How would you do an "Ultimate" DC Universe?

[PyroTwilight]

Holy ****, that Wonder Woman one is godawful.

Yeah the costume really doesn't give the story premise any favors. Haha.

[king81992]

I like the titans pitch the most. It feels somewhat fresh and distinct compared to the others and I like that they aren't legacies.

I like the Titans pitch too. Donna's design is interesting,looks like she went full party animal in this one instead of dealing with retcons to her past.

[scary harpy]

Funny. Earth 2 was essentially DC's Ultimate Universe Earth during the New 52.

It just fell apart VERY quickly.

Once Taylor took over it was basically one long drawn out Ultimatum. And then Wilson took over and it got so much worse.

It's rare to get to see a book start with SUCH promise and just quickly turn to trash. So many good ideas started off with and just...tossed. It was almost comical by Society how many contradictions were being made.

Like Jay Garrick who was empowered by the powers of the dying god Apollo (yeah...). Or describing Alan Scott's ring as Oan tech (yikes).

It was a tragic waste.

So many golden-age villains could have been revitalized. So many stories could have been told.

[CRaymond]

Highlights:

Alexander Luthor is a latent reality warper, born in 1908.

Metropolis is Chicago. Gotham City is New York City. San Entrada is San Francisco. Coast City is Corpus Christi. Central City is St. Louis. Star City is Memphis.

Metron, Uxas, Astorr, and Izaya are quadruplet kings whose realms were overtaken by Darkseid.

Alfred Pennyworth was in a polyamorous relationship with the Waynes.

Queen Hippolyte visited Man's World in 1918 during the First Crisis and returned to Themyscira pregnant.

The Multiverse is a stormy sea, and the Quintessence bound five Earths together to defend itself.

Batman rose from the Lazarus Pit in 1948.

Superman died in a fight with the alien Solaris in 1952, and was reborn as male and female twins later that year.

Kobra managed to conquer the world from 1962-1972.

Dick Grayson became the United States President in 1988.

Superman 2 died in a fight with the alien Doomsday in 1992, and was cloned by the Chinese division of Lexcorp later that year.

Wonder Woman formed the Teen Titans in 2000.

[Marxtles]

An Ultimage DC has already, in my mind,, been attempted three times.
The first was the All-Star line with All-Star Superman and All-Star Batman and Robin. While Superman was exceptional, Batman was plagued with constant delays and a lackluster story (not a fan of Frank Miller).

Second was the Earth One books, the deluxe format hard covers that I have been enjoying.

Then third, was the New 52, but instead of having it be a separate entity to the main Universe, it was a total reboot. It did the same essential thing as Marvel's Ultimate line. Younger, more modern takes on heroes and while some of it was good....a lot of it wasn't because DC tried to push too much out and still weren't consistent.
I also don't think DC needs an Ultimate line...since Rebirth, the mixing of some original continuity with New 52 continuity has opened the door to great stories which is all the Ultimate line was for without killing 40 years of storytelling.

[Mutant God]

I like to create alternate universes so here is one of them:

Earth-2002

Superman - A simple farm boy with cancer who saves the life of time traveling mercenary Booster Gold and is rewarded with a serum created in the future by scientists who experimented on metahumans for years under the name Project Cadmus that was funded by several powerful men known as The Elite with each man wanting more power. The Omega Serum gives Clark several different powers but because of the cancer in body he needs sunlight to give his powers and to neutralize the cancer cells in his body.

Villains:
Luthor - Owner of LexCorp who was suppose to get the serum that Clark got and is obsess with taking Clark's powers away and proving Superman's old fashion values are obsolete in the modern world. Member of The Elite.

Brainiac - Future Lex Luthor, whos brain is inside a robotic body, goes back in time to punish and capture Booster Gold for his mistake but, thanks to Superman and BG, ends up as an AI on modern Lex's super computer.

D'hark Seiid - Powerful African (or Middle Eastern) dictator and member of The Elite who successfully gets an Omega Serum but turns into a fat rock creature who can manipulate powerful lasers and energy beams.

Zachary Orville Dixon - Disgraced General turned cult leader who goes by his initials Z.O.D. because Zod is God according to his followers. Runs a militant survivalist cult, that lives just a few farms down from the Kent farm, which turns into a powerful militia and becomes the private army of The Elite. Being the leader Z.O.D. is given a serum that gives him the same powers as Superman.

