Warning: Contains SPOILERS forThe Ultimates #10 (2025)
The newestUltimate MarvelUniverse has been riddled with institutional chaos and corruption that has infected every corner of reality. Aside from the Maker’s catastrophic manipulations, depriving the world of its naturally deserved heroes, Earth-6160 has proven to be far more perilous for its fledgling heroes than Earth-616. While the Ultimates spend what little time they have left gathering their forces until the Maker’s return, more familiar faces fall.
InThe Ultimates #10 (2025)– by Deniz Camp and Juan Frigeri –Captain America and the Ultimatestackle the Red Skulls, a neo-Nazi organization with no formal ties to the Maker’s Council. Despite Tony Stark’s declaration that the mission isn’t a“priority,”Cap reminds his ally that killing Nazis isalwaysa priority.
As the Ultimates swiftly break through the Red Skulls’ primary compound, Castletown, they finally face the organization’s current leader: the Grand Skull. While the Grand Skull is an unimpressive enemy, his prized trophy proves thateven the Ultimate Universe’s comparatively minor threats are not to be ignored.
Namor the Sub-Mariner Is the Next Ultimate Hero to Perish
The Ultimates #10 (2025) -Written by Deniz Camp; Art by Juan Frigeri; Color by Federico Blee; Lettering by VC’s Travis Lanham; Cover Art by Dike Ruan & Neeraj Menon
Inside the heart of Castetown, the Ultimates discoverthe preserved corpse of Namor the Sub-Mariner hung upon the wall.Like in Earth-616, Namor once served alongsideCaptain America and the Human Torchin their fight for freedom against Hydra and the Nazi forces. Now, the once king of Atlantis has been stripped of his grandeur and serves as little more than a decoration for the neo-Nazi group to recruit new members to their cause. The Grand Skull admits that the Red Skulls only purchased the hero’s corpse after he was deposed in an Atlantean military coup.
The New Wolverine Is Marvel’s Most R-Rated Hero Now, Not Even Deadpool Can Compare
Ultimate Wolverine’s most violent moment yet makes him surpass Deadpool as the publisher’s most R-Rated character, demonstrating his viciousness.
To the Red Skulls,Namor is only an object. While the hero’s old allies are struck with appalled disgust, the Grand Skull touts that the mounted king is great for the Red Skulls’ branding. The neo-Nazis may not be tied to the Maker’s Secret Council, they actually stand against the Council, but they dorepresent the infectious symptoms that have reverberated throughout this reality.Corruption, clever branding, and a lot of money are all that’s needed to assert absolute power in this world. Disparingly, Namor isn’t the only symbol of hope to have been mutilated and objectified by the Ultimate Universe.
Namor Isn’t the Only King to Fall in the Ultimate Universe
No Hero Is Free From the Maker’s Machinations
While the Maker himself forged the history of his Ultimate Universe,his control only thrives as long as it continues to inflate its anti-hero propaganda.It wasn’t until recently that any opposing force could counteract the information war against the public. That said, the Ultimates are fighting an uphill battle against an entire reality designed to snuff them out. The Fantastic Four were snuffed out before their names could ever be uttered. Ka-Zar and Vision were dismantled and mounted as trophies. Evengods like Thorwere imprisoned before they could prove themselves worthy.
Still inside the Damage Control facility where the Ultimates liberated the Human Torch, reside the decayed corpse of a young Black Bolt and the tatteredremnants of the Sentry. While Iron Man has done what he can to bolster his growing list of heroic allies,they face an unparalleled threat of corruption and misinformationthat not only snuffed heroes from existence but created a global culture united against the very concept. The tragedy of Namor, Black Bolt, and the Sentry’s deaths lies not just in their passing, but in the culture that has been built around their demise.
The Ultimate Universe Is a Threat to Itself
Super Powers Don’t Make This Universe Dangerous, Politics Do
What makes Earth-6160 a uniquely terrifying and dangerous reality isn’t the overwhelming super-power that the Maker’s Council holds butthe onslaught of manipulated misinformation and propaganda that has choked out the truth. The heroes aren’t just fighting villains; they’re fighting thousands of years of altered history and institutionalized lies, all of which have molded the public’s opinion. Even in his own universe, the Maker understands that there is power in numbers. This is why he and his council’s war against the truth is necessary for their global-political power. Without their carefully crafted narrative, the Council is outnumbered.
It’s Happening: Marvel Just Revived Its Sickest Villain, And Wolverine Isn’t Prepared
The Maker ranks as one of Marvel’s sickest villains, and now the publisher has revealed how he impacted the life of the Ultimate version of Wolverine.
As Marvel continues to explore itsnew Ultimate Universe, it’s becoming clearer that the Ultimates are not alone in their fight. While the Red Skulls certainly aren’t an ally of the Ultimates, they are equally as disillusioned by the Council’s global manipulations as the heroes are. But, like the Council, the Red Skulls thrive byspreading their own malicious rhetoric designed to manipulate the masses.These deceitful tactics of cultural engineering and information manipulation are practically ingrained into the foundations of Earth-6160’s fractured global society.
The Ultimatesare facing a bigger threat than the violence of traditional comic book villains. The corruption and the falsification of facts that currently chokehold the world is an amorphous enemy that is already working against the team’s favor. Every public action they take is heavily scrutinized by a barrage of false narratives that paint them as villains. This carefully crafted anti-hero sentiment inspires the masses to follow behind their villainous leaders. The death of Namor is only another means for the newMarvel Ultimateuniverse to subject its populace to its unchallenged authoritarian regime.
