The X-Men Began a New Ultimate Era 25 Years Ago

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Each month, I revisit a comic book issue from 10, 25, or 50 years in the past. Occasionally, when there’s a fifth week in a month, I’ll pick something completely different. This time, I’m looking back at the December 2000 launch of Ultimate X-Men.

A fascinating discussion is happening right now about the upcoming conclusion of the Ultimate Universe. Writer Jonathan Hickman originally envisioned a two-year story arc for Ultimate Spider-Man, building on his concept for the entire Ultimate Universe. This universe was built around a two-year timeline – a villain who created this hero-less version of Earth was imprisoned for two years, giving the world’s heroes a limited time to train as many new superheroes as possible before his return. However, Marvel unexpectedly decided to end the universe just as that timeline was reaching its conclusion.

It’s natural to wonder if things will eventually lose their impact, and that’s a valid point. However, people felt the same way when the original Ultimate Universe first launched, and that turned out fine.

A couple of months ago, I talked about the launch of Ultimate Spider-Man #1 and how the very first title in the Ultimate Universe didn’t quite hit the mark. However, Ultimate Spider-Man was a success, and Ultimate X-Men #1, which came out in December 2000, was also really well-received!

Who was the creative team behind Ultimate X-Men #1?

One key factor in Marvel’s success was having Joe Quesada, a highly skilled comic book artist, as their Editor-in-Chief. He wasn’t in that role when the ‘Ultimate’ line was first planned, but he did become Editor-in-Chief before its launch in October 2000.

Quesada created the covers for the first issues of both Ultimate Spider-Man and Ultimate X-Men, and he’s really good at designing covers that grab your attention. Even though I’m not a big fan of the Ultimate Wolverine design, the cover still really stands out.

Marvel’s publisher, Bill Jemas, decided to use newer writers for the book instead of established creators. He wanted Brian Michael Bendis, who was chosen for Ultimate Spider-Man, to write it, but Bendis wasn’t available. So, they hired Mark Millar, who was already well-known for his work on Authority, having taken over from Warren Ellis.

Similar to Ultimate Spider-Man, this new writer was teamed with an experienced artist who already knew the series well. Just like Mark Bagley did with Ultimate Spider-Man, Andy Kubert updated his style to feel more contemporary for this book. With Art Thibert handling the inks, the artwork felt noticeably fresher than Kubert’s highly popular X-Men work from the early 90s.

The approach, though, was what really sold the title.

What was the setup for Ultimate X-Men?

Millar’s initial X-Men team was a blend of established favorites and newer characters from the ‘All-New, All-Different’ era. He primarily used the recent X-Men movie as inspiration, and the team’s costumes reflect that film’s designs, though with a style more suited to comics.

In the story, Millar really emphasized the idea of mutants being treated as outsiders. The book starts with a shocking scene: a young, innocent mutant is discovered by Sentinels and killed publicly. The fact that this young mutant was also a Black teenager made the injustice even more impactful.

Look, the X-Men have always dealt with people hating and fearing them – it kind of comes with the territory. But seeing them recognized in public and then just…killed? That was shocking, even for me as a longtime fan. It really drove home just how much more dangerous things had become for them, and it was a really unsettling moment.

Knowing this, the stakes felt much higher when a new mutant appeared and the Sentinels arrived to eliminate him. The new X-Men team proved their abilities during the fight, and the issue did a good job of introducing each member individually – though I won’t be detailing each introduction here. Surprisingly, it wasn’t the X-Men who ultimately won the day, but the mutant they were trying to protect!

And on cue, young Bobby Drake was then hit by a bottle, as the world REALLY hates mutants!

This issue introduces Magneto, a powerful mutant leader with a history as a friend of Professor X, the founder of the X-Men, but now an enemy. The X-Men’s prominent debut angered Magneto, and the issue ends with him giving Wolverine a new mission.

Wolverine working for Magneto? What a great cliffhanger!!

If you have any comic book suggestions from January (or any other month) of 2016, 2001, 1976, or 1951 that you’d like me to feature, please email me at brianc@cbr.com! To help with suggestions, remember that comic books usually hit stores about two months after their cover date. For example, a comic with an October cover date likely came out in August. It’s easier to pinpoint release dates for books from the last decade thanks to online coverage, so keep that in mind when making suggestions.

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2026-01-01 02:41