Ultimates

The Ultimates
File:The Ultimates2 issue1.jpg The Ultimates 2 #1. Art by Bryan Hitch.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics (Ultimate imprint)
First appearance	The Ultimates #1
Created by	Mark Millar Bryan Hitch
In-story information
Base(s)	Triskelion
Member(s)	Nick Fury Captain America Iron Man The Wasp Hawkeye Quicksilver Scarlet Witch Thor The Hulk

The Ultimates are a fictional comic book team of government-sponsored superheroes in the Ultimate Marvel Universe, who appear in their self-titled limited series, and in various related spinoff miniseries. The team is a re-imagining of the Marvel Universe superhero team, the Avengers.

The first series, written by Mark Millar and illustrated by Bryan Hitch, ended in April 2004. The second series, The Ultimates 2, also by Millar and Hitch, began in December 2004 and was completed in May 2007. A third series will be written by Jeph Loeb and illustrated by Joe Madureira, starting around December 2007. Loeb has also indicated in an interview that he will be writing The Ultimates 4 as well.

The tone of the story is widely considered to be darker, more cynical, and more cinematic than most traditional comic books. The Ultimates fight under government authority, often alongside conventional land, sea, and air forces. A prominent theme is the scope and legitimacy of state power, with superheroes - or "persons of mass destruction" as they are described in the series - acting as metaphors for the immense military resources of a modern superpower. In this respect, it resembles The Authority, a comic book series that both Hitch and Millar have worked on, though at different times.

Publication history

Conception

The Ultimates debuted in March 2002, the fourth comic series to appear in the Ultimate Marvel line, preceded by Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate X-Men and Ultimate Marvel Team-Up. The series was conceived by writer Mark Millar and artist Bryan Hitch who, when asked about the impetus for the collaboration in an interview with Silver Bullet Comics, remembers that "Joe Quesada called and said, 'Hey, the lunatics are running the asylum over here, want to join the party?' The project came from Millar, and it was perfect. Joe put us together, and after three hours on the phone, we had started the journey that was to develop into The Ultimates."

One of many notable differences between the Ultimates and their mainstream counterparts the edgier and darker elements in their characters. Captain America is more violent and pragmatic, Nick Fury is notably fiercer and scorns oversight of S.H.I.E.L.D., Hank and Janet Pym share an abusive relationship and Tony Stark is a womanizing drunk with a flamboyantly gay butler. Bruce Banner is written as a far more self-conscious, socially-inept individual and Betty Ross as careerist, manipulative and self-indulgent, a source of their frequent relationship woes. The Hulk is frequently depicted as a murderous sociopath whose rage leaves little concern for civilian casualties. Nick Fury and Janet Pym, both previously depicted as white males and females in mainstream Marvel comics, have their ethnicities adjusted to give the team a more multi-cultural tone (with Fury now an African-American and Janet is Asian-American).

Hitch commented: "We just set out with the basic idea: What would we do if we had to make The Avengers as a movie?... You have to approach it as though nothing has happened before and tell the story fresh from the start, find the current day relevance and the best actors. We had to get to the core of who these people were and build outwards, so Cap was a soldier, Thor is either a nut case or a messiah (maybe both, today we would treat them same way: a cult following and a spell in the loony house), Banner an insecure genius, and Fury the king of cool."

Although the Ultimates consistently sold well and received favorable notice from critics (see "Awards" section), the series soon became notorious for its erratic scheduling. Originally planned as a monthly comic, the publication dates were constantly shifted further back, so that the twelfth issue of The Ultimates only came out in April 2004, almost three years after issue #1. The thirteenth issue of The Ultimates 2 was delayed for over 6 months from its originally scheduled release date; it was finally released in May 2007.

