History ComicBook / TheUltimates

* DeconReconSwitch: The series starts off as a deconstruction of the Avengers operating in the 21st Century, how, as a team of assassins and scientists, they would naturally be in the employ of a government organization while also [[CharacterExaggeration exaggerating]] some personality traits to emphasize how none of the members are actually KnightInShiningArmor superheroes. Then comes ''Ultimates 2'', where the team discovers the disastrous consequences of being a government-sanctioned team of superhumans and decide to become independent from SHIELD. From then on, the Ultimates become independent superheroes...until ''ComicBook/{{Ultimatum}}'' left them in shambles, and the heroes went back to working for SHIELD in ''New Ultimates''.

* DividedStatesOfAmerica: Following the [[ComicBook/UltimateXMen Sentinels rampaging in the Southwestern states]], along with the destruction of Washington D.C. and most of the government, Texas and later other states start to declare independence from the union. Something that President Steve Rogers will not take lightly.

-->'''Scott Lang''': This is a disaster. You see them fighting on TV, it's like they're professionals. But they aren't. They just make this up as they go along. It's terrifying.

* KilledOffForReal: There are many examples [[KilledOffForReal/UltimateMarvel here]].
%% * KillerRobot: [[spoiler:Ultron]] in vol. 3.

** ''Ultimate Comics: Avengers''. 18 issues (over 3 numbered mini series), August 2009 to January 2011.

Marvel Comics' reimagining of Comicbook/TheAvengers as part of their new ComicBook/UltimateMarvel continuity, courtesy of Creator/MarkMillar and Creator/BryanHitch. As the above quote says, this series is not merely a retelling of the classic crossover superhero team, but goes the extra mile and reimagines the Avengers in this reality as a superhuman strike force team founded by ComicBook/{{SHIELD}} as an attempt to curb the rising threat of super terrorism and other [[PersonOfMassDestruction Persons of Mass Destruction]]. Originally launched in 2002, the first miniseries saw the iconic group go up against one of their own after Bruce Banner hulks out during a personal meltdown and later uncover an ancient alien conspiracy by a race called the Chituari, who have been plotting world domination as far back as World War II.

Following ''[[Comicbook/CataclysmTheUltimatesLastStand Cataclysm]]'', the title was relaunched as part of the Comicbook/MarvelNOW initiative with a brand new cast and creative team. Written by Michel Fiffe and drawn by Amilcar Pinna, the book featured Franchise/SpiderMan ([[AffirmativeActionLegacy Miles Morales]]), Comicbook/CloakAndDagger, Kitty Pryde, Bombshell, and the newest Comicbook/BlackWidow ([[ComicBook/SpiderWoman Jessica Drew]]). The title ended in January 2015.

** ''[[Comicbook/CataclysmTheUltimatesLastStand Cataclysm]]: The Ultimates''. 3 issues, from November 2013 to January 2014.

** Though never particularly heroic or stable, [[Comicbook/TheIncredibleHulk Hulk]] joined him as a member of the Dark Ultimates as well.

** Creator/JephLoeb's run managed to have no less than three of these: Comicbook/BlackPanther, Ka-zar, and Shanna. All were introduced and removed in the same arc, without even doing anything significant to the plot, due to backlash from before the story was even published.
** Creator/JonathanHickman's run had the same problem. He positioned Comicbook/SpiderWoman and the new Comicbook/CaptainBritain as though they would be major characters, but they were promptly written out without any explanation.

** Sam Humphries later introduced the Ultimate version of Stature from the Comicbook/YoungAvengers, and even wrote a scene where she was offered membership in the team. His run ended shortly after this, so she never got a chance to join the Ultimates.
* ShoutOut: [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Clark Kent]], ComicBook/LoisLane and ComicBook/JimmyOlsen appear, unnamed, as part of a 60 Minutes interview staff.

* OffModel: For whatever reason, the Red Skull eventually loses his lips and returns to his signature rictus grin.

* HundredPercentAdorationRating: Tired of the protocols, Captain America wants to step down from the presidency of the US. Stark tries to talk him out of it, saying that he's "the most popular president since... well, ''ever''".

* KillerRobot: [[spoiler:Ultron]] in vol. 3.

* BreakUpMakeUpScenario: Henry Pym and Janet Van Dyne start as a couple, albeit pretty rocky, but she leaves him whhen he attacks her and starts a relationship with Captain America instead. Their relationship, however, proves to be so rocky that she eventually returns with Hank.

