Ultimates (2015 team)

Last updated
The Ultimates
Ultimates2015.jpg
Cover art to Ultimates (vol. 3) #1
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance Avengers (vol. 6) #0 (October 2015)
Created by Al Ewing
Kenneth Rocafort
In-story information
Member(s) Blue Marvel
Black Panther
Captain Marvel
Miss America
Spectrum

The Ultimates is a fictional group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Although the team takes its name from the unrelated team Ultimates, which was the Ultimate Marvel version of the Avengers, it is set in the standard Marvel Universe. The title has been used for two volumes, both written by Al Ewing. The first was part of All-New, All-Different Marvel and the second as part of Marvel NOW!. Both volumes have the same team and their goal is to protect Earth and the larger universe from cosmic threats.

Contents

Publication history

In February 2015, Marvel announced that it would be fusing its mainstream universe and Ultimate universe into one following its crossover event, Secret Wars . [1] Its post-Secret Wars branding would be dubbed All-New, All-Different Marvel, where 55 to 60 titles would be a part of this new universe. [2] In late June 2015, a catalogue of 45 of these titles was shipped out to retailers, which quickly were posted online. [3] One of these titles was Ultimates, featuring the cover of the first issue, its team of writer Al Ewing and artist Kenneth Rocafort, and a tagline, which read "Ultimate Problems need Ultimate solutions." [4] The team borrows its name from the original Ultimates, who were the Avengers of the Ultimate universe. On utilizing the name, Ewing told Comics Alliance,

...they’re the ultimate super team, solving the ultimate problems. They’re generally pretty ultimate. And The Ultimates is a fine name for a book—it says it all, really. I don’t see a need to retire it just because the universe it came from is no longer with us." [5]

The team also features an uncommon practice in modern media of having no Caucasian men, the team being diverse in both race and gender. On the team's diversity, Ewing said,

I think it's important in the way that a roof is important. If you're moving into a building and the landlord says 'oh, and we have—get this—a roof! And four walls! We're not just a hole someone dug in the street!', you don't start giving out medals for that. That's just a basic thing that ought to be standard. It's just fiction reflecting reality—there are all kinds of people in the world, and we should reflect that properly and try not to screw up. To be honest, I think there's a long way to go in a lot of ways, both on the page and off." [5]

In Marvel NOW! (2016), the Ultimates broke up but are later reunited and asked to become the heralds of Galactus, who is now the Lifebringer of Worlds. [6] The second volume ended at a special #100 issue and it includes an appearance of the original Ultimates team. [7] [8]

Fictional team biography

Black Panther, Blue Marvel, Spectrum, Ms. America, and Captain Marvel come together to deal with cosmic threats to Earth and the larger universe. [9]

The Ultimates begin their mission by dealing with Galactus. [10] They retrieve Galactus' incubator and force him into it. This time, Galactus emerges from it as a lifebringer instead of a Devourer of Worlds. His first act is to restore Archeopia, the first victim of his hunger. [11]

While the Ultimates were in Exo-Space upon arriving there in their ship the Abeona, they encountered Blue Marvel's old enemy Anti-Man whose body had reassembled there. [12] Although Blue Marvel wanted to kill Anti-Man, having deemed him too dangerous, he ended up sparing him upon being convinced by his son Kevin who was also in Exo-Space. Instead, Blue Marvel brought him back to the Abeona so that he and the Ultimates can fix him. [13]

During the Civil War II storyline, Ulysses later received a vision that tipped off Blue Marvel about Infinaut's ninth manifestation attempt enabling him, Giant-Man, and the Ultimates to work on a Pym Particle accelerator within a week. When the day in question happened, Blue Marvel and the Ultimates used the Pym Particle accelerator to anchor Infinaut and shrink him down to human size. When he finally spoke to Blue Marvel and the Ultimates, Infinaut was pleased to finally meet them. [14]

During the Secret Empire storyline, the Ultimates assist the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Alpha Flight Space Program, Hyperion, and Quasar into fighting the Chitauri that are approaching Earth. When the Planetary Defense Shield is activated as part of Hydra's plans to take over the United States, the Ultimates and those with them are trapped outside the Planetary Defense Shield as they continue their fight against the Chitauri. [15]

When Maker collaborated with High Evolutionary to destroy the Superflow that kept the different universes separate in order to merge them into one reality, the Earth-1610 Ultimates members Captain America, Iron Man, Giant-Man, Wasp, and Hulk were revived where they were to help Eternity fight the First Firmament. [16] When Earth-616's version of the Ultimates arrived on Counter-Earth to confront Maker about his actions, he ordered the Earth-1610 Ultimates to attack. As both versions of Ultimates concluded that there is no reason to fight each other, Maker killed the Earth-1610 Captain America for disobeying his orders. Upon Maker being defeated, both Ultimates helped Eternity to break free from the First Firmament, giving Galactus and his Eternity Watch the chance to defeat the Aspirants. Eternity subsequently summoned the embodiment's of the past Multiverses to his aid. These "Ultimate Ultimates" chained the First Firmament and took it away to another plane of existence in hopes to heal it. With Eternity rescued, Galactus and the Ultimates bid farewell, and parted to go on their separate ways. [17]

Collected editions

Ultimates has been collected in the several trade paperbacks.

