one of Marvel’s The most successful experiments was the launch of the Ultimate Comics imprint. Originally conceived in the year 2000, the Ultimate Marvel Comics set on Earth-1610, as opposed to the main canon Earth-616, was to allow writers creative freedom. Now they could try new things with classic characters without being constricted by the current continuity, or having to stick to the status quo of the characters themselves.
The results offered audiences a fresh, different and even modern alternative to the main Marvel comics. And the original Ultimate Marvel Universe remains a talking point in the comic book community, specifically all the shocking, unique and extremely controversial names for different characters. Here are The most memorable changes to Ultimate Marvel’s finest heroes and villains.
10
Deadpool is a reality show host
Ultimate Spider-Man #91 by Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Bagley, John Dell, Justin Ponsor and Cory Petit
If there’s one example of how different different characters can be from their Earth-616 counterparts, this would be the most glaring example. In Marvel’s main canon, Deadpool is a fun-loving, cheeky mutant ally, while on Earth-1610, he’s a disgusting bigot who despises mutants. The more deadly serious approach to Deadpool also shows a character who hates the mutant race so much that he underwent facial modifications to help his approach to hunting them, hence his disfigured face in this universe.
Speaking of hunting mutants, this is how the Ultimate Universe comes to terms with Deadpool’s fourth wall breaking. His hatred of mutants led him to make it into a television show, Kidnapping mutants and bringing them to the island of Krakoa to be hunted live on reality TV. Of course, he interacts with the audience, always talking to the camera.
9
Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are in a romantic relationship
Ultimates 3 By Jeph Loeb and Joe Madureira
One of the boldest choices to come out of the final universe was Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver falling in love with each other as brother and sister. What is strange is that at a moment when the Wasp tries to explain to Captain America just how much the siblings love each other, the knowledge of the incest is normalized in the room, with Steve being the strangest person for not understanding.
Believe it or not, the revelation was the least of the couple/sister’s problems, as Quicksilver would become all the more obsessed as he watched his sister die, grieving her as a sister and a lover. Needless to say, this is probably the Scarlet Witch’s worst relationship.
8
Red Skull was the son of Steve Rogers (and killed JFK)
Ultimate Comics Avengers #1 by Mark Millar, Carlos Pacheco, Danny Mickey, Justin Ponsor and Corey Petit
For decades, Red Skull has been the sworn enemy of Steve Rogers, but on Earth-1610, the feud is strengthened by the caveat that Red Skull is Captain America’s son. Right before Rogers fell into the Arctic Ocean, frozen for five decades, he spent a night with his girlfriend Gail Richards. Before she could tell him that she was pregnant, he was pronounced dead. The United States government worked hard to keep Rogers’ child a secret, placing the boy in postal care.
In addition, to replace Steve as the super-soldier of a new generation, the child was forced to undergo rigorous military training. He would try to escape at age 17, rebelling against his trainers by using a knife to cut the flesh of his head, thus dubbing himself the Red Skull.. As if it wasn’t enough of a statement, his self-imposed exile from the American armed forces was complete when he decided to become a professional assassin and in the world he killed President John F. Kennedy.
7
Steve Rogers is Black Panther (temporarily)
Ultimate Captain America Annual by Jeph Loeb
The list hasn’t even gotten to the actual meat of his time on Earth-1610, but already, this might be the entry that has people raising an eyebrow in his direction. Captain America and Black Panther have always had a close friendship in the official Marvel Universe (at least until recently) and the fact is no different in the Ultimate Universe. Steve even spends time training T’Challa to prepare him for Avengers membership.
Through their friendship, T’Challa – who never unmasks – confides his desire to go back to Wakanda. To satisfy his friend’s wish, Steve Rogers secretly adopts the Black Panther mantle while T’Challa returns home. While a noble move on Steve’s behalf, some readers may compare the idea and images to problematic appropriation at worst, and just an odd sight at best..
6
Steve Rogers was so pro-America, he was anti-everything else
In his modern role with the Avengers, Captain America Always presented as a man in time, but the Ultimate Universe lies further in this idea by reminding readers every step of the way that Cap lived through the Second World War and, as such, his views may be slightly out of touch with modern valuesAt least. At his worst, Captain America was a little prejudiced.
