The Original Ultimates Returning In August

Marvel Comics premiere superteam is more concerned with fixing things than punching villains—no, we’re not talking about the Avengers.

The latest collection of heroes to go under the banner of the Ultimates has fulfilled a void left by the Fantastic Four, where exploration, diagnosis, and problem solving has become their mission goals. The team of America Chavez, Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeaux, Blue Marvel, and Black Panther still get into their fair share of skirmishes, but those are secondary to their main goals.

But the team’s name comes from the former Ultimate Comics line and their own Avengers counterparts—the Ultimates was a government initiative started by S.H.I.E.L.D. head Nick Fury, consisting of Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow, Hawkeye, The Wasp, and Giant Man. That line of comics, and those versions of the characters, ceased to exist after the Secret Wars storyline merged aspects of the Ultimate Universe with the mainstream Marvel Universe.

Those characters are set to make a comeback in the latest issue of Ultimates 2, however, which is being billed as the 100th issue of the series. The anniversary issue is by the regular team of Al Ewing and Travel Foreman.

Check out the gallery to see the covers for the issue, including variants by Marvel godfather Jack Kirby and original Ultimate artist mainstay Mark Bagley.

Marvel is counting all of the issues of the Ultimates (13), the Ultimates 2 (13), Ultimates 3 (5), New Ultimates (5), Ultimate Comics Ultimates (30), and All New Ultimates (12), as well as both runs of the current series (22). Tally them all up, and you get to issue 100.

The Eternity War is also beginning to heat up as the First Firmament has placed Eternity in chains and has fundamentally altered the order of the Marvel Universe by killing the Living Tribunal and marching Lord Chaos and Master Order into a new entity named Logos. But new threats are on the horizon, as the High Evolutionary is poised to team up with another survivor from the Ultimate Universe, the Maker AKA Evil Reed Richards.

With the Maker set to make a return and the Ultimates set to come face to face with the original team from a destroyed parallel universe, it looks like the high-concept Marvel series will be paying respect to the past while charting new territory in the future.

Ultimates 2 is one of the best comics currently hitting the stands, and we’re excited that they’re going to be bringing back some old favorites in the upcoming milestone issue. Check out the solicitation below.

ULTIMATES 2 #100
AL EWING (W) • TRAVEL FOREMAN (A/C)
VARIANT COVER by MARK BAGLEY
Kirby 100th Anniversary Variant Cover by JACK KIRBY A double-sized issue celebrating ULTIMATES #100!
• Eternity is free – but can even he stand against the might of the First Firmament?
• Or does the embodiment of everything need help…from Outside?
• Featuring the Ultimates and…the Ultimates?
40 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99

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