While a lot of the MCU's designs are based on the (old) Ultimate Universe, did the MCU also adapt any Ultimate storylines/arcs?
Commentaires
Swing-Full2025-11-07 16:56
They adapted that Bruce was trying to recreate the Super Soldier Serum and became the Hulk instead of a Gamma Bomb being dropped on him
HomsarWasRight2025-11-07 20:36
I thought that version of his origin was older than the Ultimate universe, though. Not necessarily the super-soldier serum specifically, but the lab experiment vs gamma bomb distinction.
alkonium2025-11-07 20:40
Maybe. The bomb story never made much sense because the blast would probably kill him before the radiation had any benefit.
HomsarWasRight2025-11-07 20:45
Actually, I just double checked and the old Hulk TV show had the “self experimentation” version. I don’t know if the show invented that or if that had already made its way into the comics or not. But it’s definitely not new in the Ultimate line.
Sparrowsabre72025-11-07 23:04
No but the Ultiamtrs gave it the "self experimentation to try and recreate the super soldier serum" angle. A good 50% of supers in the Ultimate Universe that weren't mutants were created in some vain attempt to recreate the super soldier serum.
HomsarWasRight2025-11-07 23:41
> A good 50% of supers in the Ultimate Universe that weren't mutants were created in some vain attempt to recreate the super soldier serum.
Yeah, I get that. And MCU really has *really* picked that part up. Thinking through them, there are so many characters that are somehow linked to the super-soldier program and it’s many incarnations.
Rek072025-11-08 08:37
Pretty sure it was eventually revealed the mutants were too. That probably took it too far, but I too liked how origins were tied together in the early Ultimate universe.
Sparrowsabre72025-11-08 09:22
Yes but worse, Wolverine was the first man made mutant and somehow every other mutant was descended from him or some bs. People rag on Ultimatum but Ultimate Origin was the start of the downfall. Hulk killed Peter Parker's parents too and Nick Fury got the cap serum too I think, it was crazy how much nonsense got under the radar because of how bad Ultimatum was.
UnfavorableSpiderFan2025-11-07 20:43
Yea, that's from the 1977 television series - At least how the experiment is demonstrated. They were studying the effects adrenaline had on the body in that show. In the MCU, it's explained that they were covertly tasked with creating a new serum by disguising the experiment as an immunity to radiation for the Military.
In the Ultimate comics, Bruce straight-up knew what they were doing.
Just-Detective37642025-11-07 20:53
yeah its interesting how they tweaked the backstory, makes it feel fresh though
multificionado2025-11-10 15:39
That might as well have been the ONLY aspect of the Ultimate story line used...
matty_nice2025-11-07 17:04
The Avengers movie was heavily based on the first Ultimates 12 issues.
There are lots of ideas taken from the Ultimate line that made it to the movies. Hawekye having a family. Ned/Ganke as Spider-Man's best friend. Connecting the Hulk to the Super Solider program.
EdwardBil2025-11-07 18:30
I would have liked to see them drop Bruce out of a plane like a bomb.
matty_nice2025-11-07 18:32
They did something similar in The incredible Hulk film, where Bruce falls from the helicopter.
DaNoahLP2025-11-07 19:39
+ in Thor Ragnarök
MayorJack2025-11-07 20:11
+ an episode of What If...?
RoutineCloud59932025-11-07 22:11
And both times it doesn't quite go to plan. At first
multificionado2025-11-10 15:41
And yet is entirely loose from the adaptation (no Hank or Jan \[much less their aggressive spat\] or Maximoff Twins, much less the Chitauri disguising themselves as long-lived Nazis).
VacantThoughts2025-11-07 17:06
The first threat the Ultimate's fight(after Hulk in New York technically) is the Chitauri but they turn out to be a sub group of Skrulls, the second is Loki uniting axis powers after sabotaging the Ultimates from within. They kind of combined those two and had Loki using the Chitauri army in the first MCU Avengers.
bloodyell762025-11-07 19:14
I assumed the combination was the Chitauri + the fisrt Avenger issue, where Loki manipulates Hulk and the Avengers form to stop him.
