User:Chunky Rice/Sandbox - USM history rewrite
History of Ultimate Spider-Man[edit]
Beginning of the series[edit]
left|260px|thumb|Cover to Ultimate Spider-Man Volume Two. Ultimate Spider-Man was the first series to be published in the Ultimate Marvel line. Publisher Bill Jemas wanted to reinvent the Marvel Universe because he felt that, with over 40 years of backstory, it had become inaccessible to new readers, and he wanted to start with a reinvented Spider-Man. Initially, Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada was skeptical because 1998's Spider-Man: Chapter One, a previous attempt at re-envisioning Spider-Man's early adventures, had failed both critically and commercially [1].
Marvel writer David Mack suggested indie writer Brian Michael Bendis, whom Jemas and Quesada chose to write the new series. Marvel approached veteran Spider-Man artist Mark Bagley, who initially was not interested in joining the project and turned it down several times before signing [2]. In the first storyline, "Power and Responsibility" (Ultimate Spider-Man #1-7), Bendis presents a revamped version of the Spider-Man origin story first printed in Amazing Fantasy #15. Fifteen-year-old Peter Parker is less lonely than in the original story, but he is bullied. Orphaned as a child, Peter is raised by hipper, more assertive versions of Aunt May and Uncle Ben. Peter is a pupil at Midtown High School, a classmate of Mary Jane Watson, Liz Allan, and Harry Osborn. Harry protects Peter against bullies Flash Thompson and new character Kenny "Kong" McFarlane. Harry's father Norman Osborn owns the laboratory where Peter is bitten, and in trying to duplicate the drug's effects becomes Spider-Man's villain.
The original Amazing Fantasy #15 story is only 11 pages long, but Bendis retells it as a 180-page, seven-part story arc in which Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man only after issue #5. Bagley was at first wary of Bendis' notoriously slow pace in advancing plot, describing it as a "real shock" at first [3]. Previously, Jemas intended the comic to feature single-issue stories only, but Bendis chose his own way [4].
"Power and Responsibility" was greeted with enthusiasm from fans and critics, sold well, and gave Ultimate Marvel a boost in credibility. After the release of Ultimate Spider-Man, Quesada and Jemas broadened the Ultimate Marvel line with Ultimate X-Men, The Ultimates and Ultimate Fantastic Four. Ultimate Spider-Man #1 was voted the "ninth-greatest Marvel Comic of All Time" in 2001 by readers of Wizard: The Guide to Comics. In addition to critical success, Ultimate Spider-Man grew to outsell the flagship Spider-Man title, Amazing Spider-Man [5].
Establishing the series[edit]
Following "Power and Responsibility" is "Learning Curve" (Ultimate Spider-Man #8-13), in which Peter meets J. Jonah Jameson and gains employment as a web designer, rather than as a photographer, for The Daily Bugle, and Spider-Man fights the Kingpin and his henchmen, the Enforcers and Electro. Bendis describes issue #13, in which Peter tells Mary Jane his secret identity, as his favorite issue because it shows the trust the Ultimate Marvel office had in him [6]. In the "Double Trouble" storyline (Ultimate Spider-Man #14-21), Spider-Man fights Doctor Octopus, Justin Hammer and Kraven The Hunter; and meets a tough, street smart Gwen Stacy. In "Legacy" (Ultimate Spider-Man #22-27), Peter fights the monstrous, mutated Norman Osborn again, assisted by Nick Fury. Reception and sales stayed strong, helped by the fact that Bendis and Bagley quickly found chemistry and liked working with each other [7]. right|thumb|Edited & recoloured images of Ultimate Spider-Man and Ultimate Venom from the comic series, used as a promotion for the video game. In "Public Scrutiny" (Ultimate Spider-Man #28-32), a Spider-Man copycat killer terrorizes the public, and Gwen's father is killed, retelling his death from Amazing Spider-Man #90 (1970). Jean DeWolffe is first introduced as she takes over Captain Stacy's position. Bendis, disliking the mainstream version of Venom and its extraterrestrial origin, completely reinvents the character in "Venom" (Ultimate Spider-Man #33-39). [8] Peter meets Eddie Brock, Jr., a bright but irresponsible student who owns an experimental Venom balm that Eddie's and Peter's fathers invented while working on a cure for cancer. Peter wears it, and due to its bloodthirsty nature nearly kills a robber who had recently murdered a shopkeeper. Peter, in horror, destroys the sample. Brock finds out and takes another hidden sample, thus becoming Ultimate Venom.
