Matt Meyer
Just announced at New York Comic Con, Marvel Comics’ ULTIMATE UNIVERSE concludes next year, bringing an end to a line of blockbuster titles that ignited the industry with bold storytelling and captivating new versions of iconic characters.
During Marvel’s Next Big Thing Panel, Head of Marvel Comics and Franchise Dan Buckley, Editor in Chief C.B. Cebulski, Senior Editor Wil Moss, Ultimates writer Deniz Camp, and Ultimate Wolverine writer Chris Condon revealed information on the final issues of all five Ultimate titles to a room of surprised fans: ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #24 in December, ULTIMATE BLACK PANTHER #24 in January, ULTIMATE X-MEN #24 in February, and ULTIMATES #24 and ULTIMATE WOLVERINE #16 in April.
Marvel’s new Ultimate Universe began in June 2023 with Jonathan Hickman and Bryan Hitch’s Ultimate Invasion. The Maker, a dark version of Reed Richards from the original Ultimate Universe, created a world without heroes. Despite his meticulous planning, heroes like Spider-Man and the Ultimates still rose to embrace their destinies—but the trajectory of their journeys were radically altered…
In ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN, an older, wiser Peter Parker balanced web-slinging with his responsibilities as a husband and father. In ULTIMATE X-MEN, a group of students in Japan developed strange abilities. ULTIMATE BLACK PANTHER saw Khonshu go to war against the isolated nation of Wakanda. In ULTIMATES, Iron Lad built a network of heroes to restore freedom to a world ruled from the shadows. And in ULTIMATE WOLVERINE, a man named Logan is the Maker’s most lethal weapon: the Winter Soldier!
Ever since the beginning, the Ultimate Universe was built with a predetermined endpoint—the Maker’s return from captivity! The Maker’s release kicks off ULTIMATE ENDGAME, a five-issue event series launching in December that brings this interconnected universe together for a climactic showdown.
Told in real time month to month, the ULTIMATE UNIVERSE was an ambitious storytelling project that exceeded all expectations. Now, it ends on a definitive high point, delivering a complete, groundbreaking saga that can be enjoyed by comic fans for generations to come.
The Ultimate Universe will leave its mark on the main Marvel Universe in the way of “Origin Boxes,” the very devices the Maker used to rob legendary heroes of their powers. In ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN: INCURISON #5, on sale later this month, Miles Morales will swing back to the 616 with a handful of these boxes, setting the stage for new heroes and storylines throughout 2026.
“It’s hard to talk about without getting emotional,” said Camp. “It really is the culmination of everything Jonathan began. Everything from my book and everyone else’s book are all converging. It’s gonna be definitive, it’s going to be big, it’s going to be emotional, there’s going to be death…it’s just wild.”
“You’ll be able to take this journey—the beginning, middle, and end—and digest it for years to come and pass it on to others,” Head of Marvel Comics and Franchise Dan Buckley added.
Check out the covers for ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #24, ULTIMATE BLACK PANTHER #24, and ULTIMATE X-MEN #24, and stay tuned for future cover reveals for ULTIMATES and ULTIMATE WOLVERINE, including the final issues. Preorder the remaining Ultimate issues at your local comic shop, and don’t miss ULTIMATE ENDGAME #1, which marks this historic moment with the debut of Marvel’s first-ever Blind Bag program! For more information, visit Marvel.com.