Practical-Debate15982025-11-07 17:25
Spiderman being a teen for most the series.
mattsmithreddit2025-11-07 17:56
Most of Hawkeye's storylines prior to his own show are taken from the Ultimate Universe. 616 Hawkeye's backstory is completely different.
MarcSpector17012025-11-07 18:09
I would have loved to see some version of The Liberators for Avengers 2 instead of Ultron. HYDRA created Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver; they could have been part of an anti-Avengers team HYDRA puts together perhaps with the help of some nations that don't like the idea of the United States having their own super-team. Besides Wanda and Pietro you could have had Crossbones as their leader, a soldier wearing a suit of stolen Iron Man tech, another soldier in a nastier version of Falcon's wings, Abomination, having been broken out of the Raft, and a HYDRA operative who has stolen Pym size-changing tech and an upgraded version of the Yellowjacket suit that allows him to shrink and also grow to Giant-Man size.. This is a team that could rival and even defeat the Avengers, and everything they need to exist had already been introduced to the MCU by that point.
tehnewnew2025-11-07 18:34
Not the Scarlett Witch and Quicksilver ones, that's for sure.
Poofmonkey2025-11-08 02:35
Thank god
EXGShadow2025-11-08 12:51
The only one I wanted. Would be good to see Wanda and Pietro, together again
kennyofthegulch2025-11-07 19:32
Not Ultimatum, thank fuck.
spidervenom6192025-11-08 00:50
Nor Natasha being a Hydra American agent for some reason that I will never understand lol.
Forsaken_Professor792025-11-07 20:20
MCU SHIELD operates more the way 1610 SHIELD does than 616. Less of a MI6/CIA espionage agency and more of a paramilitary peacekeeping force.
Tony is characterized more as the 1610 version (super misogynistic playboy) but hise story follows the 616. 616 Tony prior to the MCU was more composed and sophisticated but obviously arrogant and self-centered. More Howard Stark in his later years I suppose.
The Super Soldier Serum being a huge catalyst and branch off point is focal to both the 616 and 1610 but more prevalent in the 1610. Hulk being an attempt to recreate is from 1610.
Falcon being former military is from 1610. Except he designed the wings himself.
Hawkeye being a SHIELD agent is originally from the 1610.
The Chitauri although different in design and ability are originally from 1610
Fury kindve mentoring Spider-Man is from 1610. I'd say this is more rolled into Stark being in the Fury role and co-opted with the Civil War-era arc but Far From Home plays with this as well.
I'd say Ultimate Steve Rogers is a toned down John Walker.
Technically MCU now but the TASM Spider-Man backstory follows the ultimate version with Peter's dad being a scientist for OSCORP and instrumental in both the venom symbiote and eventually the spider that bites Peter.
That's all I think of off the top. It's been a very long time since I've read the ultimate comics.
spidervenom6192025-11-08 00:50
Ehh I would argued that nowadays 616 Tony is more or less the MCU version with Even Stronger Tech.
Ultimate Steve Rogers is much worse then Walker ever is. Ultimate Steve might be a racist while we know for a fact that Walker Boy isn't (He has his moments that it slipped but it's only moments mostly dealing with Sam, 1610 Steve meanwhile was like that pretty much until the Last Ultimates Book).
Forsaken_Professor792025-11-08 01:36
Yea I said prior to the MCU. 616 today is 100 percent MCU Tony especially post Secret Wars. The Tony we see in Captain America Civil War is probably the closest we’ve got to old school Tony.
I won’t get into the nuance of race relations in America but the verdict isn’t out on MCU Walker but I digress. From my perspective I see no difference (and I like MCU Walker)
DoubleStrength2025-11-08 09:36
>Hawkeye being a SHIELD agent is originally from the 1610.
Not just that, but also the fact that he and Natasha were paired up and had an existing relationship working as SHIELD agents *together*.
dukeyorick2025-11-10 08:27
I mean, Natasha and Hawkeye having an existing relationship and working together has been true in the comics forever. She recruited him as an asset against Iron Man in his first appearance.
The shield agents for both of them is ultimate, yes, but them working together is from 616.
