Luke and Devin come back to celebrate the return of Venom, to question the name Jefferson Davis, to watch teens #disrupt agribusiness, and then the Ultimates continue to nosedive as more infinity stones show up while Nick Fury turns evil.
Comics Covered
- Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #16.1 & #19 – #22
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #19 – #22
- Ultimate Comics: Ultimates #19 – #24
Check out the notes and image gallery after the jump!
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #16.1 & #19 – #22
Ultimate Comics X-Men #19 – #22
Ultimate Comics Ultimates #19 – #24
Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #16.1
Writer – Brian Michael Bendis, Art – David Marquez, Colors – Justin Ponsor, Letters – VC’s Cory Petit
J Jonah Jameson is looking for stories and Betty Brant presents her theory and evidence that the new Spider-Man and the Prowler were related. Jameson tells her to get the rest of the story. She tracks down the Prowler to Aaron’s apartment where she pretends to be interested in buying it so she can explore and she finds the spider inside and takes it to Roxxon where Doctor Marcus is working. She shows him the spider and he reveals it was part of an attempt to replicate Spider-Man but it didn’t work. She decides it must be Miles’ dad, Jefferson Davis who was the brother of the Prowler but Jameson turns her down because it will threaten the new Spider-Man. She makes a deal through Ned Leed’s publisher to sell the story before Venom shows up to kill her.
Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #19–22 – Venom War
Writer – Brian Michael Bendis, Art – Sara Pichelli, Colors – Justin Ponsor, Letters – VC’s Cory Petit
While Miles is trying to figure out how to deal with his webbing issues with financial help from Ganke, Venom continues to be on a rampage attacking the abandoned Osborne Industries. Meanwhile Detective Maria Hill is investigating the disappearance of Betty Brant (despite it only being 24 hours). Jameson explains she threatened to reveal who the new Spider-Man is which he opposed.
At Miles’ home, reporters have been tracking down Jefferson after he killed the Hydra agents, which is the first Miles has heard of it. When he heads out to confront the news team to find out how they tracked him, Venom appears. Venom believes Jefferson was Spider-Man and plans to attack so Miles heads out in costume with a new web-fluid prepared by Ganke. As he struggles to fight, Jefferson gets injured and Miles uses the Venom blast which seems to dissolve it before it drains into the sewers.
Meanwhile the ambulance takes Jefferson to the hospital with his mom, Rio, who tells Miles to stay behind.
Across New York City, Gwen stops to see Mary Jane working at a coffee shop when they see the news about Venom and they rush over with Mary Jane quitting her job.
Detective Hill meanwhile heads to the scene of the crime where Miles is blaming himself for not being responsible and saving his family and he decides to head to the hospital. Ganke and then Gwen and Mary Jane tell him to stop and the four head inside which Hill sees. They give the rundown on what Venom is, how Gwen was Little Ben, and as they put together pieces Detective Hill comes in, putting together that Miles is Spider-Man and asking Miles to let her help but they don’t trust her so she leaves.
Miles thinks again and goes to confront her but they get interrupted with the news that Venom showed up at the hospital and she tells him to rescue people and she will call SHIELD.
At the hospital, Venom is looking for Jefferson and Spider-Man shows up. Rio tries to help by shooting at Venom, knowing that Spider-Man is Miles, but it is ineffective and Miles is swallowed into the suit. Suddenly Miles Venom blasts out, revealing the host who is gunned down by the police led by Detective Hill. As things settle down though Rio was fatally shot in an accident and she tells Miles to never let his father know before she dies in his arms.
At Roxxon, Mr. Roxxon hears the news and we find out the new Venom was Conrad Marcus who Betty had gone to talk to, and knowing they were close, Roxxon wants to make their own Spider-Men.
And when Miles wakes up the next morning, he realizes everything that happened and declares he will be Spider-Man No More!
Ultimate Comics X-Men #19 – #22 – Reservation X
Writer – Brian Wood, Pencils – Paco Medina, Carlo Barberi, David Baldeon, Ink – Juan Vlasco, Jordi Tarragona, Color – Jesus Aburtov, Javier Tartaglia, Letters – VC’s Joe Sabino
The remaining 20 mutants who refused the cure are sent to the Grand National Experimental Range in Utah where Kitty signs a treaty making it sovereign land and surrendering their citizenship, before telling them where to find their water, electricity and FEMA housing.
The mutants decide to have a vote between Kitty and Nomi, with Kitty running on a policy to build something they would own, that they fought for while Nomi wants them to get revenge.
