The New Ultimate Universe Highlights the Importance of a Missing Marvel Team

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In the early 1960s, a newly-rehired Jack Kirby began his storied partnership with Marvel editor-in-chief Stan Lee. Spinning out of a mixture of ideas Kirby tried out at DC—especially his Challengers of the Unknown—Fantastic Four was something special, being a space-age attempt at a superhero team that prioritized family, friendship, and exploration of new ideas over being a squadron or platoon whose only purpose was combat, like previous iconic teams. It’s widely agreed upon that the launch of the team was the debut of Marvel’s Silver Age of comics, an age characterized by its sci-fi influence (thanks to Kirby, someone fascinated by the cosmic), heavy inspiration from the wars of the time, and the return of love for superheroes that most readers lost after the end of WWII.

The Fantastic Four brought back superheroes in full swing. Shortly following the team’s debut in the real world, The X-Men, The Avengers, The Mighty Thor, and even The Amazing Spider-Man all launched with #1s, with each of these iconic books co-written by either Jack “The King” Kirby, Stan “The Man” Lee, or a duet of both. It is undoubtedly true that there has not been a revelation within the superhero genre at this level since Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s invention of Superman in 1938. When the time came in 2024 for a brand new wide-scale alternate universe of Marvel Comics, the Ultimate Universe/Earth-6160, readers quickly realized that the Fantastic Four were completely absent from the lineup of books and the universe’s mythos—and their absence has been felt. With a team as influential as the F4, it’s worth noting exactly how their non-existence could shape a Marvel universe as deeply as it did to 6160.

Without The Fantastic Four, Heroism Looks Different

In Earth-616, the influence of the Fantastic Four is felt by all, shaping a new age of superheroes.

Having been the start of the silver age of Marvel Comics, The Fantastic Four brought with them a new concept of heroism. A stronger sci-fi influence riddled the pages of Marvel, a closer bond between friends and family, and a strong sense of nobility. In 6160, the Fantastic Four never existed, meaning the influence they usually generate within other heroes is absent here, changing what it means to be a superhero.

The Ultimates are this universe’s premier superhero group, composed of a band of renegade outlaw Avengers-stand-ins that, instead of fighting random supervillain threats, target members of, and stooges for, a fascistic institution governing the Earth known as “The Council.”

Reed Richards even intended as much, making his family into celebrities as penance for disfiguring them with powers. However, with the absence of Marvel’s First Family in the Ultimate Universe, the Ultimates are in a much more interesting spot. Considered domestic terrorists and put on blast by the media, The Ultimates were forced to act as heroes despite the public’s hatred of them, a model of superheroism more akin to the typical Spider-Man story than the Avengers.

The most notable shift in the concept of heroism has to be found in Spider-Man, who in this universe is significantly more passive than usual. A much more reactive character, being dragged along by the influence of Harry Osborn as the Green Goblin, Peter Parker has less of an individual identity. Famously, in an issue of Steve Ditko and Stan Lee’s iconic run on The Amazing Spider-Man, Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Four delivered a speech at Peter’s school that reshaped his mentality of heroism, instilling the mantra of “never give up, never say die!” The speech by Johnny never happens in this universe. Peter doesn’t even become Spider-Man in high school; he’s a father of two well into his early 40s when he gets bit by a radioactive spider in the Ultimate Universe.

The lack of inspiration from Johnny and the lack of a bond with the Fantastic Four– who are usually his closest superheroic allies— leaves Peter depending on Green Goblin for a guiding light, one that is seemingly leading him astray. Peter’s relationship with the belief that “with great power, there must also come great responsibility” is typically bordering on unhealthy. Still, in 6160, he almost takes a much more laid-back approach, showing a lack of care for the smaller-scale issues—care that Johnny Storm might’ve been able to help him with if it weren’t for his death before Peter ever became Spider-Man.

The Relationship Between Marvel’s Earth And Cosmic Realms Is Severed

Without the legendary team of cosmonaut explorers, 6160’s heroes know little about space

The Fantastic Four got their start before they were ever superheroes as a team of astronauts. They set out to explore space and the Negative Zone together when they got in a horrific accident that left them transformed into superhumans.

Johnny Storm was set ablaze in the accident, dying on the spot. Susan Storm contracted cancer from the cosmic radiation the team was exposed to. And saddest of all, Ben Grimm took his own life. Having no premiere astronaut superheroes has influenced Earth-6160’s cosmic side, as many superheroes are unaware of the goings-on in space. In the early days of modern Marvel, the universe’s cosmic side was usually unveiled within the pages of Fantastic Four.

