idea for "Ultimate Marvels" mini-series, feat. Carol Danvers

compound

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I'd like to see a 12-issue mini-series titled Ultimate Marvels (a nod to the 'ground level' series that partly inspired Astro City). It would consist of self-contained stories about super-powered characters in the Ultimate universe -- some who are mutants, others altered humans -- who choose NOT to become public super-heroes or -villains, in the conventional sense. The activities of each character would be monitored (in secret) by SHIELD agent Carol Danvers, the Ultimate equivalent of the 616/mainstream continuity's Ms. Marvel.

In each issue, Agent Danvers will assess the risk or threat posed by each individual, then decide an appropriate course of action: to either leave the character alone, or to introduce herself as their new 'handler' and to inform them that SHIELD is aware of their unique abilities.

Here are some possible ideas for the personalities she will encounter:

* Jamie Madrox, a fun-loving college student who somehow manages to juggle an inhuman number of extra-curricular activites, as if he could be several places at one time!

* Jessica Jones, a pink-haired, disaffected slacker/punk wasting away her life in an unrewarding convenience store job. Jones comes to SHIELD's attention when she foils a botched robbery using her (mutant?) super-reflexes. Danvers establishes that Jones' lack of motivation would limit the danger she poses, despite her considerable abilities. However, as a matter of personal sympathy, she befriends Jessica as 'herself', rather than as an Agent of SHIELD. (This will mirror the camaraderie they share in the 616 universe, as depicted in Bendis' Alias.)

* Abe Jenkins, a down-on-his-luck electrical engineer, with a good-hearted but demanding pregnant wife. Jenkins is a John Turturro-esque 'loveable loser' type [credit to ourchair for this description], who never seems to catch any breaks in life. He chances upon a rejected prototype SHIELD armor, patterend after The Wasp's physiology, complete with a low-voltage electrical 'sting'. He attempts to use the armor for petty robbery, justifying it as a means of getting back at a system that's biased against him. However, the armor's usefulness is limited by Jenkins' own inability to competently pull off his crimes (forgetting to run off with the loot; losing his nerves when the cops arrive, etc.). After observing him for several hours, Agent Danvers concludes that "once a loser, always a loser" -- Jenkins is too ineffectual to be any real threat. In fact, the 'Beetle' armor is little more than a placebo giving him the courage to break the law -- in terms of practicality, "he might as well be using a very strong cattle prod to knock up liquor stores". Thus, she chooses to leave him be.

* Sean Cassidy, a by-the-book, working-class Irish cop who keeps his mutant sonic scream a well-guarded secret from his colleagues, despite its usefulness on the mean streets of New York City. Cassidy's principled insistence on hiding his powers is slowly driving him into alcoholism. Could a meeting with Agent Danvers prompt him to rethink his approach?
 
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Ultimate Gambit said:
hm... they already introduced Multiple man in the "return of the king" story arc in Ultimate X-men. And im pretty sure he is a crook
Yeah, he was helping Mastermind steal paintings for Magneto.
 
Thanx for the greetings, as well as the clarifications about Multiple Man! I think i'm gonna like it here.

Hmmm... The idea of wanting to be in several places at once -- especially during one's college years or early adulthood -- is defintiely a pet fascination of mine. I guess I need to think of another Marvel character that would allow me to explore the same themes... perhaps somebody who can warp time, to allow him/herself to do more than one activity simultaneously. Abyss? Lacuna? I'm not sure, at this point. Any suggestions? :?
 
compound said:
Thanx for the greetings, as well as the clarifications about Multiple Man! I think i'm gonna like it here.

Hmmm... The idea of wanting to be in several places at once -- especially during one's college years or early adulthood -- is defintiely a pet fascination of mine. I guess I need to think of another Marvel character that would allow me to explore the same themes... perhaps somebody who can warp time, to allow him/herself to do more than one activity simultaneously. Abyss? Lacuna? I'm not sure, at this point. Any suggestions? :?

Northstar/Aurora - Super Speed
The Stepford Cuckoos - Psychic Quintuplets
Kang - Time Traveler, currently Iron Lad in Young Avengers
 
Thanx for the suggestions, Strangefate!

I understand that Northstar played a role in the 'Sinister' arc in Ultimate X-Men, so he's already a 'known quantity'. That pretty much rules him out.

I actually considered the Cuckoos, but I decided it would be too complicated: even though they share a group-mind, they're still five distinct individuals, no matter how similar their attidues, tastes, and personalities may be. Besides, as a matter of personal choice, i'd rather not Ultimatize any characters who haven't been given at least 5 good years to develop in the mainstream/616 continuity.

As for Kang... Hmmm... A bit too high-level to merit "just" an informal investigation from a lone SHIELD agent. He seems like precisely the kind of potential world-dominator that Fury would keep direct tabs on, himself. So I guess that means he's not a credible pick for the 'small', 'personal' kind of tale I have in mind.