TitleMaterial collectedPublication dateISBN
Ultimates: Omniversal Volume 1: Start With the ImpossibleUltimates (vol. 3) #1-6, and material from Avengers (vol. 6) #0July 19, 2016 0-7851-9670-6
Ultimates: Omniversal Volume 2: Civil War IIUltimates (vol. 3) #7-12January 3, 2017 0-7851-9671-4
Ultimates 2 Volume 1: TroubleshootersUltimates 2 (vol. 2) #1-6July 3, 2017 1-3029-0675-5
Ultimates 2 Volume 2: Eternity WarUltimates 2 (vol. 2) #7-9, 100December 5, 2017 1-3029-0676-3
Ultimates by Al Ewing: The Complete CollectionUltimates (vol. 3) #1-12, Ultimates 2 (vol. 2) #1-9, 100, and material from Avengers (vol. 6) #0July 27, 2021 978-1302929923

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galactus</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Galactus is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Formerly a mortal man, he is a cosmic entity who consumes planets to sustain his life force, and serves a functional role in the upkeep of the primary Marvel continuity. He was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appeared in Fantastic Four #48.

<i>Secret Wars</i> 1984–1985 Marvel Comics limited series

Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars, commonly known as Secret Wars, is a 12-issue American comic book crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter, with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton. It was tied in with a similarly-named toy line from Mattel and a role-playing game of the same name from TSR, Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ultimates</span> Marvel Comics series

The Ultimates is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and created by writer Mark Millar and artist Bryan Hitch, which first started publication from The Ultimates #1, as part of the company's Ultimate Marvel imprint. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Avengers comic-book franchise, centering around a task-force of super-humans and special agents organized by the U.S. government to combat growing threats to the world. The tale chronicles their progress as they bond and slowly learn to work together, despite their differing natures and personalities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eternity (Marvel Comics)</span> Fictional character by Marvel Comics

Eternity is a fictional cosmic entity appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by scripter-editor Stan Lee and artist-plotter Steve Ditko, the character is first mentioned in Strange Tales #134 and first appears in Strange Tales #138.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Infinity Gems</span> Fictional cosmic items with the power to grant a user an ability/abilities

The Infinity Gems are six fictional gems appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, named after and embodying various aspects of existence. The gems can grant whoever wields them various powers in accordance to the aspect of existence they represent, and have the potential of turning the wielder into a god-like being when the main six are held together. Thus, they are among the most powerful and sought-after items in the Marvel Universe; playing important roles in several storylines, in which they were wielded by characters such as Thanos and Adam Warlock. Some of these stories depict additional Infinity Gems or similar objects. Although, the Infinity Gems altogether give its user nigh-omnipotence, the Gems only function on the universe they belong to and not on alternate realities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thanos</span> Supervillain appearing in Marvel Comics

Thanos is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-artist Jim Starlin, the character first appeared in The Invincible Iron Man #55. An Eternal–Deviant warlord from the moon Titan, Thanos is regarded as one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe. He has clashed with many heroes including the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Living Tribunal</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

The Living Tribunal is a cosmic entity appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #157 and was created by Stan Lee, Marie Severin, and Herb Trimpe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Infinity War</span> 1992 Marvel Comics series

The Infinity War is a six-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics in 1992. The series was written by Jim Starlin and penciled by Ron Lim, Ian Laughlin, Al Milgrom, Jack Morelli and Christie Scheele.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elders of the Universe</span> Fictional comic book supervillains

The Elders of the Universe are a group of supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Collector was the first Elder to appear, and featured in The Avengers #28, but the idea that he was a member of a group known as the Elders was not introduced until The Avengers #174.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grandmaster (Marvel Comics)</span> Fictional character appearing in Marvel Comics

The Grandmaster is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in The Avengers #69. The Grandmaster is one of the ageless Elders of the Universe and has mastered most civilizations' games of skill and chance. Different media appearances depict him as the Collector's brother.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celestial (comics)</span> Group of fictional characters in Marvel Comics

The Celestials are fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Depicted as cosmic beings, they debuted in the Bronze Age of Comic Books and have reappeared on numerous occasions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lord Chaos (Marvel Comics)</span> Comics character

