Synopsis
Ultimates² (2017 series) #6 synopsis by
Rob Johnson
Rating:
The Never Queen is back with the preamble. The Ultimates dealt with some cosmic problems including evolving Galactus from Devourer to Lifebringer. He and they discovered the multiverse/Eternity is enchained. The Government disbanded the team and set the Troubleshooters to keep an eye on them. Big G gathered them together again to help save Very Big E. The TS followed them and they fought on G's worldship Taa II. The Ultimates won but TSer Simon Rodstvow turned out to be monstrously unhuman. Galactus was away watching Lord Chaos and Master Order kill the Living Tribunal and merge as Logos to replace him. Logos killed the (surviving) Celestials and reverted G to an even worse Devourer. And we learned that behind Logos and Rodstvow was the First Firmament, the 1st iteration of the Cosmos.
Now the 1st F tells us it's history. The 1st Cosmos was a single universe, as a single being. But it was lonely so it created life within itself, godlike beings it called Aspirants who created lesser beings (that look like the monstrous Rodstvow). But there were multi-coloured rebels called Celestials who wanted their creations to evolve, and the universe to evolve too. This led to a war that shattered the universe into the multiple universes of the 2nd Cosmos, the 1st Multiverse. The consciousness of the 1F with its remaining Aspirants fled and hid and watched. The Celestials ruled the multiverse and created evolving beings called Omegas. This introduced death, and eventually the 1st multiverse died. Only to spawn a 2nd and so on up to the current iteration manifesting as Eternity.
But the 1st Firmament nursed its hate and grew stronger. And when the 7th multiverse was replaced by the 8th (during the Secret Wars event), which meant that Eternity too was reborn, the 1F saw its chance to strike and it enchained the multiverse. And it sent its Aspirants/Astro-Gods/Dark Celestials to infect the cosmos (like corrupting Chaos and Order), including sending Simon Rodstvow to join the Troubleshooters and the Celestial Destructor to attack Earth (in Civil War II #1). And now its plan is coming to fruition.
On Taa II the Ultimates see the ravening Galactus attacking his own base. The Rodstvow being gloats that it will mindlessly consume the universe, siphoning the energy outside reality to the 1st Firmament until there's nothing left. Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) blasts him to little effect. Blue Marvel (Adam Brashear) links hands with Spectrum (Monica Rambeau) and merges his anti-matter body into her light-form (and her palms show omega symbols). Their combined power knocks the foe back. America Chavez tells CM to absorb as much energy as she can and channel it through the combo.
She also tells the Troubleshooters to join in. They're unsure but Network (Terry Jessup) relays orders from Philip Nelson Vogt to help them, and he adds a message to leader Jim Tensen saying "Emmett Proudhawk". Tensen remembers the Eternity Battalion's mission to Wundagore Mountain where they got caught in a battle between beast men (High Evolutionary's New Men) and a demon (Chthon). Only he and Vogt survived but they were connected to something called the Psi-Force, and Emmett became the Psi-Hawk. Tensen reveals that the Psi-Force is what he channels and is what he used to enhance the Troubleshooters' powers. Now he gets Jessup and Kathy Ling (Codename: Spitfire) (the unseen other member Indigo (Dionne McQuaid) is unconscious) to link psi-talents with him and they call forth the Psi-Hawk (temporarily losing their own powers). Jim explains that this way they can allow Proudhawk to walk in the world for a few minutes with the power of a god. And it starts beating up Rodstvow.
Black Panther/T'Challa's keeping out of things because his hi-tech costume was destroyed by Spitfire last issue. But the combined Spectrum/Blue Marvel feeds accumulated energy into the dying body of Anti-Man (Conner Sims), healing him. They mentally bring him up to date on events. The current Herald Of Galactus immediately flies to his transformed master, bringing the Lifebringer power he was given when made a Herald. He barrels into the Devourer, sacrificing himself to reignite him in his golden Lifebringer form. Then Big G takes Rodstvow and swallows him to learn all his secrets and the identity of the main foe. But he needs time to recuperate so he sends everyone else back home, telling them he'll call them again when he's ready.
Later the Ultimates gather in the Alpha Flight space station. Colonel Carol Danvers, head of AF, has got them instated as members of AF. Vogt's team will continue to be their allies. T'Challa says his status as King of Wakanda has changed, but he can still apply political pressure where necessary. America tells them she's going to college, which she will in her own comic.
CharactersGood (or All)Plus: Anti-Man (
Conner Sims), Blue Marvel (
Adam Brashear), Jim Tensen, Kathy Ling, Psi-Hawk, Spectrum (
Monica Rambeau), Terry Jessup, Ultimates.
Enemies
First Firmament, Simon Rodstvow.