Manchester Black - British Anarchist Aristocrat and member of The Elite who gets a serum of his own and gains the powers of telepathy and telekinesis. He uses his power to make people riot and to question themselves about their decisions.

Toyman - Chinese Toymaker, Businessman, and member of The Elite, Hiro Okamura, who loves to play games and his serum gives him the ability to warp reality to his whim. A combination of Toyman and Mr. Mxyzptlk.

Vandal Savage - Immortal metahuman from South America and founder of The Elite who loves to hunt, has his own serum but doesn't drink it until seeing how powerful Superman is and turns into a super immortal creature called Doomsday.

Supporting:
Supergirl - A girl name Claire Connor who has breast cancer but is rewarded with a serum created by Brainiac, to give to Lex, but stolen by Booster Gold to give to her after she saves Superman's life.

Booster Gold - A time mercenary who accidentally who messes with time and ends up creating Superman and questions "why not change time".

Rip Hunter - Another time mercenary who gives The Elite their serums because he believes the past shouldn't be changed only to find out The Elite have been manipulating time for their own desires.

Concepts:
Phantom Zone - A super prison built by LexCorp to put Superman in calling him a threat but is taken by the Government and puts Z.O.D. in instead. Given Future Tech by Booster Gold, the prison is sent to different places so no one in the prison can know where their are or anyone not in the government can know where it is.

Took a long time writing this so I guess I write Earth-2002's Batman, Sandman, Flash, Wonder Woman/Shazam/Wonder Twins, Green Lantern another time

[scary harpy]

Then third, was the New 52, but instead of having it be a separate entity to the main Universe, it was a total reboot. It did the same essential thing as Marvel's Ultimate line. Younger, more modern takes on heroes and while some of it was good....a lot of it wasn't because DC tried to push too much out and still weren't consistent.
I also don't think DC needs an Ultimate line...since Rebirth, the mixing of some original continuity with New 52 continuity has opened the door to great stories which is all the Ultimate line was for without killing 40 years of storytelling.

The new 52 should have been a total reboot; it might have worked if it had been a total reboot.

Instead, we got the same soft-reboot crap that DC loves so much:

• erase this- check
• keep that – check
• no explanation why - check
• no continuity - check
• big, hot mess - check
• learn nothing from past mistakes - check

[Denirac]

Honestly thats what I’d make Earth 1 or E-2 in the future.

Earth 2 as an Ultimate Universe could easily encompass some of the more popular characters that currently lie outside of continuity in wider media and elseworlds like Jerome/Jeremiah Valeska’s as the Jokerz, Adventurer and Scientific Genius, Harrison Wells, Sean Murphy’s Darker Harley Quinn who never needed the Joker

Honestly I’d launch it with Martian Manhunter. Have every hero a bit into there careers and have J’onn fill us in on their stories as he assembles a Justice League featuring: J’onn, Clark, Bruce, Diana, Arthur, Kyle Rayner and Wally West. Have Barry, Hal, John and Guy be MIA and make that a big story for Kyle and Wally- Searching for them.

Have the Teen Titans be lead by Nightwing, Batgirl and Starfire including heroes from the generations of Tim Drake

Give each JL Member an Ultimate Solo to introduce their radically different villains
The Jokerz (Jerome and Jeremiah)
Harley Quinn (A Deranged Psychopath aiming to kill the Jokerz at all costs )
Etc etc etc

[Korath]

More than an Ultimate Universe with most of the same characters, D.C. needs a place where fully new characters can take over older ones. I've been thinking about it, but beyond the main heroes, D.C. sucks at cultivating new characters, especially non-White ones (and I say this as a white heterosexual dude, aka the Western World Average Joe) : where are its Kamala Khan, Miles Morales, Amadeus Cho etc ? Ir rather bad because while older character will almost always manage to reach new générations, you simply can't make them relevant to today's issues without twisting them into shapes they can't work with.

Take Superman : his take as the ultimate Illegal Immigrant worked when the U.S. were concerned with European migration, or even Jewish one. But I find kind of hard to believe that he can be used to highlight the difficulties of minorities of color. Kind of like a straight character, no matter how open he may be, can't really represent LGBTQ, if you know what I mean.