In a December 2004 interview with PopCultureShock, Millar talked about his comic, stating The Ultimates were indeed different from the Avengers (its mainstream Marvel sister title): "The idea behind The Avengers is that the Marvel Universe's biggest players all get together and fight all the biggest supervillains they can't defeat individually, whereas Ultimates 2 is an exploration of what happens when a bunch of ordinary people are turned into super-soldiers and being groomed to fight the real-life war on terror." He also defended the concept of putting controversial "indie" topics into a big mainstream comic like Ultimates, denying he had "sold out". He said: "There's a funny snobbery from people as regards the worthiness of indie books... The nice thing about hitting your thirties is realizing it's often all pose and 90% of indie books are as shit as 90% of mainstream books. There's good and bad on both sides and no inner-dignity to not selling well."

The Ultimates

"Super Human" The Ultimates #1-6) (S.H.I.E.L.D.) general Nick Fury is entrusted with establishing a strike force of government-sponsored superheroes. Initial recruits include scientist couple Henry and Janet Pym (Giant-Man and Wasp) tasked with developing a super-soldier serum based on Hank's Giant-Man formula. Bruce Banner (The Hulk) is also recruited to focus on recreating a super-soldier serum responsible for the original Captain America. Billionaire playboy Tony Stark and his (Iron Man) project are also brought aboard. Attempts at courting anti-establishment icon and self-proclaimed Norse god Thor fall through due to his outspoken criticism of the United States' foreign policy. The team is almost complete when S.H.I.E.L.D. discovers the preserved body of Steve Rogers, the super-soldier missing in action since (World War II). After a successful revival, he is given command of the strike force, now called the Ultimates.

Following its establishment, criticism of the Ultimate gradually builds, due to the the inflated billion-dollar budget of the Triskelion, the Ultimates' headquarters built off the coast of Manhattan. Bruce Banner, invited primarily because of his work on the super-soldier serum that defined Captain America's super powers, is unable to deliver workable results. He is further shamed by the progress of Hank Pym's research, the taunting by several of his teammates and discovering ex-girlfriend Betty Ross's affair with Hollywood actor Brad Pitt. Following these events, Banner injects himself with serum that combines the Captain America and Hulk formulas, rationalizing to Betty that the Ultimates will now have something to fight. He transforms into the ultra-violent, sociopath Ultimate Hulk, whose subsequent rampage through Manhattan kills 5,786 people. After a brutal and devastating battle, the Hulk is finally subdued, and Banner's involvement in Hulk's rampage is concealed by Betty Ross and S.H.I.E.L.D. to quash the public relations disaster.

"Homeland Security" (The Ultimates #7-13) The Ultimates discover the existence of the shape-shifting Chautaori an alien race that enslaves and colonizes entire solar systems. Following the development of the grave threat, S.H.I.E.L.D. black operative Black Widow (Natasha Romanova) and the mutant siblings Scarlet Witch(Wanda Maximoff) and Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff) are integrated into the Ultimates. The Ultimates lead a S.H.I.E.L.D. invasion of the Chautaori's base of operations in Pollomach learning too late of the Chautaori trap, which wipes out the entire S.H.I.E.L.D. strike force.

In America, the Chitauri infiltrate the Triskellion to covertly conquer the world when thousands of ships of the Chitauri high command appear, ordering their ground forces to immediately evacuate Earth, and to activate a bomb large enough to wipe out the entire solar system. During their evacuation, the Chitauri discover that the Ultimates and a large contingent of the S.H.I.E.L.D. strike force survived the blast, courtesy of Iron Man's experimental force field generator. Thor teleports the survivors to the Chitauri's base Phoenix ,Arizona and immediately engage the Chitauri ground forces.

The battle rages, but the situation is slowly disintegrating. The bomb cannot be defused, the skies are choked with Chitauri spaceships and Herr Kleiser, the Chautaori leader, proves too formidable for Captain America to defeat. Finally Thor, with the aid of Mjolnirhis mythical hammer, teleports the bomb to another dimension. American Air Force and Navy jets arrive and engage the Chitauri fleet. Captain America authorizes the weapon of last resort and thousands of feet above the battle, Banner is thrown out of a helicopter. The impact prompts an immediate Hulk transformation, and he proceeds to kill Herr Kleiser. Captain America redirects the Hulk against the Chitauri fleet, destroying it. The Hulk is sedated with an anti-Hulk serum, reverting him to an unconscious, exhausted Bruce Banner. The Ultimates are standing among the ruins of the Chitauri when Janet Pym remarks, "I need to pee.Really bad."