* HypotheticalCasting: At one point, on a slow day they sit around talking about who would play them in the movie of their lives. Naturally, ComicBook/NickFury says Creator/SamuelLJackson (on whom Ultimate Nick Fury was based). Unfortunately, Bruce Banner walks in just as Hank Pym starts suggesting who'd play him in very unflattering terms (Steve Buscemi, just for the record), and this causes Bruce to have something of a breakdown.

** Also, they send everything they've got against the city, a futuristic dome created by ComicBook/TheMaker and which had already destroyed Berlin. But they resisted it, and the Maker blows up all of Washington DC as a counter attack.

Following ''[[ComicBook/SecretWars2015 Secret Wars]]'', [[ComicBook/TheUltimates2015 The Ultimates]] were revived as part of the ComicBook/AllNewAllDifferentMarvel initiative in October 2015, though this iteration of the team didn't feature characters from Earth-1610, but rather: ComicBook/BlackPanther, ComicBook/BlueMarvel, [[ComicBook/MsMarvel Captain Marvel]], ComicBook/MonicaRambeau, and ComicBook/AmericaChavez. Their first enemy? ComicBook/{{Galactus}}. Both teams would meet in ''Ultimates 2'' #100.

* VillainBloodbathOrigin: Red Skull's origin. Raised on a secret military base, he seemed like a bright, enthusiastic and well-adjusted young man... until he turned sixteen, massacred every man in the base, cut his face off and ran out to commit as much mayhem as possible for the giggles.

** ''The Ultimates 3''. 5 issues, from February to November, 2008.

** Initially, Thor refuses to join the Ultimates. When Hulk starts his rampage, Thor says that he will help if Bush increases the foreign aid budget. They took it as a refusal, and start the fight without him. But part way through, there's thunder and Thor shows up to stomp the Hulk under his hammer. Seems Bush had just increased the budget for foreign aid.
** [[spoiler: Captain America after the events of Death of Spider-Man.]]

** [[spoiler: The Red Skull, of all the people, gets this in his send-off. It turns out all he wanted was to use the Cosmic Cube to go back in time, prevent Cap from freezing, and then his parents (Steve and his then sweetheart, Gail) could marry and raise him themselves (since he utterly loathed his life as a {{Tykebomb}}.]] To his credit, he knew the evils he had committed, but by then, it was too late for him.
** The Colonel too but he wasn't really a [[AntiVillain villain]]

** The Colonel, who, despite being the leader of the villainous Liberators, is arguably one of the most sympathetic characters in the entire series. His death is surprisingly respectful and almost touching.

* AttackDrone: Crimson Dynamo employs these. Later Tony has them as well, Post Ultimatum, named [[MeaningfulName Wasps]].

** ''The Ultimates 2''. 13 issues, from February, 2005 to February, 2007.

[[caption-width-right:350:Earth's Mightiest Heroes, only bigger jerks than usual.]]

* RealityEnsues: The team's response to Ultimate Hulk is to use the Hulk's endless strength as a weapon and keep Banner imprisoned whenever there's some peace. This is because Hulk is a murderous cannibal that rampaged through New York, causing a 9/11 style disaster and Bruce Banner is a mousey creep who went out of his way to cause it by reactivating the Hulk in an attempt to "bring the Ultimates together." [[spoiler: Ultimately, it's decided that they both be put to death for the multiple murders they perpetuated at the end of Ultimates 2. Hulk survived, but he went from some "superhero" to dangerous rogue overnight.]]

* AmericaSavesTheDay: Deconstructed. The team is American, but other countries start worrying about the Ultimates being used in ''their'' countries, whether they like it or not. There's also several European Super-Soldier initiatives [[spoiler:including Thor, who is really a Norwegian nutjob who stole the prototype tech for his country's hero. Except in the end he [[PhysicalGod really isn't]]. It comes to a head when it's revealed Gregory Stark has been using superhumans to support rebellions for overthrowing the countries of governments to be replaced by American-friendly ones, mimicking RealLife tactics employed by the US in certain areas.]]

* RealityEnsues: Ultimate Hulk is a murderous cannibal that rampaged through New York, causing a 9/11 style disaster. Bruce Banner is a mousey creep who went out of his way to reactivate the Hulk in an attempt to "bring the Ultimates together." S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Ultimates trust neither of them, only using the Hulk as a weapon because of his strength and keeping Banner imprisoned whenever there's some peace. [[spoiler: Ultimately, it's decided that they both be put to death for the multiple murders they perpetuated at the end of Ultimates 2. Hulk survived, but he went from some "superhero" to dangerous rogue overnight.]]