And this mindset of caring only for the big guns is probably also an hindrance for the DCEU. When, inevitably, actors will retire, either WB/DC will have to pretend that, say, Wonder Woman is still the same character when her physique will be vastly different or resort to only Elseworlds, because in spite off the immense trove of characters they are, most are so Under -developed that they can't use comics material to step up and take up the place of the more iconic characters elsewhere.

[Mutant God]

Earth-2002

Batman - After his father's death, Bruce Wayne puts the family money into Wayne Enterprise and charity projects, meanwhile tries to be more political and becomes the vigilante known as Batman who funds his crime fighting through stealing money from gangs and stealing equipment from super villains ie: Riddler's tech, Scarcrow's fear gas, Firefly's jet pack, Captain Boomerang's boomerangs into batarangs

The Five Founding Families of Gotham: Five families who help create what Gotham is today
Waynes - A family who protected Gotham as Cops, Judges (Solomon Wayne), Soldiers (Kane family), Detectives

Cobblepots - A family who controlled business and politics throughout Gotham's history. After some businesses fell under, Elder Cobblepots had their daughters marry some up and coming business families including the Malronies, Falcones, and Bertinellis.

Arkhams - The family who set up medical care in Gotham and is mostly known for its infamous mental facility, Arkham Asylum, which includes all types of science and medicine being found in the hospital

Valleys - A religious family who has many churches set up in Gotham and is apart of many magical dealings in Gotham. Started with St. Durmas Valley, a devout woman who battled a demon named Etrigan and banished it from Gotham causing her descendents to take advantage of people's beliefs.

Napiers - The family who entertained Gotham through art, literature, comics, tv, movies, and the circus.

Each family could be an arc: Wayne (origins), Cobblepots (gangs), Arkham (mad science), Valley (magic), Napier (television/circus)

[jtd]

I thought the Injustice and Injustice 2 series were basically DC's answer to the Ultimate Marvel universe.

[Sacred Knight]

Nah. That's more standard fare dystopian Elseworld. If the Injustice world is comparable to anything within Marvel, I'd lean more toward something like House of M.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

I like to create alternate universes so here is one of them:

Earth-2002

Superman - A simple farm boy with cancer who saves the life of time traveling mercenary Booster Gold and is rewarded with a serum created in the future by scientists who experimented on metahumans for years under the name Project Cadmus that was funded by several powerful men known as The Elite with each man wanting more power. The Omega Serum gives Clark several different powers but because of the cancer in body he needs sunlight to give his powers and to neutralize the cancer cells in his body.

Villains:
Luthor - Owner of LexCorp who was suppose to get the serum that Clark got and is obsess with taking Clark's powers away and proving Superman's old fashion values are obsolete in the modern world. Member of The Elite.

Brainiac - Future Lex Luthor, whos brain is inside a robotic body, goes back in time to punish and capture Booster Gold for his mistake but, thanks to Superman and BG, ends up as an AI on modern Lex's super computer.

D'hark Seiid - Powerful African (or Middle Eastern) dictator and member of The Elite who successfully gets an Omega Serum but turns into a fat rock creature who can manipulate powerful lasers and energy beams.

Zachary Orville Dixon - Disgraced General turned cult leader who goes by his initials Z.O.D. because Zod is God according to his followers. Runs a militant survivalist cult, that lives just a few farms down from the Kent farm, which turns into a powerful militia and becomes the private army of The Elite. Being the leader Z.O.D. is given a serum that gives him the same powers as Superman.

Manchester Black - British Anarchist Aristocrat and member of The Elite who gets a serum of his own and gains the powers of telepathy and telekinesis. He uses his power to make people riot and to question themselves about their decisions.

Toyman - Chinese Toymaker, Businessman, and member of The Elite, Hiro Okamura, who loves to play games and his serum gives him the ability to warp reality to his whim. A combination of Toyman and Mr. Mxyzptlk.

Vandal Savage - Immortal metahuman from South America and founder of The Elite who loves to hunt, has his own serum but doesn't drink it until seeing how powerful Superman is and turns into a super immortal creature called Doomsday.

Supporting:
Supergirl - A girl name Claire Connor who has breast cancer but is rewarded with a serum created by Brainiac, to give to Lex, but stolen by Booster Gold to give to her after she saves Superman's life.

