A while ago, we reported stuff and things about Marvel, the Ultimate Line, “Age of Ultron” and Marvel NOW! 2.0.
Yadda yadda yadda, “Cataclysm: The Ultimates Last Stand” was announced at SDCC — but there was nothing about a relaunch for Marvel NOW! 2.0. Oops! Had we gotten it wrong?
Well, not to toot our own horns too much here (because you get it and we’re being annoyingly showy), but announced over at Nerdist, an Ultimate Universe relaunch is in fact happening.
Er– OK. Not exactly. What was announced is that Joshua Fialkov is taking over the reigns of the Ultimate X-Men after Brian Wood’s story wraps up just in time for “Catacylsm”, and that all of the Ultimate Marvel books will be pushed back down to #1 and relaunched as “Catacylsm” tie-ins. So alongside “Cataclysm” #X, you’ll also have “Cataclysm: Ultimate Spider-Man” #1 by Brian Bendis and David Marquez, “Cataclysm: Ultimate X-Men” #1 by Josh Fialkov and Alvatro Martinez and “Cataclysm: Ultimates” #1 by Fialkov and Carmine di Giandomenico.
However, even with this soft-reboot taking place (I hate to call it a reboot or a relaunch but I’m at a loss for a better term — renumbering, maybe?), the layman comic reader knows that this could ostensibly means a real relaunch of sorts is pending, as all titles being re-titled and pushed down to #1 for an event tie-in means that after the event things will be different one way or another.
At the very least, these titles certainly won’t be “Cataclysm: ____” forever.
You’ll also potentially remember that with “Ultimatum,” a number of books relaunched in its wake with additional “Requiem” issues that tied off story lines from “Ultimatum” into the post-“Ultimatum” Ultimate Universe, making way for the reboot of the line. This is perhaps where the Ultimate Universe became most muddied down as certain story lines went nowhere or were abandoned and too much effort was made into tying it all together in a way that just ultimately didn’t work. (So, picture the New 52 on a much smaller scale.)
There’s also this bit from the Nerdist interview to chew on:
N: That was going to be my next question. Is this the beginning of a return to a more condensed, singular Marvel Universe? I know it’s probably a spoiler, but I have to ask…
BMB: What I can promise you is a very important, heart-wrenching story for the Ultimate Universe. As has always been our best foot forward in the Ultimate Universe, our best stories have always been the ones where you, the reader, go, “Wow, I’ve never seen that before.” It’s literally filled with things that will elicit that response. I’m only being vague about the ending because I don’t want to spoil what hopefully will be something people haven’t seen before and will be exciting for people. For longtime Ultimate Universe fans, there’s a lot there for you that’s been building for a while, and, if you’ve just stumbled in and out, it’s a big giant Marvel Universe story and it’s pretty important to all these characters going forward.
JHF: I mean, look, I love the Ultimate Universe and I just got here. My luck is not great – I’ll be honest. If I was estimating based on my own personal success and situations I’ve also found myself in, most likely I’ll be homeless and begging on the street like, “I did Ultimate X-Men! Anybody? Please!” I’ll show them all! I killed everybody! It’s so weird to talk about these books because we’re supposed to tease the end of the universe but we’re also not supposed to say we’re ending the universe. You can tease it, but don’t play it… what the hell does that mean? The gist of it is that everyone’s dead. Things will never be the same.
Whether the Ultimate Universe will survive the cataclysm is unknown at this time. There is enough evidence (and rumors circling) that this is in fact the end, as everything that we had been reporting — that a big doomsday event was coming tied into “Age of Ultron” that would coincide with a relaunch — has now essentially happened. We’re just as in the dark as you are, at this point.
Continued below
However, it’s mainly Bendis’ “going forward” remark that makes me believe our theory of Miles ending up in the 616 universe as the Spider-Man in “Mighty Avengers” has credence so my bet would be on this being the end of the Ultimate Universe as a line if not everything but “Ultimate Spider-Man” in some form or fashion. After all, “Ultimate Spider-Man” is consistently the best-selling and most critically acclaimed Ultimate title, but with the Ultimate Universe literally going through a mega Doomsday event there may not be a need for it anymore.
Perhaps some consolidation is in order? The Ultimate Universe could survive, if only for random minis and jaunts into an alternate universe…
We’ll find out soon, I imagine.
Here are your solicits:
CATACLYSM: THE ULTIMATES’ LAST STAND 1
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS | Penciled by MARK BAGLEY | Cover by MARK BAGLEY
THE BIGGEST ULTIMATE EVENT YET! MARVEL’S GALACTUS VS. THE ULTIMATES
• AGE OF ULTRON ripped a hole into the Ultimate Universe
• GALACTUS came through…hungry
• Is this the last stand of the Ultimate heroes?
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99CATACLYSM: THE ULTIMATES’ LAST STAND 2
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS | Penciled by MARK BAGLEY | Cover by MARK BAGLEY | Variant Cover by GABRIEL HARDMAN
• The ULTIMATES discover where GALACTUS has come from
• If they send the WORLD DESTROYER back to where he came from all that will do is create more destruction and havoc
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99CATACLYSM: ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN 1
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS | Cover & Art by DAVID MARQUEZ | Variant Cover by GABRIEL HARDMAN
• MILES MORALES learned the meaning of having great responsibility and put his costume back on after mourning the tragic death of his mother
• Now he stands to lose his entire world as a cosmic threat descends on earth
• Can SPIDER-MAN and his friends, CLOAK & DAGGER and SPIDER-WOMAN make a difference in the face of apocalypse?
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99CATACLYSM: ULTIMATE X-MEN 1 (WITH DIGITAL CODE)
Written by JOSH HALE FIALKOV | Penciled by ALVARO MARTINEZ | Cover by MARIUS SIERGIEJEW | Variant Cover by GABRIEL HARDMAN
• The mutants just survived a war between themselves that almost destroyed both sides
• As GALACTUS threatens to eat the world, a secret weapon is put in place to stop him
• But will it be the thing that finally wipes all of mutant kind out of existence?
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99CATACLYSM: ULTIMATES 1 (WITH DIGITAL CODE)
Written by JOSH HALE FIALKOV | Penciled by CARMINE DI GIANDOMENICO |Cover by MUKESH SINGH | Variant Cover by GABRIEL HARDMAN
• NICK FURY has defied the odds all his life and is no stranger to extinction level events
• It’s time to save the world again…at any cost!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
