Ultraverse
The Ultraverse is a defunct comic book imprint published by the American company Malibu Comics which is currently owned by Marvel Comics. The Ultraverse is a shared universe in which a variety of characters – known within the comics as Ultras – acquired super-human abilities.
| Ultraverse | |
|---|---|
 Ultraverse logo in the original black and white | |
| Publication information | |
| Schedule | Varied |
| Formats | Varied |
| Genre | |
| Publication date | 1993–1997 |
The Ultraverse is a defunct comic book imprint published by the American company Malibu Comics which is currently owned by Marvel Comics. The Ultraverse is a shared universe in which a variety of characters – known within the comics as Ultras – acquired super-human abilities.[1]
History
[edit]In June 1993, it was reported that Malibu Comics was launching a new shared universe which the company hoped would provide similar opportunities for comics writers much like how Image Comics provided new opportunities for artists with an emphasis on creator ownership.[2] Development on the Ultraverse began in 1992 initially under the name of the Megaverse until it was learned another company already had claim to the name.[3] After several days worth of development, Ultraverse developed into a shared universe wherein it was described as being 90% based on real life while the remaining 10% which differentiated itself would be from the inclusion of superheroes.[3] The Ultraverse line was launched by Malibu Comics during the "comics boom" of the early 1990s, when a number of new and existing publishers introduced new universes featuring superheroes,[4] debuting in June 1993 with ongoing series Prime, Hardcase and The Strangers.[2] The project included writers Mike W. Barr, Steve Englehart, Steve Gerber, James D. Hudnall, Gerard Jones, James Robinson, Len Strazewski, and Larry Niven. It emphasized tight continuity between the various series, making extensive use of crossovers, in which a story that began in one series would be continued in the next-shipping issue of another series. Various promotions for special editions or limited-print stories also encouraged readers to sample issues of the entire line. The Ultraverse line came to dominate Malibu's catalog, and an animated series featuring one of the line's teams, Ultraforce, aired from 1994 to 1995.
As American comics sales declined in the mid-1990s, Malibu canceled lower-selling series.[5] The company was purchased by Marvel Comics in November 1994.[6][7][8] Marvel reportedly made the purchase to acquire Malibu's then-groundbreaking in-house coloring studio,[9] with some speculation that it was to prevent DC Comics from buying it to increase their market share.[10] Within the Marvel Comics multiverse, the Ultraverse was designated as Earth-93060.[11] Crossovers between Malibu and Marvel began, such as Rune/Silver Surfer.
In 1995, Malibu published a crossover story called "Black September" featuring the members of Ultraforce and Marvel's Avengers in issues #8–10 of Ultraforce, Ultraforce/Avengers: Prelude, Avengers/Ultraforce #1 (published by Marvel), Ultraforce/Avengers #1, and Black September "#∞". The crossover ended with the Black Knight character trapped in the Ultraverse, and the cancellation of all of the series in the Ultraverse line. Seven of the series – Prime, Mantra, The Night Man, Ultraforce, Rune, Siren, and The All New Exiles – were "rebooted" with issues numbered "#∞", followed by volume 2, in which popular Marvel characters were briefly featured to attract Marvel's regular readers
This version of the Ultraverse lasted until the end of 1996, with a single one-shot (Ultraverse: Future Shock #1) published in February 1997 to wrap up unresolved plot lines.[12][13]
Status
[edit]In 2003, Steve Englehart was commissioned by Marvel to relaunch the Ultraverse with the most recognizable characters, pitching the permanent arrival of Ultraverse characters to Earth-616, but the editorial decided not to resurrect the Ultraverse imprint.[14][15] This version from Englehart would have featured a group of popular Ultraverse heroes waking up in the main Marvel Comics Universe. The lineup would have consisted of Hardcase, Mantra, Prime, Sludge, Rune, Lord Pumpkin, Lady Killer, Night Man, Rhiannon, and Atom Bob. The characters would have remained as permanent mainstays in the Marvel Comics following the comic series.[16]
In June 2005, when asked by Newsarama whether Marvel had any plans to revive the Ultraverse, Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada replied:
Let's just say that I wanted to bring these characters back in a very big way, but the way that the deal was initially structured, it's next to impossible to go back and publish these books.
