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ULTIMATE
FANTASTIC FOUR
preview art by
Tyler Kirkham |
By Tim Stevens
All (Salem) Seven will watch the
Fantastic Four fall.
Prince did not exactly write it that way, but that may be the reality the Fantastic Four will be struggling with on June 18 when ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #55 hits shelves.
In the mainstream Marvel Universe, the Salem Seven owe their existence to their father, black magic practitioner Nicolas Scratch, and a series of mothers. The mystically-powered team of half siblings has transitioned from Fantastic Four enemies to allies over the years. However, as fans of the Ultimate Universe have come to expect, the newest incarnation of the Seven will not tread the same exact path.
"This is a very different interpretation of the Seven, although I've kept their very intimate, familial link with someone close to the FF," promises writer Mike Carey. "Their origin and parentage are still crucially important, and ultimately there is a parallel with mainstream continuity—it's just not one I can talk about at this stage. In terms of friendly-versus-hostile, though, they're definitely the latter."
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ULTIMATE
FANTASTIC FOUR
preview art by
Tyler Kirkham |
With a different version of the Seven comes different members, names, and powers. Carey jumped to preview two of them: "Probably Neuropath, whose power is to hack your nervous system and make you feel whatever she wants you to feel—like pleasure, pain, or nothing at all [is my favorite]. I also like the Penultimate, who's a ludicrously over-equipped cyborg with a weapon for every eventuality.
"It's my last [ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR] story, and I wanted to go out on a high. I decided to go for a story that would have huge fights, strong character beats and an intellectual mystery to solve. The Seven seemed like a great element to be in that mix. We've [also] got the sub-plot of Reed and Sue's relationship problems running through this arc too, becoming a fairly major element."
In closing, Carey summarizes the Seven's debut as "a puzzle story with some big revelations to come. There are some big clues right there on the page."
Meanwhile, the
X-Men find themselves welcoming their Northern counterparts,
Alpha Flight, to the Ultimate Universe.
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ULTIMATE X-MEN
preview art by
Mark Brooks |
Having already showed up briefly in ULTIMATE X-MEN #94, the Flight make their feature debut in ULTIMATE X-MEN #95, also due out on June 18.
While the team still wraps itself in the maple leaf emblem of Canada, their roster has expanded its horizons.
"I wanted to build a more international and diverse team," explains writer Aron Coleite. "[It includes]
Jubilee and
Sunfire [and] an Inuit version of
Snowbird. And who is hiding behind
Vindicator's mask? I'll tell you right now, it's not James Hudson.
Sasquatch isn't Walter Langowski [either]."
The team's international bend comes, in part, from the politics of the both the real world and the Ultimate Universe.
"Today, Canada has a much better relationship with the rest of the world than America does, something that Mark Millar certainly touched on in ULTIMATES," notes Coleite. "It's something I wanted to embrace in forming a new super team for the Ultimate Universe."
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ULTIMATE X-MEN
preview art by
Mark Brooks |
From a plot standpoint, the introduction of Alpha Flight makes sense because they, according to Coleite, "are integral at finding the roots of this mysterious drug [
Banshee] and its origins." However, the Flight holds personal appeal for writer as well as he has "had a love for this team since I first started collecting."
Playing his cards close, Coleite offers only a few hints about what readers can look for coming up with Ultimate Alpha Flight:
"This is a more international team for a reason. More will be revealed in issue #95. Sasquatch's identity will be revealed in issue #95. You'll have to wait for Vindicator's. But that will come soon enough."
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #55 and ULTIMATE X-MEN #95 both go on sale June 18. For more on the original Alpha Flight, visit Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited.
