Synopsis
Ultimates² (2017 series) #4 synopsis by
Rob Johnson
Rating:
Galactus gives us the lowdown again. The Ultimates evolved him from the purple-clad Devourer to golden Lifebringer but Lord Chaos and Master Order didn't approve and tried to turn him back. However when the new triple-headed Living Tribunal (for the new post-Secret Wars cosmos) didn't see things their way they killed him and now Big G senses that they have evolved into something else. But he considers all this a distraction from the bigger problem that some being has the multiverse, embodied by Eternity, in chains and he had gathered the Ultimates back together again to handle that problem. Meanwhile Philip Nelson Vogt's Troubleshooters have detected that the Ults are together again and have tracked them to Galactus' world-ship base where they found them with wanted criminal Anti-Man.
We saw last issue that Chaos and Order and their minion the In-Betweener merged into Logos, which we see more clearly now is a 3-headed being to replace the Living Tribunal. And they're intent on remaking the multiverse to suit themself. Logos has tracked down the last surviving Celestials (hiding after most were killed by the Beyonders in the previous multiverse in New Avengers (2013) #29-30). He has heard that the Celestials created the (1st?) multiverse itself but he doesn't intend to let them rise to power again as judges of worlds. So he wipes them out. But 1 is thrown clear. And a voice says "Nothing dies." It's the Never Queen/Queen Of Nevers, the personification of possibilities (and without her there would be no alternate timelines). Logos says there's no room for her in their new consistent universe, so they leave her. But then she reveals to us that she has saved the last Celestial, the One Above All.
On Taa II Jim Tensen introduces the Troubleshooters and their mission to prevent the Ultimates from reforming. Dr Adam Brashear points out that Conner Sims is badly injured and he wants to take him to his Kadesh Base (on Earth) to treat him. But Dionne McQuaid reminds Blue Marvel that Anti-Man is a wanted murderer and they're going to arrest him. Black Panther (T'Challa) claims that AM has vital info about a cosmic threat to the universe including Earth. Terry Jessup makes himself visible(ish) and points out that this is just the kind of cosmic meddling that the Ults are forbidden to get involved in. Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) counter-points that as head of Alpha Flight this is *just* the kind of threat to Earth she's empowered to deal with. But Tensen throws in Galactus's ship and the Shaper Of Worlds (both of which he knows about) and says this is bigger than that. But he claims to, be here to talk not fight ...
... however Simon Rodstvow upsets that by blasting CM. Blue Marvel tells America Chavez to provide a portal to somewhere safe and he pushes SR through it to a another universe and a planet without sentient life where they can safely fight. Tensen's still hoping to avoid conflict but BP and CM are geared up so he tells his team to engage the foe. However it's Spectrum (Monica Rambeau) who switches to her light form and makes the 1st move. But Jessup counters by invading her mind and making her believe she's human again as is he and they're in his kitchen where he's making tea. He tells her his origin when government scientists recreated a White Event to boost his psychic talent but it turned him into a being of living thought. But the speed of thought is faster than the speed of light and now he's a thought in her head.
As far as the others are concerned Monica is just standing in the middle of the battle accepting the offer of tea. CM is unsuccessfully trying to break through Tensen's force-shield until he retaliates by turning it against her. He explains that it's a quasi-magical psychic field which he calls the Psi-Force. Carol realises that's why she can't absorb it like regular energy. Tensen repeats his offer to negotiate and suggests their combined forces might be able to control Rodstvow. McQuaid has generated pink energy tentacles with which she tries to restrain Chavez. But she escapes through a portal to a high gravity world and then back to drop with increased weight on Tensen's head.
Elsewhere as BM and SR fight Brashear asks Rodstvow if his star-portal ability is related to that of Chavez. Rodstvow prefers fighting but when a blow seriously distorts his humanoid shape he stalls for recovery time by mentioning the Utopian Parallel (where Chavez claims to come from), sealed off from the multiverse after a battle with unimaginable forces. He asks what a Dystopian Parallel would be like? Would it be an actual place or a state of mind? Then he deforms his body into something else and BM has to shield his eyes from the glare.
Back on Taa II Chavez is still attacking Tensen's shield until he drops it to strike her with its energy sword version. He has to revert to shield as CM attacks him but Chavez tells her to help BP instead who's facing armoured Kathy Ling. but tentacled McQuaid is approaching him from behind. CM finds the tentacles hard to affect, and McQuaid tells her they are solid-state emotion which she calls Mood Indigo. BP tries to use his costume's Kimoyo computer system to shut down the OS of Ling's armour, but fails because her Codename: Spitfire armour is under direct psi-control by her mind. And she can use the link he's created with his Kimoyo suit to take it over and shut it down. As his costume disintegrates T'Challa prepares to continue the fight with his warrior skills alone.
But we go back to Galactus who has been monitoring that battle but now faces a returned Logos with the smell of dead Celestials still on them. But as the 3 faces gloat a black fluid starts to drip from the eyes and mouths. As it now floods out the black stuff takes Logos over and declares itself to be the 1st ever truth. And it engulfs Big G and turns him back into the Devourer.
Characters:
Plus: Anti-Man (
Conner Sims), Blue Marvel (
Adam Brashear), Dionne McQuaid, Jim Tensen, Kathy Ling, Logos, Never Queen (
Queen Of Nevers), One Above All, Simon Rodstvow, Spectrum (
Monica Rambeau), Ultimates.