Ultimate Marvel Reading Order

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Burdened by decades of complicated continuity that often alienated new readers to the then-struggling comic book industry, in the late ‘90s Marvel embarked on a creative journey that soon became known as the Ultimate Marvel universe. The core of the idea involved rebooting and modernizing Marvel’s most popular characters to give new readers a jumping on point and old fans fresh takes on the stories they knew and loved. Wary of upsetting longtime-fans, Marvel wisely decided not to reboot their entire line of superhero comic books, which had been telling an ongoing story for half a century. Instead, the Ultimate Marvel books existed alongside but separate from the main continuity set on Earth-616. The Ultimate Marvel universe existed on Earth-1610, and began modestly with only a few ongoing and limited series.

The Ultimate books soon became a huge hit thanks to contributions from writers like Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Miller, and Warren Ellis, as well as stunning artwork from the likes of Mark Bagely, Bryan Hitch, and several others. Whether you’ve experienced the Ultimate Marvel universe before or you’re looking to dive in for the first time, our guides will take you through every issue of this unique and unforgettable twist on the Marvel canon.

Part 1.1: Ultimate Origins

Ultimate Marvel begins with a character and a moment that has proven to be one of the most important throughout the entire Marvel Multiverse…Peter Parker’s transformation into the amazing (or in this case ultimate) Spider-Man! And while his origin may share some similarities with his counterpart on Earth-616, this version of Peter Parker quickly charts a different path.

As we begin to explore the beginnings of the Ultimate Marvel line, we also uncover the origins of the X-Men and this universe’s version of the Avengers—known here as the Ultimates.

Reading Order:

Ultimate Spider-Man #1 – #13
Ultimate X-Men #1 – #2
Ultimate Marvel Team-Up #1 – #3, #6 – #8, #10
Ultimate X-Men #3 – #6, #1/2
Ultimate Spider-Man #14 – #16
Ultimate Marvel Team-Up #11 – #13, #15 – #16
Ultimate Spider-Man #17 – #21
Ultimate X-Men #7 – #14
Ultimate Fantastic Four #1 – #6
The Ultimates #1 – #3
Ultimate Spider-Man #22 – #27
Ultimate X-Men #15 – #20
Ultimate Spider-Man #28 – #32
The Ultimates #4 – #13

Related Collections:

Part 1.2: It’s All Connected

While the initial story arcs across the Ultimate books were largely unconnected from each other, like the main Marvel universe various characters and storylines soon began to intersect. The Ultimates and X-Men clash, Spider-Man meets other members of the burgeoning superhero community, and Nick Fury watches and manipulates events behind the scenes as he attempts to use his Ultimates to safeguard an increasingly dangerous world.

Reading Order:

Ultimate X-Men #21 – #26
Ultimate War #1 – #4
Ultimate X-Men #27 – #33
Ultimate Spider-Man #33 – #45
Ultimate X-Men #34 – #39
Ultimate Spider-Man #46
Ultimate Six #1 – #7
Ultimate X-Men #40 – #49
Ultimate Fantastic Four #7 – #12
Ultimate Spider-Man #47 – #77
Ultimate Fantastic Four #13 – #20
Ultimate X-Men #50 – #60

Related Collections:

Part 1.3: Gah Lak Tus

While the heroes of the Ultimate Marvel universe have fought terrestrial threats and even aliens, nothing has prepared them from what’s coming next. When an entity known as the Vision warns the X-Men and Ultimates about a world-devouring threat known only as Gah Lak Tus, the heroes must put aside their differences or face extinction.

Reading Order:

Ultimate Nightmare #1 – #5
Ultimate Secret #1 – #4
Ultimate Vision #0
Ultimate Extinction #1 – #5
Ultimate Vision #1 – #5

Related Collections:

Ultimate Galactus Trilogy