The world celebrates the Ultimates, who celebrate in turn at the White House. Nick Fury walks past the Oval Office to the balcony overlooking Washington and notes to the nearby honor guards that "It's not every day that you save the world."

The Ultimates 2

The second Millar/Hitch run, The Ultimates 2, began in December 2004 and finished in May 2007. Millar stated in Pop Culture Shock that this arc reflected contemporary issues, ranging from hyper-powered countries like the USA, preemptive strikes, the rising world-wide anti-American sentiment in the wake of the Neo-Conservative Bush Doctrine, and the "rogue nation" classification and the fear of backlash in form of nuclear Armageddon. Millar said: "In the name of oil, this administration is stirring up a hornet's nest (...). My own belief is that there'll be a couple of nuclear attacks in the States, the multinationals will move elsewhere, the American economy will completely collapse and make the 30s look like the 80s and the Middle East will be occupied by drafted teenagers from your home town. (...) I hope I'm completely and utterly wrong." [1]

"Gods and Monsters" (The Ultimates 2 #1-6) The Ultimates are critisized both publicly and by S.H.E.I.L.D. for several international mishaps stemming from their involvement in U.S. foreign policy. One incident in particular, in which the Ultimates, invade a Middle-Eastern nation to disarm its nuclear arsenal, brings international accusations that the United States is establishing an expansionist empire similar to Rome. The incident forces Thor's resignation from the team.

Days later, Thor is videotaped attacking Italian riot police at an anti-war protest. Following the incident, the Ultimates are notified by Gunnar Golmen of the Norwegian branch of the European Defense Initiative, who reveals that Thor as an escaped mental patient who stole experimental weapons from a government lab that bestows him incredible power. The Ultimates, faced with a rogue hero running free through the world, assemble a team to apprehend him. Throughout the massive battle, Thor blames his half-brother Loki, whom he accuses of manufacturing evidence to deceive the Ultimates. The team ignores Thor's pleas and after a grueling battle apprehend and imprison him in a Triskellion cell. Gunnar Golmen soon visits him, taunting him from the other side of his cell and revealing his true existence as Loki.

Following Thor's arrest, the Ultimates' involvement with the second Hulk rampage is revealed, causing a massive PR disaster and a death sentence for Bruce Banner, who is sedated and left aboard an aircraft carrier with a ticking nuclear bomb. Hank Pym, in charge of the execution, later receives a call from Banner, far across the world, thanking him.

"Grand Theft America" (The Ultimates 2 #7-13)

Thor remains imprisoned, despite a massive protest outside the Triskelion, proclaiming his innocence. Inside, Thor converses with Tony Stark, warning him that there is a traitor within the Ultimates. Bruce Banner is presumed dead following the successful detonation of the nuclear device. Hank Pym who, after attacking and severely injuring his wife Janet, is no longer a member of the Ultimates, moonlights as a member of the hapless vigilante group, the Defenders while developing prototype designs for his Ultron robots, which he attempts to market to Nick Fury, who is unwilling to associate with Pym. Fury's rebuff and Pym's disastrous career as a Defender prompt him to start seeking out alternate employment with the Ultimate traitor who shares his distaste for the Ultimates.

One night Clint Barton and his wife Laura, following a dinner party with Jan, Steve, Pietro and Wanda, are ambushed by armed men in their home, who kill Laura and the children and capture Hawkeye. Based on video surveillance, Captain America is arrested and imprisoned in the Triskelion. Days later, following Captain America's arrest, the Triskellion is attacked by a massive invasion force. New York City and Washington D.C. are likewise invaded. Despite the Ultimates' best efforts, their ranks have been depleted, and the Reserves are outclassed by the invading forces. The invading force is named the Liberators, a supervillain alliance composed of recruits and funding from rival countries of the United States: Syria, North Korea, China, Russia, and Iran, reinforced with human infantry in specially augmented suits. The Ultimates traitor is revealed as Black Widow, who captured Hawkeye and extracted enough information from his mind to override the various security systems of the Ultimates. Hank Pym, previously approached by the Liberators to betray the Ultimates, is tasked with maintaining order, in the form of his Ultron robots.