* ReedRichardsIsUseless: [[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructed]]. [[spoiler: Plus points, that they did it with the TropeNamer itself. Because what happens, when you are the most brilliant mind in the planet, full of [[WellIntentionedExtremist well intention]], and the world just would not change, if you play according to the rules? You will go nuts, that is what happens. You definitely go nuts, buddy!]]

The two teams would clash later on in the ''Ultimate Avengers vs New Ultimates'' crossover, which tied into the Ultimate line event "The Death of Spider-Man" leading to a line reboot that had The Ultimates get another series titled ''Ultimate Comics: The Ultimates'', as well as giving ''Ultimate Hawkeye'' his own mini-series by Creator/JonathanHickman, until after issue 12, where Sam Humphries took over as writer of the team. After issue 25, Joshua Hale Fialkov, writer of ''I, Vampire'' became the writer of the team.

** ''[[ComicBook/TheUltimates2015 The Ultimates]]''. Ongoing series beginning October 2015. Serves as a complete reboot involving the Earth-616 equivalent of the team.

* CanonCharacterAllAlong
** "The Maker", the leader of that futuristic city in Europe that engulfed Berlin and killed all the Asgardians, is [[spoiler:Reed Richards]]
** "Kang", that woman that aids the Maker, is [[spoiler:a Sue Storm from the future]]

* DramaticUnmask: Turns out, [[spoiler: Kang is actually a future version of Sue Storm.]]
* DysfunctionJunction: Who are the Ultimates? A soldier of WWII who suddenly found himself in a future world where nothing is like he remembers. A genius, billionaire, playboy, alcoholic philanthropist who is secretly dying of brain cancer. A new-age guru who claims to be a Norse god reincarnated (or is he?). A wifebeater with an inferiority complex. A closeted mutant who usually gets into toxic relations. A scientist broken down by his inability to crack the super soldier formula after so many years of study, and with a dominating girlfriend. Two master assasins. Two mutant brothers treated like dirtbags by everyone, including their own father. Unsurprisingly, loads of drama ensued.

** Reed Richards, first seen in the ''ComicBook/UltimateFantasticFour'', became a villain as well after [[FakingTheDead faking his own death]]. He became one of the [[BigBad Big Bads]] of the ComicBook/UltimateMarvel universe, and was intent on [[WellIntentionedExtremist forcibly remaking the world into a utopia]]. He was trasferred to the main Marvel universe during ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015''.

** The enchantress put the female members of the team (Valkerie, Zarda and Carol Danvers) under her spell, and makes them betray the male members. A similar premise was delivered by Roy Thomas in the 1970s, in the original "Lady Liberators" story, but fortunately this time the story does not end saying that women should StayInTheKitchen.

** In the first arc, the Chitauri infiltrate the psi division of SHIELD, send them to a wild goose chase and detonate a bomb to kill the Ultimates. The Wasp is overpowered, and the Chitauri are ready to launch their program to destroy the human free will. But then, [[spoiler:it turns out that Iron Man managed to shield the Ultimates and a portion of the SHIELD agents from the explosion, and the Chitauri main fleet shows up to order them to pack and leave, because of intergalactic reasons.]]

* RaceLift: Among in the Ultimates, Nick Fury is black, modeled after Creator/SamuelLJackson, and the Wasp is Asian. In the Liberators, Crimson Dynamo and Abomination are Chinese, Hurricane is Korean and Swarm is Syrian. And the third version of ComicBook/TheVision is black.

* RedshirtArmy: 20,000 SHIELD elite troops go into the bag when the Chitauri nuke their own base in Micronesia. Also, most of the Ultimate Reserves are killed in the beginning of the Liberators attack.

* WhoWouldWantToWatchUs: The team discusses who would play themselves in a film adaptation.

The two teams would clash later on in the ''Ultimate Avengers vs New Ultimates'' crossover, which tied into the Ultimate line event "The Death of Spider-Man" leading to a line reboot that had ComicBook/TheUltimates get another series titled ''Ultimate Comics: The Ultimates'', as well as giving ''Ultimate Hawkeye'' his own mini-series by Creator/JonathanHickman, until after issue 12, where Sam Humphries took over as writer of the team. After issue 25, Joshua Hale Fialkov, writer of ''I, Vampire'' became the writer of the team.

** ComicBook/{{Quicksilver}} started off as a baddie, but joined ComicBook/TheUltimates fairly quickly. This lasted until the death of his sister, the ComicBook/ScarletWitch, at which point he went back to villainy, ending up a member of the Dark Ultimates.