Ultimatum (comics)

"Ultimatum" is a 2009 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics under its Ultimate Marvel imprint. It consists of a core five-issue eponymous miniseries written by Jeph Loeb and illustrated by David Finch that was published from January to September 2009, and a number of tie-in books. The storyline deals with Magneto's attempts to destroy the world following the apparent deaths of his children, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver in The Ultimates 3.

The first issue of the core miniseries was the best-selling comic of January 2009, selling over 100,000 copies, though sales dropped with subsequent issues. Despite relatively strong sales, the miniseries received almost universally negative reviews upon its conclusion, as it holds a score of 4 out of 10 at the review aggregator website Comic Book Roundup. By contrast, the overall crossover storyline holds a score of 5.8 out of 10, whereas higher scores are held by the tie-in series, Ultimatum: Fantastic Four Requiem, Ultimatum: Spider-Man Requiem and Ultimatum: X-Men Requiem hold scores of 7, 7.7 and 6.3, respectively.

The foreshadowing of the "Ultimatum" storyline began in late 2007 when Ultimate Power #8 featured a banner on its cover reading, "March on Ultimatum". The following year, a teaser advertisement for "Ultimatum" ran in all Marvel titles. It depicted a broken tombstone reading 2000-2008, with the 2008 piece broken from its place, indicating that the Ultimate Universe would be ending that year. In an interview on YouTube, artist David Finch said that Loeb would be bringing much to all of the Ultimate Universe to a close.

Loeb said in an interview with Comic Book Resources that the storyline would "hopscotch back and forth between the two books [Ultimate Fantastic Four and Ultimate X-Men] and conclude what I would like to say is the first chapter of the Ultimate Universe."

During the Marvel Ultimate Universe panel at the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con, Jeph Loeb said that Aron Coleite's run on Ultimate X-Men would tie-in to "Ultimatum", but did not indicate that the former series would end. While it was first reported in Wizard magazine that only one Ultimate Marvel title would be ending following the series,^{[volume & issue needed][citation needed]} Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Spider-Man, and Ultimate Fantastic Four were all canceled following the events of "Ultimatum".

The Ultimates continued under the title Ultimate Comics: New Ultimates after "Ultimatum", and is written by Jeph Loeb and drawn by artist Frank Cho. Mark Millar, writer and creator of The Ultimates, Ultimate Fantastic Four, and Ultimate X-Men, was the writer for a series that was introduced after "Ultimatum", Ultimate Comics: Avengers, which featured a rotating team of artists such as Carlos Pacheco, Leinil Francis Yu, and Steve Dillon. Ultimate Spider-Man was relaunched after the end of "Ultimatum", written by Brian Michael Bendis and drawn by artist David Lafuente, who provided the art for the third Ultimate Spider-Man Annual. Loeb also wrote a second series entitled Ultimate Comics: X, which dealt with mutants struggling under the new laws passed in the Ultimate Universe after the events of "Ultimatum".

Elements of "Ultimatum"'s story were established in the Ultimates 3, Ultimate Power, and Ultimate Origins miniseries, all of which featured a banner reading "March on Ultimatum" on their covers. During "Ultimatum", the three Ultimate Marvel titles (Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Spider-Man, and Ultimate Fantastic Four), featured tie-in stories about various characters and events that occur throughout "Ultimatum". The series mainly builds on the events of Ultimates 3, in which the villainous robot Ultron shoots and kills the Scarlet Witch. Ultron's rebellion and Wanda's death lead to a series of events which end with the apparent death of Wanda's brother, Quicksilver, who is shot by Hawkeye when Quicksilver uses his super-speed to intercept the bullet meant for his father. Magneto vows revenge on the Ultimates. Before escaping the Ultimates, Magneto is able to steal Thor's hammer which he uses, along with his magnetic abilities, to reverse the Earth's polarity. It is further revealed that Doctor Doom was manipulating these events.

A series of disasters befalls a few major cities: a lightning storm suddenly appears in New York City and a tsunami hits Manhattan. Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman attempt to make it back into the Baxter Building, while the Thing attempts to hold off a whale that crashed through a window. Yellowjacket breaks out of Tony Stark's mansion looking for the Wasp. In the flooded streets of New York City, Bruce Banner appears to have drowned only to turn into the Hulk. Spider-Man attempts to help in rescue efforts. As Beast and Nightcrawler are caught in the tsunami, Angel carries an unconscious Dazzler from underwater to the top of a building. Iron Man rescues Captain America, reporting that many people have died and that he does not know where the rest of the Ultimates are. The Invisible Woman uses a massive force field to push all the water back out of the city without affecting civilians or buildings, but this puts her in a coma. In Latveria, Doctor Doom leaves his castle and discovers that everyone except him has been frozen. Professor X states that millions have died and telepathically informs many of the world's superheroes that Magneto is responsible for the destruction, having made use of a doomsday attack that Xavier knew he had but never believed he would use. Magneto is then revealed to be in a floating citadel with Thor's hammer Mjolnir.