The Ultimate Universe was once Universe-1610. The original concept was that the increase in superpowers would start in the late 1990s / early 2000s, leading to heroes and villains acting differently. Eventually, in 2015, the Marvel Comics event Secret Wars eliminated the publishing of comic books from the Ultimate Universe. However, characters from that timeline, like Miles Morales and The Maker (Reed Richards), remained part of the main continuity (Universe-616).
In 2023, Marvel Comics restarted the Ultimate Universe (Ultimate Invasion by Jonathan Hickman), but not like it was originally created. The difference was that this wasn’t Universe-1610, it was 6160. Thanks to The Maker's interference in the past, it became a timeline below the prime universe. No one knew this except for The Ultimates and the people The Maker told. Or so we thought.
In Ultimate Spider-Man No. 16, readers learn that people believe that there’s a world on top of theirs, and it’s a conspiracy theory hidden so deep that only the real people in charge would know about it. It isn’t shocking that Jericho Drumm (aka Dr. Voodoo) wrote a book about this called "The World That Is and The World That Was". He's a smart man who's willing to dig for the truth. What is surprising is how this is revealed.
Ultimate Spider-Man 16 creative team
- Writer: Jonathan Hickman
- Artist: Marco Checchetto
- Colorist: Matthew Wilson
During Harry Osborn and Gwen Stacy’s first Christmas as a married couple, Harry gives Gwen the Dr. Jericho Drumm book. He says it’s because she loves conspiracy theories. Gwen says that it’s more than that, and that’s why the book is nearly impossible to get. She believes the stuff Jericho wrote, and there’s a reason why. Everyone, brace yourself. She knows the truth because there’s a secret society of Mysterio, and Gwen Stacy is a member.
Things for major characters in this timeline have changed. On Earth-6160, Gwen Stacy’s father (George Stacy) was a member of the Mysterio group. When he died, George wanted his daughter to take his place. With Gwen's membership came the knowledge of things that are going on behind the scenes. And while it appeared that the leader of the Mysterio group was working with Wilson Fisk for evil, they're doing other stuff behind the scenes.
The beauty about Jonathan Hickman’s Ultimate Spider-Man is that some of the issues are about information instead of action and jokes. It helps move the story along, shows depth within a character, and keeps readers interested in people who aren’t Peter Parker and his family.
This was another example of why this is one of the best Ultimate Universe comic books and how things are about to escalate quickly. With Ultimate Spider-Man: Incursion No. 1 creeping up, you can believe the Dr. Jericho Drumm book will come up again. This moment was saved close to the event because Jonathan Hickman knows how to create suspense within comics. And, as you can see, he did it again.
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