Ultraverse

[Nomads1]

How many of those guys are still around, anyways?

Exactly what I was thinking. Very few, if any. Some are even in jail. Too bad. I really liked the Ultraverse. Hardcase, The Strangers, Topaz, Mantra, Prime, Prototype, Ultraforce. So many potentially great characters.

Peace

[Kaijudo]

I think a lot of it has to do with creator deals but also with Malibu itself, whose founder supposedly baked elements into the contracts to ensure he has a stake/claim/say in all things Ultraverse. If you look at the history of Malibu and the founder's next venture, Platinum Studios, you'll get some kind of idea what Marvel may be dealing with. It's easy to write-off what Quesada said as half-truths and hyperbole (as it was with most things he said) but, in this case, he might not be in the wrong.

[Sandy Hausler]

I went to look it up and apparently marvel was going to bring back the Ultraverse in the early 2000s. However for whatever reason, it didn't go through.

Quesada said this on the matter:
"Let's just say that I wanted to bring these characters back in a very big way, but the way that the deal was initially structured, it's next to impossible to go back and publish these books.

There are rumors out there that it has to do with a certain percentage of sales that has to be doled out to the creative teams. While this is a logistical nightmare because of the way the initial deal was structured, it's not the reason why we have chosen not to go near these characters, there is a bigger one, but I really don't feel like it's my place to make that dirty laundry public."

There's only one issue and that's money. If the deal was rich enough for the creators, Marvel might not want to dole it out when they have a lot of their own intellectual property, a lot of which is not even being used. But it's hard to believe that they didn't know the deals before they bought out Malibu. If they didn't, the might have had a decent case for malpractice against their lawyers.

[Zauriel]

Ultraverse had potential and promise. Too bad it didn't attract enough fans to keep it afloat. Malibu should never have sold to Marvel.

[OBrianTallent]

Malibu had developed some kind of software (coloring maybe?) that Marvel really wanted and offered big time for it. Getting the IP was secondary. It's a shame, Mantra and Prime both could be great in the MU, same for a few others..*****az, Rune...
They could also be used in their own imprint similar to the way Marvel did the CrossGen minis a few years ago. Both universes could be brought back under their own banners (It's not like Marvel hasn't done it before, it's the Ultimate idea.)

[skyvolt2000]

How many of those guys are still around, anyways?

12 creators are still among us with some still working in comics like Marv Wolfman.

Topaz was in Thor: Ragnarok.

If this was such an issue why not sell the characters to those still living creators as this was really about the software they used to make comics that caused Marvel to buy them anyway.

I mean is Marvel really going to use Prime considering who his writer was-Gerard Jones?

[The Cool Thatguy]

12 creators are still among us with some still working in comics like Marv Wolfman.

Topaz was in Thor: Ragnarok.

If this was such an issue why not sell the characters to those still living creators as this was really about the software they used to make comics that caused Marvel to buy them anyway.

I mean is Marvel really going to use Prime considering who his writer was-Gerard Jones?

I think Topaz in Thor was a nod, not hardly the actual character.

Though maybe someone oughta bug Marv Wolfman, lol

Yeah, shame about Prime. I liked the character, but I guess we now know why his powers always left him naked after use *ugh*

[Zauriel]

Yeah, I enjoyed the Prime comic or rather used to, before the news of a co-creator's arrest broke out. How many fans would want to read a new prime book? Gerard Jones is in prison. The other co-creator, Norm Breyfogle is innocent but passed away some years ago.

[Nomads1]

Yeah, I enjoyed the Prime comic or rather used to, before the news of a co-creator's arrest broke out. How many fans would want to read a new prime book? Gerard Jones is in prison. The other co-creator, Norm Breyfogle is innocent but passed away some years ago.

What about Ultraforce? Some of the best of the Ultraverse, with art by George Perez, yet tarnished for being written by Gerard Jones.

Peace

[Thor-Ul]

Malibu had developed some kind of software (coloring maybe?) that Marvel really wanted and offered big time for it. Getting the IP was secondary. It's a shame, Mantra and Prime both could be great in the MU, same for a few others..*****az, Rune...
They could also be used in their own imprint similar to the way Marvel did the CrossGen minis a few years ago. Both universes could be brought back under their own banners (It's not like Marvel hasn't done it before, it's the Ultimate idea.)

Well, that is part of the myths around the Ultraverse. However it is said it was not the coloring departmament what they wanted: The main reason why Marvel bought Malibu was because DC wanted to buy them first. And with that, DC would had become the editorial with the bigghest market share. Remember, it was the 90s, Image had stole a lot of Marvel market share, there were a lot of new editorials appearing and stoling his part of the market. Marvel was in a difficult position and it would had been a big downer morale to become the number 2 in the market share if DC would had won the Malibu purchase. If I remember correctally, Marvel already had a coloring departament, an outsourcing studio ( in Scotland I think) which was cheaper than the coloring departament from Malibu's. Naturally, when they bought Malibu their first action was to dismantle that departament. And the whole Ultraverse later.

Still, whatever the real motive of the buying of the Ultraverse was (which could be more complicated than just simply own other propierties or maybe it was just to eliminate the smaller competition), they are as mysterious as the why Marvel didn't want to use the characters yet. Maybe it will be like with Miracle Man than decades had to pass before being published. But if there are legal problems involved, we can only speculate about it.

[Thor-Ul]

Topaz was in Thor: Ragnarok.

I think Topaz in Thor was a nod, not hardly the actual character.

Indeed, it was a nod. A character with the same name but nothing else related to the Ultraverse character. I think the use so flagrant of any character would had made jump any greedy lawer related to the bussiness.
I mean, if there are reasons to not to use them on comics, use them on a movie must be a impossibility.

[Thor-Ul]

What about Ultraforce? Some of the best of the Ultraverse, with art by George Perez, yet tarnished for being written by Gerard Jones.

Peace

Maybe that is part of the problem. Some issues of Ultraforce were real good, but you can't read them now without thinking what had Jones in his head when he wrote certain parts. You can't go there without shudder.

[Gaastra]

It's not the last comic company they would buy and never use for decades also!

DC was after ultraverse also. Wonder if dc would have used them?

[The Cool Thatguy]

Hardcase was a cool character, IMO, the Strangers weren't bad, Nightman had potential, etc.

It's not a hill I'd die on, but it is kinda annoying to see such good creations lie fallow for no known reason

[Thor-Ul]

It's not the last comic company they would buy and never use for decades also!

DC was after ultraverse also. Wonder if dc would have used them?

Who knows? Maybe they also would had put them on the vault, but it seems than DC is more inclined to incorporate other editorials characters to their line ups with bigger success.