UnfavorableSpiderFan2025-11-07 20:46
The most they adapted was The Ultimates for the plot of The Avengers. Otherwise, most stories adapted are amalgamations of classic continuity narratives with some Ultimate ideas sprinkled in to help ground some elements. But, unlike what most people think, there are very few cases where they adapted the Ultimate comics 1:1 to the MCU.
There's also decent bit of Earth-X ideas sprinkled in, too.
EmperorChop22025-11-07 21:21
Cap has the personality of his comic book 616 counterpart but the power level of 1610 counterpart.
beekeeper_atlamont2025-11-07 22:30
I honestly don't think there's as much of an Ultimate influence as people make out, design-wise or otherwise. Suffice it to say, no one is as much of a dick as they are in the Ultimate line.
Sparrowsabre72025-11-07 23:06
Non-MCU example. The two Tim Story Fantastic Four movies borrow heavily from Ultimate Fantastic Four, with Doom shooting a heat seeking missile at Johnny and the second film uses a quote almost verbatim from Ultimate Galactus Trilogy albeit it swaps out Nick Fury for Andre Braugher's character (RIP).
Beeman6162025-11-08 02:23
Looking forward to the day Marvel jumps the shark and has a prequel showing Wanda and Pietro's incestuous relationship.
DoubleStrength2025-11-08 09:32
That was *Godzilla*.
Poofmonkey2025-11-08 02:37
Not the MCU but the ending of Days Of Future Past was straight out of Ultimate Xmen
bigbrainnowisdom2025-11-09 10:39
Has anyone pointed out hawkeye as family man? Thats from ultimate U.
Even the wife's name + number of kids are the same
Jajay55372025-11-19 05:50
To my knowledge Hawkeye's life outside of the Avengers is all based on the Ultimates not the 616. He doesn't have any connection to Mockingbird which Imo was a big problem.
Maxx-Gunner2025-11-27 05:49
Phase 1:
Iron Man: the grittier tone, the appearance and snappy wit of Tony Stark, the armor looking more bulky and high-tech military, and Samuel Jackson's Nick Fury in the post-credit scene at his former Malibu mansion recruiting Tony Stark about the Avengers Initiative.
(The Ultimates Issue 2)
The Incredible Hulk:
the attempt at the super-soldier serum recreation as the origin of The Hulk, the scarier and more violent and destructive green monster with alot of veins,
he probably ate someone in the Brazilian soda factory as that guy's shoe flew out,
more destruction and violence killing soldiers during the University Fight Scene,
Bruce Banner being thrown out of the helicopter to change into The Hulk, "blowing up Harlem" during the final battle against Abomination (who almost looks like his Ultimate counterpart).
(The Ultimates Issue 2 and 4 and 5)
Iron Man 2:
the smart-ass nature alcoholic, his talk with Nick Fury, Black Widow as a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent with her badass super spy flexibility as she infiltrates a building and takes on guards.
(The Ultimates Issue 2 and 8)
Thor: the God of Thunder's more rugged look with long hair and beard, assumed a deluded man, his scene trying to lift the Mjolnir, to Earth, Asgard's Science is Magic but where he's from they're both magic and science, Hawkeye looking more like his Ultimate counterpart as a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent, Thor's badass thunder powers in the beginning and the climax, and Loki looking more handsome than his OG Comic version.
(The Ultimates Issue 4, 5, 8, and 12; The Ultimates 2)
Captain America The First Avenger: the look on Steve Rogers and his suits look just like The Ultimate Cap's rugged colorful military suits without wings on head or bellbottom boots, his salute to Bucky far away, and brutality against the Nazis, found frozen in ice by S.H.I.E.L.D., and meeting Nick Fury in the present time.
