Marvel has been previewing images for the return of old events coming back for the better part of two weeks now- but the image put out by Marvel today might be a whole different animal. It looks like in 2015, after fifteen years, the Ultimate Universe will be facing its end, in the aptly named Ultimate Universe: The End. The end of the Ultimate universe has been rumored now for several years, and it looks like it’s finally happening. Both All-New Ultimates and Ultimate FF are ending their runs, and only Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man remains as an ongoing series. Miles Morales has actually already crossed over into the mainstream 616 Marvel universe a few times, so is it possible that it will become his permanent residence if the Ultimate universe goes the way of the dinosaur?
Although the Ultimate Marvel universe has probably long since gone on past its expiration date, in many ways, in the early 2000’s it helped save Marvel and make them a viable company again. The late ’90s was not kind to Marvel as a company, as they faced creative stagnation and bankruptcy, and the Ultimate initiative gave readers a fresh modern versions of the biggest and most classic Marvel heroes, and was initially very successful. Brian Michael Bendis became a superstar writer with Ultimate Spider-Man, and Mark Millar’s Ultimate X-Men and The Ultimates helped make him a huge name as well. The new, modern versions of these concepts helped inspire the filmmakers who were making the Marvel films- Bryan Singer’s X2 borrows a lot from Ultimate X-Men, and so much of the aesthetic of The Avengers movie comes from Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch’s The Ultimates. Rumor has it that the Fantastic Four movie reboot next summer is almost totally based on Ultimate Fantastic Four. The Ultimate universe certainly made its mark on Marvel history.
In the meantime, check out the cover for the first issue below, as the surviving Ultimate heroes stare off into their impending doom.
Are you sad at the impending end of the Ultimate universe, or do you think it was just time to pull the plug? Let us know in the comments below!
Image: Marvel
I think they shouldn’t have tried to kill off so many characters from the ultimate universe and find some way for them to go back in time and stop the ultimatuim from happening at all or end and relaunch like dc’s new 52.
The biggest impacts marvel made with this universe are definitely Black Nick Fury transitioning into the movies and Ultimate Spider-Man. Don’t get me wrong it had it’s moments, but overall I’m glad they’re going to end it.
Should’ve ended it with Cataclysm. UFF and ANU are both super weak and MM:USM has now jumped the shark by returning Peter Parker and Goblin. Sorry, but that was NOT a good move.
They should’ve had a handful of characters get out to 616 or somewhere else with Galactus munching down on Ultimate Earth and ending it all for good. In fact, I thought that was what they were going to do anyway. I mean, they killed how many characters? Should’ve just gone the whole way. It would have been a magnificent, brutal ending to a universe that kind of deserved it, wouldn’t it have? I think so.
Instead, they try to relaunch and it’s all weak. And the decision to end it proves it. Should’ve gone out with the bang.
Too bad Marvel never has the balls to pull the trigger when they can beat a dead horse for several more months.
This will probably tie into the new Secret Wars
This majorly sucks. The Ultimate universe has been awesome since it’s beginnings, it actually made me keep getting many marvel titles. Yes there have been some dippy moments but what titles don’t…for me, if this truely is ‘the end’, I can see me dropping all my Marvel titles as most of it is bunk, even the mazy spiderman has been a massive let down and all the 1.1/2/3/4+ inbetween issues, a massive pain in the arse to keep up with. Thunderbolts was the only marvel comic I really enjoyed, now with that finished and the ultimate series ending, I think it’s time to drop off marvel altogether 🙂 save myself £80+ a month
I don’t believe it until we don’t see any Ultimate Universe books for a long time. Cataclysm was billed as the end of the Ultimates Universe and it just rolled into Marvel Now
I would really like to see some of their better characters make the jump to the 616
To be second fiddle to their 616 counterparts? Nah, better let them die with the universe.
There are actually some decent Legacy Characters. Miles Morales I liked replacing Peter Parker a lot better than Ock. The whole hero becomes a villain, villain becomes the hero thing has been overused on Marvel and DC and I was actually happy to see someone… a nobody actually taking up the mantle for Peter Parker. Jimmy Hudson is a decent Character in the manner that he’s not Daken, X-23 or Wild Child who all rely on the whole Wolverine personality and MO to be the Bad Boy or Girl while Jimmy was his own man. Having similar powers didn’t mean a thing since naturally yes he’s a killer but he’s not blindly running around shouting how much he’s like his daddy. The character is so much more evolved than a Wolverine type usually gets. Ultimate Reed definitly can be transfered over since the last time Reed Richards fought Reed Richards it was a crappy corny version playing at villain with no real motive for being evil or nuts. Then you have Sue and Ben’s child thats supposed to save their universe from dying… which is nice to see their daughter rather than Franklin and Val over and over again or Jacob Grimm from MC2. Which has indeed survived past their last comic line. I don’t believe they should end the universe but I’m on the fence about how I feel about the comics. 616 is handing caps shield to everyone and their grandmother and there are only but so many times someone can take up the mantle for steve that its going to get them publicity. The X-Men have litterally lost all meaning and relevance in both universes and to me the Marvel Universe died when they started that stupid Civil War crap and then it became more of a plot induced stupidity fest and publicity stunts instead of sticking to writing. While Ultimate Marvel definately has its lows I haven’t enjoyed Marvel much since Civil War.
I hope this is the case for Miles Morales; it would be such a shame for his story to end so soon after beginning.
Although I wasn’t a fan of the ‘new Ultimates’ writers/artists, I was a fan of that team (Miles, Jessica Drew as Black Widow, Bombshell & Cloak/Dagger) and think they have great potential!