It's about time Ultimate She-Hulk arrives in The Ultimates

Back in May, Marvel Comics released solicitations for up-and-coming issues for titles set within the revived Ultimate Universe (Earth-6160) with the likes of Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Black Panther, and The Ultimates, the super team of the same name (Avengers from Earth-1610). Ahead of Ultimates No. 1 (Vol. 4), solicitation for the Aug. 14 issue of Ultimates No. 3 which includes Ultimate She-Hulk has been released.

The solicits for Ultimates No. 3 reads as follows:

"The Ultimates search for a means of destroying the Maker’s most powerful pawn, the Hulk! And in the process, they uncover an army of Hulks hidden away from the world... with She-Hulk at the helm!"

For those unaware, The Ultimates are the original version (Earth-1610) re-imagining of the Avengers from Earth-616. She-Hulk was never a member but was also quite different and not who you may think. On the cover of Ultimates No. 3, we see a seven-foot tall, grey-skinned, and brawny woman with a tribal look.

What to know about Ultimate She-Hulk

She-Hulk, unlike in mainstream continuity, was actually the daughter of General and former S.H.I.E.L.D. chief Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, Director of Communications/Publications Officer and support staff of The Ultimates, Betty Ross. She was a roommate of fellow army brat, Janet van Dyne, who would go on to become the Wasp for the supergroup.

She dated Dr. Bruce Banner but they broke up not long after a failed Super Soldier experiment to restore the lost formula that created Captain America instead turned him into the Hulk. This version of Betty is quite scornful, manipulative, and deceitful compared to the original and not as supportive following Banner’s transformations into the Hulk, though their relationship improved.

Betty took an improved version of the Hulk serum, also known as the Super-Soldier Serum, developed by Dr. Jennifer Walters, who worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. as part of their research and development team. This transformation turned Betty into She-Hulk, allowing her to rescue Bruce, who was being hunted by Wolverine. She worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. as part of research and development and transformed into She-Hulk to rescue Bruce who was being hunted by Wolverine.

Pre-Incursion and Whereabouts

Since the end of Bruce’s manhunt by Wolverine, Betty was captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. not long after she confronted Wolverine as she remained in hiding in Casablanca. They began reverse-engineering what she did to herself and she has been in custody ever since. Betty was used as a bargaining chip to keep Dr. Banner docile and control the Hulk. S.H.I.E.L.D. even used Betty to convince Hulk to attack the Maker and his Children of Tomorrow.

Betty was seen in the final issue of Ultimates 2 Vol. 1 No. 13, tending to Bruce not long after defeating, mutilating, and eating Abomination (Chang Lam) as the Hulk during the invasion of Washington D.C. and New York by the Liberators. Presumably, this is set not long after the miniseries Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk set between (Ultimate X-Men Vol. 1 No. 69 to No. 71) and (before Ultimates 2 Vol. 1 No. 11) as Bruce is in control of his “nasty inner sociopath” although Betty has been shown not able to transform in She-Hulk form during Ultimates 2. We are unsure whether Betty survived the final incursion during 2015’s Secret Wars No. 1, but is more unlikely as she never made it on a Life Raft. Hulk in Earth-1610 is currently M.I.A but was revived.

Ultimate She-Hulk Reborn and joining The Ultimates

At the time this editorial has been published, we are unsure who this new grey-skinned She-Hulk is of Earth-6160, but I doubt it is Jennifer Walters although the writer Deniz Camp could surprise me when Ultimates No. 3 comes out as so far Ultimates No. 1 has received excellent reviews averaging around 9/10 and 4 stars.

Most of the history matches the back story of Earth-616 with some caveats but it would be interesting to see what happened to Betty back in Earth-1610 and either of Jennifer and Betty’s new histories in the revived Ultimate Universe. Needless to say, this writer’s wishes have been fulfilled!