Booster Gold - A time mercenary who accidentally who messes with time and ends up creating Superman and questions "why not change time".

Rip Hunter - Another time mercenary who gives The Elite their serums because he believes the past shouldn't be changed only to find out The Elite have been manipulating time for their own desires.

Concepts:
Phantom Zone - A super prison built by LexCorp to put Superman in calling him a threat but is taken by the Government and puts Z.O.D. in instead. Given Future Tech by Booster Gold, the prison is sent to different places so no one in the prison can know where their are or anyone not in the government can know where it is.

Took a long time writing this so I guess I write Earth-2002's Batman, Sandman, Flash, Wonder Woman/Shazam/Wonder Twins, Green Lantern another time

This is pretty cool and Im interested in this approach. Its not necesarilly sustainable but it be a fun ride.

[MadFacedKid]

I think Earth-One is basically DC's version of a Ultimate Universe. It kinda parrelels with the films?


If I did an Ultimate Universe I wouldn't really include any sidekicks. Grayson might go straight to Nightwing on his own means, characters like Donna and Garth could be characters with powers because of their Heritage but they wouldn't be sidekicks.

I would of kept Long haired Aquaman in Earth-One while Rebirth kept a classic look. Stuff like the Phantom Zone would be a portable projector Superman uses to lock away criminals not bound by the laws of Earth.

[Mutant God]

This is pretty cool and Im interested in this approach. Its not necessarily sustainable but it be a fun ride.

Thanks!, I think the later years of Marvel's Ultimate verse wasn't mostly sustainable nor was it a fun ride so I guess the bar is set pretty low lol, but like I said I like creating alternate universes because its fun to imagine tiny differences in a franchise could impact it and having different stories and characters connecting to a different path.

Earth-2002:

Wonder Twins:

Once upon a time an ancient wizard name Mamaragan wanted to create a new champion of Earth and decides to use two children as contenders with each one being raised different as a study of nature vs nurture to see which one is stronger. He picks twins Billy and Mary Batson, who were separated at birth where Billy ended up in the streets of Fawcett City and Mary ended up on an island called Paradise Island ran by Amazons, Billy is from Man's World while Mary is from The World of Amazons. Some time after giving them the powers of gods/goddesses from all over the world he has them fight each other but they decide to just share the title of champion with each of them believing in the other one making themselves stronger. Mary decides to go back with Billy but takes a different name using her middle name, Diana, and her mother's maiden name, Prince. As heroes they decide to go by the names Wonder Woman and Captain Wonder and together they are The Wonder Twins.

Villains:
New Gods - A group of individuals who believe the gods of every religion has either failed Earth or are dying and its time for a new group of Gods to bring peace (rule over) to Earth by any means necessary.

Black Adam - The son of Greek War God Ares and Egyptian Goddess Isis who proclaims himself the New God of Justice and War.

Dr. Sivana - A mad scientist who performed an autopsy on a Norse deity and secretly spliced his DNA with the creature giving him unlimited amounts of knowledge, Sivana then proclaims himself the New God of science and knowledge.

Cheetah - Several of Sivana's assistants angered an African god and were transformed into cheetahs, and then were experimented on by Sivana, trying to break the curse, turning them into humanoid cheetahs one of them however wanted revenge and ends up killing and eating the god, absorbing the god's powers and proclaims herself Barbara Minerva the New God of the Hunt and takes the other Cheetahs as her pack.

Trigon - The son of the wizard Mamaragan and a demon who was locked away into another dimension by his father but after the portal opens he is free and calls himself the New God of Death

Blaze and Satanus - Twin children of Trigon who are the New Gods of misery and pain.

Queen of Fables - A lovable witch named Etta Candy who spent thousands of years stealing the powers of other witches including Circe and Morgan LeFay proclaims herself the New God of Love and Lies.

Silver Swan - New God of the Sky

Clea - New God of the Sea

Dr. Cyber - New God of Technology


Supporting Characters:
Holiday Girls - A group of women who help out at Billy and Mary's orphanage

Dudley H. Dudley - A weird old man, secretly the wizard, who watches over the twins.

Steve Trevor - A military man who wants to know more about the Wonder Twins and New Gods.

I was going to research some gods/goddesses of other religions and rewrite the SHAZAM initials for both heroes but that might be too much lol.