Summary
- The new She-Hulk was created by gamma bomb tests in the Pacific Proving Grounds.
- She commands an entire army of Hulks who were also affected by gamma radiation.
- The Ultimates need She-Hulk for their upcoming mission to kill the Legendary Hulk, with plans to assemble their entire team for the first time.
Marvel has officially introduced its new She-Hulk, revealing her horrifying origin story in a major deviation from the Hulk lore fans know. The original She-Hulk was first introduced in 1979 as Jennifer Walters - Bruce Banner's cousin who gains gamma powers after she's given an emergency blood transfusion by the Hulk. Now, however, Marvel is redefining what it even means to be the She-Hulk.
In a preview of The Ultimates #3, readers witness the creation of an entire army of Hulks. The comic shows a gamma bomb test in the Pacific, turning the sky green as its powerful radiation is unleashed, transforming dozens of people who live close by. As Iron Lad, Thor and Sif arrive in the modern day, they discover the remains of gigantic lizards who were given Hulk-powers in the blast.
The moment references real-world weapons testing done in the Pacific Proving Grounds, which led to islands within range of nucelar weapons testing still being radioactive today, and those who lived in the areas seeing an increase in radiation-linked cancers. In this new version of Marvel (and real-world) history, the unconscionable testing of gamma weaponry has created a hidden society of Hulks.
The Ultimates #3 | |
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The New She-Hulk Is a Result of Unconscionable Gamma Testing
Ultimate She-Hulk Commands an Army of Hulks
Marvel's new Ultimate Universe - aka Earth-6160 - was recently created by the Maker. Maker is an evil genius familiar with the history of the Marvel Universe, who has used time travel to journey throughout the history of Earth-6160, warping historical events to set himself up as the undisputed ruler of the world. Maker made sure that most of Marvel's greatest heroes never came to exist, either preventing their origins or killing them outright. In some cases - such as the Hulk and iconic mutants like Colossus - the Maker instead corrupted the heroes who should have stood against him, recruiting them to his diabolical Maker's Council.
Recently, Tony Stark's father learned of the Maker's actions, defeating him and locking him within his lab for two years. In the short period before the Maker's return, the teenage Tony Stark has established a new team of Ultimates, dedicated to destroying the Maker's methods of control. But to do that, the team need allies, and that includes the brand new Ultimate She-Hulk.
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Little is known about the new She-Hulk so far, but her origin reveals why Tony's Ultimates see her as a likely ally against the Maker's regime. The issue's summary promises that they're about to discover "an army of Hulks hidden from the world... with She-Hulk at the helm!" It's likely that She-Hulk will therefore be their most vital ally in opposing the Maker, but only if they can convince her it's in her best interests to fight. An army of Hulks is a nearly unbeatable force, but having hidden away from a world that sacrificed them to test appalling weapons of war, She-Hulk's community will need a good reason to step out into the firing line.
The Maker Is Fast Becoming Marvel's Most Detestable Villain
The Genius Villain Rewrote an Entire Reality for His Own Ends
The gamma testing revealed this issue is the latest despicable act from the Maker, showing just how much disdain he has for all other living beings. It's worth noting that because of his knowledge of history, the Maker is fully aware of the damage nuclear testing did to the area designated as the Pacific Proving Grounds, choosing not to avoid it but to intensify it by also testing gamma weaponry. In Ultimate Invasion, Maker noted that some major historical events can't be avoided, the invention of the gamma bomb included. However, his response - corrupting the Hulk and extending testing to harm even more people - shows how amoral he truly is.
The Ultimates has adopted an exciting publishing model where each monthly issue represents a corresponding month gone in Earth-6160, quickly closing in on the Maker's release. While the Maker will only be trapped in his lab for a total of two years, he built it so that time passes faster on the inside, allowing him to carry out extreme experiments on human modification. It's been speculated that for the Maker, thousands of years will have passed before he emerges, meaning he'll have carried out literal millennia of experiments and self-evolution. If the Ultimates are going to stand any kind of chance against what emerges, the Maker's vast empire has to be dismantled before he returns.
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That effort is aimed at the Maker's Council - a group of villains who each control one of the major territories into which the Maker has broken the world. With Black Panther currently fighting the corrupted Moon Knight for Africa's "Upper and Lower Kingdoms" and Spider-Man battling the remaining rulers of North America, the Ultimates still have a lot of targets who need their attention, and in a few short months, they'll take on the biggest and baddest of them all.
The Ultimates' first major target is the Hulk himself, with the entire team assembling for the first time to defeat the Maker's replacement.
The Ultimates Are Almost Ready to Kill the Hulk
The Ultimate Universe's First Year Ends with the Full Team Assembling
Alongside the reveal of She-Hulk's origin, Marvel has shared solicit information for the upcoming Ultimates #6. That issue will see the full team finally assemble to battle the Legendary Hulk - a version of Bruce Banner who is committed to the Maker's division of the world, and rules over a cult known as the Children of Eternal Light. Since the Maker was imprisoned, Hulk has taken a leading role on the Maker's Council, including framing Tony and the Ultimates for a devastating attack on New York.
The Ultimates #6 | |
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Release Date: | November 16 |
Writer: | Deniz Camp |
Artists: | Juan Frigeri |
Cover Artist: | Dike Ruan |
Ultimates assemble to take down the Hulk! The entire roster of the Ultimates unites for the first time in this high octane, climactic conclusion of the first arc! Iron Lad has a plan to defeat the Hulk, the most powerful and imposing member of the Maker’s Council - but has he gotten his team in over their heads? | |
The fight against the Legendary Hulk is exciting because it's the first time the team will assemble in full. In issue 1, the Ultimates empowered Giant-Man and the Wasp, while in issue 2 they rescued Ms. America. With the attempt to recruit She-Hulk this issue and a new Hawkeye debuting soon, the Ultimates are fast-accruing many classic Avengers heroes, albeit in totally new forms. Perhaps the most surprising new member is Doctor Doom - a traumatized version of Reed Richards who was imprisoned by the Maker shortly after the villain assassinated his family. These heroes join Tony's Iron Lad, Captain America, Thor and Sif in opposing the Maker via the Ultimates Network.
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Marvel is closing in on the new Ultimate Universe's first year of existence, with Deniz Camp and Michelle Marchese's upcoming Ultimate Universe: One Year In serving to establish this universe's new status quo since its various heroes started taking on the Maker's thralls. Hopefully, as the fight against Hulk draws closer, the Ultimates will be able to call on She-Hulk and her army to begin freeing the world from the Maker's horrific regime.
The Ultimates #3 is coming August 14 from Marvel Comics.
