The Ultraverse

[Thor-Ul]

Black Knight was in the Night Man series? WTF?

Not the same character. Just the same name. Disney would had smashed the company if they had launch a DVD with one of their properties attached.

[danielsan52]

Counter-Earth would have been a good place for Malibu characters to develop.

[Gryphon]

Damn shame that this series/line is buried.

IMO, compared to most 90s crap, the Ultraverse's characters were well developed with clear concepts and motivations. Not 100% original, but even then, what is/was?

Compared to most 90s characters, they were well conceived.

"He has three metal arms and a cybernetic eye! Totally not Cable!"

That's because it was planned out from the start like a novel

[The Cool Thatguy]

Not the same character. Just the same name. Disney would had smashed the company if they had launch a DVD with one of their properties attached.

I'm pretty sure Night Man is their property, since he's Ultra verse.

I wonder if this was done to reset the clock on the copyright?

[Thor-Ul]

DUnno. But it is interesting what Hudnall said about the why the Ultraverse was not pushed back:

Occasionally, people ask me if there is any chance of the Ultraverse relaunching. I certainly think that could happen if Disney felt there was some potential there. After all, they could afford it. I have no idea why Quesada thought paying us our meager percentages was too much. It would have been no more than 10% to the creators in total, less than some licensing fees.

(full text here:http://jameshudnall.com/disney-marve...he-ultraverse/)

As it is, it sound like there was no intention to try on the characters. Who knows. Maybe in some moment Marvel would want to use them for some story in asimilar fashion as it was done with the New Universe characters in the Hickman's Avengers. Maybe if one of the new writers want to use them, Marvel would give him (or her) total freedom to use the characters.

[PhoenixThanos]

Rune was my favourite Ultraverse character

[CentralPower]

If Marvel did not use any Ultraverse characters after "Secret Wars", we can probably assume there is no plan for the Ultraverse.

Marvel buying the Ultraverse was a low point of the 90s. It was a textbook case of a large company buying a potential competitor just to run it in to the ground.


"Prime" being irreparably contaminated due to Gerard Jones does not much help the chances of a new Ultraverse imprint.


When does Marvel need to "use it or lose it" for the Ultraverse trademarks?

[Zero Hunter]

One of the books I really liked was the original Exiles series. By the end of this 4 issue series most of the team ended up dead with many being at the hands of their untrained teammate who lost control of her powers.

[The Cool Thatguy]

One of the books I really liked was the original Exiles series. By the end of this 4 issue series most of the team ended up dead with many being at the hands of their untrained teammate who lost control of her powers.

They certainly had some interesting visuals with that cast, but killing the entire cast seemed kinda random to me.

Granted, this was before butchering characters became a once a crossover fair.

[Lee Stone]

I believe my favorite Ultraverse title was The Strangers.

[Lee Stone]

One of the books I really liked was the original Exiles series. By the end of this 4 issue series most of the team ended up dead with many being at the hands of their untrained teammate who lost control of her powers.

Bloodbath, indeed.

[Brian B]

Well DC bought the Wildstorm characters and so far, haven't been doing the characters justice.

DC bought Jim Lee. That's all that deal was. Wildstorm intellectual property was just a bonus. I wonder if DC feels like they've gotten their money's worth out of Lee?

[Brian B]

...Marvel buying the Ultraverse was a low point of the 90s. It was a textbook case of a large company buying a potential competitor just to run it in to the ground.


"Prime" being irreparably contaminated due to Gerard Jones does not much help the chances of a new Ultraverse imprint.


When does Marvel need to "use it or lose it" for the Ultraverse trademarks?

Is that really why Marvel bought Malibu? I thought it might have to do with an ill-advised move to stay ahead of the likes of Image, grabbing some shelf space, etc. It sure doesn't seem like Marvel was interested in the IP.

I did not know that about Jones. Yeah, that could put a HUGE damper on future uses of things he worked on.

I think a trademark if it isn't used will expire in 5 years BUT, the copyright on those stories and characters would last probably a minimum of 95 years. Disney-Marvel has plenty of time to use Ultraverse characters if it wants.

[Brian B]

DUnno. But it is interesting what Hudnall said about the why the Ultraverse was not pushed back:


(full text here:http://jameshudnall.com/disney-marve...he-ultraverse/)

As it is, it sound like there was no intention to try on the characters. Who knows. Maybe in some moment Marvel would want to use them for some story in asimilar fashion as it was done with the New Universe characters in the Hickman's Avengers. Maybe if one of the new writers want to use them, Marvel would give him (or her) total freedom to use the characters.

Perlmutter is notoriously tight with a buck. That could explain it. Although people have speculated or mentioned Scott Mitchell Rosenberg as being an impediment, which I think is kind of a cop out. Scott got what he negotiated and it sounds like sour grapes on greedy Marvel's part.

Also, if you own Iron Man, what do you need Prototype for?

[Thor-Ul]

Also, if you own Iron Man, what do you need Prototype for?

To tell the kind of stories you can't tell with Iron Man?
Well, that was before. Today style is: "let's tell any kind of story with the characters and forget any previous consistency and coherence and don't matter if it is out of character, nobody will care if we fill it with epic moments". And if five months nobody will remember it.

Sarcasm aside, any character can be used in a new way if you can find the scope or twist to sell it. If not, why Marvel tries to sell a Sentry series or an Hyperion series before that? Why do you have an Scarlet Spider series or a RYV if you have Spider-Man? There is always new ways to tell your tales or new spins to give to the stories.