Ultraverse

The Ultraverse was the name given to a comic book imprint published by Malibu Comics. The Ultraverse was a shared universe much like the real world, but in which a variety of characters - known within the comics as "Ultras" - acquired super-human abilities.

History

The Ultraverse line was launched by Malibu Comics during the "boom" of the early 1990s. Following the success of Image (a studio of comics' top artists each publishing their own book contained in its own mini-universe) and Valiant Comics (a cohesive universe shared by all the Valiant characters - the model the Ultraverse line aimed to imitate), a number of new universes were launched including Milestone from DC and Comics Greatest World from Dark Horse. While it was not as successful as Image or Valiant Comics, Ultraverse was successful relative to the other universes. They boasted improved production values over traditional comics (especially digital coloring and higher-quality paper), and a roster of respected and/or talented new writers and artists. Following the Valiant Comics formula closely, Ultraverse emphasized tight continuity between the various series in their line, Malibu made 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. Many fans loved the scope of storytelling this approach allowed; others complained of the effort and cost of buying the issues necessary to keep track of it all. Regardless, the Ultraverse line came to dominate Malibu's catalog.

As sales declined industry-wide in the mid-1990s, Malibu cancelled lower-selling series. The company was purchased by Marvel Comics in 1994. Reportedly Marvel made the purchase to acquire Malibu's then-groundbreaking in-house coloring studio, and/or its catalog of movie-licensable properties. Others believe that Marvel simply wanted to put a significant competitor out of business. Marvel cancelled the entire Ultraverse line, but (during the controversial "Black September" event) re-launched a handful of the more popular titles as well as a number of crossovers with Marvel characters. The "volume 2" series each started with "# ∞ (infinity)" issues and were cancelled a short time later. Within the Marvel Comics multiverse, the Malibu Universe is designated as Earth-93060.

Ultraverse revival

In June 2005, Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada told an online interviewer that he had once hoped to revive the Ultraverse, but that the "initial structure" of Malibu's contracts with the Ultraverse creators entitled them to share the profits made with these characters, making any revival "next to impossible". Some creators have gone on to explain that while the contracts do entitle them to a small percentage of profits, their characters were created as 'work-for-hire' and Marvel's ownership is in the clear.

Titles

Malibu's Ultraverse titles included:

*"The All-New Exiles"
*"Black September" (Universe changing event)
*"Break-Thru" (a crossover mini-series)
*""
*"Elven"
*"Eliminator"
*"Exiles"
*"Firearm"
*"Foxfire"
*"Freex"
*"Godwheel" (mini series/first Marvel/Ultraverse crossover)
*"Hardcase"
*"Mantra"
*"The Night Man"
*"Prime"
*"Prototype"
*"Rune"
*"Siren"
*"Sludge"
*"Solitaire"
*"The Solution"
*"The Strangers"
*"Ultraforce"
*"Ultraverse Premiere" (a rotating backup series)
*"Ultraverse Future Shock" (Ultraverse Epilogue)
*"Warstrike"

Ultraverse Timeline

* Ultraverse Timeline

Black September

When Malibu was bought out by Marvel Comics, the entire Ultraverse line was cancelled and restarted, with only a few of the more popular series being rebooted and relaunched, sometimes in radically altered form. This was presented as a sort-of DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths-style event, with the difference that DC continuity had some 50 years of issues and often contradictory history, while Ultraverse had just one main universe with a couple of potential futures shown (and only a couple of years of production). But Marvel bought them out and used this as an opportunity to restructure things as they saw fit. The history and continuity of the Ultraverse was retconned in numerous ways, and a number of characters simply ceased to exist (or in the new continuity, to have ever existed). Many of the series became a platform for crossovers with Marvel characters, and fans complained of a drop in quality of the storylines and virtually nonexistent characterizationFact|date=February 2008. After Black September, the Ultraverse-universe diverged again, with the introduction of "New World," "Time Gem reality," and so-called "true future" and "alternate future" worlds. This now-modified Ultraverse lasted less than a year and a half, before being cancelled once again.

The event connects issues "Ultraforce" #8-10 , "Ultraforce/Avengers prelude", "Avengers/Ultraforce", "Ultraforce/Avengers" that were part of the Countdown to Black September, after which all the surviving Ultraverse titles restarted with a special "∞"' numbered issue.

Ultraverse Characters

A

* Aeon
* Alternate, The
* Anything
* Apocaloff, Nick
* Archimage
* Arena
* Argus
* Atalon
* Atom Bob

B

* Backstabber
* Battlewagon
* Black Tiger (see Eliminators)
* Blind Faith
* Blood Mama (see Blood Brothers)
* Bloodbath
* Bloodgrip (see Blood Brothers)
* Bloodrattle (see Blood Brothers)
* Bloodshed (see Eliminators)
* Bloodstorm
* Bloodtrap (see Blood Brothers)
* Bloodyfly
* Boneyard
* Book (see Quattro)
* Boomboy
* Brazen
* Breakdown
* Bruut
* Byter

C

* Captain USA
* Casino
* Catapult (see Exiles)
* Cayman
* Chalk
* Choice
*
* Contrary
* Culebra

