Upcoming American comic book
Ultimate Invasion is a four-issue American comic book limited series written by Jonathan Hickman, drawn by Bryan Hitch and colored by Alex Sinclair, which was published by Marvel Comics on June 21, 2023.[1]
Publication history
Ultimate Invasion is a 2023 Marvel Comics four-issue limited series written by Jonathan Hickman, drawn by Bryan Hitch and colored by Alex Sinclair, which brings back the Ultimate Comics universe that was created by Brian Michael Bendis in 2000 and concluded in 2015 after the "Secret Wars" storyline.[2]
The story features a large cast of characters, including individuals native to the Earth-616 univrerse, such as the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and Doctor Strange, and characters who originated in the Ultimate Marvel universe, such as the Ultimates and Miles Morales. It focuses the Maker's attempts to restore Earth-1610.[1]
During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Hickman said, "[Revisiting the idea of Ultimate Comics] couldn't be replicating or revisiting what Bryan did in the original Ultimates - creating a streamlined, modernized version that would eventually become the spine of the MCU, and it certainly couldn't be what I did, which was a final chapter of a pre-existing universe. We also thought the very idea of Ultimate Comics needed to be inverted from what the original universe was - we wanted this to be something that could really only exist in the comic space: a new way of thinking about, and enjoying, a new version of the Marvel Universe. I'm pretty happy to say that it feels like we’ve accomplished those things and we’re very excited for everyone to get to read it."[3]
Hitch added, "It's been more than 20 years since I started work on The Ultimates, a project that would have a big impact on my own career and beyond, so when Marvel came to me with the idea of revisiting the Ultimate Universe with the man who so brilliantly and spectacularly destroyed the last one, I was both feet in! Jonathan is a terrific writer of big, sprawling epics, and we’ve talked about working together more than once so for this new Ultimate Universe adventure to unite us is very exciting," he states. "I get to bring two decades of new experience as an artist and storyteller to this. It's new, different and familiar. It's big budget, high-concept, widescreen storytelling. I feel right at home."[3]
Plot
Lead-up
Earth-1610 was a parallel universe to the mainstream Marvel Universe (known as Earth-616). Maker (a Reed Richards of Earth-1610) and Miles Morales were native to that universe, which was destroyed during the "Secret Wars" storyline and both were displaced into the main Marvel Universe.[4][5]
The Maker met the "Council of Reeds", a conclave of versions of Reed Richards from the multiverse, like himself. The Council of Reeds used the alias of "Project Oversight" to further their plans.[6][7]
He manipulated Venom to be able to return to Earth-1610, and found its New York City in ruins and its superheroes nowhere to be found. Brock reasoned that the Council of Reeds would ask him to restore his home universe to join them and that he would invade Earth-616 to do so.[8][9]
Main story
Two months ago at the Blaakguard Building, a group of armed mercenaries raid it where they steal some key cards off the people they knocked down with their sonic weapons. Using the key cards, they make their way to the sub-level where they find a special prison containing the man who contracted them to break him out. Once they open the prison, they are greeted by Maker as they give him his outfit. When the mercenaries are ordered to remove their masks, Maker identifies them as Dominic Green, Misha Slope, Randall West, and two other members as Maker learns that Keith and Itchy perished in a freak accident where they had to improvise. Maker then places his outfit on and then uses a device to merge the mercenaries into a look-alike of him to fool everyone as he takes his leave. Six weeks ago at the Blaakguard Building, Mister Fantastic and Black Panther are looking through the rubble. They arrive at where Maker is imprisoned as the imposter Maker disintegrates. One week later at the Baxter Building, Maker infiltrates it and makes contact with someone. The next day at the Necropolis, Mister Fantastic informs his fellow Illuminati members Black Bolt, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Iron Man, Namor, and Professor X on what had happened. They each state about how Maker came to each of their locations. Maker stole some Vibranium from Wakanda, four Terrigen Spheres from Arctilan, a bridge from a Stark Warehouse, a Mutant Gateway from Krakoa, absconded with an immunity lance from the Sanctum Sanctorum, and stole some diluted shields from Atlantis. They figure out what he is building. Meanwhile, Maker arrives at the Morales family's apartment where his arrival awakens Miles Morales. He claims to Miles that they have a shared history of being from Earth-1610 and tries to get him to go home with him. With Miles unconvinced, Maker states that the offer still stands if he changes his mind as Maker disappears. Moments later, the Illuminati confront Maker as he claims that he is using a portal to go to the one place where he can call his own. Despite the Illuminati's attacks, Maker escapes through the portal as they vow to find him. Before he departs, The Maker asks Mister Fantastic if he would erase him from existence, with Mister Fantastic responding with "yes". The Maker then remarks he'll "keep that in mind". On Earth-6160, Peter Parker and Liz Allan arrive at the demonstration of the Isotope Genome Accelerator. When a spider got affected by its radioactive waves, it tries to bite Peter only for Maker in his Reed Richards appearance to smack it and contain its corpse as he didn't want anything fatal to happen to him.[10]
Reception
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adding to it. (June 2023)
Future
In June 2023, it was reported that the end of Ultimate Invasion will lead to a new line of titles in the Ultimate Marvel line.[13][14]
