Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Ultimate Universe: One Year In #1! Civil War is one of the most iconic events in the history of Marvel Comics, as it pitted superheroes against each other and at the same time blurred the line between hero and villain. Not only that, but the visual spectacle of these superhumans engaged in brutal combat already makes people Civil War it's worth reading. The action is epic, the impact is widespread, and the event itself is one of the most memorable and beloved in Marvel Comics. And now, Marvel is on the verge of another Civil War - only this time, with the X-Men.
In Final Universe: One Year Later #1 “Ultimate Wolverine Prologue”, by Chris Condon and Alessandro Cappuccio, readers get a peek at the Creator's plan for mutants on Earth-6160. This comic serves as a milestone for Marvel Comics' new Ultimate Universe, a time to reflect on the greatest threats this world faces while also teasing new elements that will be introduced in future Ultimate Universe books. One of those elements is Ultimate Wolverine, aka the Winter Soldier, as well as the promise of an explanation behind the mutants of Earth-6160.
“Ultimate Wolverine Prologue” reveals that the Creator made a deal with the Rasputin family (Colossus, Magik and Omega Red). In this agreement, the Creator defined the territory of the Rasputins as the Eurasian Republic, which consisted of all of Russia as well as some neighboring countries. This solidified the Rasputins' seats in the the Creator's Counciltaking their places among the other secret rulers of the world. Fans already knew this from previous Ultimate Universe comics, but what they didn't know is that the Creator decided that the Eurasian Republic would be the centralized home of mutantkind.
The Ultimate Universe Establishes an Initiating Conflict in the Creator's Council in Relation to Mutants
If the Rasputins were in charge of mutants, why does Sunfire have her own mutant cult?
The Council of Creators consists of several villains who control their own territories and they all collectively rule the world. But when it comes to mutants, the only two seats of note on the Maker's Council are those held by the Rasputins and Shiro Yoshida, aka Sunfire. Final Universe: One Year Later confirms that the Rasputins' territory is where mutants have been relegated and where the Rapsutins are free to control the mutant population as they see fit. However, that's not what fans have seen in the Ultimate Universe so far.
Last X-Men is set in Japan, which is firmly under the control of Sunfire and her second-in-command, Viper. In Last X-Mena group of young students begin to realize that they are mutants, given the natural development of superhuman abilities. As they investigate who they are and how they exist, they discover that there is an entire mutant cult in their community called The Children of the Atom. Little do these young mutants know that the Children of the Atom are actually controlled by Sunfire, meaning it is an organization sanctioned by the Creator.
The Children of the Atom have synthesized an elixir that activates a mutant's powers, and the organization itself is set up as an established religion in an effort to control the mutants it is effectively creating. It's a well-orchestrated method of creating and controlling mutants, but its existence directly contrasts with what readers learn. Final Universe: One Year Later. The Rasputins are supposed to be the ones controlling mutants, but Sunfire is doing the exact same thing. In other words, a mutant civil war is apparently on the horizon in the Ultimate Universe.
A mutant civil war would be the universe's next perfect event
The Ultimate Universe would benefit greatly from a Mutant Civil War
Based on everything that has been established in the Ultimate Universe thus far regarding mutants, it seems clear how a potential mutant civil war would begin. The Rasputins would accuse Sunfire of overstepping boundaries, using the fact that the Creator designated the Eurasian Republic as the world's centralized location for mutants as justification for their anger. Sunfire would then defend her claim on mutants, given the fact that The Children of the Atom is an organization that the Creator himself has sanctioned.
Unfortunately, the Creator isn't here to settle any disputes (he's locked in a time prison of his own making), so both the Rasputins and Sunfire will question each other's claim on mutantkind. Furthermore, both parties may see this as the perfect opportunity to expand their respective territories. The Creator has disappeared and there is a legitimate justification for the conflict between two territories that are next to each other. Now is the perfect time for the Rasputins or Sunfire to gain more power before the Creator's return, and they will use their mutants to do so.
A mutant civil war would mean conflict within the Creator Council, something that is especially significant given the rise of the Ultimates, who are working to destroy the Creator Council before the Creator returns. As it stands, the Ultimates don't stand a chance against the Council of Creators. But if there were to be a mutant civil war, this weakness within the Council could be exactly what the Ultimates need to gain an advantage. This level of interconnected storytelling is what defined the new Ultimate Universe, and a mutant civil war would add a lot to its broader lore.
A mutant civil war in the final universe would be more significant than the original civil war
The Civil War was an impactful event, but it would be nothing compared to a Mutant Civil War
A potential civil war that would include good and evil superhumans on both sides is reminiscent of the original Marvel film. Civil War event, making it impossible not to make comparisons between the two. However, if the Ultimate Universe were to move forward with a mutant civil war like this, it would overshadow the original Civil War on every level. Not only would the impact of a mutant civil war have lasting effects across the universe (rather than a brief upheaval before a definitive canon reset), but it would also pave the way for a more cohesive war. Last X-Men continuity.
Mutants are everywhere in the Ultimate Universe, and it's unclear which characters are getting their own variants or complete reimaginings. For example, Storm is a freedom fighter in Ultimate Black Panther and Wolverine is acting as Colossus and Magik's living weapon, making them all clear variants of their original counterparts. Meanwhile, the Shadow King is an entirely new character with no ties to Amahl Farouk, and Cyclops has apparently been reimagined as a young girl named Natsu. Everything seems a little disjointed Last X-Men canon, but a mutant civil war could resolve this.
Each mutant – variant or reimagining – would ultimately be under an Ultimate Universe title, allowing fans to get an account of who the main players in the universe are. Last X-Men will move forward and how they will be portrayed. Furthermore, it would be a great way to place mutants on the international stage of the Ultimate Universe and could trigger global mutant prejudices that would fuel countless Last X-Men story arcs moving forward.
Between Last X-Men and Final Universe: One Year LaterThe worldwide catalyst for a mutant civil war in the Ultimate Universe is there, and the desire to have conflict for the purpose of gaining more territory makes sense to the members of the Creator Council. And in a meta sense, having a mutant civil war would benefit the entire Ultimate Universe as a whole, including The latest and all the future End X-Menmaking it more significant than the Marvel original Civil War.
Ultimate Universe: One Year at #1 from Marvel Comics is now available.