D

* Dark Wave
* Deadeye (see Exiles)
* Death Dance (see Quattro)
* Death Mask
* Deathwish
* Degenerate
* Deming, Dr. Rachel (see Exiles)
* Dirt Devil
* Discus
* D.J. Blast
* Doc Gross
* Doc Virtual
* Dog
* Double Edge
* Dragonfly
* Dropkick (see The Solution)
* Duet
* Duey

E

* ElectroCute
* Eliminator
* Elven"
* Entity, The

F

* Feline
* Firearm
* Flygirl
* Forsa
* Foxfire

G

* G.E.N.I.E. (see Aladdin)
* Gangsta
* Gate (see Quattro)
* Gecko
* Gemini (see Aladdin)
* Generator X
* Genius, The
* Ghoul
* Glare
* Guise
* Grenade
* Grip, The
* Gun Nut
* Gunk

H

* Hardcase
* Hardwire
* Harmonica
* Headknocker
* Heater
* Hellblade
* Hellion
* Hot Rox
* Hunt, Amber
* Hunt, J.D.

I

* Incoming (see Eliminators)
* Iron Clad

J

* Janus
* Jinn
* Johnson, Erik (see Aladdin)

K

* King Pleasure
* Kismet Deadly
* Kort, Malcolm
* Kutt

L

* Lady Killer
* Lament
* Leland, Stanley (see Ultra-Tech)
* Lightshow
* Lone, Antone
* Lost Angel
* Lord Pumpkin

M

* Mangle
* Manhattan Project
* Maniac
* Mannequin
* Mantra
* Master of the Hunt
* Mastodon
* Maxi-Man
* Maxis
* Meathook (see Quattro)
* Mister Mischief
* Monkey Woman
* Moon-Man
* Mosh
* Mosley, Edwin
* Mundi, Rex
* Mustang (see Exiles)

N

* Naiad (see TNTNT)
* Necromantra
* Needler
* Nemesis (see Infinity Gems)
* Neuronne (see TNTNT)
* The Night Man
* NM-E
* Notch

O

* Old Man, The
* Operator, The
* Outrage (see The Solution)

P

* Papa Verité
* Phade
* Pilgrim, The
* Pinnacle
* Pistol
* Pixx (see Ultraforce)
* Planet Class
* Plug
* Powerhouse
* Pressure
* Prime
* Primevil
* Prototype

Q

* Quixote

R

* Rafferty
* Ranger
* Rayder, Gen. Holden S. (see Aladdin)
* Rhiannon
* Rigoletto
* Ripfire
* Rivermen
* Robinson, Noel
* Rodent
* Rune
* Rush

* Shadowmage (see The Solution)
* Shuriken
* Siren
* Slayer
* Sludge
* Solitaire
* Spectral
* Starburst
* Strike (see Warstrike)
* Supreme Soviet
* Sweetface

T

* Taboo (see TNTNT)
* Tech (see The Solution)
* Teknight
* Tinsel (see Exiles)
* Topaz
* Torso (see TNTNT)
* Trax (see Exiles)
* Trouble
* Tugun (see TNTNT)
* Turbo
* Turf
* Tyrannosaur (see TNTNT)

U

V

* Veffir Voon Lyax
* Veil
* Vinaigrette

W

* War Eagle
* Warstrike
* Wicca
* Witch Hunter
* Wrath
* Wreckage

X

Y

* Yrial

Z

* Zip-Zap

Ultraverse Teams and Organizations

* Aladdin Assault Squad
* Bash Brothers
* Blood Brothers
* Cabal, The
* Dragon Fang, The
* Eliminators
* Exiles
* The All-New Exiles
* Freex
* Inquisitors, The
* Omega Team
* Quattro
* Radicals, the
* Raiders, The
* The Solution
* The Sportsmen
* The Squad
* The Strangers
* TNTNT
* Techuza
* Terrordyne
* Ultraforce

Government Agencies

* Aladdin
* Lodge, The

Ultraverse Races

* Aerwa
* Darkur
* Fire People
* Primals, the
* Tradesmen, the
* Vyr, the

Crossovers with Marvel Comics

*"Avengers/Ultraforce"
*"Ultraforce/Avengers"
*"Prime vs. The Incredible Hulk"
*"Nightman vs. Wolverine"
*"The All-New Exiles vs. X-Men"
*"Conan vs. Rune"
*"Ultraforce/Spider-Man"
*"Prime/Captain America"
*"Rune vs. Venom"
*"Nightman/Gambit"
*"The Phoenix Resurrection"
*"Rune/Silver Surfer"

External links

* [http://www.sequart.com/articles/index.php?article=646 Ryan McLelland on the history of the Ultraverse]
* [http://www.newsarama.com/JoeFridays/JoeFridays9.html Joe Quesada on Ultraverse revivals]
* [http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/index.cgi?column=litg&article=2177 Rich Johnston's "Lying in the Gutters", speaking with creators on an Ultraverse revival]
* [http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/ultrafce.htm details of Ultraforce and Ultraverse]