There are rumors out there that it has to do with a certain percentage of sales that has to be doled out to the creative teams. While this is a logistical nightmare because of the way the initial deal was structured, it's not the reason why we have chosen not to go near these characters, there is a bigger one, but I really don't feel like it's my place to make that dirty laundry public.[17]
Senior Vice President of Publishing Tom Brevoort has stated in the past that the reason Marvel cannot discuss the Ultraverse properties is because of non-disclosure agreements in place with certain parties, which has been speculated to pertain to Scott Mitchell Rosenberg's contractual position as "ongoing producer deal for all Malibu Comics properties".[18]
In February 2021, when Simon Spurrier, writer of the 2021 Black Knight series, was asked about the possibility of the series taking place in the Ultraverse, he said: "None percent, I'm afraid".[19]
After several years of not even mentioning the Ultraverse in the comics, a past storyline featuring the character Rune was referenced directly in the 2023 Marvel Unlimited publication Who Is Adam Warlock.[20]
Titles
[edit]| Title | Issues | Initial cover date | Final cover date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angels of Destruction | 1 | 1996 | One-shot | |
| Avengers/Ultraforce | 1 | 1995 | Crossover published by Marvel Comics. | |
| Battlezones: Dream Team² | 1 | 1996 | One-panel drawings featuring characters from Marvel and Malibu. | |
| Black September | ∞ | 1995 | One-shot following the reality-changing effects of the crossover with the Marvel Universe. | |
| Break-Thru | 1, 2 | 1993 | 1994 | Mini-series and the first crossover of the Ultraverse, following the chief heroes to the moon. |
| Codename: Firearm | 0, 1–5 | 1995 | 1995 | Six-issue limited series by Malibu Comics for its Ultraverse line. It was written by David Quinn and Marv Wolfman, with art by Gabriel Gecko and Klebs Junior. The series was about an English sleeper agent for the Lodge named James Hitch, who was given a second personality, Peter Cordova, to aid in his cover. Alec Swan, the original Firearm, appeared as a backup story. |
| Conan vs Rune | 1 | 1995 | Crossover published by Marvel Comics. | |
| Curse of Rune | 1–4 | 1995 | 1995 | Mini-series |
| Eliminator | 0, 1–3 | 1995 | 1995 | Mini-series that follows Rick Pearson, an ex-agent of the Aladdin organization, rebuilt like a cyborg. |
| Elven | 1–4 | 1994 | 1995 | Four issue comic book mini-series written by Len Strazewski and drawn by Aaron Lopresti. It was about a character with abilities similar to those of Prime, save that instead of being a fan of comic superheroes such as Superman, Elven was a fan of Elfquest and similar fantasy depictions of elves. Her Ultra form and abilities reflected this, with the liquid substance produced by her body shaping itself into an Elf-like appearance (albeit with a very non-elfin female bodybuilder physique in her initial appearances), and her powers subconsciously channeled into magic-like applications. |
| Exiles | 1–4 | 1993 | 1993 | Written by Steve Gerber and illustrated by Paul Pelletier, with plot contributions from Tom Mason, Dave Olbrich, and Chris Ulm. It is known for the creators' deliberate decision (as explained in the afterword to the last issue) to flout the accepted comic-book trope that a group of random people, who were plucked from their ordinary lives and told that they must join together to fight evil and prevent disaster, would become an effective team. Instead, key strategic mistakes led to the team's newest recruit, Amber Hunt, triggering a catastrophic explosion that killed or maimed everyone else on the team and destroyed their headquarters. This occurred at the end of issue #4, although issue #5 had been falsely solicited months in advance in order to preserve the shock value of the team's unexpected death and the comic's abrupt cancellation; retailers who had been misled into ordering Exiles #5 were subsequently reimbursed. |
