Ultimate Comics Cataclysm: Why The ULTIMATE UNIVERSE Needs Less Death and More Hope


After months of speculation that the Ultimate Universe is coming to an end, Josh  Hale Fialkov, author of Ultimate Comics: Ultimates, Hunger, and soon-to-be released Cataclysm: Ultimate X-Men, promises there will be a massive death toll during the upcoming Cataclysm mega crossover.  Say it isn’t so!  

In an interview with Nerdist, Fialkov stated “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.”

Cancellation of such a great universe is NOT the answer.  What the Ultimate Universe needs is not more death- it needs more hope.  

When it was first launched in 2000, the Ultimate Universe was fresh, young and bright.  It was an optimistic universe featuring re-imagined versions of classic characters.  Since 2009’s Ultimatum event it has been dark and depressing.  First, Magneto destroyed New York City and killed off half the Ultimate characters (many who died through acts of cannibalism).  The destruction of the universe continued over the past few years- during which Washington was destroyed, along with much of Europe.  Also, all hell broke loose in the US leading to a second civil war.

For some reason, destroying the planet and killing characters is the go-to plot device to bring in new readers to the Ultimate Universe.  But every time they do this, it is not a jump-on point for new readers; it is a jump-off point for loyal readers. 

The Ultimate Universe was created to be the universe that was welcoming to new readers, but recently it has featured a more complicated history than the main universe.

A big attraction of the original Ultimate Universe was that the characters were young.  Now, after all the destruction and death the heroes have survived, they all come off as depressing battle scarred veterans with PTSD.

The shining star in the Ultimate Universe continues to be Miles Morales (I know, I come off as a hypocrite for complaining about the overuse of death in the Ultimate U, and now I am praising Miles who replaced Peter as Spidey.  But Peter’s death was well done and meaningful.  It was not death for death’s sake).  Brian Michael Bendis has created brightness in this universe of death and despair.  Miles has all the themes and values that made the original Spider-Man great (He’s an outcast, nerd with constant guilt), but in a fresh new way.  As Miles embraces his responsibility, Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man retains the refreshing spirit of the original Ultimate Comics titles.

I hope that Marvel is just being a bunch of @$$holes who are screwing with fans to draw attention to the universe.  I want this story-line not to lead to the death of the Ultimate Universe but to the rebirth.  I want to see Galactus portrayed as a legitimate bad@$$ (something he has not been for many years), only to be taken down by a united group of the world’s greatest heroes.  Finally instead of death, I want to see hope for the Ultimate Universe!

Here are the solicitations and covers for the Cataclysm titles:

The variant for issue #1

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+ …$3.99

CATACLYSM: 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+ …$3.99

CATACLYSM: 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+ …$3.99

CATACLYSM: 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+ …$3.99

CATACLYSM: 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

______________________________________________________________________________________ Jay Deitcher, LMSW(@mrdeitcher) is an educator on comic history and runs successful Free Comic Book Day events yearly.  You can see a listing of his incredible articles at JayDeitcher.com.