Marvel’s Ultimate Universe: One Year In is the Ultimate Crossover

24 months. That’s how long the Ultimates have to fix the world remade by the Maker, the villainous Reed Richards of Earth-1610, who used the Immortus Engine to reshape reality into Earth-6160: the new Ultimate Universe. This universe’s Iron Man (Howard Stark) and Doom (Reed Richards) trapped the Maker inside his City for two years, at which point the Dome will open and this universe’s progenitor will return. Time is running out.

The new Ultimates escaped six months into the future to form the Ultimate Network, a superhero resistance consisting of the teenage Tony Stark (Iron Lad), Doom, Thor, Lady Sif, Captain America, the Human Torch (Jim Hammond), She-Hulk (Lejori Zakaria), Wasp (Janet Van Dyne), Giant-Man (Hank Pym), America Chavez, and Hawkeye (Charli Hawks Eyes).

As the Ultimates assembled to unmake the Maker’s reality — by recreating the main Marvel Universe, Earth-616 — Tony set Peter Parker back on the course to become Spider-Man 20 years after the teen was supposed to be bitten by a radioactive spider.

[RELATED: Marvel’s New Ultimate Universe, Explained]

Meanwhile, the entire roster will unite for the first time in November’s The Ultimates #6 by Deniz Camp and Juan Frigeri. The conclusion to the first Ultimates arc pits the heroes led by Iron Lad against the Immortal Weapons, the gamma-mutated army of the Hulk, who is out to smash the insurgent superheroes threatening to upend the world order ruled by the Maker’s Council.

The secret council of supervillains ruling the world from the shadows has been pulling the strings in the pages of The Ultimates, Ultimate Spider-Man, and Ultimate Black Panther — and it all comes to a head in Ultimate Universe: One Year In #1. The one-shot special by Camp and artist Jonas Scharf (Avengers of the Wastelands) is the finale to the first year of Marvel’s new Ultimate line, and will set the stage for its second year with the introduction of two new characters: Ultimate Nick Fury and Ultimate Wolverine, the Winter Soldier.

Marvel Comics will mark the one-year anniversary of the new Ultimate Universe with foil variant covers for the 13th issues of Ultimate Spider-Man (by Jonathan Hickman and Marco Checchetto), Ultimate Black Panther (by Bryan Edward Hill and Stefano Caselli), Ultimate X-Men (by Peach Momoko), and Ultimates (by Camp and Frigeri). In addition to the One Year In foil variant covers, artist Josemaria Casanovas (Edge of Spider-Verse) is uniting the heroes and villains of the Ultimate Universe on a six-piece connecting cover series (below) paying homage to Jim Lee’s X-Men (1991) #1 cover.

The covers span upcoming issues of Ultimate X-Men #8 (Oct. 30), Ultimates #6 (Nov. 6), Ultimate Spider-Man #11 (Nov. 20), Ultimate Universe: One Year In #1 (Dec. 11), Ultimate Black Panther #11 (Dec. 25), and Ultimate Wolverine #1 (Jan. 15), the first in an ongoing series by writer Chris Condon (Venom War: Daredevil) and artist Alessandro Cappuccio (Moon Knight). Year two of the Ultimate Universe will span the final 12 months until the Maker is no longer imprisoned in the City.

The Ultimate line’s second year will also feature Maystorm’s X-Men in Ultimate X-Men, Hickman’s homage to Kraven’s Last Hunt in Ultimate Spider-Man, T’Challa’s encounter with the Ultimate Sorcerer Supreme in Ultimate Black Panther, and the origin of Ultimate Luke Cage in Ultimates.

Ultimate Universe: One Year In #1

THE CLOCK IS TICKING DOWN TO THE MAKER’S ARRIVAL! Deniz Camp flips the narrative on ULTIMATES and takes us inside the Maker’s Council! The heroes of the Ultimate Universe aren’t the only ones who have been preparing for the return of the Maker, and the clock is ticking down… This unique one-shot sets the stage for the second year of the Ultimate line and includes the debut of the Ultimate versions of two major Marvel characters!
On sale: Dec. 11, 2024

Ultimate Wolverine #1

THE MAKER’S ULTIMATE WEAPON! From rising star Chris Condon (That Texas Blood) and MOON KNIGHT powerhouse artist Alessandro Cappuccio comes the story of the ULTIMATE WOLVERINE! In order to maintain control of their corner of the Maker’s world, three members of his council – Magik, Colossus and Omega Red – deploy their most lethal asset: The Winter Soldier! But WHO is the weapon behind the mask?
On sale: Jan. 15, 2025

Ultimate Spider-Man #13

KRAVEN’S MOST DANGEROUS GAME! The Sinister Six are all hunting Spider-Man and the Green Goblin for their ringleader, Kingpin – and this time, Kraven has the upper hand in Jonathan Hickman & Marco Checchetto’s love letter to “Kraven’s Last Hunt”!
On sale: Jan. 22, 2025

Ultimate X-Men #11

WHO ARE THE X-MEN? RISE OF THE MASKED MUTANTS! Maystorm takes the reins! No more hiding their powers – even if it means hiding their faces! Disenfranchised and despairing after the raid on the Children of the Atom, the man-made mutants seek out leadership – and Maystorm is ready to rise to the occasion!
On sale: Jan. 29, 2025

Ultimates #9

LUKE CAGE AND THE ULTIMATE PRISON BREAK! Juan Frigeri joins Deniz Camp to bring us the history and the future of Luke Cage! Spider-Man isn’t the only success story of Ultimates 1.0…meet the man who has been quietly sabotaging the Maker’s Council from behind bars!
On sale: Feb. 5, 2025

Ultimate Black Panther #13

ULTIMATE BLACK PANTHER: YEAR TWO STARTS HERE! With MOON KNIGHT defeated and the Maker’s Council forced to regroup, T’Challa must learn the secrets of vibranium – because his very life and soul are at risk! The SORCERER SUPREME can help understand the truth of the terrifying element that built Wakanda, but her aid comes with a price…