The new Ultimate Universe has an intriguing start behind it: what if classic Marvel heroes like Spider-Man and Black Panther have only just stepped into their heroic identities? Instead of coming into heroism naturally, Tony Stark (aka Iron Lad) has been tracking down persons of interest and jump starting them into the superheroes we know in love.
Come June, we’ll see how Stark’s faring in doing the same for other heroes in the pages of The Ultimates. Written by Deniz Camp (20th Century Men) and drawn by Juan Frigeri (Invincible Iron Man), the book sees Stark and his team of Avengers—Thor, Doom (Reed Richards), and Sif—build a network of superheroes to take the fight to the Maker (aka the Reed Richards of the first Ultimate universe) and his Council. The lineup, according to Camp, is “just the beginning”: big newcomers include the Wasp, Ant-Man, and Captain America, with the latter once again found in a block of ice.
In the original Ultimate Marvel universe, the Ultimates were its equivalent to the Avengers, and the name was later adopted for a team of heroes in the prime Marvel Universe tasked with fixing the multiverse. This new team, said Camp, will “feel like no Avengers or Ultimates comic ever before. We’re reinventing these classic characters and archetypes to be as surprising and vital as when they were first introduced. Our Ultimates is an evolution not just of the Avengers, but of the whole super hero team concept.”
“The new Ultimates line is the most exciting super hero comics event in years, and it’s humbling to be a part of it,” Camp continued. “We’re doing everything we can to live up to the Ultimates name, and the high bar set by Jonathan, Marco [Checchetto], and all the Ultimate creative teams so far!”
Ultimates #1 will release on June 5.
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