| Firearm | 0, 1–18 | 1993 | 1995 | Comic book series created by writer James Robinson and artists Howard Chaykin and Cully Hamner, which lasted 18 issues, with an additional #0 issue. #0 included a 35-minute Firearm short film, on VHS.[21] The series was about Alec Swan, a private investigator who, against his own wishes, becomes embroiled in cases involving the strange and the ultra-human. |
| Flood Relief | 1 | 1993 | One-shot. The story is a charity-driven comic about the American floods of 1994. | |
| Foxfire | 1–4 | 1996 | 1996 | After Black September, it follows Rose Autumn, a half-human hybrid from the future. |
| Freex | 1–18 | 1993 | 1995 | Short-lived comic book series from created by Gerard Jones and Ben Herrera. It concerned a team of teenage superheroes. The group that would come to call themselves the Freex were apparently created when a group of newborn infants were injected with a substance called "wetware", a mix of mutated DNA and nanotechnology that had been created by the advanced but isolated underground society called the Fire People. The nurse who injected these children would later go on to become the superhero Contrary, who utilized other Fire People technology to assist and organize Ultraforce. It also had a special, Giant Size Freex. |
| Godwheel | 0, 1–3 | 1995 | 1995 | 4-issue mini-series, it included a 'preview' book. The ultra-heroes and villains are transported to the Godwheel by the God Argus. They ended finding the Asgardian God Thor. |
| Hardcase | 1–26 | 1993 | 1995 | Also had a special: Hardcase Premiere Edition |
| Lord Pumpkin | 0 | 1994 | One-shot | |
| Lord Pumpkin / Necromantra | 1–4 | 1995 | 1995 | Mini-series, it contained two flipbooks, Lord Pumpkin and Necromantra. |
| Mantra | 1–24 | 1993 | 1995 | Follows an immortal warrior named Lukasz who inhabits the corpses of different people throughout time. After a battle with his enemy Boneyard, Lukasz was left in the corpse of the woman Eden Blake and forced to become a sorceress. The series had a special, Giant Size Mantra. |
| Mantra vol. 2 | ∞, 1–7 | 1995 | 1996 | |
| Mantra - Spear of Destiny | 1–2 | 1995 | 1995 | Mini-series |
| Mutants Vs. Ultras: First Encounters | 1 | 1996 | 1996 | One-shot reprinting crossovers between Marvel and Malibu characters. |
| Power of Prime | 1–4 | 1995 | 1995 | Mini-series |
| Prime | ½, 1–26 | 1993 | 1995 | Ongoing series. It had the specials Prime: Gross and Disgusting and Prime #½ |
| Prime vol. 2 | ∞, 1–15 | 1995 | 1996 | |
| Prime / Captain America | 1 | 1996 | One-shot | |
| Prime vs. the Incredible Hulk | 1 | 1996 | One-shot | |
| Prototype | 0, 1–18 | 1993 | 1995 | A series about a superhero owned by a company. Ultratech build the armor Prototype for advertising. The series follow the second Prototype, Jimmy Ruiz, and his predecessor in the armor Bob Campbell. The comic also had a special, Giant Size Prototype. |
| Ripfire | 0 | 1994 | 1994 | One-shot |
| Rune | 0–9 | 1994 | 1995 | It had a special, Giant Size Rune. |
| Rune vol. 2 | ∞, 1–7 | 1995 | 1996 | |
| Rune: Hearts of Darkness | 1–3 | 1996 | 1996 | Mini-series |
| Rune/Silver Surfer | 1 | 1995 | One-shot crossover that told the journey of Rune to the Marvel Universe and his obtaining of the Infinity Gems from the Infinity Watch. | |
| Rune vs Venom | 1 | 1996 | One-shot | |
| Siren | ∞, 1–3 | 1995 | 1995 | Mini-series that follows Jennifer Pearson, thief and daughter of Eliminator, in her travels in the Marvel Universe. |
| Siren Special | 1 | 1996 | One-shot | |
| Sludge | 1–12 | 1993 | 1994 | It had a special, Sludge: Red X-Mas. |
| Solitaire | 1–12 | November 1993 | September 1994 | Superhero comic book created by Gerard Jones and Jeff Johnson in 1993 for Malibu Comics. It was published consistently from November 1993 until September 1994, when the series was, with the eighth issue, turned into a mini-series to be cancelled at the twelfth issue. Solitaire is a crime-fighting superhero. He uses detective skills and a network of street-level informants to wage a one-man war on crime a la DC's Batman. He is not, however, without superpowers, as Batman is. Solitaire has a rapid healing ability (like Marvel's Wolverine) which allows him to recover from stab wounds, gougings, and even gunshots. |
| The Night Man | 1–23 | 1993 | 1995 | Series that follow the adventures of the jazz musician Johnny Domingo. He gained the ability to hear the thoughts of evil people in the same way as The Strangers. The series also had an annual, The Night Man: The Pilgrim Conundrum Saga #1. |