Lord Chaos is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Jim Starlin, the character first appeared in Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2 ( 1977). Lord Chaos is an abstract entity. It is the cosmic counterpart of Master Order and serves as the embodiment of chaos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thor (Ultimate Marvel)</span> Comics character

In the Ultimate Marvel universe, Thorlief "Thor" Golmen is a fictional superhero based on the Marvel Universe version of Thor, who is the Asgardian God of Thunder and a founding member of the Ultimates. Also known as "Ultimate Thor", Golmen is an anarchist who discovers he is the reincarnated form of the Norse warrior god Thor. The "Ultimate" redesign of the character reduces the number of Thor's powers, and reduces the character's reliance upon his hammer. Perhaps most significantly, the Thunder God's long-established personality is drastically altered, changing him from an eager and willing divine combatant into an ecocentric, arguably unstable, and reluctant warrior.

The Ultimate Nullifier is a fictional device of immense power appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The device made its first appearance in Fantastic Four volume 1, issue #50, in which Johnny Storm retrieves it from the home of Galactus to employ against Galactus himself. The Nullifier appears as a small, hand-held metallic device with no apparent functionality. When first introduced in 1966, it was described as the only known weapon in the universe capable of inspiring fear in Galactus.

The Chitauri are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, specifically in Ultimate Marvel. They were created by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch for the Ultimate universe franchise in place of the existing Marvel Comics alien species, the Skrulls, which play a similar role in the franchise's mainstream continuity. Marvel later chose to distinguish between the Skrulls and Chitauri of the Ultimate universe. The race first appeared in Ultimates #8, and later had counterparts on Earth-616.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alternative versions of Thor (Marvel Comics)</span> Interpretations of the Marvel character

Thor was created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby. There had been multiple alternative versions of Thor, both in the main continuity as well as alternate stories. The character is based on the Norse Mythological deity Thor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guardians of the Galaxy (2008 team)</span> Fictional superhero team appearing in Marvel Comics

The Guardians of the Galaxy are a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning formed the team from existing and previously unrelated characters created by a variety of writers and artists, with an initial roster of Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Phyla-Vell, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, and Adam Warlock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Marvel</span> Fictional Marvel Comics superhero

Blue Marvel is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Kevin Grevioux, who originally conceived the character as a child, and Mat Brome, the character first appeared in Adam: Legend of the Blue Marvel #1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iron Man (Ultimate Marvel character)</span> Comics character

Iron Man is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is the Ultimate Marvel version of the superhero Iron Man, who first appeared in the fourth issue of Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, written by Brian Michael Bendis and drawn by Mike Allred. He later appeared in the Ultimates and often appears in other Ultimate Marvel titles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maker (character)</span> Fictional supervillain

The Maker is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

References

  1. ↑ Babos, John (November 10, 2014). "Time Runs Out For All-New Marvel Now With 2015's Secret Wars & 13 Event Redux With Civil War, Avengers Vs X-Men, Age of Ultron & More Spoilers For A Multiverse's Reboot Or Convergence?". Comics Nexus. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  2. ↑ Lovett, Jamie (June 13, 2015). "All-New, All-Different Marvel: Everything We Know So Far". Comicbook.com. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  3. ↑ Jusino, Teresa (June 30, 2015). "Marvel Reveals Its 'All-New, All-Different' Universe ... and It's Kinda Bonkers". The Mary Sue. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  4. ↑ Lovett, Jamie (June 30, 2015). "Marvel Announces 45 All-New All-Different Series". Comicbook.com. Archived from the original on October 5, 2018. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  5. 1 2 Wheeler, Andrew (July 3, 2015). "Squad Goals: Meet the Team in Al Ewing's 'Ultimates'". ComicsAlliance. Archived from the original on July 13, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  6. ↑ Pulliam-Moore, Charles (June 21, 2017). "Ultimates 2 Is Turning Galactus and Ego the Living Planet Into Cosmic Superheroes". Io9. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  7. ↑ Richards, Dave (June 12, 2017). "Marvel's Newest Universe Declares War on Ewing's Ultimates". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on October 21, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  8. ↑ Pepose, David (August 21, 2017). "Best Shots Reviews: ULTIMATES 2 #100, AQUAMAN #27, GENERATION X #5". Newsarama. Archived from the original on February 10, 2018. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  9. ↑ Avengers (vol. 6) #0
  10. ↑ Ultimates (vol. 3) #1
  11. ↑ Ultimates (vol. 3) #2
  12. ↑ Ultimates (vol. 3) #3
  13. ↑ Ultimates (vol. 3) #4
  14. ↑ Ultimates (vol. 3) #9
  15. ↑ Secret Empire #0
  16. ↑ Ultimates 2 (vol. 2) #9
  17. ↑ Ultimates 2 #100
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.