Thanks to the machinations of The Maker, the new Ultimate Universe is bereft of heroes. This is the first problem Tony Stark tries to address in forming his team of Ultimates. However, The Ultimates #1 confirms two Marvel Comics mainstays will not be part of the new setting. At least, not as their Earth-616 counterparts.
The Ultimates #1 by Deniz Camp and Juan Frigeri picks up where Ultimate Universe #1 ended. The team jumped forward in time six months, but is unable to go back any further. This leaves them 18 months to build an army of superheroes capable of fighting The Maker once he emerges from stasis.
To that end, Tony Stark and Doctor Doom develop “origin-boxes” based on the information they have on what superheroes should exist. These boxes are then sent back in time six months, theoretically creating the superhero army they need in the present day. Unfortunately, the plan fails, with only one or two of the projected heroes, including Spider-Man, now existing.
No Hawkeye or Captain Marvel in new Ultimate Universe
In assessing what went wrong, Tony Stark and Doctor Doom discover that most of their prospective recruits were “rejected, intercepted or deceased.” Their scans show a hooded man, presumably Clint Barton, walking away from a trashcan containing the Hawkeye costume and trick arrows. (This panel is itself a tribute to a famous scene from Amazing Spider-Man #50.) Their scans also show Carol Danvers, clad in her modern Captain Marvel costume, apparently losing control of her powers and exploding.
The failure pushes Tony Stark to swear off time-travel and to take a more personal approach to recruitment. By the issue’s end, they have persuaded the Ant-Man and Wasp of this world to join them. Time will tell what other heroes join the new Ultimates, but Hawkeye and Captain Marvel won’t be among them.
The Ultimates #1 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
