I think, though, you are overlooking the fact he's a mutant. In the real world, a merc is dangerous because of his training, experience, and ability to fight.
But in the UU, you can be BORN with guns for hands. Immediately you step up the "good merc" ladder if you have gun-hands. So it's not unreasonable that a superpowered mutant could become a high-priced merc without having the basic training required simply because it doesn't matter how much of a mook you are if you have guns for hands and are indestructible.
Still if I were an evil genius, I would want an a merc with power and the skills to use that power correctly. Power is useless in the hands of an idiot who will just screw up anyway.
This why Bullseye is a better merc than Rhino is the 616 universe, sure Rhino is more powerful, but Bullseye's skills, abilities and attitude makes far more dangerous. I wouldn't hire some idiot who happens to have powers, but someone who actually knows who to use those powers, that's a dangerous merc.
It's one of the big things about the UU; that it's closer to our world than the DCU or the 616U. Just look at the Hitllar Ultimates to see the 'realism' vibe the universe used to have.
I agree. He got rid of Shocker and the Enforcers then did the exact same shtick again, for the third time, with Omega Red. :?
What irks me is that there's no reason for this to be Omega Red. If he took a Spidey villain like Vulture or Scorpion and did this to him, I'd get it somewhat. But... Omega Red is an X-Man villain. Omega Red is meant to be Captain Russia. He's a guy who fought Wolverine during the height of WWII because he could win the war. He was a huge threat. And tied to the super soldier serum. I don't get how, in the UU with the super soldier serum being such a big thing, this link was ignored. We had ULTIMATE NIGHTMARE which went into the Russian super soldier programme and Omega Red wasn't there. For some reason... he's popping up in Spidey as a joke. I don't get it. It's completely capricious - and I think lazy. Bendis just wanted a merc and picked Omega Red because he could. It was easier than inventing a brand new villain for this series. If he had invented a new villain, it would've been a 6-issue arc and involved everything Bendis wanted because his villains are always so amazing. Like Geldoff. Awesome villain. So avant garde. He wasn't evil and didn't fight anyone. That's what made the Goblins what they are today. Doing nothing. Hoo boy. :?
You know, a few throwaway villains are fine, I don't mind that Shocker is a joke in the UU, having a few joke villains can be entertaining.
The problem is Bendis tells the same joke over and over again, uses up characters who could be used to better effect as serious villains.
I mean in terms of personality is Vulture, Sandman, Omega red, electro, any different from each other.
I hope that someone like Ultimate beetle breaks this mold, as a super powered merc who is extremely professional, doesn't do stupid things and takes his job very seriously.
Or how about a psychopathic merc, like Bullseye, a guy who likes his job way too much to be healthy, seems to like killing more than else, but likes to get paid for what he does. He is skilled enough to get hired, but anyone with sense would keep him at arms length.
Either of those two arch types would be better than another stupid joke merc.
