Every week, a secret cabal of Marvel staffers gathers to discuss the best of the best when it comes to the House of Ideas.
It's the end of an era this week, as ULTIMATE X-MEN hits issue #100 and comes to an end in the midst of Ultimatum.
Since Mark Millar and Adam Kubert launched ULTIMATE X-MEN in February of 2001, dozens of mutants have passed through the doors of not only Charles Xavier's school but made their presence known across the Ultimate Universe. As they face extinction, the Secret Cabal recognizes 10 standouts from these Ultimate examples of homo superior.
For each character you get the quick rundown as well as a special spotlight comic courtesy of Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited.
As always, these picks reflect the personal choices of the Secret Cabal, not the official opinion of Marvel or Marvel.com, and can be considered subjective at best. Enjoy!
10. CABLE
First Appearance: ULTIMATE X-MEN #75 (2006)
Why He Makes the List: "He's Wolverine! From the future! In a sick twist on both the Cable and Wolverine mythos, Ultimate Cable arrived from the future, revealing his identity, and making fanboys' heads explode! He's like the a delicious Ultimate mutant cocktail, shaken, stirred and poured out all over your face." – Secret Cabal member Agent_M
Spotlight Comic: ULTIMATE X-MEN #76—Cable and Wolverine go claw-to-claw!
9. ICEMAN
First Appearance: ULTIMATE X-MEN #1 (2001)
Learn More About Him…here
Why He Makes the List: "During the X-Men's early years in the Marvel Universe proper, Iceman had a unique place on the team as the youngest member, but as time marched on, he lost that. Ultimate Iceman still gets to be the 'baby' of the group, but not by much, as even Cyclops and Storm only exceed him in age by a few years. Bobby Drake's heroic nature and immature tendencies are at constant war with one another, making him as likely to get irresponsibly caught up in a love triangle with Rogue and Kitty Pryde as save a kid from a Sentinel. Regardless, we dig the bandana and we dig Iceman." – Secret Cabal member Annihilator882
Spotlight Comic: ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #118—Iceman pays an unexpected visit to Spider-Man's high school!
8. COLOSSUS
First Appearance: ULTIMATE X-MEN #1 (2001)
Learn More About Him…here
Why He Makes the List: "Ok, yes, the surface quality that stands out about Ultimate Colossus vs garden variety Colossus is that the former is a homosexual, but while that has enriched his character, it has not dominated it. Colossus' sexual preference has certainly provided a new wrinkle to how he relates with others, as strongly exemplified in the very loving relationship he shares with Northstar. But outside of all that, Peter Rasputin's shady past in the Russian mafia, the tragic circumstances of his childhood, and the crushing pressure that led him to drug use in the form of the mutant steroid Banshee all paint strokes of a fascinating portrait of the X-Men's strongest member." – Annihilator882
Spotlight Comic: ULTIMATE X-MEN #18—Colossus returns to his native Russia and proves himself a hero!
7. FIRESTAR
First Appearance: ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #1 (2000)
Why She Makes the List: "From the moment we met Peter Parker's classmate, Liz Allen, there was something a bit off about her. Over the next five-plus years, we learned pieces of her past, including bad experiences that led her to fear and distrust mutants—so of course she turned out to be one. Liz's ongoing story of discovering and trying to accept her true nature has been a fascinating ride in the recent history of the Ultimate Universe. Her fledgling membership in the X-Men has already provided some neat moments, as well as drawing Spider-Man even closer to the mutant realm." – Annihilator882
Spotlight Comic: ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #119—Liz Allen's world gets scorched when she becomes Firestar!
6. WOLVERINE
First Appearance: ULTIMATE X-MEN #1 (2001)
Learn More About Him…here
Why He Makes the List: "Ultimate Wolverine has been all over the place, fought on all sides of the law and maimed, loved and lost across numerous decades. But, that's not too far off from his original incarnation, right? Ah, but Ultimate Wolvie's younger, broodier, somehow more dangerous and even more of a morally ambiguous character than his regular Marvel Universe counterpart. Has the Wolverine we all know and love ever actually gone so far as to leave Cyclops dangling off a cliff in the Savage Land in hopes of clearing a path to Jean Grey's heart? Didn't think so." – Agent_M
Spotlight Comic: ULTIMATE WOLVERINE VS HULK #1—Wolverine tracks the Jade Giant across the globe!
