PREVIEW: Ultimate End, #4

[GoingPostal]

Ultimatum isn't a bad story

True, it's god awful story.

[Spider-Man24]

Compared to Ultimate End, Ultimatum looks like the greatest story ever told...

[Alastor]

Lol, I'm gonna assume you're one of those who think Miles venom blast is op or something like that, despite the fact that the villains Miles has faced were Peter's and therefore challenges to Peter, and the actual good villains always shook off that particalar ability.

Guilty as charged. His venom blast is way too convenient of a super power, it's super effective and there is no downside for Miles. As for villains shaking off the ability, let's try to do a head count here of the characters who succumbed to the venom blast or were incapacitated enough for Miles to deliver the coup de grâce:
- Electro (with The Ultimates getting a healthy dose of the Worf Effect)
- The Prowler
- R.H.I.N.O.
- Giant-Woman
- Venom
- 616 Peter Parker
- Mysterio
- Norman Osborn
And let's not forget that time he took out Doctor Doom, his Doombot army and HYDRA off panel. I'm surprised that he didn't try using the venom blast on Galactus because I'm willing to bet it would've finished the purple guy.

The only instances I can think off when the venom blast backfired on Miles were Ultimate Peter and Taskmaster. Well, the last one actually backfired on Jessica but who's keeping track. IIRC, Bendis said that he doesn't enjoy writing long fight sequences and the venom blast is the perfect means to accelerate the confrontation and have Miles come out on top. I think it hurts the character and his development because I never get the feeling he is truly in peril because his venom blast will save him in seconds. Take his stint with Electro at the Triskellion for instance. I can accept that Hawkeye and Jessica were no match for Electro, but Bendis expects me to buy that Electro is able to override Iron Man's armor just like that? Gimme a break! And I still don't understand how Miles doesn't get flash fried by touching the guy with the body made of electricity.

[Scott Taylor]

Guilty as charged. His venom blast is way too convenient of a super power, it's super effective and there is no downside for Miles. As for villains shaking off the ability, let's try to do a head count here of the characters who succumbed to the venom blast or were incapacitated enough for Miles to deliver the coup de grâce:
- Electro (with The Ultimates getting a healthy dose of the Worf Effect)
- The Prowler
- R.H.I.N.O.
- Giant-Woman
- Venom
- 616 Peter Parker
- Mysterio
- Norman Osborn
And let's not forget that time he took out Doctor Doom, his Doombot army and HYDRA off panel. I'm surprised that he didn't try using the venom blast on Galactus because I'm willing to bet it would've finished the purple guy.

The only instances I can think off when the venom blast backfired on Miles were Ultimate Peter and Taskmaster. Well, the last one actually backfired on Jessica but who's keeping track. IIRC, Bendis said that he doesn't enjoy writing long fight sequences and the venom blast is the perfect means to accelerate the confrontation and have Miles come out on top. I think it hurts the character and his development because I never get the feeling he is truly in peril because his venom blast will save him in seconds. Take his stint with Electro at the Triskellion for instance. I can accept that Hawkeye and Jessica were no match for Electro, but Bendis expects me to buy that Electro is able to override Iron Man's armor just like that? Gimme a break! And I still don't understand how Miles doesn't get flash fried by touching the guy with the body made of electricity.

There was a little bit of the Worf effect going on, but only as an illusion. Iron Man was just fine, it took all of three seconds for him to get his armor back up. Jessica was fine, too, just stunned for a second. Hawkeye, basically stunned also. All Electro did was delay them from getting him long enough for Miles to get him instead. As to Miles' not getting fried - you can easily come up with something I am sure. For instance - his costume was designed by Fury's team, and had to have protection built in.

It would have been fun to see him try and Venom blast Galactus. But I got the distinct impression that getting anywhere near Galactus was a big challenge.

[Alastor]

There was a little bit of the Worf effect going on, but only as an illusion. Iron Man was just fine, it took all of three seconds for him to get his armor back up. Jessica was fine, too, just stunned for a second. Hawkeye, basically stunned also. All Electro did was delay them from getting him long enough for Miles to get him instead. As to Miles' not getting fried - you can easily come up with something I am sure. For instance - his costume was designed by Fury's team, and had to have protection built in.

It would have been fun to see him try and Venom blast Galactus. But I got the distinct impression that getting anywhere near Galactus was a big challenge.

None of the Ultimates returned to the battle, they were taken out in a few panels and the new guy saved the day. If that isn't the Worf Effect then I don't know what it is. And he didn't even wear the costume that SHIELD gave him, it was Ganke's Halloween costume. I'm willing to believe that SHIELD would provide him with a costume that would be at least somewhat insulated, but it didn't matter in this fight. Heck, I can suspend my disbelief that the SHIELD costume has some kind of unstable molecules so it can mimic his camo abilities, but why the heck was he able to turn practically invisible wearing the Halloween costume? This is just Bendis getting way too convenient with the vaguely defined powerset of one of his characters.

Cloak teleported Dagger and himself in front of Galactus, he could have done it again if he wanted to.