Just the same, I appreciate your feedback, bro 8)
 
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Ultimate Gambit said:
hm... they already introduced Multiple man in the "return of the king" story arc in Ultimate X-men. And im pretty sure he is a crook


Wow, that was a waste of a character. I forgot he even existed in the UU. Oh well, like Millar knew he was gonna have his own book and be likable again.

I like the idea of using characters who might end up wasting away in Ultimate Limbo (either appearing once and never again or never going to appear at all because there's not a book for them or no one wants to use them). I would stay away from b-list characters from x-mythos (like Banshee who could end up in the book at some point) and SM (Bendis will need more villians once Doc Ock appears for the seventh time).

Jessica Jones is a great idea. I never heard of the Beetle but sounds like someone who should be on this list. Perhaps She-Hulk. Perhaps Jubilee (maybe not). But you get my point.
 
You must love to play around with the whole SHIELD deal, huh? I don't really like the concept, but you seem to like the SHIELD all-powerful, "big brother" thing going on in the Ultimate Universe. I think your idea is great, however, what is SHIELD doing to people's lives that don't want a part of that mess? Maybe SHIELD could turn out to be the villains in this one...
 
I think the way he's explaining it, it would come out as more of a profile per issue. Think the upcoming issue of Secret War or that one from the AoA that looked at each mutant, deciding whether or not they were chosen but more spread out, providing a deeper look at each character.

Personally, I rather like the concept. My only thing would be its more likely to use Sharon Carter rather than Carol Danvers just because Carter is already established as a character high up in the I&UGM containment dealy-o whereas Danvers hasn't been established in SHIELD. To me, it just seems that Carter is more likely to do this kind of risk-assessment.
 
compound said:
As for Kang... Hmmm... A bit too high-level to merit "just" an informal investigation from a lone SHIELD agent. He seems like precisely the kind of potential world-dominator that Fury would keep direct tabs on, himself. So I guess that means he's not a credible pick for the 'small', 'personal' kind of tale I have in mind.
Actually, seeing as the 616 Kang is a "conqueror from the 30th Century" or in short "a villain of the future who interferes with the superhumans of the past" you could completely bend things around and just make him a 20 year old who may or may not ostensibly become a major world class villain when he turns 50.

Or an even bigger fun way of playing with Kang as an Ultimate Marvels story is to make it a story about an innocent schlub with some degree of powers who meets a time travelling future self. You could play the story for complete absurdity by having them do the most mundane of things like talk over coffee, go to young Kang's apartment and be about the hopes and dreams of the young Kang and the regrets and issues of the older Kang.

Eventually, Agent Danvers decides to write the whole thing off because she believes the older Kang is just some kind of loon who doesn't seem to have any proof that he's a world class conqueror. Or something. I haven't totally fleshed it out, but Kang as an Ultimate Marvels story isn't necessarily implausible, even if this idea seems more like the crazy out of continuity sillines from Ultimate Team-Up.
 
Caduceus said:
I think the way he's explaining it, it would come out as more of a profile per issue. Think the upcoming issue of Secret War or that one from the AoA that looked at each mutant, deciding whether or not they were chosen but more spread out, providing a deeper look at each character.

Personally, I rather like the concept. My only thing would be its more likely to use Sharon Carter rather than Carol Danvers just because Carter is already established as a character high up in the I&UGM containment dealy-o whereas Danvers hasn't been established in SHIELD. To me, it just seems that Carter is more likely to do this kind of risk-assessment.

Yeah, I'd rather see Carol Danvers as a mid-level SHIELD agent who gets involved in the Ultimate Secret mini (her 616 origin involved the Kree.)

Another possible Marvel:

* Gustav Brandt, a Vietnam vet who ended up in Tibet after being blinded in the war and learned the arts of the Balance. He mysteriously ends up in many dangerous situations, but seems to be able to diffuse them almost effortlessly. He also has an amazing ability to jaywalk in New York City without getting himself killed.
 
I didn't go back to reread through this whole thread, but you guys know that Carol Danvers appears in Ultimate Secret #1, right?
 
UltimateE said:
I didn't go back to reread through this whole thread, but you guys know that Carol Danvers appears in Ultimate Secret #1, right?

Hah! It's like i have ESP :D (hint hint, Nurhachi :wink:)

And no, i actually did not know that when i made my post.
 
I'd like to keep Carol Danvers relatively minor in the story for now, because if she's made into a major character, it's only inevitable that they'll feel the need to have Rogue leech her powers out, the first step in turning her into the Rogue we know and love from 616. And I rather like the way Rogue is right now.
 
jtg3885 said:
I'd like to keep Carol Danvers relatively minor in the story for now, because if she's made into a major character, it's only inevitable that they'll feel the need to have Rogue leech her powers out, the first step in turning her into the Rogue we know and love from 616. And I rather like the way Rogue is right now.
Agree. I think Sharon Carter is a bette bet and Bendis has written her as fundamentally interesting, as well as interestingly neurotic.
 

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