Warning: contains potential spoilers for Ultimates #15!
Marvel has just revealed an awesome new design for one of the MCU’s most underrated heroes. Marvel’s new Ultimate line has been a hit with fans and critics alike, who are drawn to the dark yet compelling vision of the Marvel Universe it presents. Now, in a first look at August’s Ultimate line, a new version of Shang-Chi will debut in Ultimates #15.
Marvel shared a first look at the entire Ultimate slate for the month of August, including Ultimates #15, which will be written by Deniz Camp and drawn by Von Randal. The Ultimates, a team of heroes seeking to overthrow the cruel and tyrannical Maker and his Ruling Council, discover a young man who is starting revolutions of his own: Shang-Chi.
Marvel did not provide any additional information on the new Shang-Chi, but did share Dike Ruan’s cover for the issue, which does show a much younger version of the Master of Kung-Fu.
Marvel's New Ultimate Universe, Explained
The New Ultimate Universe is a Very Dangerous Place for Heroes
Marvel’s new Ultimate Universe has been one of the biggest comic book success stories of the past five years, and a worthy successor to the original. The Maker, one of the last survivors of the previous Ultimate Universe, travels to another world in the multiverse and sabotages the emergence of superheroes. Those he does not flat out kill or imprison, he corrupts. Marvel icons such as Magik, Captain Britain, Sunspot and even the Hulk are now in the employ of the Maker. These heroes sit on the aforementioned Ruling Council that controls Earth’s affairs.
Other titles in the new Ultimate line include Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate Black Panther and Ultimate X-Men.
The Maker is opposed by the new team of Ultimates, led by Tony Stark. While currently imprisoned, the Maker will soon return in a matter of months. During this time, Stark and the Ultimates are trying to start a revolution that will overthrow the Maker. They have not had an easy go of it, as the Ruling Council has branded them terrorists, dispatching the full weight of the authorities to stop them. The Ultimates have been forced to seek allies outside the mainstream for their fight, and now it looks as if Shang-Chi is being pressed to their cause.
What Impact Will Shang-Chi Have on the Ultimate Universe?
Will Shang-Chi Iron Man and the Ultimates?
Shang-Chi has been a part of the Marvel Universe for over 50 years, spending much of that time as a cult hero. Shang-Chi’s Master of Kung-Fu series ran for a whopping 125 issues, beginning in the early 1970s and stretching into the early 1980s. After his book’s conclusion, Shang-Chi drifted around the Marvel Universe for many years, guest starring in other heroes’ titles. Shang-Chi’s status grew exponentially with the release of his MCU film: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings. Played by Simu Liu, Shang-Chi at last vaulted into Marvel’s upper echelon.
Whether this means he will the team or not remains to be seen, but his 616 counterpart has shown an aversion to working in teams, only recently ing the Avengers Emergency Response Squad.
And with this new, elevated status comes an Ultimate Universe counterpart. Marvel remained coy on the exact status of this new incarnation of Shang-Chi, but did reveal he is a rebel and an insurgent, just like the Ultimates. Whether this means he will the team or not remains to be seen, but his 616 counterpart has shown an aversion to working in teams, only recently ing the Avengers Emergency Response Squad. Marvel’s new Ultimate line turns expectations on their head, and how this will impact this underrated MCU star will play out in the months ahead.
Source: Marvel
Ultimates #15 is on sale August 13 from Marvel Comics!