Cap has a distinct disdain for the French and lets it be known as any old man would. More often than not, Captain America has been presented as a man of the people in Earth-616 canon, who wants to do his part to help the world regardless of the flag they wave. This coup, though, was all about the American way or the highway.
5
Mutants are a result of experiment
It all leads back to Captain America
Although not directly linked to Captain America, Almost everything in the Ultimate Universe ties back to the Super Soldier Serum that created Captain America, including mutants. As mentioned earlier, attempts to create a new super soldier created the Red Skull. Elsewhere, Bruce Banner’s attempts to recreate the super soldier serum instead created the Hulk. Even the creation of Spider-Man and the Green Goblin link back to attempts to recreate the Super Soldier Serum.
Most relationally, mutants are not the result of genetic X-gene mutations, but Canadian lab experiments orchestrated to reproduce the super soldier serum. Failure to do so produced unpredictable mutations in unsuspecting participants, like one wolverine, who was kidnapped and administered the guinea pig formula. It is certainly a more tragic, horrifying alternative for the mutant race to come to pass.
4
The “ultimatum” event is completely out of control
Ultimatum #1-5 by Jeph Loeb, David Finch, Danny Miki, Steve Firchow, Peter Steigerwald, Guru eFX
Ultimatum was an event and a five-part miniseries where, simply put, The worst imaginable things happen to every character that Marvel fans love. It ranks among the most shocking moments of the Ultimate Universe not only because of how many casualties are left in the dust, but the cruel means in which many of the characters die. The sight of the blob devouring the wasp remains haunting, and yet, it gets worse from there.
Magneto manages to kill both Professor X and Wolverine (pulling the adamantium from his bones), before Cyclops kills him in return, which in Return is killed by Quicksilver. And these are just Some of several victims. Although Marvel Universe characters have a tendency to return from the dead often, all the deaths in 1610 prove permanent.
3
Sue Storm and Ben Grimm fall in love
They grow closer without Reed
Reed Richards and Sue Storm’s marriage was never perfect, but in the Ultimate Universe, their relationship borders on irreconcilable. More on that later, though The failure of Reed and Sue’s union opened the door for something more unexpected.
The thing itself goes through a great change itself, returning to its human form and taking on a new form where it radiates a purple radiance. In his human form, Sue and Ben grow closer to each other. Ben winds up confessing his love for Sue during the “Ultimate Enemy” arc, but she doesn’t feel the same. Eventually, though, the invisible woman finds herself attracted to Ben and confesses that she does, in fact, love him. She goes a step further with a proposal to him, which he happily accepts.
2
Spider-Woman was a clone of Peter Parker
Debuts in Ultimate Spider-Man #98 by Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Bagley, John Dell, Justin Ponsor and Cory Petit
Much of the confusion surrounding Spider-Woman in the Earth-616 universe is that her origins are not tied in any way to Spider-Man. The Ultimate Universe rectifies that by making her a spider-clone of Peter Parker’s. While working for the CIA. And FBI, Doc Ock was able to produce several clones of Peter Parker. One particular clone had their chromosomes manipulated, producing a woman whom the CIA Intended to work for them secretly, wiping her memories as Peter in the process. She would, however, escape and become Spider-Woman to help fend off the clones against Peter.
What makes Jessica most interesting is that for many readers, Her story reads like an allegory for trans identity, Whether it’s intentional or not. Jessica expresses not relating to Peter Parker despite his memories and is driven to carve her own path.
1
Mr. Fantastic becomes the maker
Debut in Ultimate Fantastic Four #1 by Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Millar, Adam Kubert, Danny Mickey, Dave Stewart, and CHris Eliopoulos
As said before, Mister Fantastic’s relationship with the invisible woman is pretty absolute, with the nail in the coffin coming when he tries to propose to her during her father’s funeral. She breaks up with him, breaking the Fantastic Four and, by proxy, breaking Reid’s psyche and sanity. What follows is an unhinged Reed faking his death, killing his parents in the process and orchestrating alien attacks to, in his mind, save the world. It eventually leads to a disfigured face and a short stasis in the negative zone.
In time, he redubbed himself the maker, citing Sue rejected him as giving him more time to himself to become the part of himself. Reed Richards’ transformation into the Maker is arguably the most important change to come out of Ultimate Marvel. This form has major repercussions on both Earth-1610 and Earth-616, with it being the catalyst for creating the new Ultimate Wonder Universe.