Last year, Marvel Comics announced that the Ultimate Universe would end two years after being launched. The line has been a success for the publisher, albeit not quite on the same scale as DC's Absolute line of comics.
Many fans have expressed unhappiness with the prospect of saying goodbye to the Ultimate versions of characters like Spider-Man, Iron Lad, and the X-Men. However, it seems the universe will continue in some form.
Marvel Comics has confirmed today that when Ultimate Endgame concludes, that won't necessarily be the end of the line for this world.
"As the Ultimate Universe ends," reads a brief press release. "May's Reborn: Ultimate Impact reveals how the Ultimate Universe’s legacy will reverberate across the Marvel Universe. Stay tuned later this week for the full announcement."
This is likely linked to the Origin Boxes and Chip Zdarsky's upcoming Armageddon event. The prevailing theory among fans is that the Earth-616 versions of original characters like Lejori Zakaria, the Ultimate She-Hulk, will gain powers in the main Marvel Universe.
Head of Marvel Comics and Franchise Dan Buckley previously said, "There’s a lot of story being told here. You’ll be able to take this journey — take the beginning, the middle, and the end — and digest it for years to come and be able to pass it on to people and say, 'This is the experiment, this type of storytelling, we’re allowed to do this.'"
"We’re not going to do this with the Marvel Universe," he clarified. "This is more about a group of creators getting together and saying, 'This is what I see as a story, we want to have a beginning, a middle, and an end.'"
Marvel's new Ultimate Universe began in June 2023 with Jonathan Hickman and Bryan Hitch's Ultimate Invasion. The Maker, a dark version of Reed Richards from the original Ultimate Universe, created a world without heroes. Despite his meticulous planning, heroes like Spider-Man and the Ultimates still rose to embrace their destinies—but the trajectory of their journeys was radically altered.
It's been said that, from the beginning, the Ultimate Universe was built with a predetermined endpoint: the Maker's return from captivity. The Maker's release kicked off Ultimate Endgame, a five-issue event series launched in December that brings this interconnected universe together for a climactic showdown.
Stay tuned for updates on Marvel Comics' plans for Reborn: Ultimate Impact later this week, and check out a teaser below.