| The Night Man vol. 2 | ∞, 1–4 | 1995 | 1995 | |
| The Night Man vs Wolverine | 1 | 1995 | 1995 | One-shot |
| The Night Man / Gambit | 1–3 | 1996 | 1996 | Mini-series |
| The All-New Exiles | ∞, 1–11 | 1995 | 1996 | At one point, Marvel bought the publication rights for the Ultraverse comics. In the "Godwheel" event, it was established that the Ultraverse is part of the Marvel Multiverse, meaning that travel between the main Marvel Universe and the Ultraverse is possible, albeit difficult. One of the consequences was that a new team of Exiles was formed and included among them characters from the main Marvel Universe. |
| The All-New Exiles vs X-Men | 0 | 1996 | 1996 | One-shot |
| The Phoenix Resurrection | 1 | 1996 | One-shot crossover between the Ultra-heroes and the X-Men. | |
| The Phoenix Resurrection: Aftermath | 1 | 1996 | One-shot | |
| The Phoenix Resurrection: Genesis | 1 | 1996 | One-shot | |
| The Phoenix Resurrection: Revelations | 1 | 1996 | One-shot | |
| The Solution | 0, 1–17 | 1993 | 1995 | Follows a team of four ultra-mercenaries: Dropkick, Outrage, Shadowmage, and Tech, in their fights against other mercenaries. |
| The Strangers | 1–24 | 1993 | 1995 | A series about six people that were traveling in a train when it was struck by lightning, gaining superpowers. The series also had an annual, The Strangers: The Pilgrim Conundrum Saga #1. |
| Ultra Monthly | 1–6 | 1993 | 1993 | In-universe magazine about Ultra-heroes. |
| Ultraforce | 0, 1–10 | 1994 | 1995 | Follows the foundation of the Main team of Ultra-heroes: Hardcase, Prime, Prototype, Topaz, Ghoul and Contrary. The Marvel superhero Black Knight joins in the later issues. |
| Ultraforce vol. 2 | ∞, 1–15 | 1995 | 1996 | After Black September, Ultraforce had a new roster, with the Black Knight as team leader. |
| UltraForce / Avengers Prelude | 1 | 1995 | One-shot. The Ultraforce meet Sersi of the Eternals. | |
| UltraForce / Avengers | 1 | 1995 | A crossover between the two teams, this one-shot follows Avengers/Ultraforce and leads into the Black September event. | |
| UltraForce / Spider-Man | 1 | 1996 | One-shot | |
| Ultraverse Double Feature: Prime and Solitaire | 1 | 1994 | One-shot | |
| Ultraverse Future Shock | 1 | 1997 | One-shot | |
| Ultraverse Origins | 1 | 1994 | One-shot. Origin pieces originally released as back-up material in various comics. | |
| Ultraverse Premiere | 0 | 1993 | One-shot and also a miniseries in flipbooks of other books, issues #1-11. | |
| Ultraverse Unlimited | 1–2 | 1996 | 1996 | Mini-series |
| Ultraverse Year Zero: The Death of the Squad | 1–4 | 1995 | 1995 | Miniseries that told the adventures of the first team of Ultra-heroes: The Squad. |
| Ultraverse Year One | 1 | 1994 | One-shot that summarizes the first year of Ultraverse. | |
| Ultraverse Year Two | 1 | 1995 | One-shot that summarizes the second year of Ultraverse. | |
| Warstrike | 1–7 | 1994 | 1994 | The series followed Brandon Tark, a mercenary with precognitive powers that activated when he was near death. It had a special, Giant Size Warstrike. |
| Witch Hunter | 1 | 1996 | One-shot | |
| Wrath | 1–9 | 1994 | 1994 | The series followed an Aladdin agent. It had a special, Giant Size Wrath. |
Characters
[edit]Crossovers with Marvel Comics
[edit]- Godwheel
- Rune/Silver Surfer
- Spine (Lord Pumpkin #1, Hardcase #23, Ultraforce Vol. 1 #8, Curse of Rune #2, Mantra Vol. 1 #22, Eliminator #3, Lord Pumkin #4, The Nightman #22)
- Black September
- Countdown to Black September (Ultraforce Vol. 1 #8-10, Ultraforce/Avengers Prelude)
- Avengers/Ultraforce
- Ultraforce/Avengers
- Siren #∞ -3
- Ultraforce Vol. 2 #∞-12
- Prime Vol. 2 #∞-5
- All New Exiles #∞-11
- Rune Vol. 2 #∞-7
- Prime vs. the Incredible Hulk
- Nightman vs. Wolverine
- The All-New Exiles vs. X-Men
- The Phoenix Resurrection
- Conan vs. Rune (also Conan #4 and Conan the Barbarian #4)
- Ultraforce/Spider-Man
- Nightman/Gambit
- Prime/Captain America
- Rune vs. Venom
- Ultraverse Unlimited #1-2
- Ultraverse Future Shock
Other media
[edit]- A video game based on the character Prime was released in 1994.