The Liberators round up members of the United States government, S.H.I.E.L.D., the Ultimates and assorted American superhero teams. Captain America escapes from the Triskelion with Wasp, Hawkeye escapes from his interrogators, and the three converge onto the White House, where they free the other Ultimates and instigate an immediate counter-offensive against the occupying invaders. The Liberators, many of whom are engineered doppelgangers of existing Ultimates, are gradually dispatched. A supersoldier task force from the European Union appears on American soil and frees Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four, all of whom resist the Liberator occupation in New York City. As the tide turns Hank Pym orders his Ultron robots to turn against the Liberators.

With the Ultimates and their allies on the verge of victory, Loki reveals his true self and threatens retaliation. The Scarlet Witch summons Thor, his injuries healed, and attacks Loki. The two do battle across Washington D.C. before Loki summons a massive inter-dimensional army of trolls, giants and monsters from Norse mythology that force the Ultimates into a retreat. Moments later, clenched together in battle, Thor reveals he brought backup as well. The skies light up with a rainbow bridge and an army of Asgardian warriors join the battle. With the combined might of the Ultimates and their Asgardian reinforcements, Loki's army is defeated, the Trickster himself is sent to Odin for judgment.

Following the battle, Captain America informs Nick Fury the Ultimates will thereafter act as an independent team to be financed by Tony Stark, thus severing ties to the United States government to dissuade further terrorist attacks. Hawkeye locates a recovering Black Widow in a hospital bed, where he kills her. Tony Stark finds a new love interest and on the Triskelion, Jan visits Hank Pym, now incarcerated in the same cell previously occupied with Bruce Banner and Thor.

In an epilogue, Steve Rogers and Gail are seen in 1942 taking a walk in Brooklyn, discussing a future together that will never be.

The Ultimates 3

"Sex, Lies, & DVD"

The third installment, The Ultimates 3, is set to be released December 2007 and will last 5 issues. Plot details have yet to be released, but the creative team of Jeph Loeb and Joe Madureira was announced at Wizard World Chicago in August 2006. According to an interview by Jeph Loeb, Venom, Black Panther, and an unnamed "classic Marvel villain" will appear, alleged to be Magneto by the preview cover.

Issue One will be released with two differnt gatefold covers; one with heros and one with villians. Preview of these covers have shown that Captain America, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Giant Man, Black Panther, an unidentified female character (possibly Valkyrie), Wasp, Thor, Iron Man, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch and another character (most likely Hawkeye but possibly Ultimate Bullseye by the bullseye mark on his forehead) will be appearing as heroes in The Ultimates 3. Villians shown are Magneto, Mystique, Blob, Sabretooth, Multiple Man, Venom, and a yet to be identified female character (possibly a possesed Storm). There has been specuation that these two covers show the ultimates and the brotherhood of mutants, Loeb has commented, stating that these are "a lot of the cast of what is to come. I'm not saying that is the cast. I'm just saying it's a lot of the cast." This arc of Ultimates 3 will relate to the Ultimate Origin mini and lead directly into the Ultimatum arc (by Loeb and Finch) that will take place in Ultimate Fantastic Four and Ultimate X-Men.

The Ultimates 4

Loeb has also indicated in an interview at the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con that he will be writing The Ultimates 4 as well.

Characters

The Ultimates

Members of the Ultimates include Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, the Wasp, Giant-Man, General Nick Fury, the Black Widow, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and the Scarlet Witch.

