After 2 Years, Marvel’s Ultimate Universe Comes to an End in the Best Way Possible

Inarguably, the most successful Marvel Comics project in recent years was its second Ultimate Universe, dubbed Earth-6160. Spanning several comic titles, this universe was created by the evil alternate version of Mr. Fantastic called the Maker. Through his machinations, the Maker created a global dictatorship, ensuring that many heroes would never revolt against him. When the Maker was imprisoned back in November of 2023, Marvel immediately laid the foundation for the villain’s return and the end of the Ultimate Universe in two years. Now, with the release of Ultimate Endgame #5 and Ultimate Universe Finale #1, the critically acclaimed alternate universe imprint delivers an ending that’s both satisfying and teases the future of Marvel Comics.

From the moment it was announced that the new Ultimate Universe would end after only two years, despite the imprint’s success, many fans were upset and disappointed. It wasn’t helped that, for most of its issues, the Ultimate Endgame series had a pretty lackluster reception and felt like a drop in quality. Many people worried that the incredible Ultimate Universe would go out not with a bang, but with a whimper. However, while the initial lead-up fell mostly flat, the finale itself successfully gave fans what they wanted and more.

A Universe Saved by Doom

As a miniseries that sought to wrap up the story arcs of several of the Ultimate Universe’s key characters, it did a surprisingly good job at completing this task. The Ultimate Endgame miniseries saw the Maker finally escape from his prison, the City, having transformed into a massive, seemingly endless amorphous mass that has harnessed the power of the Immortus Engine to become a master of time and causality. With this power, the Maker seeks to destroy and recreate the Ultimate Universe. Both in the City and across the world, the Ultimates and their allies fight to liberate their world from the Maker and his Council’s tyranny. And of all the heroes battling the Maker, none had a more satisfying conclusion than Doom.

In this universe, Victor Von Doom is not the man behind the metal mask. Instead, the Ultimate Universe’s incarnation of Doom is none other than Reed Richards. After the Maker sabotaged the space mission that would have given the Fantastic Four their powers and had each member killed off, he decided to have fun with his powerless counterpart. Through extensive torture, disfigurement, and brainwashing, the Maker turned Reed into Doom and made him his servant. However, Doom eventually rebelled and joined the hero Iron Lad in assembling the Ultimates to oppose his former master. After learning of the life the Maker stole from him, Doom began to be haunted by the ghosts of his lost friends, and he even repeatedly attempted to recreate them as the Fantastic Force.

Doom was always one of the core characters of the Ultimate Universe’s narrative despite not having a solo series. So, when it came time for Doom to confront his former abuser, who took everything from him, Marvel offered the perfect conclusion to his arc. Throughout the miniseries, Doom found himself struggling against a mental implant of the Maker in the hero’s mind and continuously mocked and tortured him. However, not only does Doom take on the combined powers of the Fantastic Four, but his memories of them manifest to destroy the mental implant of the Maker. Ultimately, Doom sacrifices his life to take control of the Immortus Engine and destroy the Maker. As he dies, Doom is reunited with Susan, Ben, and Johnny, and finally finds peace.

Doom’s story is one of persevering through overwhelming tragedy, grief, and trauma to become a hero. Where the Maker is a version of Reed who allowed his pain to twist him into a cold-blooded monster, Doom used his hard life and losses to become a hero who was willing to create a better world. As a character who had been the primary focus of the Maker’s sadistic nature and manipulation of history, it was only fitting that Doom, empowered by the memory and love of his lost family, was the one to defeat the Ultimate Universe’s big bad. After spending most of his life in agony and clinging to the past, Doom finally managed to defeat his tormentor and lay the foundations for a better tomorrow.

A Finale That Teases New Beginnings

A significant concern and complaint about the new Ultimate Universe is its comparatively short runtime of only two years. Many people thought that once the Maker was defeated, this expansive world with numerous beloved characters would be gone forever. However, not only does Ultimate Universe Finale #1 act as a fitting epilogue for each of the Ultimate Universe titles, but it also leaves the door open for future stories in this incredible world.

As the world rebuilds after the final battle, the main characters of the Ultimate Universe’s numerous titles have satisfying conclusions to their arcs while also leaving room for further developments. Spider-Man is resurrected and reunited with his family; Black Panther works to have Africa prosper through Wakanda’s aid; the Secret Society X-Men is fighting mutant hunters; and X-Men Wolverine joins Sabretooth in helping refugee mutants. Most importantly, Iron Lad and the Ultimates deliver an important message about how even though the Maker and his Council are gone, the revolution is never over. Healing the world and creating a more just society is a never-ending mission that will take hard work from everyone. It’s a powerful and timeless message on the nature of freedom and building a better future.

Iron Lad’s message of continuously fighting for a more just world is made even more relevant as evil forces still lurk in the Ultimate Universe. Villains like Emma Frost, Sunfire, and the Red Skulls are still alive and well. There are also teases of an Atlantean invasion, a new Asgardian pantheon, and a civil war between the Ultimates and Avengers. However, the biggest threat of all is revealed to be none other than this universe’s version of Victor Von Doom. After having been absent for the entirety of this imprint’s run, the iconic villain is shown to be alive and in possession of the last remnant of the Maker. With all of this set up, Marvel drops one last bombshell with the phrase “The Ultimate Universe will return.”

That one sentence completely subverts what everyone expected from the conclusion of the new Ultimate Universe. Instead of being the be-all-end-all, the Ultimate Universe is simply going on a hiatus. Now, when the Ultimate Universe does return, it most likely won’t be in the form of numerous comic titles. Instead, the heroes and villains of this world probably will reappear as part of a major crossover event with the main Marvel Universe. And most certainly, Ultimate Doctor Doom will be the villain of this multiversal crossover. If Marvel does go down this path, it will be very exciting to see a time-skip of how the Ultimate Universe evolves, as well as see how these characters interact with their Earth-616 counterparts.

The new Ultimate Universe had its highs and lows and it had a large fanbase that feared they would never see this parallel Earth again. But, overall, what Ultimate Endgame #5 and Ultimate Universe Finale #1 successfully managed to do is provide fitting conclusions for its lead characters while still showing that their importance in the wider Marvel Multiverse is yet to be revealed.

What do you think? Leave a Comment below and join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!

5 Marvel Villains Who Are Heroes in the Ultimate Universe