The remaining mutants are Iceman, Storm, Armor, Black Box, Micromax, Magma, Jimmy Hudson, Rogue, and Zero, who all vote for Kitty, who refused to vote, while Blackheath, Warpath, Psylocke (who is also Betsy Braddock), and Shola support Nomi, who voted for herself. Zero who can manipulate molecules offers to help and change the land with his powers and with the help of Storm and Blackheath who can manipulate plants.
They set up their new base that they call Utopia and Tony Stark provides them with some initial food and supplies, and Nick Fury gives Kitty a gun. Nomi meanwhile starts working on the plans to take Kitty down, starting with stealing Kitty’s gun and replacing it with another, all while Jean Grey is keeping eyes on Utopia for the SEAR.
The mutants build a greenhouse and Blackheath discovers that they have made immortal seeds that can grow in any condition and help to change the environment so they can grow out of the seeds that were supposed to die after one use.
Meanwhile Psylocke is working to erode Rogue’s faith in Kitty.
Tony Stark ends up coming out to Utopia where he sees the super seeds that could threaten the entire agriculture industry – which Kitty plans to give away, so Tony promises to protect Utopia after she makes the announcement. That night Nomi threatens to shoot her and then Jimmy with the gun, controlled magnetically, just because she could.
Kitty and Tony hold a worldwide press conference which immediately becomes controversial.
Tony continues to offer guidance on their fight they have coming, providing them defenses, while in Ti’an, Jean knows the end of Utopia is coming.
Nomi, guided by Psylocke, offers help from a mysterious force to take down Kitty by making her fail.
That night, government mercenaries come in and start attacking and the mutants capture them all. Tony tells them the next step is to send a message.
Husk shows up in the camp, barely alive, and Kitty talks to her and she tries to explain that she was brainwashed and sent out, but Bobby is the only one really happy to see her.
Tony ends up taking Jimmy out to set up defenses and talks to him about becoming the bodyguard of Utopia before they are interrupted by a jet that he takes down, capturing the pilot. Kitty fails to interrogate him and Tony tells her to send him back out which she agrees with and he warns them to check on their friends.
After the attack Kitty holds a meeting to try and unify everyone, including Nomi’s group, when the greenhouse is bombed. Knowing she’d likely be blamed, Nomi leaves with Psylocke, Zero, Warpath, Shola and Micromax. Bobby wants to stay but Husk convinces him to leave.
In the aftermath, Kitty lies and tells everyone that the seed was destroyed and Tony promises to release it to the public, letting mutants be the heroes, eventually.
And in Washington DC, a shadowy cabal decides to exterminate mutants once and for all.
Ultimate Comics: Ultimates #19 – #24 – Reconstruction
Writer – Sam Humphries, Pencils – Scot Eaton, Joe Bennet, Inks – Rick Magyar, Andrew Hennessy, Dave Meikis, Ruy Jose, Colors – Matt Milla, Andy Troy, Letters – VC’s Clayton Cowles
President America expects to meet with the governor of California, but instead meets with the political kingmaker for the governor, Ford, who insists that President America force Nevada to let them reopen a coal plant for power that would give the state power but would pollute a river in Nevada and when President America refuses, Ford threatens him so President America assaults him.
Meanwhile Tony Stark as Iron Patriot hosts the coin flip for the first post-war football game before it is attacked by missiles. He follows the missiles to a SHIELD satellite and explodes it.
Meanwhile Cassandra Lang is forced to recover in giant size because of her injuries.
Sue Storm reaches out to Thor who is dealing with the grief caused when Hela found out he killed their son Modi. Sue asks for Thor’s help finding the other gems like the one Modi used that seem to be connected to a glove.
President America meanwhile has been fighting Hydra across the country and he’s getting tired. Monica has been looking into the use of SHIELD tech and reveals the man behind it is Nick Fury wearing the white Nick Fury disguise, under the name Scorpio.
In Nebraska, Scorpio goes to check in on Nails, a woman working with him under Commander Crimson as part of the Death’s Head Hydra Camp. Crimson reveals that she has a new item known as the Torch that she will use in the country.
On the helicarrier they break the news about Fury to President America and give him the option of sending in Hawkeye to kill him, sending Clint in to talk to him, or something else.
Sue and Thor meanwhile have been trying to find a link between the gems but only know that they are hidden until they are found but Thor gets bored and commands them to show them what they want to find and they’re sent to a Hydra base.
Else, Ford has gone to California where Dr. Lopez was keeping an eye on Fury’s Ultimates base which Ford plans to use for himself.
