Ultimates
The Ultimates are a superhero team in Earth-1610[note 1] consisting of Captain America, Iron Man, Giant-Man, and Wasp.
History
Origin
Following Magneto's attack on Washington, D.C. in 2001,[1] the first supervillain attack in human history,[2] President George W. Bush ordered the creation of a government-sanctioned team of superheroes, to be carried out by S.H.I.E.L.D. Nick Fury, the head of that agency, was tasked with personally recruiting the relevant players. Henry and Janet Pym were recruited, the former as head scientist and the latter for her shrinking Wasp persona; Henry also soon developed his "Giant-Man" persona to go with the technology to grow himself to nearly 60 feet tall. Tony Stark, with his cutting-edge Iron Man suit, was also signed on as a popular face for the group. Scientist Bruce Banner was given a second chance after his recent series of mishaps as the Hulk,[3][4] and was again tasked with recreating the super-soldier serum that had produced Captain America in the 1940s, the intent being to create a "new" Captain to round out the team. It was through botched research into the serum that Banner had become the Hulk in the first place, and several other members of the project were displeased with Banner's place in the project, including Janet Pym, Stark, and Banner's ex-fiancé, communications director Betty Ross.[5] S.H.I.E.L.D.'s super-soldier plans took a turn when they found the original Captain America, Steve Rogers, frozen in the Arctic Ocean, alive and preserved. Cap had plummeted into the sea off of Iceland after destroying a Nazi hydrogen bomb midflight in 1945, and was presumed dead for decades.[6] Rogers at first reacted violently to his awakening, believing it to be a Nazi plot, but was soon subdued by Giant-Man and saw reason. Cap was soon acclimated to the 21st century, and at a widely broadcasted launch party attended by President Bush, the Ultimates were officially inaugurated.[7]
2002
Fury's recruitment didn't stop, however: within the team's first month, he sought out a man claiming to be Norse god Thor and an Olympic archer known as Hawkeye. Hawkeye's signing met with problems that were purely schedule-based, but Thor actively objected to the military-industrial nature of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the U.S. government at large. Meanwhile, Banner continued his attempts to replicate the super-soldier serum; despite the fact that he now had Captain America's blood at his disposal, he still could not produce results. The increasing pressure and disapproval from virtually the entire rest of the group, especially Betty Ross (herself under significant pressure), caused Banner to crumble emotionally, and he relapsed. Banner injected himself with a combination of Rogers' blood and the super-soldier serum that created the Hulk; this initially sent him into cardiac arrest, but while being carried in an ambulance he once again transformed into the Hulk.[2]
Members
Heroes
Associates
- Nick Fury, S.H.I.E.L.D. director
- Bruce Banner, assistant scientist and head of super-soldier serum program
- Betty Ross, director of communications
Notes
References
- ↑ Ultimate X-Men #6: "Invasion." (July 2001) Millar, Mark (w), Kubert, Adam (p), Thibert, Art (i), Isanove, Richard (col), Starkings, Richard and Wes Abbott (let), Powers, Mark and Pete Franco (ed).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Ultimates #4: "Thunder." (June 2002) Millar, Mark (w), Hitch, Bryan (p), Currie, Andrew (i), Eliopoulos, Chris (let), Mounts, Paul (col), Macchio, Ralph and Brian Smith (ed).
- ↑ Ultimate Marvel Team-Up #2: "Spider-Man & Hulk, Part One." (May 2001) Bendis, Brian Michael (w), Hester, Phil (p), Parks, Ande (i), Choi, Jung (col), Abbott, Wes (let), Macchio, Ralph and Brian Smith (ed).
- ↑ Ultimate Marvel Team-Up #3: "Spider-Man & Hulk, Part Two." (June 2001) Bendis, Brian Michael (w), Hester, Phil (p), Parks, Ande (i), Choi, Jung (col), Abbott, Wes (let), Macchio, Ralph and Brian Smith (ed).
- ↑ The Ultimates #2: "Big." (April 2002) Millar, Mark (w), Hitch, Bryan (p), Currie, Andrew (i), Eliopoulos, Chris (let), Mounts, Paul (col), Macchio, Ralph and Brian Smith (ed).
- ↑ The Ultimates #1: "Super Human." (March 2002) Millar, Mark (w), Hitch, Bryan (p), Currie, Andrew (i), Eliopoulos, Chris (let), Mounts, Paul (col), Macchio, Ralph and Brian Smith (ed).
- ↑ The Ultimates #3: "21st Century Boy." (May 2002) Millar, Mark (w), Hitch, Bryan (p), Currie, Andrew (i), Eliopoulos, Chris (let), Mounts, Paul (col), Macchio, Ralph and Brian Smith (ed).