2099
Marvel's 2099 universe was a project "intended to explore the future of the Marvel Comics universe", that was imagined by writer Stan Lee, as something for him to work on with artist John Byrne. The collaboration "fell through"; however, the line was commissioned by Editor Joey Cavalieri. He said the books "offered a chance to create the Marvel Universe all over again. At the very beginning of the Marvel Universe of 2099, there are no superheroes. We start to see them, one by one, just as you did in the '60s."[38] The 2099 universe is designated as Earth-2099.
Earth X
The Earth X universe was created by Dave Kreuger and Alex Ross, and "showed a possible near future for the Marvel Universe". The project came from "an article for Wizard Magazine and their reaction to the amazing work Alex had done in reimagining and designing the DCU for Kingdom Come."[39][40] The Earth X universe is designated as Earth-9997.
Marvel Cinematic Universe
Marvel: The End
After a two-year run on The Incredible Hulk in the 1990s, writer Peter David and artist Dale Keown re-teamed for Hulk: The End, a one-shot showcasing the character's final days. The success of that book led to multiple miniseries in the following six years, chronicling the final days of various Marvel Universe superheroes.[41]
After 12 years with no further material, a further series of one-shots was announced at the 2019 New York Comic Con.[42]
Marvel's The End omnibus contains the full run of all material across 18 years.
Marvel Zombies
The first appearance of Marvel Zombies was in Ultimate Fantastic Four #21, written by Mark Millar. He said: "I had this idea on the plane from Scotland about a superhero arriving from another dimension with a zombie plague and biting the Avengers when they showed up to contain the problem. Everyone hated it. It was so universally loathed and everyone thought I was kidding when I suggested it."[43]
Despite that, after the first appearance, the concept grew to launch its own series, with Marvel Zombies and Marvel Zombies 2 written by The Walking Dead creator, Robert Kirkman. The initial Zombies universe is designated Earth-2149.[44]
Strikeforce: Morituri
Strikeforce: Morituri is a largely standalone series, created by Peter B. Gillis and Brent Anderson, that was published by Marvel Comics from 1986. It saw "an alien invasion of Earth, countered by a programme that turned humans into superhumans, but would kill them in a year." There were disputes over the series' ownership up until Gillis's death in June 2024.[45] The Strikeforce: Morituri universe is designated as Earth-1287.
Ultimate Marvel omnibuses
Ultimate Marvel launched in 2000 as a response to "so much backstory that the stories (in the main books) were almost incomprehensible."[46]
Bill Jemas, President of Marvel Enterprises from 2000 to 2004, wrote: "Joe Quesada and I started the Ultimate books because we wanted Marvel to get back in touch with kids. We wanted Marvel's great teen heroes - Spidey and the X-Men - to star in comics for 2001 kids."[47] The first Ultimate universe is designated as Earth-1610.
Ultimate Fantastic Four
After Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate X-Men, and The Ultimates, Ultimate Fantastic Four was the final core book to launch in Marvel's new universe. Writers Mark Millar and Brian Michael Bendis worked together with artist Adam Kubert for the first six-issue arc, before Warren Ellis took on the series.
Ultimate Fantastic Four
After Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate X-Men, and The Ultimates, Ultimate Fantastic Four was the final core book to launch in Marvel's new universe. Writers Mark Millar and Brian Michael Bendis worked together with artist Adam Kubert for the first six-issue arc, before Warren Ellis took on the series.
Compared to the main universe counterparts, the new series saw: "The more "superheroic" elements of the series done away with, as the Ultimate Fantastic Four book focused more on science fiction and exploration. Doctor Doom was given a less cartoony characterization than his more well-known mainstream counterpart. Other villains such as Mole Man, Annihilus and even Galactus also received massive makeovers."[48]
Ultimate Spider-Man
The first book in Marvel's Ultimate Universe was Ultimate Spider-Man. The title ran from 2000 until 2012, with a younger version of Peter Parker as the main protagonist. The new iteration was a response to "so much backstory that the stories (in the main books) were almost incomprehensible."[46]
Bill Jemas, President of Marvel Enterprises from 2000 to 2004, wrote: "Joe Quesada and I started the Ultimate books because we wanted Marvel to get back in touch with kids. We wanted Marvel's great teen heroes - Spidey and the X-Men - to star in comics for 2001 kids."[49]
The title went on to run for more than 150 issues and launched the character of Miles Morales.
Ultimate X-Men
Launched by writer Mark Millar, Ultimate X-Men saw "the superheroic side of the franchise pushed a bit to the sidelines. Instead, the prejudice mutants faced on a daily basis took center stage."
Millar was followed by superstar writers Brian Michael Bendis, Brian K Vaughan, and Robert Kirkman, and "the Ultimate X-Men comics quickly became the most popular titles at Marvel Comics, even outselling X-Men books in the mainstream continuity."[50]
Ultimates
The Ultimates portrayed a version of the Avengers outside of the main Marvel continuity that "looked and sounded like a movie in a way that no Marvel story ever had."
Written by Mark Millar, and drawn by Bryan Hitch, the comic blurred the lines of right and wrong, where the heroes "have no idea they are supervillains. They think they're merely doing what superheroes are supposed to do: defend truth, justice, and the American Way — with an emphasis on the latter."[51] Millar conceded that point, describing the series as a "pro-status quo book" and "kind of a right-wing book, like Rush Limbaugh doing super comics".[52]
Director of Marvel Studio's 2012 The Avengers movie, Joss Whedon, said: "It's my feeling that Ultimates brought Marvel into the modern age in a way no other book did."[46]
