Marvel Comics' Ultimate Universe was eliminated (sort of) after the 2015 Marvel event, Secret Wars. Thankfully, the creative teams behind the new Ultimate Universe (now branded Earth-6160 instead of 1610) have built amazing storylines with unique versions of classic characters. Among the first comic book series in this universe is Ultimate X-Men, featuring beautiful art by the great Peach Momoko and writing by both her and Zack Davisson.
Ultimate X-Men creative team
- Writers: Peach Momoko, Zack Davisson
- Artist: Peach Momoko
- Colorist: Peach Momoko
There is a lot to love about Ultimate X-Men. The Japanese culture being highlighted and later explained is one of this writer’s favorite parts. It helps educate readers about things they may not know about, and the less ignorant we are of other cultures, the better the world can become. It’s a way for everyone to see how similar we are and also appreciate our differences.
Another important and fun part of this series is how well-known Marvel Comics characters are adapted to fit the new universe. However, Ultimate X-Men is doing something different. During a conversation with Zack Davission on Bluesky, he explained, "Our characters like Mei and Natsu and others are clearly inspired by existing characters, but they aren't supposed to 'be' those characters. Natsu is not 'Ultimate Cyclops.' for example. Scott Summers could still be running around in the Ultimate Universe."
"Our original characters aren't meant to be substitutions for them."Zack Davisson on Bluesky
This conversation came up after I wondered if the character seen at the end of Ultimate X-Men No. 14 with the white streak in her hair was Rogue. Davisson says no, but that their characters can be inspired by the existing X-Men characters. So, this could be someone like her, but possibly not the Ultimate Rogue that we may or may not see later. He also points out that during a radio transmission, Storm was mentioned (she is currently in Ultimate Black Panther by Bryan Edward Hill). So you could see characters that have similar powers to Storm in this story, but they aren’t Ororo Munroe, as she already exists.
This isn’t Marvel Comics’ prime universe (Universe-616). That means anything can happen. We could see a version of Vision or the Scarlet Witch join the young X-Men team or be their antagonist. Mephisto could turn out to be the secret leader behind the Children of the Atom cult and he may not be a devil. Considering people are being experimented on, we can assume Mr. Sinister (Nathaniel Essex) or a version of him is on his way. Quite literally, anything is possible.
Regardless of who’s up next or will be brought in later, Peach Momoko and Zack Davisson are doing a fantastic job with the direction of Ultimate X-Men. There’s no doubt that the trend will continue, with readers being surprised and intrigued.
Stay tuned to Bam Smack Pow’s social media sites Bluesky, Instagram, and Twitter for more Marvel Comics news, opinions, and rumors as they come out.