In "Irresponsible" (Ultimate Spider-Man #40-45), Spider-Man meets Marvel Girl, Storm and Shadowcat from the X-Men and fights the first original Ultimate Spider-Man villain, a mutant named Geldoff, having the ability to blow anything up. "Cats & Kings" (Ultimate Spider-Man #47-53) features two stories. The first reimagines a plotline from Amazing Spider-Man #91 (1970), about a corrupt politician named Sam Bullit; the second features Elektra and Black Cat. Bagley considers his artistic work on the depictions of the two women as among the finest he has done on this series [9]. Ultimate Spider-Man #46 is a prelude to Ultimate Six, a limited series about the Ultimate version of the Sinister Six and a crossover with The Ultimates.
The "Hollywood" (Ultimate Spider-Man #54-59) storyline is a parody of the then-upcoming movie Spider-Man 2. In the story, an unauthorized film is in production about Spider-Man with Doctor Octopus as the main villain. The film's male lead Tobey Maguire, Bruce Campbell, director Sam Raimi and Marvel-movie head Avi Arad appear in cameo roles. Gwen Stacy also discovers that Peter is Spider-Man and attempts to shoot him for killing her father. When Peter explains that his killer was an impostor, Gwen forgives him.
In "Carnage" (Ultimate Spider-Man #60-65), Bendis reinvents the Carnage character, writing him as a vampiric monster derived from a blood sample from Peter Parker and part of his father's work, from the Venom project, which spawned Venom. Carnage murders Gwen Stacy, and Peter blames himself for it. Bendis states that killing Gwen brought him a lot of hostile fan reactions, even surpassing the animosity when he killed off Hawkeye in Avengers Disassembled [10]. Carnage is seemingly burned up in a factory incinerator.
"Superstars" (Ultimate Spider-Man #66-71) features three team-up sories, each being two issues long. The stories featuredDoctor Strange, Johnny Storm and Wolverine. In his meeting with Wolverine, their bodies are swapped and they are forced to endure a day living as the other. The team-up story with Johnny Storm (the Human Torch of the Fantastic Four), features him attending same school as Peter's because he never graduated. Johnny and Liz Allan almost hook up, but Liz freaks out when she discovers Johnny's ability to enwreath himself in flame. The next day, Spider-Man has an interesting little talk with Johnny about the purpose of having secret identities. This story takes place before the team "Fantatic Four" is formed.
In "Hobgoblin" (Ultimate Spider-Man #72-78), Peter fights Harry Osborn, who had become the Hobgoblin in the same accident his fathe becam Green Goblin. Mary Jane is endangered in the battle, and seeing that being Spider-Man will put her in danger, Peter breaks up with her.
"Warriors" (Ultimate Spider-Man #79-85) features a gang war in which Hammerhead, Iron Fist, Shang-Chi and Moon Knight are embroiled. Ultimate Spider-Man Annual #1 (October 2005) introduces a romance between Peter Parker and Kitty Pryde of the X-Men. "Silver Sable" (Ultimate Spider-Man #86-90) introduces the female mercenary of the same name. This arc ties in to another Spider-Man product, the Ultimate Spider-Man video game that came out at that time (see below).