- In 1995, a 13-episode animated series featuring the characters of Ultraforce was produced by DIC Productions, L.P. and Bohbot Entertainment. The series also featured Sludge, the Night Man, and the Strangers.
- A live action series featuring the character of Night Man aired in syndication from September 1997 to May 1999.
- The Ultraforce character Topaz (created by Mike W. Barr) was portrayed by Rachel House in the film Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and the short film Team Daryl, produced by Marvel Studios.[22][23][24][25]
References
[edit]- ^ The Superhero Book: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Comic-Book Icons and Hollywood Heroes, Gina Misiroglu (2012), p. 377.
- ^ a b Staff (June 1993). "Malibu Unveils Ultraverse". Wizard magazine. Wizard magazine. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
- ^ a b Grant, Paul J. (August 1993). "Looking for Another Big Bang". Wizard magazine. Wizard magazine. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
- ^ McLelland, Ryan (August 25, 2005). "Ultraverse Ten Years Later". Sequart. Sequart Organization. Archived from the original on February 11, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
- ^ Straub, L. D. (1994-11-04). "Comic Book Giant Marvel Buys Upstart Rival Malibu". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
- ^ Reynolds, Eric. "The Rumors are True: Marvel Buys Malibu", The Comics Journal #173 (December 1994), pp. 29-33.
- ^ "Comics Publishers Suffer Tough Summer: Body Count Rises in Market Shakedown", The Comics Journal #172 (Nov. 1994), pp. 13-18.
- ^ "News!" Indy magazine #8 (1994), p. 7.
- ^ "Marvel buys Malibu Comics". UPI. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
- ^ Cronin, Brian (December 16, 2016). "Comic Legends: Why Did Marvel REALLY Buy the Ultraverse?". CBR.com.
- ^ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Universes, Vol. 4, #17 (2005)
- ^ "Marvel Comics Just Brought Back The Ultraverse But No One Noticed" at Bleeding Cool.
- ^ "Why Did Marvel Really Buy Ultraverse & Why Won't They Publish It Now?" at Bleeding Cool
- ^ Cronin, Brian. (April 15, 2017) [1] CBR.com
- ^ Englehart Steve. [2].
- ^ Englehart, Steve (2005). "The Strangers (Marvel)". steveenglehart.com. Archived from the original on 30 June 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
- ^ "Joe Fridays - Week 9". Newsarama. Archived from the original on 25 October 2005.
- ^ De Blieck, Augie Jr. (December 17, 2013). "Miracleman, Malibu's Coloring Department & More!", CBR.com.
- ^ "Black Knight takes on the Avengers in redefining Curse of the Ebony Blade #1". GamesRadar+. 18 February 2021.
- ^ Johnston, Rich (May 18, 2023). "Marvel Comics Just Brought Back The Ultraverse But No One Noticed". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
- ^ Wickstrom, Andy (4 August 1994). "Tale On Tape Concludes In Comic Book". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on July 10, 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- ^ "Queen Topaz: Ruler of Men". scoop.previewsworld.com/.
- ^ Kubai, Andy L. (November 7, 2017). "Crazy Comic Origins of Thor: Ragnarok's New Characters (Topaz section)". Screen Rant.
- ^ Harris-King, Scott (November 3, 2017). "Characters In Thor: Ragnarok With More Meaning Than You Realized (Topaz section)". www.looper.com.
- ^ Compton, Dean (April 8, 2018). "ULTRAVERSE: RAGNAROK". theunspokendecade.com/.
Sources
[edit]- Misiroglu, Gina (2012). "Ultraverse Heroes". The Superhero Book: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Comic-Book Icons and Hollywood Heroes. Visible Ink Press. pp. 377–379. ISBN 9781578593972.
- Keith Dallas, Jason Sacks (2018). "1991". American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1990s. TwoMorrows Publishing. pp. 99–100. ISBN 9781605490847.
External links
[edit]- Ryan McLelland on the history of the Ultraverse Archived 2006-10-23 at the Wayback Machine
- Joe Quesada on Ultraverse revivals
- Rich Johnston's Lying in the Gutters, speaking with creators on an Ultraverse revival Archived 2007-08-22 at the Wayback Machine
- Details of the Ultraverse
- Details of Ultraforce