Scorpio and Nails have a conversation about their motivations and Nails explains she wants a better America but doesn’t know if Hydra is really the way to go about it. They get interrupted by an explosion and Scorpio sends her to check it while he goes to protect Crimson, but sneaks to get the Torch which is where Nails finds him, knowing he set up the attack, before Hawkeye comes in demanding answers and threatening Nails to get Scorpio to talk. Scorpio and Nails escape, capturing Hawkeye and Scorpio claims he and Nails stopped him before he could steal the Torch, and Crimson orders Scorpio to kill Hawkeye.
Before he can fire a shot though, a Wasp drone blasts him as Iron Patriot and the helicarrier appear to attack with help from tumor Tony. Scorpio meanwhile was knocked out and Hawkeye gets back up and Scorpio reveals he is Nick Fury and the two sneak off as Nails listens in.
Monica meanwhile found out that Commander Crimson is former SHIELD agent Sayuri Kyota, who now wields the Torch, which is another gem that she uses to repel Iron Patriot. When Skull, Nail’s partner, reveals Hawkeye escaped, she kills him, angering Nails, which is when Nick Fury, out of disguise, reappears. He shoots Kyota, and rides off with Nails on a bike while Kyota explodes with energy destroying the camp.
In the end, Fury decides he wants to go back to fighting Hydra his way, without regulation which Monica is against but President America supports, and then he vanishes while they argue so he can recruit Nails to his new Howling Commandos and she reveals her real name is Abigail Brand.
And back in the Hydra base, Thor and Sue find another gem.
Part 2 –
Nine years ago, the Ultimates – Tigra, Wonder Man, The Vision and Quake were sent in to capture Osama bin Laden but Wonder Man lost control, Quake was forced to shut him down before they sent in a nuke and they were all put on ice, even before the last member, Black Knight, was ready.
In DC, President America is arguing for the political release of the Hulk and he gets tired and tells them to deal with it.
Monica is meanwhile dealing with the fallout from the Hydra base where Sue and Thor ended up, and the gem they have is pointing at the Moon.
Ford comes to meet with President America at the World War II Memorial in DC and President America tells him to back off and deal with shit legally, so Ford leaves after being threatened by Hawkeye and orders Lopez to activate the Ultimates.
Tony and Anthony were meanwhile watching TV and having fun when the Black Knight came in, slicing Iron Man in half.
Soon, Tony is missing at the unveiling of the J-RICE Orbital Energy Platform which would capture cosmic energy and harness it for power, raising suspicions.
President America is stuck in the White House dealing with the Governors of the Carolinas who are still fighting and is tired of everyone trying to force him to use executive authority.
While Sue and Thor are on the moon, Black Knight attacks, while The vision attacks the press conference and Tigra and Quake attack the White House.
We find out that Vision was a super genius who created an antimatter generator. Tigra was Marie Grant, a police officer who killed a kid and was sentenced to 20 years in prison for being brutal and hyper aggressive. Nick Fury personally recruited them.
President America goes to fight Tigra, while Vision is reprogramming the satellite, but Quake finds out that Vision was told by Ford to send it crashing down.
Tony meanwhile was captured and delivered to Ford who reveals he lied to the Ultimates, telling them President America was illegitimate. The satellite is set to crash into Sacramento which will make the West Coast states think it is America attacking them, allowing Ford to consolidate them under his control into a West Coast nation.
Quake reveals to President America that the plan was flipped and Monica Chang reveals that she’s telling the truth. Quake was kicked out of SHIELD for fighting her superior officer for assaulting her so Fury recruited her for the West Coast Ultimates. Dane Whitman was a Marine whose body was completely destroyed so Fury offered to give him a new chance putting him in the Black Knight robot suit.
Tony meanwhile finally gets his Orbital Iron Man sent in to arrive and he’s set against Wonder Man who was a bodybuilder who was caught using performance enhancers and was offered a chance to be the new Captain America and he starts fighting Iron Man.
President America meanwhile got to Sacramento and is waiting on the roof hoping to stop the Satellite with just his shield before Thor shows up to protect his home and then Iron Man and together they blow it up, while Sue was able to secure the dangerous parts.
President America meanwhile decides he doesn’t want to be President anymore and resigns as the President.
Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #16.1 – Point One
Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #19 – #22 – Venom War
Ultimate Comics: X-Men #19 – #22 – Reservation X
Ultimate Comics: Ultimates #19 – #21 – Reconstruction Pt 1
Ultimate Comics: Ultimates #22 – #24 – Reconstruction Pt 2