• General Nick Fury is the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., a fictional branch of the U.S. military devoted to meta-human threats. While primarily tasked with leading the Ultimates through a command center on the Triskellion or a helicarrier, he occasionally joins the team on field missions, where he employs a dazzling array of classified weaponry and technology. He appears constantly in the Ultimate Marvel Universe and personally knows Charlies Xavier and Peter Parker. In an interview for Fanboy Radio Bryan Hitch explains the origins of their version of the character: If a government-sanction superteam existed, it would be run by someone who had had both a military and political background and arrived at Colin Powell. Since the original Nick Fury had been based on the 1960s definition of cool, Dean Martin, the 21st century version would be based on the current definition of cool, Samuel L. Jackson.

  According to Bryan Hitch's Fanboy Radio interview, Samuel L. Jackson's wife purchased original artwork of Nick Fury and has it hanging in his home.

• Captain America, real name Steve Rogers, is the only test subject to survive the "super-soldier serum", which gives him enhanced strength and durability. After his last mission during World War II, he fell into the Arctic Ocean and was cryogenically frozen for over 50 years and only recently was found and revived. He is patriotic, jingoistic and deeply conservative (unlike his more liberal Earth-616 counterpart) stemming from his pre-World War II upbringing. A tactical genius, he is the Ultimates' field leader and maintains a stereotypical 1940s attitude in the modern post-2000 world.

• Iron Man, real name Antonio Stark, son of inventor and defense contractor Howard Stark and geneticist and educator Maria Stark. A billionaire industrialist, unrepentant playboy, shamless womanizer and inventive genius, Stark has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and decides to do something of worth before he dies, utilizing the Iron Man powered armor for his personal crusade instead of selling it on the open market. Tony is particularly susceptible to alcohol due to the proliferation of brain tissue throughout much his body, an uncommon phenomenon responsible for his hyper-intelligence. The condition is also responsible for his constant physical pain, which he sedates with his nearly endless drinking. In the second series, Stark becomes engaged to Natasha Romanova.

• Thor real name Thorlief Golmen, allegedly the exiled Son of Odin. He maintains a cult of personality with his preachings of political conspiracies orchestrated by the New World Order. An ex-nurse who suffered a nervous breakdown and spent 18 months in a mental institution, he possesses the super-powers of flight, weather manipulation, super-strength and clairvoyance. He also wields Mjolnir, which can teleport objects into other dimensions. Thor's true identity as the Norse God of Thunder are frequently questioned by his teammates and the world alike, although the later appearance of Loki in the series gives credence to Thor's claims, following Thor's summoning of Asgardian reinforcements that magically arrive in the real world. He refuses to be an official member of the team, which he considers pawns of the military-industrial complex, but offers his assistance for any "genuine emergency" that requires his help.

• The Hulk, Dr. Robert Bruce Banner. A scientific genius and expert on genetics and radiation, Banner's initial transformation into the Hulk was shielded from the public by S.H.I.E.L.D., who hired him to replicate the super-soldier serum responsible for Captain America. Later, ashamed at his inability to recreate the serum and resentful of his treatment at the hands of his teammates and ex-girlfriend Betty Ross, Banner injects himself with an improved Hulk serum, transforming into the grayish, sociopathic, psychopathic Hulk. The Hulk's subsequent rampage killed 852 people, and Banner was ultimately sentenced to death by nuclear explosion, only to transform into the Hulk prior to detonation and survive the blast. Following a soul-searching journey to Tibet, Banner returns to America during the Liberators invasion to aid the Ultimates.

• Giant-Man and the Wasp, are husband and wife Henry and Janet Pym. Henry is a brilliant but unstable scientist working on the "Super Soldier Project" for S.H.I.E.L.D., assisted by Janet, a molecular biologist. Henry has the ability to proportionately expand himself to 60 feet in height, while Janet can transform into a wasp-sized version of herself, with wings and the ability to project glittering blasts of bio-electric energy. Their strained marriage includes emotional, verbal, and physical abuse by both of them, leading Janet to begin a relationship with Captain America after divorcing Henry. The relationship with Captain America also faces strain, largely from the inherent generational differences and Janet's attempts to re-establish a friendship with Henry.

