I love The Ultimates

[Evil Toki]

Man I just read the first two Trade Paperbacks of this series and it absolutely rocks the house. I really love it, I know many people don't like Millar, but I guess he just strikes a chord with me, I love it. I can't get into that Silver Age stuff, anyone run any games in this kind of more gritty style?

 

BTW Nick Fury and Captain America are the best... and of Course I think Thor is off the scale... anyone done writeups based on the Ultimate versions?

[nexus]

Re: I love The Ultimates

 

I think the Ultimates is a pretty good line. It stoops to shock value a few times, IMO, but that is a trend of popular entertainment. Like allot of the so called Iron Age stuff, I think its actually just as black and white as anything in the Silver Age when you think about it, just more obvious gore and violence. And some of the fights made me think "Somebody just got done watching the Matrix".

[assault]

Re: I love The Ultimates

 

While I haven't read the Ultimates, I am actually reading Ultimate FF. That's an unusual lapse into Iron Age-ness for me.

 

Well, OK, I also read Catwoman, but that's because it's good.

[MagicHero]

Re: I love The Ultimates

 

I am actually in the midst of running a campaign set in the Marvel “Ultimate†continuity. It provides a setting in which the players recognize the other heroes and villains, but without running into any situations such as “Hero X can’t do that! In issue #504 he specifically said he couldn’t do thatâ€.

 

The events in the Ultimate titles are providing mostly background flavor and “stuff happening elsewhereâ€, but some of it will bleed into the campaign itself. For example, in the Ultimate X-Men series, the U.S. sent virtually an entire army of Sentinel robots to attack the mutant haven in the Savage Land, which pretty much destroyed everything the mutants had built there. Soon, the PCs are going to soon encounter a group of mutant terrorist bent on revenge for this attack.

 

As an added bonus, there are a lot of write-up folks have done for the major heroes and villains in the regular Marvel Universe that are perfect for use in the Ultimates continuity, which should save me a fair amount of work.

 

Also, I just got the Viper: Coils of the Serpent Champions suppliant (an awesome book picked up from the glorious “Half-off Damaged Books†sale in the on-line store). As I’m reading, I’m replacing the name “Viper†with “Hydraâ€, as I’m considering adding Hydra as an organization in the campaign. However, the Viper book is so great, they may retain the Viper name – so far what I’m reading is making me think Viper is just way cooler than Hydra.

 

Thus far, I have been limiting myself to the trade paperbacks in the line, so the events in the campaign are somewhat lagging behind what’s in the newsstand. However, this is a very minor mater, especially considering that none of my players are reading any of these comics.

[Theron]

Re: I love The Ultimates

 

The campaign I'm re-working on at the moment (Agents of IMPACT) is not directly inspired by "The Ultimates" (for one thing, I originally came up with it in 1992), but a lot of what's gone on in comics (notably Ellis's run on "Stormwatch", Morrison's "New X-Men", as well as "The Ultimates" and "Ultimate X-Men") strongly influenced the current version, which was originally "The Champions Universe And The Six Million Dollar Man Meet WildCATS During An Episode Of The X-Files".

[Mister E]

Re: I love The Ultimates

 

Man I just read the first two Trade Paperbacks of this series and it absolutely rocks the house. I really love it, I know many people don't like Millar, but I guess he just strikes a chord with me, I love it. I can't get into that Silver Age stuff, anyone run any games in this kind of more gritty style?

 

BTW Nick Fury and Captain America are the best... and of Course I think Thor is off the scale... anyone done writeups based on the Ultimate versions?

 

I personally believe the "Ultimates" comic book represents the beginning of a new renaissance in the comic book industry. I love it.

 

"Surrender?! Do you think this A on my forhead stands for France?!!"

 

My current game is wholy inspired by the Ultimate Universe. It's not Marvel based though, it's my own setting.

 

If you like these comics, I also recommend "Powers" by Image, and "X-Statics", which replaced X-Force. Neither, IMO, is as good as the Ultimates, but their pretty darn good.

 

WOW, look at me! I'm a Fan-boy!

