorrow. When they enter it, they instead find Hulk inside as he offers them some tea. She-Hulk then begins her attack on Hulk for what he did to her island as Hulk uses the Iron Fist move on her. Meanwhile, Doom is told by the Triskelion's A.I. that it has lost contact with everyone. Hulk reveals to the Ultimates that he had brought them to K'un-L'un and that he rules all seven of Heaven's capital cities. His Immortal Weapons (consisting of Bride of Nine World-Breakers, Crane Mother of the Bomb, Decay's Beautiful Daughter, Fat Cobra, Prince of Meltdowns, and Uranium Brother #235) then arrive as they take their gamma injections. The Ultimates then fight Hulk and the Immortal Weapons as they struggle against them. Meanwhile, Doom finally locates the Ultimates after doing a search across Avalon, Asgard, and Hel. Fat Cobra then swallows a smaller Wasp. Giant-Man grows to large size and fights Fat Cobra until Wasp grows enough to kill Fat Cobra and then collapses in Giant-Man's arms. Hulk then uses his Gigatron Vice Grip on Iron Lad to defeat him. She-Hulk then lunges towards Hulk to make him pay for what he did to her island. After Hulk breaks She-Hulk's right hand off, Doom manages to teleport everyone out of K'un-L'un at the last minute. As Doom checks on everyone, She-Hulk regenerates her right hand and claims that Iron Lad is dead. 12 months are remaining before The City opens.[7]
While incognito on the streets, Steve Rogers and Jim Hammond talk about how the Ultimates have been blamed for everything. Jim even mentions that the rest of the Ultimates are looking at Steve for leadership after what happened to Tony. Arriving at McCorely's Old Ale House, Steve and Jim reminisce about their time during World War II. While delaying their toast, Steve and Jim see the news about the Stark Tower Memorial overseen by Father Matthew Murdock. Father Murdock states that he prayed for the victims every day as Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne are attending the event. As some crowd members start talking negative about the day they lost their loved ones, Father Murdock starts to read the names of the deceased like William O'Shea, Brooks Pace, Macio Paz, and Stacy Peralta. At Oscorp Defense (formerly Stark/Stane Defense), Hawkeye raids it at the time when weapons are being shipped off to the Upper and Lower Kingdoms to help in their "secret war", according to a security guard, and ends up destroying the weapons with one of their arrows claiming that they're all fighting the same war. In Guatemala, America Chavez breaks up a fight between protesters and armored police officers by melting the police officers' armors. After stating that someone will come to cut them out at some point, America talks with the protestors about a better world with co-existence, before she teleports them home. Thor and Sif are at Yggdrasil where Sif mentions that she told Doom that they would sow chaos in the Nine Realms, spread discontent, raise an army, and give All-Father Loki a taste of his own medicine. As the Asgardian Rebellion starts now, Sif asks Thor where they should start. On the Triskelion, She-Hulk demands that Doom sends her back as Doom states that the capacity of it would kill her if he sent She-Hulk back to her island as well as the fact that Hulk and his followers would torture her and her fellow villagers. In addition, Hulk would've gotten the information of their secret satellite base as She-Hulk being on the base is the only thing keeping her villagers safe. As the Stark Tower Memorial plays in the background, Doom states that he can tap into Hulk's surveillance system to keep an eye on her village which She-Hulk approves of. As Father Murdock's voice is heard stating that they must commit themselves to love, forgiveness, and to pray for them, Doom comments that they will have to carry on without Tony who is shown in a machine on life support with cybernetics on him. 11 months are remaining before The City opens.[8]
Reception
Chase Magnett from ComicBook.com acknowledges how the comics narrative approach differs from the original series, with a deeper focus on its story, ensemble of characters, and set-up for future stories.[9]
David Brooke from aiptcomics.com says that the creators fundamentally understands superhero comics while reworking the characters in new ways, stating that the series is one of the most exciting superhero comics of the year.[10]
Related Research Articles
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Storylines are listed in publication order. Publications are listed alphabetically by published titles. Compiled without respect for canon or "current" continuity.
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