(The Ultimates Issue 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 11, 12, 13)
The Avengers (both the theatrical and the Mindd Kidzag's Assembly Cut): the entire movie is modeled after The Ultimates 1 and little bit of 2: the alternate opening with darker tone and feel of destruction in New York, people dying or upset with Cap standing glooming, Iron Man's helmet thrown out, Hulk roar jumpscare, and Thor's literally bloody hammer, Captain America's suit and Hawkeye's suit and Black Widow's suit and hair and Iron Man's bulky Mk VII Armor and Thor's capeless suit and Samuel Jackson's Nick Fury involved are straight from The Ultimates, Bruce Banner being seen as a ticking time bomb by everyone, Hulk's violent uncontrollable rampage that nearly killed everyone, a fight between Thor and Hulk, Loki as the main villain manipulating, and The Iconic Final Battle in New York with The Avengers Assembling and teaming up to save the world from The Chitauri, earning them the title as Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
Maxx-Gunner2025-11-27 05:50
Phase 2:
Captain America The Winter Soldier: Cap jumping high without a parachute, the badass brutal and fast combat, The Triskelion's appearance, SJ's NF appearing again and is compromised, BW's ambiguous nature that makes her come off as traitor-like, all caused by S.H.I.E.L.D. being compromised as they're secretly ruled by the Nazis to destroy the world.
(The Ultimates 1, 3, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13; and The Ultimates 2 Issues 1, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11)
Avengers Age of Ultron: Hawkeye's Family, Ultron's appearance and aesthetics, Hulk's even more violent destructive rampage via hypnosis, and Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver (although, thankfully not incest).
(The Ultimates 1 and 2)
Ant-Man: Hank Pym being a mean man (though, thankfully not an insecure cowardly sociopathic treacherous serial abuser), and his Ant-Man suit's rugged looks.
(The Ultimates 1 and 2)
Phase 3:
Thor Ragnarok: Thor's suit and powers look even more rugged and badass looking.
(The Ultimates Issue 12)
Avengers Infinity War: Black Widow's short hair and military-looking outfit,
Thor's suit and his Stormbreaker modeled after the Ultimate Thor suit and Mjolnir,
and even his concept art was literally Ultimate Thor.
(The Ultimates Issue 12)
Avengers Endgame:Black Widow's Death, and The Final Battle.
Commentaires
Yeah, I get that. And MCU really has *really* picked that part up. Thinking through them, there are so many characters that are somehow linked to the super-soldier program and it’s many incarnations.
In the Ultimate comics, Bruce straight-up knew what they were doing.
There are lots of ideas taken from the Ultimate line that made it to the movies. Hawekye having a family. Ned/Ganke as Spider-Man's best friend. Connecting the Hulk to the Super Solider program.
Tony is characterized more as the 1610 version (super misogynistic playboy) but hise story follows the 616. 616 Tony prior to the MCU was more composed and sophisticated but obviously arrogant and self-centered. More Howard Stark in his later years I suppose.
The Super Soldier Serum being a huge catalyst and branch off point is focal to both the 616 and 1610 but more prevalent in the 1610. Hulk being an attempt to recreate is from 1610.
Falcon being former military is from 1610. Except he designed the wings himself.
Hawkeye being a SHIELD agent is originally from the 1610.
The Chitauri although different in design and ability are originally from 1610
Fury kindve mentoring Spider-Man is from 1610. I'd say this is more rolled into Stark being in the Fury role and co-opted with the Civil War-era arc but Far From Home plays with this as well.
I'd say Ultimate Steve Rogers is a toned down John Walker.
Technically MCU now but the TASM Spider-Man backstory follows the ultimate version with Peter's dad being a scientist for OSCORP and instrumental in both the venom symbiote and eventually the spider that bites Peter.
That's all I think of off the top. It's been a very long time since I've read the ultimate comics.
Ultimate Steve Rogers is much worse then Walker ever is. Ultimate Steve might be a racist while we know for a fact that Walker Boy isn't (He has his moments that it slipped but it's only moments mostly dealing with Sam, 1610 Steve meanwhile was like that pretty much until the Last Ultimates Book).
I won’t get into the nuance of race relations in America but the verdict isn’t out on MCU Walker but I digress. From my perspective I see no difference (and I like MCU Walker)
Not just that, but also the fact that he and Natasha were paired up and had an existing relationship working as SHIELD agents *together*.
The shield agents for both of them is ultimate, yes, but them working together is from 616.
There's also decent bit of Earth-X ideas sprinkled in, too.
