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Warning! Spoilers ahead for The Ultimates #8!MCU fans are a few months away from meeting the live-action versions of the Fantastic Four, but Marvel has just overhauled one of the team’s classic companions. The new Ultimate Universe has steadily been introducing new versions of Marvel characters and the newest H.E.R.B.I.E. may be its most jarring overhaul yet.
In The Ultimates #8 by Deniz Camp and Juan Frigeri, the titular team is standing in a cornfield, having been alerted to a temporal aberration by Doom. The team has no idea what’s going on, but fear that the Maker has already escaped The City and begins to panic.
All the while, the team is being monitored by Doom, who isn’t there physically but has a robot standing by to relay any information they need in case of emergency. The robot is a floating sphere with eyes, but unlike the Fantastic Four’s usual H.E.R.B.I.E., this one resembles Doom’s iconic mask.
The Fantastic Four’s H.E.R.B.I.E. Gets a Stunning Makeover
H.E.R.B.I.E. Reminds Everyone Who Ultimate Doom Really Is
The Maker, an evil variant of Reed Richards, escaped captivity with the intention of remaking his universe. But unlike the original Ultimate Universe, the Maker purposefully prevented heroes from rising to power by interfering with their origins. He prevented Spider-Man from ever being bitten and the Maker also caused the deaths of this world’s Fantastic Four (except for Reed Richards, whom the Maker imprisoned). The new Ultimate Reed was conditioned to be the new Doom, complete with mask. But after teaming up with Tony Stark, the two embarked on a crusade to stop the Maker for good.
While the robot is never actually called H.E.R.B.I.E., it essentially plays the same role. Like H.E.R.B.I.E., this automaton was designed by Reed to aid his team. Because of the differences to this Earth’s history, it’s not a shock that H.E.R.B.I.E. looks more like the floating head of a Doombot than his usual self. But it’s a good way of communicating who this Doom actually is. The new Ultimate Universe is taking wild swings with its characters. This new creation is a good reminder that the Maker may have made him Doom, but Reed is still Mister Fantastic at his core.
Differences Aside, the Ultimate Universe is Still the Marvel Universe
The More the Ultimate Marvel Universe Changes, The More Tihngs Stay the Same
With Reed Richards’ variant attempting to recreate an Earth in his image, it’s easy to forget that Reed is a good person. Doubly so when he’s wearing the mask of his most bitter enemy. But at the center of all the trauma the Maker has put him through, Reed still has that wild sense of creation and would certainly still be capable of making something like H.E.R.B.I.E.. Maybe he’s not healed enough to make the robot exactly like the Earth-616 one, but as the Ultimates work together, the Fantastic Four hero may just find his passion for creation once again.
The Ultimates #8 is available now from Marvel Comics.
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