Next week, Marvel's Ultimate Universe reaches a critical turning point—one that will determine if it even has a future—in Ultimate Endgame.
In addition to the main event series, the climactic five-issue event brings together the entire Ultimate line for the first time. This month has already seen the launch of Ultimate Universe: Two Years In #1, a special one-shot packed with reveals that have set the stage for Ultimate Endgame.
Written by Ultimates scribe Deniz Camp and drawn by superstar artists Jonas Scharf and Terry Dodson, Ultimate Endgame delivers the ultimate payoff to the epic narrative that Jonathan Hickman began over two years ago in Ultimate Invasion. The Maker, creator of the Ultimate Universe, finally returns and confronts the heroes who have brought hope and freedom to a world he once held in his tight grip.
The fate of this world—and its future storytelling—will be decided in an epic, multi-front conflict with the Maker and his powerful allies. Of course, we already know that the Ultimate Universe is ending, but the hope is that many of these characters could live on, whether it be in a limited series or by being transplanted to Earth-616.
Today, Marvel Comics has released an epic trailer for Ultimate Endgame that, somewhat unsurprisingly given the cover art we've seen, takes its cues from 2019's Avengers: Endgame movie.
We've also unearthed a preview page from Ultimate Endgame #1, confirming that Richard Parker's time as Spider-Man is over. He's donned the Venom-like "Picotech" suit in recent months, but we see Tony Stark taking that from him and returning it to its intended host, Peter Parker.
Like DC Comics' Absolute line, the Ultimate titles have frequently outsold the mainstream Marvel universe titles. With that in mind, we'd bet on an Ultimate Universe relaunch, which, following The Maker's final defeat, will obviously once again look vastly different.
Still, there's always a chance that this was only ever going to be a two-year project telling a self-contained story. If that happens, then perhaps we can expect another new Ultimate Universe to be created somewhere down the line.
Check out the Ultimate Endgame trailer below, and stay tuned for more on the first issue when it launches on December 31.