Marvel's new Ultimate Universe may be coming to an end, but its unforgettable characters and bold storytelling promise to leave a lasting impact on the Marvel mythos. This April, just ahead of the final issue of Ultimate Endgame, the conclusive saga of the Ultimate Universe, we'll be able to celebrate the line with 24 "Ultimate Farewell Variant Covers."
Adorning various main universe Marvel titles, the covers spotlight the greatest heroes and most epic moments from all five acclaimed Ultimate series.
The collection is illustrated by today's top artists, including those who brought the universe to life like Peach Momoko and David Messina, alongside superstar Marvel talent offering their own fresh takes on the universe that ignited the industry.
A two-year project told in real time, the Ultimate Universe was a first-of-its-kind line of storytelling that, as Marvel puts it, "quickly became history in the making." The publisher adds, "Following its groundbreaking, can't-miss conclusion, it'll be able to be enjoyed from beginning to end as a complete, interconnected, and deeply rewarding saga for generations to come!"
We don't know if the Ultimate Universe was always just a two-year story or if declining sales figures factored into the decision to pull the plug sooner than expected.
While it would be wrong to call this a failed experiment, it does rather seem like things went off the rails at some point. Jonathan Hickman was originally the main architect of the new Ultimate Universe. However, after wrapping up Ultimate Spider-Man last week, he's done with Earth-6160 and passed the reins to Ultimates scribe Deniz Camp for Ultimate Endgame.
Head of Marvel Comics and Franchise Dan Buckley previously shared Hickman's reaction to Marvel Comics' plans to end the line. "We were at one of those creative retreats, and I was sitting next to him, we’re just talking, and he’s like, 'Well, we’re finishing our stories, then you could do that,'" he explained. "I said, 'No, you’re done.'"
"I was by myself with Jon, Jonathan’s looking at me, he goes, 'What do you mean we’re done?' I said, 'We’re shutting it down.' He goes, 'Why are we shutting it down?' I said, 'It’s the end, right?'"
So, it wasn't Hickman's intention to wrap up this story with The Maker's return. As of now, it's looking increasingly likely that we've seen the last of these reimagined Marvel Comics icons.
Check out the first wave of "Ultimate Farewell Variant Covers" below.