Summary

• Marvel's new Ultimate Universe has a fresh take on the Avengers, who are framed as villains to the public.
• The team faces threats as outlaws/terrorists, revitalizing the importance of secret identities.
• The new Ultimates series explores the personal cost of the NYC attack, as well as the manipulation of news and public hatred towards the team.

Contains Potential Spoilers for Ultimates (2024) #1!Marvel’s new Ultimate Universe is introducing a new version of the Avengers, but with the team framed as villains, the series' writer has emphasized that secret identities will matter more than ever. This status quo has been built up perfectly over the course of this new Ultimate Universe and is set to be explored in depth when the all-new Ultimates series launches. It’s a stark contrast from how the heroes of the original Ultimate Universe were treated, but it’s not like the Avengers are strangers to being hated either.

The 2024 Ultimates series is written by Deniz Camp and drawn by Juan Frigeri. Camp explained in an interview with Comicbook.com how his new team’s outlaw status makes their secret identities more important than ever:

“They're definitely NOT celebrities or rockstars. Just the opposite; their status as outlaws/terrorists means they are under constant threat. It kind of revitalizes the importance of the secret identity; it makes it truly life-or-death.”

The team in question has slowly been built up over the introduction of this new Ultimate Universe, Earth-6160. In Ultimate Universe #1, Tony Stark and the rest of the team are framed for a terrorist attack in New York City by the supervillainous Maker's Council that secretly runs the world.

Tony Stark is now the most hated man in America. He’s not just in danger from the supervillains, but also from the public that has been turned against him.

Some Ultimates Will Need Secret Identities More Than Others

It will be fascinating to see how secret identities play into this new story, since the team itself is made up of so many disparate parts. While Tony Stark is a super public figure, fellow Thor, Sif and Reed Richards are complete unknowns. However, the book is introducing a new Ant-Man and Wasp, and Camp promises that each issue will introduce new versions of classic heroes. Along with Tony, it will be these new heroes who’ll be risking their normal lives to do the right thing, and they’ll be the ones who need secret identities more than the rest.

Reed Richards, who is also this world’s Doctor Doom, was imprisoned for years by the Maker, the original Ultimate Universe’s Reed, who founded this world’s evil council.

One reason this new status quo is so effective is how it’s been built up in other Ultimate Universe titles. The new Ultimate Spider-Man is the perfect example. The book has focused heavily on the personal cost of the NYC terrorist attack, which killed Aunt May and Norman Osborn, among others. It’s also shown how the Maker's Council is manipulating the news, spreading propaganda via the Kingpin-run Daily Bugle. Readers not only know how misinformation about the Ultimates can spread, but also why regular people will likely be against the team as well if they’re associated with Tony.

Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) is written by Jonathan Hickman, penciled by Marco Checchetto, colored by Matthew Wilson and lettered by VC's Cory Petit.

This Book Will Be Very Different From The Original Ultimates

As Camp notes, this status quo is about as different from the original Ultimates series as possible. Ultimates Vol. 1 was the quintessential Marvel book for the early 2000s, tapping into a contemporary seam of cynicism around the obsession with celebrity culture. The series was especially notable for recasting Marvel’s heroes as vain, all-too-public figures. The original team were fawned over by the public, but were actually narcissistic and contemptible. On the other hand, this new team is hated by the public but are actually this world’s only real heroes. It’s a fun flip on the concept that turns readers' expectations upside-down.

Ultimates Vol. 1 is written by Mark Millar, penciled by Bryan Hitch, inked by Andrew Currie and Paul Neary, colored by Paul Mounts and lettered by Chris Eliopoulos.

However, while Camp’s version of the Ultimates is drastically different from its original incarnation, it’s still reminiscent of the 2000s Marvel Universe, which was super concerned with public vs. secretive superheroes. This was the decade of the original Civil War event, where the question of superhero registration split Marvel’s heroes down the middle, forcing one half to go underground, much like these new Ultimates. Deniz Camp might not be adhering to the status quo of the original Ultimate Universe launched in the early 2000s, but he’s still channeling the spirit of that decade’s Avengers.

Ultimates #1 will go on sale June 5 from Marvel Comics.

Source: Comicbook.com