10 Marvel Teams Fans Want in the Ultimate Universe

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The Marvel Universe has several groups and teams of heroes, ranging from the X-Men and Fantastic Four to the Avengers. Most of these teams and their spinoff groups have different functions and scopes, each offering unique stories and adventures. So far, there isn’t this same level of diversity in the new Ultimate Universe, but there’s ample room for more heroes.

The new Ultimate Universe is a rebooted version of the version from the 2000s, with the main team still being the Ultimates (an alternate equivalent to the Avengers). The Fantastic Four is not there, and while there’s an Ultimate X-Men book, the X-Men themselves are far from a real team. Thus, there’s the potential for Earth-6160 to have its versions of several different Marvel teams, both mainstream and obscure.

10

The Defenders Can Do What the Ultimates Can’t

First Appearance: Marvel Feature #1 by Roy Thomas and Ross Andru

In the mainstream Marvel Universe, the Defenders are a weird “nonteam” of random, mostly unrelated characters who usually assist Doctor Strange in fighting mystical threats. The membership was briefly changed to match the Marvel Netflix series of the same name, with this iteration being a street-level team featuring Daredevil, Iron Fist, Luke Cage and Jessica Jones. Likewise, the original Ultimate Universe portrayed the Defenders as a veritable group of losers, with these powerless vigilantes trying and failing to make a name for themselves.

The new Ultimate Universe can use the Defenders name similarly to the Netflix shows, turning it into a group of mostly street-level heroes. In this way, they could deal with the threats that the Ultimates might overlook, with Ultimate Universe Luke Cage perhaps being their leader. Ironically, this would make the name “Defenders” more important in the new universe than “Avengers.”

First Appearance: The Champions #1 by Tony Isabella and Don Heck

As originally envisioned, the Champions were essentially an even more failed and haphazard version of the Defenders. Simply throwing random superheroes together, the book and time had little rhyme or reason. Nowadays, it’s known as a team of youthful heroes similar to the Young Avengers, but even this group has since disbanded.

With not much nostalgia or even many definitive stories for the Champions, the team can be imagined in just about any way in the new Ultimate Universe. It’s worth noting that there aren’t any sidekicks in this world because it is still recent. It could be shown that the villainous overlord, The Maker, has engineered recognizable sidekicks for his own ends, with these “Champions” attacking the Ultimates at his whim.

8

The New Warriors Can Be a More Traditional Superhero Team On Earth-6160

First Appearance: The Mighty Thor #411 by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz

The New Warriors were introduced in the comics as a halfway point between the random rosters of the Defenders/Champions and later teams of young heroes such as the Young Avengers or the new Champions. Featuring Night Thrasher, Nova, Darkhawk and several other heroes, the group was a fairly independent team of superheroes

Since fading from the limelight, it’s not been nearly as prominent in the past few years, but the Ultimate Universe can change that. Given how proactive and somewhat dark the Ultimates are, the Ultimate New Warriors can be a more traditional and heroic team. They might even be government-sponsored, with their sunny exterior all being part of their public relations. This would create a sort of rivalry between the two teams, all while making the New Warriors a major name once again.

7

X-Force Can Be the True Ultimate Universe Mutant Team

First Appearance: The New Mutants #100 by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld

In the mainstream Marvel Universe, X-Force is one of many spinoff teams of the X-Men, with this group in particular being a spinoff of the youthful New Mutants. Led by the cyborg mutant commando Cable, X-Force was a sort of paramilitary team, representing the grim and gritty trend of the late 1980s and early 1990s. There isn’t a unified X-Men team in the new Ultimate Universe so X-Force can play that role instead.

The Maker may have eliminated mutants such as Cable so that X-Force would have a radically altered team in the Ultimate Universe. This might include otherwise overlooked mutants, such as Marrow, Maggot, Dusk, Banshee and others. Likewise, the presence of X-Force could be the first major push for mutant civil rights, given the status of the species in the new continuity.

6

Power Pack Should Reverse the Age of Its Heroes

First Appearance: Power Pack #1 by Louise Simonson and June Brigman

Power Pack was somewhat unique when it debuted due to the superhero team members’ ages. Instead of being teenagers, young adults or older, Power Pack was made up of small children. That’s a recipe for disaster in the new Ultimate Universe and its high stakes, but reversing this might make for an interesting premise.