5. DAZZLER
First Appearance: ULTIMATE X-MEN #42 (2004)
Learn More About Her…here
Why She Makes the List: "As far as Ultimate re-workings landing about as far from their original templates as possible, you can't get much more of a contrast than Dazzler. A lewd, unkempt punk rocker rather than a disco princess, Ultimate Dazzler certainly stands out in a crowd and became one of the longer tenured mutants to join the X-Men past the team's original iteration. Giving this Dazzler even more of a unique identity was her unlikely romance with Angel, the pampered Adonis of the team, a coupling that brought out an unexpected softer side from the spiky-haired malcontent." – Annihilator882
Spotlight Comic: ULTIMATE X-MEN #56—Dazzler drags the X-Men on a rescue mission to Krakoa to save the mysterious Longshot!
4. PROFESSOR X
First Appearance: ULTIMATE X-MEN #1 (2001)
Learn More About Him…here
Why He Makes the List: "While his Marvel Universe counterpart has almost always been the morally upstanding character that all others measure themselves against, Professor X in the Ultimate U was not afraid to use his mental powers to his own advantage if it meant saving his students. It was his understanding that sometimes there are necessary evils that made him Magneto's prime target and resulted in his death at his foe's hands before Charles could stop the destruction." – Secret Cabal member RunawayJ
Spotlight Comic: ULTIMATE X-MEN #20—In the wake of confronting demons from his past, Professor X reflects on his dream.
3. MAGNETO
First Appearance: ULTIMATE X-MEN #1 (2001)
Learn More About Him…here
Why He Makes the List: "This Magneto differs from the one we've known for years particularly in one major way: Ultimate Magneto is
evil. He's bad to the bone, unabashedly ruthless. Yes, he believes he is doing things for the right reasons, but Ultimate Mags has no problem killing as many people as it takes to get what he needs. From his attempt to kill the president to the death of millions at his hands as a result of the Ultimatum Wave, this is one character that you do
not want to even be in the same universe as!" – RunawayJ
Spotlight Comic: ULTIMATE X-MEN #6—Magneto captures the president in his siege on Washington!
2. THE WASP
First Appearance: ULTIMATES #2 (2002)
Learn More About Her…here
Why She Makes the List: "The Ultimate Wasp has proven as multi-faceted and resilient a character as her Marvel U template, but with a few neat differences, first and foremost that she's a mutant! Janet Van Dyne of the Ultimates has also displayed a competence and a willingness to get her wings dirty that have made her invaluable both as a member and leader of her planet's premiere team. Her relationship with Captain America has been filled with potholes, but also possesses an earnest quality that makes us root for them. And the poise with which Jan handles everything from managing her ex-husband's place on the team to being a mutant on the world's most high profile team makes us fans." – Annihilator882
Spotlight Comic: ULTIMATES #6—The Wasp goes no-holds-barred with her own husband, Giant Man!
1. SHADOWCAT
First Appearance: ULTIMATE X-MEN #21 (2002)
Learn More About Her…here
Why She Makes the List: "While the Ultimate version of Kitty Pryde shined as a member of the X-Men, she truly earned her spot as perhaps the most intriguing and entertaining mutant around when she broke into territory on which her Marvel Universe equivalent has never treaded near: Spider-Man's personal life. As the super hero girlfriend who could work for both Peter Parker and Spidey, Kitty was adorable, endearing and opened the door for some highly enjoyable crossing over between the Wallcrawler and the Children of the Atom. Since departing Xavier's school and joining Midtown High alongside her now-ex beau, Kitty has been the sparkplug for great stories exploring how a celebrity mutant fits in among the normal populace and more." – Annihilator882
Spotlight Comic: ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #1—Kitty Pryde's first date with Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man!
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