"Deadpool" (Ultimate Spider-Man #91-94) features Deadpool and his Reavers, who capture Spider-Man and the X-Men and take them to Krakoa to stage a live execution. Miles Warren appears as Aunt May's love interest. In "Morbius" (Ultimate Spider-Man #95-96) features Morbius and Blade in a special vampire story in which Ben Urich is bitten. Morbius saves the reporter, while Spider-Man defends them from a vampire attack in which he also is bitten although his powers save him from being transformed. In Ultimate Spider-Man Annual #2 Peter battles the Kangaroo, the Punisher, Moon Knight and Daredevil. The Kingpin returns and Captain Jean DeWolff is shot down by the Punisher. Also featured is a team-up between Daredevil and Moonknight in which they plan to take down the Kingpin. thumb|left|225px|Promotional art from Ultimate Spider-Man#103, showing Spider-Man with his clones "Clone Saga" is a reference to a controversial mainstream Spider-Man story arc, where Bendis wrote a story introducing many mysterious clones of Spider-Man. Concerning the picture, left: Brian Michael Bendis, the series writer, stated in Wizard Magazine that "in The Clone Saga we would be introduced to several new characters: Ultimate Spider-Woman, Ultimate Tarantula, and Ultimate Scorpion." Peter's father Richard Parker also appear although he is discovered to be an aged clone of Peter with false memories. Another clone, the most dangerous, is an unfinished model with a scarred face and a jumper bearing a Spider-Symbol; this was an obvious homage to the character Kaine, who had appeared in the original Saga. Kaine injects Mary Jane with the oz formula, turning her into what appears to be the ultimate version of the Demogoblin. Three of the clones die: a black-clad, six-armed clone who is impaled by Otto Octavius; a scarred clone (halve of whom's face looks almost decayed), who is shot down by S.H.I.E.L.D forces after trying to take MJ again; and the aged 'Richard' clone of Peter who dies through accelerated cellular degeneration, perhaps triggered by his being informed that he is a clone. Octavius is subdued by Spider-Man and Spider-Woman, with the latter disappearing after the battle. At the end of the issue, Mary Jane is a normal girl again. The Fantastic Four, who cured MJ, offered Peter the chance to be a normal teenager again, just as they did to her. MJ and Peter seem to be now back together after Peter, who realises that he has been wrong and almost lost her, declares that he loves her. After a conversation with Nick Fury, Peter decides to pass on the offer from Reed Richards and continue as Spider-Man. Aunt May has accepted that Peter is Spider-Man. Jessica Drew decides to seek her own destiny away from the Parkers. While Peter and MJ are finally back together, the experience with Peter's clone leaves Mary Jane with a few psychological backlashes; she had envisioned the scarred clone in the mirror when it had only been Peter.
The next story arc Ultimate Knights", (Ultimate Spider-Man #106-110) Following the events of the Clone Saga, Spider-Man is now New York's most popular superhero. The Kingpin recently purchased the holding firm GG Enterprises, which owns the company that carries the licencing rights of Spider-Man movie franchise. By purchasing GG, Kingpin now technically owns Spider-Man and the rights to all his merchandise. He is approached by Daredevil to join his group. Daredevil later meets Spidey to convince him to join the team in an effort to take down the Kingpin, for good. In addition, Kitty Pryde recently left the Xavier Institute and is moving back with her mother at Queens, and enrolls to Midtown High School to be with Peter. Kitty then experiences some awkward moments from her classmates, and eventually confronting Peter about Mary Jane. MJ was watching, and experienced a trembling in her right arm again. She also clutches her hand, and her fingernails appear to be turning into claws. Meeting with Daredevil and the heroes Iron Fist, Shang-Chi, Dr. Strange and Moon Knight on a rooftop, they decide the first step of taking down the Kingpin is to have one of them pose as his new costumed assassin/bodyguard. Moon Knight bravely volunteers, with Dr. Strange suggesting to cast an enhancement spell on his appearance. After the meeting, Iron Fist meets with the Kingpin, apparently betraying the group of their plans against the crime lord. Moon Knight then goes in as Ronin who is revealed to be nothing more than another of Moon Knight's personalities, who is sent to retrieve Spider-Man for the Kingpin, which he eventually does. Kingpin then tells Spider-man that he owns his rights. He demasks Moon Knight. The traitor is then revealed to the group as Iron Fist.
Iron Fist and Shang Chi appear to part ways forever. Moon Knight is shot in the head by the Kingpin's henchmen, but survives. Iron Fist then helps the crew distract the Kingpin so Daredevil can get to his goal: Vanessa Fisk. He tells Kingpin he will snap her neck. Kingpin tries to talk him down but Spider-Man is the one who does it. Kingpin then gets his wife out of the country but he gets arrested, thanks to Moon Knight/Ronin going to the authorities, thus giving away his secret identity. The team is then shown separately, while Peter is walking in the rain past a shop full of Spider-Man merchandise.
The continuing series[edit]
On August 16, 2006 Mark Bagley announced he would be leaving the title with issue #110 [11]. Marvel Comics promoted the series, saying that as of Ultimate Spider-Man #103 (December 2006), Bendis and Bagley had the longest continuous run of a creative team on a Marvel Comics publication, beating the record set on Fantastic Four by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby (Some contest that the record is actually held by Sergio Aragones and Mark Evanier, who published 120 consecutive issues plus assorted graphic novels of Groo the Wanderer at Marvel).[12]. He did however codraw issue 111. Taking over Mark Bagley's place was Stuart Immonen. Issue #111 had two different prints done, with one of them having a story drawn by Mark of Peter and Aunt May having what will be called "The Talk" and Stuart Immonen drawing a story introducing "Ultimate Spot."[13]