[Evil Toki]

Re: I love The Ultimates

 

The campaign I'm re-working on at the moment (Agents of IMPACT) is not directly inspired by "The Ultimates" (for one thing' date=' I originally came up with it in 1992), but a lot of what's gone on in comics (notably Ellis's run on "Stormwatch", Morrison's "New X-Men", as well as "The Ultimates" and "Ultimate X-Men") strongly influenced the current version, which was originally "The Champions Universe And The Six Million Dollar Man Meet WildCATS During An Episode Of The X-Files".[/quote']

Awesome idea... you have any campaign notes you want to share?

 

You too Mister E, my current game is similar to this style of play as well... I find it meshes well with how I approach a game... I like gritty, I like funny, and I enjoy some shock value.

 

And yes that was a great line!

[Theron]

Re: I love The Ultimates

 

Here's the "high concept" blurb. The rest of the notes are still in the working stages:

 

Agents of IMPACT

 

The year is 1985. Ronald Reagan has just begun his second term as President of the United States. The Cold War seethes quietly, with occasional flareups in the third world. Behind this, another war rages. A war of individuals rather than armies. A war without conventional battlefields, fought in a world largely unto itself. The world of IMPACT.

 

Superhumans have been a fact of human existence since at least the early 1960s. While many are undeniably colorful, this is not a world of independent costumed crimefighters. The vast majority of superhumans act as some form of government operative (the precise form depends on the government and the agency in question). Most of the remainder are freelancers, mercenaries and terrorists who often fight the battles the former category cannot. Those who remain on the fringes gravitate towards criminal enterprises and the occasional, very rare vigilante.

 

The PCs are operatives of IMPACT, the Inquiry into Metahuman and Paranormal Abilities, Capabilities, and Technologies. IMPACT was originally created as part of the Defense Department's Office of Scientific Intelligence as a response to the emergence of superhumans. Nicknamed "Project Boo-Book", its importance grew as the global ramifications of superhumans became clearer. Today, IMPACT acts as the US Government's primary resource for dealing with the shadowy world of metahumans, ultratechnology, and the supernatural. IMPACT's role is to keep abreast of scientific and technical advances worldwide, also monitoring the activities of known metahumans, constantly assessing the level of threat each poses to the United States and the global balance of power. In keeping with this mandate, IMPACT operatives also investigate "strange occurrences", assessing their threat level and taking appropriate action (see also, "shoot it or recruit it").

[Acroyear]

Re: I love The Ultimates

 

I think the main reason the Ultimates and such don't absolutely thrill me is that our campaign went through this kind of gritty and/or more realistic period long ago and so the concepts and such aren't any newer or fresher to me than anything else. It's also part of the reason I lean more silver age these days - we did it less. I'd credit some of it to the Elementals, but only a couple players read that title. If you were to look over the notes from about ten years ago, you'd probably think it was a modern campaign crafted around the Ultimate universe and things like the Authority (from what I understand of that title) and might be shocked at some of the PC vs PC activities.

[KawangaKid]

Re: I love The Ultimates

 

I think the main reason the Ultimates and such don't absolutely thrill me is that our campaign went through this kind of gritty and/or more realistic period long ago and so the concepts and such aren't any newer or fresher to me than anything else. It's also part of the reason I lean more silver age these days - we did it less. I'd credit some of it to the Elementals' date=' but only a couple players read that title. If you were to look over the notes from about ten years ago, you'd probably think it was a modern campaign crafted around the Ultimate universe and things like the Authority (from what I understand of that title) and might be shocked at some of the PC vs PC activities. [/quote']

 

From my experience in that campaign, I felt that the latter issues of the Authority were what we were most like - the opinionated, eccentric, petty and skewed "superheroes" who've lost their way. I think we eventually tired of that and began a return to Silver Age-ish heroes. I also realized that roleplaying a Iron Age hero in a Silver Age campaign is more satisfying than roleplaying a Silver Age hero in an Iron Age campaign.

 

Between the grizzled cynic in the company of goody-two-shoes vs. a streetwise (though sometimes idealistic) moral pillar in an ocean of grey... I choose the latter!

[Theron]

Re: I love The Ultimates

 

II'd credit some of it to the Elementals' date=' but only a couple players read that title. [/quote']

 

"The Elementals" is one of the most often overlooked early efforts to inject realism into the four-color comic. I remember the hoopla in the second or third issue when Annihilator was "killed" and Willingham had to pull out a citation of case law pointing out that the use of lethal force to escape a kidnapper was not murder.

