ULTIMATE X-MEN - What Went Wrong?

In this video, Owen explains the history of Ultimate X-Men, the behind-the-scenes origin of Mark Millar's ambitious reinvention, and how this version of the iconic mutant team failed to live up to expectations.

▶ Watch More Owen Likes Comics:

▶ Special thanks to @FullFatVideos for providing guest voiceover!

▶ Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction
1:46 - X Marks the Spot
4:27 - The Tomorrow People
10:35 - Changing of the Guards
15:13 - Conclusion
18:24 - Outro

▶ Music Used:

#XMen #Marvel #ComicBooks

[OwenLikesComics]

▶ If you enjoyed this video, consider supporting Owen Likes Comics on Patreon:

[InsanityFor]

The more I think about it, X-Men Evolution accomplished what Ultimate X-Men attempted to do, but just so much better. It modernized the timeline, aged down a bunch of the characters, and appealed to an entirely new audience. On top of that, it was incredibly less douchey and edgelord-ish.

[TransSoulAlesha]

The reveal that actually Mutants are another super soldier program just really feels like it completely misses the point of x-men and what makes them work.

[owensreviews]

This is what I find so interesting about the ultimate universe. It started out strong with Ultimate Spider-Man, but as time progressed, it just got more bizarre and complicated.

[SAPProd]

Gotta love they blame the X-Men problems on little mainstream appeal, and not because it was at the forefront of the speculator market that had fizzled out a decade later. I don’t call a comic with a very popular cartoon series, a film, and the all-time record holder for the most successful single issue sold as something with “little mainstream appeal”.

[edward]

If there was a "problem" it's that titles like Ult Spidey and The Ultimates were 21st Century re-interpretations of classic titles, but Ult X-Men felt like an alternative version of the X-Men movie.

[nicodemusedwards]

“Lack of Mainstream Appeal” is code word for “Mishandling of Characters, Bad Writing and Bad Marketing” in most cases.

[Lazarus]

I think the big problem with Ultimate X-Men is that the characters' flaws got larger than the characters' heroism. I mean, for God's sake, Wolverine straight-up tried to murder Cyclops over Jean Grey.

[acasualreader]

I just want to remember that Ultimate Cable is actually Wolverine, because you never have enough Wolverine.

[AndorRobotnik]

It is weird to me how obsessed the Ultimate Universe was with making everything related to SHIELD

[joshheralal]

The Ultimate Universe is such a mixed bag. You have absolutely amazing stuff like Ultimate Spider-Man and really weird stuff like Wanda x Pietro. Great video Owen.

[JoseRS]

I still get a good chuckle thinking of the wiki page that compiles the fate of the Ultimate Xmen. Half the List of Ultimate Marvel characters either Drowned or were Eaten by act of Cannibalism. What a weird experiment.

[outpostalpha]

I'm a huge fan of all the 616-universe X-Men books, but Ultimate X-Men never really clicked for me. I think I now have a better understanding of why that is. Excellent video, Owen!

[JudgementalGoat]

You ain't wrong on any account, they should have brought someone who offered a bit less edgy feeling to the X-Men during the ultimate era. Grant Morrison's run overshadowed even the core X-Men book of that era which was Uncanny

[juliiju]

x men rule number one: you can't be a multimedia X men in the 2000s without the damn black suits

[acasualreader]

The longer it goes, the worse it gets. There were a few good ideas, but mostly it just became 'edginess for the sake of edginess.' Ultimatum was pretty terrible, but at least put the line mostly out of its misery.

[DragonFist]

Jeph Loeb and Ultimatum is what went wrong. But Ultimate X-Men run itself is so great especially the Blockbuster arc which DD appears art by David Finch.

[TheMaestroMizerous]

When The Blob eats The Wasp on panel you need to put down your pencil and think...

[Panimal]

It felt comically cynical, at times. Like the early Weapon X dialogue. Even the X-Men themselves sometimes went too far into increasingly gray areas, that they were nearly unrecognizable compared to their comic counterparts. Compare that to Ultimate Spider-Man, where characters and storylines were revamped, but with a fresh take that really got the overall tone and themes of Spider-Man, without compromising his (or any other characters') morals.

[sinmenon]

tbh I thought that Kitty had a more interesting arc in Ultimate Spider-Man than in the Ultimate X-Men comics