Even the wife's name + number of kids are the same
Iron Man: the grittier tone, the appearance and snappy wit of Tony Stark, the armor looking more bulky and high-tech military, and Samuel Jackson's Nick Fury in the post-credit scene at his former Malibu mansion recruiting Tony Stark about the Avengers Initiative.
(The Ultimates Issue 2)
The Incredible Hulk:
the attempt at the super-soldier serum recreation as the origin of The Hulk, the scarier and more violent and destructive green monster with alot of veins,
he probably ate someone in the Brazilian soda factory as that guy's shoe flew out,
more destruction and violence killing soldiers during the University Fight Scene,
Bruce Banner being thrown out of the helicopter to change into The Hulk, "blowing up Harlem" during the final battle against Abomination (who almost looks like his Ultimate counterpart).
(The Ultimates Issue 2 and 4 and 5)
Iron Man 2:
the smart-ass nature alcoholic, his talk with Nick Fury, Black Widow as a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent with her badass super spy flexibility as she infiltrates a building and takes on guards.
(The Ultimates Issue 2 and 8)
Thor: the God of Thunder's more rugged look with long hair and beard, assumed a deluded man, his scene trying to lift the Mjolnir, to Earth, Asgard's Science is Magic but where he's from they're both magic and science, Hawkeye looking more like his Ultimate counterpart as a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent, Thor's badass thunder powers in the beginning and the climax, and Loki looking more handsome than his OG Comic version.
(The Ultimates Issue 4, 5, 8, and 12; The Ultimates 2)
Captain America The First Avenger: the look on Steve Rogers and his suits look just like The Ultimate Cap's rugged colorful military suits without wings on head or bellbottom boots, his salute to Bucky far away, and brutality against the Nazis, found frozen in ice by S.H.I.E.L.D., and meeting Nick Fury in the present time.
(The Ultimates Issue 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 11, 12, 13)
The Avengers (both the theatrical and the Mindd Kidzag's Assembly Cut): the entire movie is modeled after The Ultimates 1 and little bit of 2: the alternate opening with darker tone and feel of destruction in New York, people dying or upset with Cap standing glooming, Iron Man's helmet thrown out, Hulk roar jumpscare, and Thor's literally bloody hammer, Captain America's suit and Hawkeye's suit and Black Widow's suit and hair and Iron Man's bulky Mk VII Armor and Thor's capeless suit and Samuel Jackson's Nick Fury involved are straight from The Ultimates, Bruce Banner being seen as a ticking time bomb by everyone, Hulk's violent uncontrollable rampage that nearly killed everyone, a fight between Thor and Hulk, Loki as the main villain manipulating, and The Iconic Final Battle in New York with The Avengers Assembling and teaming up to save the world from The Chitauri, earning them the title as Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
Captain America The Winter Soldier: Cap jumping high without a parachute, the badass brutal and fast combat, The Triskelion's appearance, SJ's NF appearing again and is compromised, BW's ambiguous nature that makes her come off as traitor-like, all caused by S.H.I.E.L.D. being compromised as they're secretly ruled by the Nazis to destroy the world.
(The Ultimates 1, 3, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13; and The Ultimates 2 Issues 1, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11)
Avengers Age of Ultron: Hawkeye's Family, Ultron's appearance and aesthetics, Hulk's even more violent destructive rampage via hypnosis, and Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver (although, thankfully not incest).
(The Ultimates 1 and 2)
Ant-Man: Hank Pym being a mean man (though, thankfully not an insecure cowardly sociopathic treacherous serial abuser), and his Ant-Man suit's rugged looks.
(The Ultimates 1 and 2)
Phase 3:
Thor Ragnarok: Thor's suit and powers look even more rugged and badass looking.
(The Ultimates Issue 12)
Avengers Infinity War: Black Widow's short hair and military-looking outfit,
Thor's suit and his Stormbreaker modeled after the Ultimate Thor suit and Mjolnir,
and even his concept art was literally Ultimate Thor.
(The Ultimates Issue 12)
Avengers Endgame:Black Widow's Death, and The Final Battle.
(The Ultimates 2 Issues 7-13)
Sorry. Had to separate my comment into TWO PARTS.