 

Great title.

[zakueins]

Re: I love The Ultimates

 

The campaign that I'm doing (eventually) draws a lot upon the Ulitmates Universe concept for the high meta-concept of superheroes. Of course, most metas are barely three years old, and they're still feeling their way through all of this....

[Enforcer84]

Re: I love The Ultimates

 

I don't know, Blackstar is alright, Binder is a dork, Slick is annoying, the air guy is simply a knockoff of Mach I(II, III), and I liked Controller a bit better than Thunderbolt, plus there's no diversity, no women, no ethinic villains. They're pretty boring.

 

oh, you were talkinga bout something else right?

[Bloodstone]

Re: I love The Ultimates

 

I'm rather fond of the Ultimates myself. The only character I have serious qualms about is Ultimate Bruce Banner/Hulk... ok, and perhaps Betty Ross.

[freakboy6117]

Re: I love The Ultimates

 

Ultimate Betty Ross is a bitch but she’s has to be to have banner so whipped I think that’s the whole point treats him mean screws around on him etcetera and a bunch of people beat him up and pick on him. Even the people who work with him insult him behind his back and no one really takes him seriously even in his field. No wonder he has all that repressed rage. Hulk is an adolescent power fantasy in sub-human form.

 

A walking engine of destruction bent on cracking the head of anyone who looks at his girl funny all those jocks who called him fag and anyone who picked on the guy.

 

 

 

Ultimate hulk is a drunk with superpowers barely conscious with all the normal ethics out the window.

 

Ultimate hulk is that fantasy you had in high school about driving a tank through the school auditorium during assembly or over or that jerk that kept picking on you ’s house.

 

You have to wonder with the original banner why was a good-looking guy with a hot girlfriend who was totally loyal to him a good job and everything so damn angry all the time.

 

The original avengers had serious issues but they tend not to manifest just look at hank pym hes really nuts in the avengers a literal split personality in the ultimates they just upped the realism of his pathology. Tony stark isnt an alcholic womaniser just because like it seemed in the old days but is living his last days to the fullest even extremes because he knows he could have very few left.

 

Finally Thor who in my opinion is the most facinating reinterpretation no one is quite sure if he is the real deal or not. its not until the end of the thirteenth book people on the team start realsing he might just be legit. Even he thought he was crazy at the start and then becomes a spiritual tecaher/selfhelp guru/envioromental and social reformer and uses his sates on the ultimates to blackmail more support for the third world I loved that.

[nexus]

Re: I love The Ultimates

 

Maybe we could knock out some stats on the Ultimates on this thread?

[Acroyear]

Re: I love The Ultimates

 

"The Elementals" is one of the most often overlooked early efforts to inject realism into the four-color comic. ...

Great title.

 

Yeah, I always really liked it, too. I don't think there would be much trouble incorporating a lot of the earlier stuff in an Ultimate setting. And characters like Sanction fit without any filing of the edges.

 

If you liked Elementals, you might enjoy Pantheon (I think Americomics put it out). It's like a 12 issue (or 13?) series which essentially finishes the story arc Willingham started with the Supernatural Nation stuff Tommy tried to create. The characters are all new, but it's not too dififcult to connect them to the old crew or other comic parallels.

 

I also realized that roleplaying a Iron Age hero in a Silver Age campaign is more satisfying than roleplaying a Silver Age hero in an Iron Age campaign.

 

I dunno. Omega Man was a sheer blast. It never once resulted in that occasional "gah, you're all morons!" kind of feeling one might get playing an iron age guy in a silver age setting. The thrill of the "schock value" never seemed to come close to the "awe value" Omega Man seemed to generate. Wavemistress... people were terrified of her (and rightly so), but Omega Man, who was arguably weaker, had much more effect on those around him (in all the right ways).

 

In a roleplaying context, it was quite fun to be the guy who shows up and have everyone feel that there is hope as opposed to showing up and just being one more slot on the asskicking crew.

 

 

 

.....

 

I'd like to see some Ultimate write-ups, too.

[Metaphysician]

Re: I love The Ultimates

 

Maybe we could knock out some stats on the Ultimates on this thread?

 

Please, no, that would unleash the People of the Puny Heroes again. I can just see it, Thor on 500 points. . .