Having introduced various alien races and empires—such as the Skrulls, Kree Empire, the Negative Zone, and the Inhumans—Fantastic Four was an incredibly important title to introduce those to the sci-fi reality of the Marvel Universe. However, with no cosmonaut explorers in this universe, heroes and readers have been left unaware of the cosmos of Earth-6160. In The Ultimates #8, readers finally meet a member of the Kree, this universe’s Captain Marvel, implying the Kree Empire exists. Hopefully, more of it will be seen in this universe’s future– perhaps alongside a new spin on their mortal enemy, the Skrulls. However, the reality of the Inhumans isn’t quite as optimistic, seeing as their king, Black Bolt, was killed by Nick Fury when he was only a child.

The First Family’s Mythos Has Been Strung Across Other Heroes’ Books

Without a proper home, the Fantastic Four’s allies and villains have been split among the greater world

The Fantastic Four has one of the most expansive histories of any superhero team ever, receiving nearly 1,000 issues between every relaunch of their main title and status quo changes such as Jonathan Hickman’s “FF”.

While some characters, notably Galactus and the Silver Surfer, are simply M.I.A. in 6160 for the time being, some have been repurposed for brand-new worlds. While the Mole Man can’t fight the Fantastic Four using the forces of the underworld, 6160’s version of the character can fight Spider-Man and the Green Goblin using the forces of two: a criminal underworld, of which he uses to command an entire secret, sixth bureau of New York as a part of the Sinister Six, and a literal under-world hidden beneath the Earth’s surface. The Mole Man’s Moloids even made a cameo in The Ultimates #1, being a regular pest in this universe akin to cockroaches or rats, for which there are specialized exterminators instead of a hidden society.

According to solicits for an upcoming issue of Deniz Camp’s The Ultimates, the Avengers analog will come in contact with Namor the Sub-Mariner, a character who, despite not being introduced in an issue of Fantastic Four— was the first Marvel superhero ever created, debuting when the publishing titan was known as Timely Comics—has become inherently linked to the team. Namor won’t reunite with the team he’s more famously connected to; he will reunite with The Invaders, a platoon of superhumans deployed in World War II, and get a chance to fight alongside Captain America and the original Human Torch, members of both the Invaders and Ultimates.

The Arch-Nemesis Of The Fantastic Four Is Completely Different

Victor Von Doom is one of the greatest comic villains ever to exist—and he’s not even part of this universe

Comic book heroes would be nothing without their villains. Batman with no Joker is unfathomable, and Superman with no Lex Luthor is a recipe for disaster, but in a world with no Fantastic Four, one would assume Doctor Doom is also M.I.A. However, Doom remains in Earth-6160 despite the Fantastic Four’s absence—but he’s not Victor Von Doom, the emperor of Latveria.

In the accident that claimed the life of Johnny Storm and led to the deaths of Ben Grimm and Susan Storm, only one survivor remained: Reed Richards. Despite not being physically altered by the incident, Reed was undoubtedly mentally scarred, blaming himself for getting the calculations wrong and killing his family. However, Earth-6160’s Reed made no mistake, having planned a perfect course.

Unfortunately, Earth-1610’s Reed Richards, a multiversal supervillain named The Maker, sabotaged the rocket’s trajectory and caused the horrific accident. Following the accident, The Maker would kidnap Reed, torturing him over an unknown, lengthy period of time until his mental state was so fractured that Reed could no longer even say his name. At the end of The Maker’s torture process, he slipped a helmet onto Reed, telling him his new name: “Doom.”

Taking Reed’s family from him wasn’t enough for The Maker, for he needed his multiversal counterpart also to wear the face of his Earth-616’s self’s greatest enemy. Earth-6160’s Doom didn’t become a villain, as one may expect from that horrific and tragic origin, however—in fact, Doom set out to inspire a revolt against The Maker, building a portable time machine and installing it into a suit of armor built for Tony Stark, the son of this universe’s Iron Man, forming The Ultimates alongside him and a newly-defrosted Captain America.

Doom is still a tortured soul, having a form of bipolar depression that comes in waves—with his lower state of mind being deemed his “Negative Zone”—and a more quiet, absent personality. Although Victor Von Doom is missing from this world, the void left by him has been appropriately filled by one of 2024’s greatest new characters.

“}]] When The Maker invaded Earth-6160 and reshaped it in his image, he removed a team from the new Ultimate Universe, making everything less fantastic.  Read More