Instead of being young kids, the Ultimate Universe Power Pack can be made up of especially old senior citizens. Their powers might rejuvenate them somewhat, making the sight of old people engaging in adventures even more intriguing. Due to this, they might not be taken seriously, which would only make them more effective.

5

The Future Foundation Might Have No Ties to the Fantastic Four

First Appearance: Fantastic Four #579 by Jonathan Hickman and Steve Epting

The Future Foundation is a sort of spinoff group for the Fantastic Four, with the organization formed by Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic. Its goal was to better serve humanity in scientific and philanthropic means, with the team formed by members of the Fantastic Four, Power Pack and other heroes. The Fantastic Four doesn’t exist in the Ultimate Universe, as The Maker is an evil version of Richards from the original Ultimate Universe. Thus, introducing the Future Foundation would take some reconfiguring.

In the new Ultimate Universe, the Future Foundation might again be a philanthropic and scientific organization with no ties to superhuman teams. Likewise, it might even be an arm of the military that seeks to understand how to arm the human race against its evolutionary “successors” in a drastically changed world. It might even be formed to deal with superhuman catastrophes and emergencies, essentially making it like the F4’s DC equivalent, the Challengers of the Unknown.

First Appearance: Black Panther Vol. 3 #1 by Christopher Priest and Mark Texeira

Initially, Marvel Knights was merely an imprint for Marvel’s lesser-performing titles, though it became associated with books based around experimentation and celebrity writers. It was also largely associated with street-level heroes such as Daredevil and the first Ultimate Spider-Man, who each assembled their own unnamed teams who unofficially used the moniker. Still, “Marvel Knights” as a team has rarely been solidified, and that could change in the new Ultimate Universe.

Earth-6160 Marvel Knights can be a team of non-Ultimates heroes, with Spider-Man chief among them. Of course, the membership will change somewhat due to Matt Murdock not being Daredevil in this universe. It’s the best way to showcase another side to heroism beyond the proactive Ultimates, and putting Spider-Man front and center would only guarantee its success.

3

X-Factor Can Use the Team’s Original – and Much Darker – Premise

First Appearance: X-Factor #1 by Bob Layton and Jackson Guice

X-Factor was the first major X-Men spinoff team; its original ranks comprised the original X-Men members. Before taking on the modern “investigative” premise, X-Factor masqueraded as a unit made to hunt down mutants and deal with mutant problems. The team tried to help mutants, using their subterfuge to their advantage.

With mutants still a societal issue in some parts of the world in the Ultimate Universe, X-Factor could be formed to deal with the growing species. Its ranks might include major human enemies of the X-Men in the mainstream universe, including Senator Kelly, Bastion and others. This way, it’s not just another group of mutants and showcases a different side of the mutant conflict.

2

Excalibur Can Be Divorced From Its Usual Mythos

First Appearance: Excalibur Special Edition #1 by Chris Claremont and Alan Davis

Excalibur was another X-Men spinoff team, though it was the most tertiary of the group. Based in England and featuring Captain Britain, the weird universe-hopping team had little to do with the mutants and more to do with bizarre cross-dimensional stories in the vein of Doctor Who. While it sold well, it felt like more of an inorganic extension than anything else.

In the Ultimate Universe, Excalibur can instead be a British equivalent of S.H.I.E.L.D. or other groups, with the focus being on espionage. This might be necessary to some extent, as Captain Britain himself is a villain in this world. Likewise, it might tie into mutants to showcase how the species is treated in the U.K., contrasting with their treatment in Wakanda, Japan and other countries.

1

The Midnight Sons Need to Return In the Ultimate Universe

First Appearance: Ghost Rider #28 by Howard Mackie, Andy Kubert and Bobbie Chase

Formed in the 1990s, the Midnight Sons reflected the increasing horror bend in the Marvel Universe. Made up of antiheroes such as Ghost Rider, Blade and Morbius, these paranormal beings took on similarly supernatural threats. This area of the new Ultimate Universe hasn’t been explored much, leaving ample room for the team to show up.

The Midnight Sons can be how Ultimate Universe versions of Blade, Morbius and Ghost Rider debut, with the team perhaps formed to deal with supernatural enemies unleashed by The Maker. This lack of control over magic would make sense, given Reed Richards’ own affinity for science. As a result, the Midnight Sons would be the main thing stopping The Maker’s potential “Legion of Monsters” from destroying everything in their path.

“}]] The Ultimates are currently the only real team in the new Ultimate Universe, but Marvel’s relaunched alternate timeline can introduce other groups.  Read More