Marvel's new "Ultimate Universe" has largely been a success. "Ultimate Spider-Man" by Jonathan Hickman & Marco Checchetto has been a consistent best-seller, "The Ultimates" by Deniz Camp is the most brazenly political superhero book on the market, and Peach Momoko's manga-inspired "Ultimate X-Men" is a refreshing reinvention ... but you know what they say about all good things.

The "Ultimate Universe" reused the branding of the 2000s' "Ultimate Marvel," which restarted familiar Marvel characters from the ground-up. Threading that connection was the Maker, the Reed Richards from the original "Ultimate" universe (Earth-1610), who long ago turned evil. The Maker created the new Ultimate universe (Earth-6160) and twisted history to make an authoritarian dystopia.

In the kick-off mini-series

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