• The Black Widow and Hawkeye, are Natasha Romanova, a former KGB spy and expert assassin and Clint Barton, a former Olympics archer with superhuman accuracy. Professional partners originally part of the Ultimates' covert operations "Black Ops" team, they were subsequently moved to public status after having their backgrounds falsified for public consumption following the emergence of the Chitauri threat.

• Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, are Pietro and Wanda Maximoff, a pair of mutant siblings and the children of noted mutant terrorist Magneto. Pietro can run, think, and react at super speed while Wanda can consciously manipulate probabilities in her favor. Despite working for the Ultimates, neither Pietro nor Wanda have abandoned their loyalty to Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutant Supremacy or their belief in mutant supremacy. Their mutant status and their father's vengeful wrath following Pietro's betrayal has forced them to remain a part of the Black Ops section. They are very close and intimate with one another with physical behavior bordering on incestuous.

The Reserves

Phase two of the super-soldier program. These soldiers are slated to join the Ultimates, which would decidedly add a much more straightforward military aspect to the team, as these characters are all military personnel.

File:Ultannu.jpg

The Reserves.

• Rocketmen, wearing customized armor suits based on early Iron Man designs. Four are members of the Ultimate Reserves, while the others serve actively as general super-soldiers.
• Giant-Men, seven men injected with a modified version of Hank Pym's "Giant Man" Formula, allowing them to grow to just under 200 feet in height. In issue #9 of Ultimates 2, all the giant-men were seemingly killed by the Liberators' foot soldiers.

In recent issues of Ultimates 2, certain foot soldiers have been equipped with light blue enhancement suits that bestow flight and super-strength upon the wearer. Based on panel illustrations, it can be inferred there are at least 100 troops with these suits.

The following characters have yet to assist the Ultimates.

• The Four Seasons, four Marines who derive their powers from their uniforms. Their costume designs and abilities follow the season motif (though precisely what their powers are is yet to be revealed).
• Lieberman (deceased), the only Reserve member (besides the Giant Men) whose powers were not costume-based. He was injected with the Super-Soldier serum and, as a result, exhibited enhanced speed and strength, as well as nearly indestructible skin. He also possessed an innate connection to the S.H.I.E.L.D. supercomputer. He was intended to replace Captain America in case he was killed or went rogue. However, his central nervous system collapsed after he saved 57 people from a fire in New York City; the strain of the super-soldier serum killed him. It is suggested that there have been several other soldiers like him who died the same way.
• The Human Sentinels, Sixty of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top agents in Sentinel battle armor that has enough hardware to take on a fleet of the old Sentinel models. Special polychrome coatings prevent magnetic fields from harming them in any way. They also have helmets to deter telepathy.

Other reserves are mentioned, Thunderbolt and Intangi-girl, but they were not yet operational in their original appearance, and have not yet reappeared.

Allies

All the other Ultimate Universe title characters (Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four) have interacted with the Ultimates at various times; however, characters who have thus far only appeared in conjunction with the Ultimates are:

• Spider-Man Nick is interested in Spider-Man joining the team when he is older. The Spider-Man/Fury relationship is rather changeable. Peter apparently told MJ (at some point before USM#105) that he wants to be Fury when he grows up, but the two had a serious falling out after the Hobgoblin incident when Peter attacked Nick, leading the latter to believe that Peter might be on the verge of crossing the line from ally to criminal. Fury then built a series of devices to take Peter down which were used in the clone saga before Fury finally came to understand that Peter was actually "Something truly special"; the two have apparently reconciled with Peter even going so far as telling Kingpin in Ultimate Spider-Man #110 that he can sic Nick fury on him. It is unclear how true this is, though given Peter's remark, "You know I can", it's possible that his relationship with S.H.I.E.L.D. is public knowledge. Fury has also manipulated the media into being nice to Spider-Man.
• Falcon, Samuel Wilson, an explorer, adventurer, and scientist who uses a backpack with high-tech folding wings to fly. Wilson first appeared in Ultimate Nightmare, then worked on the Vision, demonstrating a high level of technological understanding. He is an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. rather than an official member of the Ultimates or Reserves.
• Captains Britain, France, Spain, and Italy, of the European Defense Initiative, are the European Union's super-soldiers. Their suits allow them to exhibit superhuman strength, endurance, flight, and are immune to drowning. They assisted in the capture of Thor and rebuilding of America following the Liberators' attack. In addition, Captain Britain is a bioengineer, sharing his father's aptitude for science.
• Mahr Vehl, Pluskommander Geheneris Halason Mahr Vehl, human name Dr. Phillip Lawson, first appeared in Ultimate Secret, as the head scientist of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s space program. He is a Kree alien who underwent surgery to appear human. When necessary, Lawson can activate a cybernetic battlesuit from his wrist watch to gain superhuman strength, flight, endurance, shielding, invisibility, and an arm-mounted cannon. He has yet to reappear.
• Vision, discovered in a Siberian military base during Ultimate Nightmare, the Vision was held for research at the Triskelion. After the defeat of Gah Lak Tus, the Vision is dispatched to herald its arrival on other worlds, along with the warning that "humans can kick the Hell out of anyone." Dr. Pym created a robot based on the Vision midway through Ultimates 2, dubbed Vision II.
• Carol Danvers, a United States Air Force Captain, former director of security at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Aerospace Development Station 9, transferred to personal aide to General Fury. First appearing in Ultimate Secret, it is she that incarcerates Mahr Vehl and is then assigned to watch him at all times. Because of this, Sue Storm teases her about having an alien boyfriend. Captain Danvers makes her reappearance in Ultimate Power.

Headquarters

The Triskelion is the main headquarters of the Ultimates. It first appeared in The Ultimates #3. The Triskelion is a massive compound built by S.H.I.E.L.D. on an artificial island in the Upper New York Bay. It contains docking facilities for ships up to the size of aircraft carriers, airstrips, and several buildings, primarily a large three-winged tower from which the name Triskelion is presumably derived.

The Triskelion was planned by Norman Foster and houses a hospital facility, laboratories, barracks for S.H.I.E.L.D. troops, at least one squadron of fighter jets, and specialized holding facilities for superhuman prisoners.

Since the Ultimates have left the employ of the US Government, they have moved their headquarters to Stark Tower. However, the facility is still under construction.

Enemies

Aside from the Hulk, the Ultimates have fought and encountered several super powered foes, including Magneto and his Brotherhood of Mutant Supremacy, the Ultimate Six, and the products of an abandoned Russian supersoldier program. They have also fought the Ultimate X-Men twice, though it was not until recently that Fury declared the X-Men enemies of the state. They also tangled with the villain Deathlok, whom they defeated with the assistance of Spider-Man.

The Chitauri and their leader, Captain America's wartime nemesis, Herr Kleiser, have proven to be formidable enemies of The Ultimates, a reptilian alien race based on the mainstream Marvel Skrulls.

The Ultimates have over the years defeated or killed a number of super-villains; most are detained in the Triskelion. A list of imprisoned supercriminals include:

• Magneto (Escaped)
• Longshot (Escaped)
• Mystique (Posing as Magneto until UXM #80) (Escaped)
• Mastermind (Posing as Magneto since UXM #80)
• Herr Kleiser (Dead, remains kept imprisoned to prevent him from regenerating.)
• Sinister (Deceased, committed suicide in UXM# 81)
• Deathstrike (Status Unknown: neck snapped by Longshot although she possesses a healing factor)
• Ultimate Six

• Green Goblin (Kept in cryogenic suspension) (Escaped)
• Doctor Octopus (Shown working for the government in USM #103)
• Electro (Escaped)
• Kraven (Escaped)
• Sandman (Scattered into several isolated jars)

