Ultimate Universe Is Going To Be Insane

What can readers expect from Marvel's Ultimate Universe in the upcoming year? According to Marvel Marketing Manager Jim McCann, "The Ultimate Universe for the next year is going to be insane." Of course, Jeph Loeb's project "Ultimatum" is coming up next year, but the action really begins in Ultimate Powers #8 and #9 with what's called "March On Ultimatum." The lead-up will also continue in all five issues of The Ultimates 3 and Brian Bendis' Ultimate Origin. The actual Ultimatum series will be a crossover series going back and forth between Ultimate X-Men and Ultimate Fantastic Four. "One of the great things about the Ultimate Universe is that we can do anything in it." said McCann. "Somewhere along the lines, I honestly think it became 'Do you know what I liked in the nineties? Here's my version of it.' And that's not what the Ultimate Universe is about. It's not about here's a retro feel of this. It became far more focused on let's ultimize this storyline instead of let's take what we have and do our own storyline in it." McCann pointed out that Jeph Loeb was a part of Age Of Apocalypse and makes no secret of the fact that he hated they had to go back to the Marvel Universe. Loeb wanted to just change things up drastically and let it stick. "He's a major architect of the Ultimate Universe, and he has an itch that he wants to scratch, and he pitched a story that really definitely fits that," said McCann. McCann compared Ultimatum to a massive swerve coming out of nowhere.