Marvel's Ultimate Universe: One Year In #1 Introduces A New Nick Fury [Exclusive Preview]

The "Ultimate Universe" has been a defining phrase for the Marvel Comics of the 21st century. In 2000, Marvel rebooted their premier characters (Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and the Avengers) into a new universe that started over at the beginning. 

"Ultimate Marvel" revised superheroes for the new millennium and was a smashing success. The Marvel Cinematic Universe owes as much to Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch's "The Ultimates" as it does to Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's early "Avengers" comics. But after running alongside the original Marvel comics from 2000 to 2015, the Ultimate Universe ended — still, you can't keep a good idea down.

In 2023, Marvel launched a new Ultimate Universe. Like the original Ultimate line, the new one offers a fresh start for new Marvel readers to hop on without overbearing and insular continuity. Keep in mind it's not a continuation of the old Ultimate continuity, just a revival of the branding and the concept. To help keep it all straight, here's the labels:

• Original Marvel comics universe = Earth-616

• 2000 "Ultimate" universe = Earth-1610

• 2023 "Ultimate" universe = Earth-6160

Got it?

"Ultimate Spider-Man" (by writer Jonathan Hickman & alternating artists Marco Checchetto and David Messin) and "Ultimates" (by writer Deniz Camp and drawn mostly by Juan Frigeri) have been topping the monthly sales charts. Their only recent competition has been DC's competing "Absolute Universe" and Skybound Entertainment's "Transformers."

The next "Ultimate" book is a worldbuilding one-shot: "Ultimate Universe: One Year In #1" and Marvel has shared an exclusive preview of the issue with /Film. Among other things, this issue will introduce Ultimate Nick Fury. The original "Ultimate Marvel" was the first time that Fury was depicted as a black man. Hitch drew him to look like Samuel L. Jackson in "The Ultimates" (without permission), and then Marvel cast Jackson as Fury in their movies. "Samuel L. Jackson with an eyepatch" has become Fury's default look in the comics and other media. I get why — aside from MCU brand synergy, Nick Fury is the definition of a bad MFer, and no actor conveys that vibe as Jackson does.

However, the new (6160) Ultimate Marvel is using a Nick Fury resembling the one drawn by Jack Kirby and Jim Steranko during the 1960s: an eye-patched, grey-around-the-temples James Bond. Take a look at Rafael Albuquerque's cover of "Ultimate Universe: One Year In #1" below:

Marvel Comics

The primary villain and creator of the new Ultimate Universe is The Maker. Who is that? Reed Richards from the original (1610) Ultimate Universe. During the 2010 "Ultimate Doomsday" trilogy by Brian Michael Bendis and Rafa Sandoval, he became a villain and stayed that way. Reed as the Maker proved so popular that after the original Ultimate Universe was retired, Marvel editorial brought him over to Earth-616.

Since then, the Maker decided to build his own "perfect" universe: Earth-6160. He tampered with history to keep most heroes from getting their powers, and remade the planet in his image, divided into fiefdoms overseen by his ruling council. The Maker is currently imprisoned, but it's only a matter of time before he escapes. (As of the recently published "Ultimates" #7, the world has eleven Maker-free months left.)

The synopsis of "Ultimate Universe: One Year In #1" suggests the issue focuses on the Maker's council of lieutenants and how they're ruling without him around anymore:

"THE CLOCK IS TICKING DOWN TO THE MAKER'S ARRIVAL! Deniz Camp flips the narrative on ULTIMATES and takes us inside the Maker's Council! The heroes of the Ultimate Universe aren't the only ones who have been preparing for the return of the Maker, and the clock is ticking down ... This unique one-shot sets the stage for the second year of the Ultimate line and includes the debut of the Ultimate versions of two major Marvel characters!"

One of those new characters is definitely Ultimate Nick Fury. The other is assumed to be Ultimate Wolverine, who is getting a solo series this January. However, the preview pages focus on Fury. The first page opens with a man named Keith Kincaid (a minor Marvel Comics character, usually depicted as a civilian doctor). He and his family are enjoying a family barbecue, but blue narration boxes inform us he's really a terrorist. Why? He said the Ultimates might have a point.

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On the second page, Kincaid is atomized by what seems to be a lightning bolt but was really a pin-point shot from a helicarrier above.

Marvel Comics

In the Ultimate Universe, Nick Fury is not the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D. but of H.A.N.D. (Heroic Anomaly Neutralization Directorate). From that name and what we know so far, it seems likely the Directorate was created by the Maker to preemptively take out any superheroes who might rise.

In the normal Marvel Comics, the Hand is a cult of demon-worshipping ninja assassins. The shared name is no coincidence but was clearly chosen to convey these guys are bad news. (More proof: H.A.N.D.'s helicarrier is nicknamed "the Beast," the name of the demon who the Hand worships.)

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In the fourth panel, Fury admits he knows Kincaid was no threat but had to "put on a show" for his superiors. He then calls the following events his "last confession" — will he be making it out of "One Year In" alive?

Marvel Comics

"Ultimate Universe: One Year In" #1 is scheduled for print and digital release on December 11, 2024.