Warning! Spoilers for The Ultimates #6-12 ahead!

Iron Man is known as Marvel's greatest futurist, which is what makes it darkly ironic that his new power in the Ultimate Universe is the ability to see the past, while he is seemingly cut off from being able to view the future. In the latest issue of The Ultimates, Tony Stark revealed that his connection with the "Immortus Engine" lets him look into the past.

The Ultimates #12, written by Deniz Camp, with art by Juan Frigeri, is a pivotal moment for the series, as a dark secret harbored by the team's heroic version of Doctor Doom comes to light, a confrontation precipitated by Tony's new power.

"The engine allows me to see through time," Tony explains in the issue, though he quickly notes that it is far from simple, especially when he encounters "two versions of events superimposed," leading him to uncover what really happened during the team's battle against the evil incarnation of Hulk.

Ultimate Tony Stark Can View The Past, In A New Twist On Iron Man's Powers

The Ultimates #12, Written By Deniz Camp; Art By Juan Frigeri

There have been many hints suggesting Doctor Doom, who is Reed Richards under the mask in this timeline, is also a possible suspect. That is just one reason it is notable that The Ultimates #12 finds both of them fixated on time, as it is revealed that Doom used time travel to avert the team's deaths at the hands of Hulk, which Tony Stark realizes only because of his newfound ability to "see through time."

Rather than a precognitive ability, though, Tony can only look at the past, as everything beyond a critical juncture in the future "is just...white." While The Ultimates #12, overall, is saturated with major plot implications for the series moving forward, this also stands out as a noteworthy character beat, because it highlights how much the series' subversion of familiar character tropes for its heroes, particularly characters like Iron Man and Doctor Doom, is the result of a deep understanding of the characters' traditional forms.

Tony's Temporal Vision Could Have The Most Lasting Impact Of All The Big Reveals In "The Ultimates" Latest Issue

The Reveal Augments Tony's Role In The Story

The Ultimates #12 finds the team on the verge of a breaking point, but instead they come out of the other end of it stronger. The issue also reveals the identity of a traitor among their ranks, setting the stage for future complications. For Tony Stark, who is young and still navigating how to be a hero, and a leader, the issue delivers another moment of growth, reiterating why he is the only character who can lead the team, if they are going to liberate this version of the Marvel Universe from tyranny.

This twist on Iron Man's powers feels like one of those narrative moves, the effects of which will reverberate many issues down the line.

It is a strong issue across the board, with its twist on Tony Stark's powers as its centerpiece. While it might not feel like the biggest revelation of the issue, it is likely the one that will have the most impact on the climax of the series' overarching storyline. The Ultimates has been deliberate about maneuvering pieces into place for the story's eventual climax, without making it feel obvious, and this twist on Iron Man's powers feels like one of those narrative moves, the effects of which will reverberate many issues down the line.

The Ultimates #12 is available now from Marvel Comics.