[Metaphysician]

Re: I love The Ultimates

 

One comment I'd make, though, is that while the Ultimate U is at least mildly Iron Age, its also an Iron Age world that actually does have *heroes* in it, and heroism does mean something in the world.

[nexus]

Re: I love The Ultimates

 

Please' date=' no, that would unleash the People of the Puny Heroes again. I can just see it, Thor on 500 points. . .[/quote']

 

What?

[nexus]

Re: I love The Ultimates

 

One comment I'd make' date=' though, is that while the Ultimate U is at least mildly Iron Age, its also an Iron Age world that actually does have *heroes* in it, and heroism does mean something in the world.[/quote']

 

I'll agree there. Ultimate Captiain America is still heroic. Not quite the admirable icon he is in mainstream Marvel, but not a bad guy. Tony Stark as well seems to be quite decent (he is using his dying days to help people so can be forgiven some womanizing and drinking). Thor and Wasp seem Heroic as well.

[freakboy6117]

Re: I love The Ultimates

 

just got the first issue of ultimate nightmare on closer reading it looks like we are going to get to see ultimate Galactus mmmm tasty

its already got the first appearence of ultimate falcon.

[lapsedgamer]

Re: I love The Ultimates

 

The Ultimates version of Captain America is no less heroic than the mainstream version, no less of an icon. The Ultimates version is just more realistically portrayed. Captain America is a soldier, created and trained to fight the enemies of America during wartime. He went through the most extensive commando training regime available in addition to his other enhancements. He would naturally take a no nonsense approach to combat. If you don't think the guys who fought World War Two on the Allied side could be ruthless, take a look at some of the training manuals from that era. Look at things written by W.E. Fairbairn, John Styres, and Rex Applegate for starters. These books have titles like Get Tough! (Fairbairn), Kill or get Killed (Applegate) and Cold Steel (Styres). Here is an exammple:

 

Get Tough (circa 1943) http://www.vrazvedka.ru/main/learning/ruk-b/fairbairn-01.shtml

 

The other Ultimates version of the other Avengers are all heroic in their own ways, with the exception of Hank Pym and Banner. I even think that Pym might have some redeeming qualities if the series goes on long enough. In its portrayal of these characters, I think that the Ultimates line recognizes the fact that people who are essentially flawed and/or weak can still act heroically. I think that's why the line resonates so well with readers. That has always been Marvel's great strength. The Ultimates line just ups the ante a little.

[nexus]

Re: I love The Ultimates

 

The Ultimates version of Captain America is no less heroic than the mainstream version' date=' no less of an icon. [/quote']

 

It just a matter of opinion. I like the character but he is less of ideal that mainstream BECAUSE he is more realistic. That is not a failing. Its just a difference in genre. I can enjoy both for what they are.

[JmOz]

Re: I love The Ultimates

 

The Ultimates version of Captain America is no less heroic than the mainstream version, no less of an icon. The Ultimates version is just more realistically portrayed. Captain America is a soldier, created and trained to fight the enemies of America during wartime. He went through the most extensive commando training regime available in addition to his other enhancements. He would naturally take a no nonsense approach to combat. If you don't think the guys who fought World War Two on the Allied side could be ruthless, take a look at some of the training manuals from that era. Look at things written by W.E. Fairbairn, John Styres, and Rex Applegate for starters. These books have titles like Get Tough! (Fairbairn), Kill or get Killed (Applegate) and Cold Steel (Styres). Here is an exammple:

 

Get Tough (circa 1943) http://www.vrazvedka.ru/main/learning/ruk-b/fairbairn-01.shtml

 

The other Ultimates version of the other Avengers are all heroic in their own ways, with the exception of Hank Pym and Banner. I even think that Pym might have some redeeming qualities if the series goes on long enough. In its portrayal of these characters, I think that the Ultimates line recognizes the fact that people who are essentially flawed and/or weak can still act heroically. I think that's why the line resonates so well with readers. That has always been Marvel's great strength. The Ultimates line just ups the ante a little.

 

I actualy tend to find the Ultimates as "real" than the mainstreem Avengers, in truth it strikes me more of a pendulam that has swung from the extreme of the Avengers past reality to the extreme of the Ultimates...