• Hobgoblin
• Omega Red (Escaped)
• Deathlok
• Vulture

• Elijah Stern (Created Vulture's suit, now forced to work for Fury)

• Scorpion (Genetically altered Peter Parker clone created by Doctor Octopus)
• Carnage (Genetically altered Gwen Stacy clone created by Doctor Octopus) (Escaped)

The latest enemies of the Ultimates are the Liberators, the superhuman strike force of an international coalition that invades the United States out of retaliation for the incursion of The Ultimates on foreign soil. They seemed to have been influencing most of the events which transpired during the majority of The Ultimates 2 series. During the final battle in New York, the entire team was killed by their Ultimates counterparts with the exception of Perun, Ant-Man and the Liberators' Asgardian ally, Loki.

Main article: Liberators (comics)

Awards and recognition

The "Super-Human" storyline running through the first six issues of the first series won the Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Award for Favorite Story for 2003.

Allusions

• In the DC comic Superman/Batman (issues #20-25), the title characters find themselves involved in a dispute with a group of alternate universe superheroes known as The Maximums, who are analogues of The Ultimates much the way Marvel's Squadron Supreme served as substitutes for DC's Justice League. The Maximums, unlike The Ultimates, are based out of San Francisco.

• While Pym tries to sell Nick Fury on the Ultron and Vision robots, Quicksilver accuses his sister, the Scarlet Witch, of flirting with one of the VISION robots. This is an obvious reference to the Scarlet Witch of the Earth-616 universe, who married the android Vision.

• In issue 6 of The Ultimates, an issue of the Daily Planet is shown with an article titled "Ultimates Success", written by Lois Lane; the words "Daily" and "Lois" are partially covered by an issue of the Daily Bugle and Fury's laptop.

• In issue 3 of The Ultimates, while at the Triskelion opening gala event, Tony Stark is approached by three reporters who each bear striking resemblances to Clark Kent, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen.

• In the first half of Ultimates 2, Loki can be seen in the background when Thor appears delusional. In the restaurant when Volstagg disappears, Loki can be seen in his green suit smirking. Later on, when the protest in Italy turns violent, Loki can be seen walking among the crowd.

• Ultimate Nick Fury is closely based on Samuel L. Jackson with his approval. In a scene in The Ultimates, the characters discuss the actors they would like to play themselves if they ever made an Ultimates movie. Nick fury suggests Samuel Jackson. In real life, Jackson will play Fury in the 2008 Iron Man film.

Ultimate Avengers animated films

Main article: Ultimate Avengers

The Ultimates has been adapted into Ultimate Avengers, a series of animated films released on DVD. Initially, the announcement came on July 20, 2004 that Marvel Entertainment and Lion's Gate Family Home Entertainment would be producing Ultimate Avengers, which was then released on February 21, 2006. Later the same year, the second film, Ultimate Avengers 2, was released on August 8.

Collected editions

Trade paperbacks

The Ultimates Vol. 1: Super-Human	(ISBN 0-7851-0960-9)	collects The Ultimates #1-6
The Ultimates Vol. 2: Homeland Security	(ISBN 0-7851-1078-X)	collects The Ultimates #7-13
The Ultimates 2 Vol. 1: Gods And Monsters	(ISBN 0-7851-1093-3)	collects The Ultimates 2 #1-6
The Ultimates 2 Vol. 2: Grand Theft America	(ISBN 0-7851-1790-3)	collects The Ultimates 2 #7-13
Ultimate Annuals Vol. 1	(ISBN 0-7851-2035-1)	includes The Ultimates 2 Annual #1

Hardcover

The Ultimates

(ISBN 0-7851-1082-8)

collects The Ultimates #1-13

The Ultimates 2

(ISBN 9780785121381 )

collects The Ultimates 2 #1-13 and The Ultimates Annual #1

Mass Market Paperbacks

Tomorrow Men (The Ultimates)

(ISBN 1-4165-1065-6)

Michael Jan Friedman

External links

• Ultimate Central
• ULTIMATES 2 #13 PREVIEW/8-PAGE SPREAD