Please use MAC for something cool (aka development) before the book gets canceled/rebooted.
Please use MAC for something cool (aka development) before the book gets canceled/rebooted.
If you started a list of characters that readers don't want to see in Ultimates, I'm sure Squirrel Girl would garner lots of votes. Still, if this book has any longevity at all, I could see Ewing -- or whomever the writer is at that time -- introducing a short-term element of the absurd to the book. After all, the omniverse can be a pretty weird place.
I'd have ZERO problems with Squirrel Girl, Power Man (new) and White Tiger being inducted into the Ultimates.
White Tiger & Powerman Jr are totally wasted in New Avengers and Squirrel Girl would bring the kind of random wacky factor to the Ultimates that would make the book a lot more interesting to me.
They're not at the right power level - not just physical power, but also influence - and they don't have the right attitudes.
Look, they're good characters. I like them all. I'm glad to see them getting used, and I'd love for them to get even more use. But Ultimates is really, really not the right place for them.
I also don't think the book needs a "random wacky factor." Ultimates is a more serious book. It has some jokes, sure. But the humour tends to be more grounded. Adding a wacky character would throw off the tone of the book too much.
We've already got New Avengers for wacky comedy. Like Champagne-Bot. Champagne-Bot is awesome.
Everyone probably has at least one character that they'd want to add to the team. In upcoming issues I suspect Ewing is going to show us why not everyone qualifies to be an Ultimate. The team is in the NZ with a psychotic Anti-Man in tow. Depending on his power spikes, Anti-Man is capable of "trashing" a Sentry-level character and powerful Avengers line up by himself. Now add to that the Big G. Galactus is headed their way. And this isn't some "I'm hungry and at a 0.00000001% of my full power reserves" Galactus. This is "I've got eons of primordial energy to burn and I'm here to kick ass and take names!" Galactus. Eternity wants them stopped. These are not the sort of challenges that just anyone can face...and live to tell the tale. Frankly, I worry for Black Panther. I hope they have one more exploration armor suit for BP.
Frankly all the exploration suits in the world aren't going to save your butt if Eternity wants to kick your behind.
That said I think marvel already soiled that Galactus will join the team in some fashion so I'm sure one way or the other everyone will end up on the same page.
True, but the team is going someplace outside of Eternity's influence. If Galactus or Anti-Man decides to blow up the ship, BP is going to need armor...well, for at least the 9 minutes of shield integrity that it offers before it fails.
Yes, I think that Galactus either joins the team, or works closely with them on a few missions. I could also see Conner Sims working with the team on a limited basis, at least for the brief periods of time when he's sane and in control. But first they'll have to confront Galactus. Prediction: Conner views Galactus as representing "The Man" or "The Establishment" and fires off the first volley. All hell breaks loose after that.
Yeah, that bit of dialogue did jump out at me too, and did give me pause:
And in the beginning, during the earlier flashbacks about the accident that transformed them & gave them their powers, when he kept saying humans are... "like ants... just ants." I really like the existential questions it raises, about life & the "grander scheme of things", like... "what does it all mean? Are we truly the masters of our own destiny?" Heady, thought-provoking stuff, the more you mull it over. And with that - I can't wait for #5 either!Connor: We're so small... like specks... and we can't grow, because... there's a cage around us.
Anti-Man: Society is the cage! Locks and bars mankind built for itself! Suppress the other--give in to fear--and it rewards you! Molds you in its own twisted shape! Well, I'm going to destroy it! End this so-called civilization! Then we'll have to grow--have to evolve--or we'll die, Adam! Die! Die like the failed species we are!
Why would you say that? I mean, it's a lil' early to pronounce its demise already, don't ya think? I think it's generating pretty good buzz actually, and might grow in sales as a result. It takes time ya know, for positive word of mouth to have an effect, so... REALLY hope you're wrong on this one.