Warning: Spoilers for Ultimate X-Men #8Mutants are coming to the Ultimate Universe thanks toUltimate X-Men, and their arrival will be unlike any depiction of them in Marvel Comics. The increased scrutiny of the Children of the Atom cult places them under pressure from Viper, who represents the Maker’s council and tells the cult-leader Maester to get the cult under control - which may lead to massive consequences that could change the entire Ultimate Universe.
Ultimate X-Men#8 by Peach Momoko features the Children of the Atom cult slowly being brought into the light, with Kanon exposing the suitcase and the NDA from the last issue, which leads to members of the public asking questions about the Children of the Atom. The issue ends as the Maester gives a speech to his followers, telling them thatthe time has come for them to stop hiding in the shadows, while telling them that the world will come to an end soon.
This final speechhints at a mutant uprising in the future ofUltimate X-Men, marking a major change for the Ultimate Universe, as the mutants have had a relatively minor presence in the universe. The idea of a mutant uprising also calls back toMark Millar and Adam Kubert’s originalUltimate X-Menrun from 2001.
A Mutant Uprising Could Change the Ultimate Universe Forever
A Core Marvel Sub-Group Finally Joins the Ultimate Universe
The new Ultimate Universe has beenslow to introduce many concepts familiar to the mainstream Marvel Universe, due to its altered history. While familiar mutants do have a smallpresence in the Ultimate Universe, such as Storm being an ally to Black Panther and Colossus and Magik being members of the Maker’s Council, mutants have nowhere near the overwhelming presence in this universe that they have in the mainstream Marvel Universe. The fact that superheroes are only just recently emerging in the public makes their relative absence all the more notable.
Mutants becoming more public will be a major shakeup to the Ultimate Universe’s status quo.
TheChildren of the Atom’s imminent uprising promises to change that status quo, as stepping out from the shadows will give mutants an increased presence in the Ultimate Universe. While the Children of the Atom appear to be localized to Hi no Kuni, increasing their presence will surely result in other mutants across the globe exposing their powers to the world. Additionally, mutants becoming more public will be a major shakeup to theUltimate Universe’s status quo, changing the ways the public at large will look at the emerging superheroes.
Ultimate X-Men’sMutant Uprising Pays Homage to the Original Series
Marvel History Repeats Itself
Intriguingly, this is not the first time a version of the Ultimate Universe has experimented with the idea of a mutant uprising. Thefirst arc of 2001’sUltimate X-Menby Millar and Kubert focuses on the Brotherhood of Mutants staging their own uprisingacross the globe and the X-Men being assembled to stop them. However, Momoko’s take on the concept differs significantly from Millar and Kubert’s, with the newUltimate X-Menbeing less outwardly violent and using lesser known characters, while the original was more overt in its violence and used familiar X-Men staples.
X-Men’s New Origin for the Word ‘Mutant’ Is a Dark Twist on Classic Lore
The history of mutantdom in the new Ultimate Universe is much darker than fans were expecting, as Ultimate X-Men begins to shed light on this mystery.
A mutant uprising is in the near future of the Ultimate Universe, heralded by the Children of the Atom. As the events ofUltimate X-Menshine a public spotlight on mutants at large, the landscape of the Ultimate Universe will undoubtedly be changed, making mutants more of a presence within the universe. The return of the idea of a mutant uprising also pays homage to the originalUltimate X-Menwithout imitating it, reimagining the idea for a new continuity and embracing the future. Thanks to Momoko’sUltimate X-Men, the Ultimate Universe - and the role that mutants play within it - will undoubtedly change forever.
Ultimate X-Men#8is available now from Marvel Comics.
Ultimate X-Men (2024)
Visionary creator Peach Momoko creates a new generation of X-Men for an all-new universe! Hisako Ichiki is a teenage girl who just wants to live a normal life — go to school, hang out with her friends, ignore the political strife broiling over after the events of ULTIMATE INVASION — but life has other plans for her. In Japan, urban legends have sprung to life and brought some unusual new powers with them… Meet Armor, Maystorm and a group of new Ultimate X-Men the likes of which you’ve never seen before!
