Iron Manis one of Marvel’s greatest heroes, but I don’t have to tell comic book fans thatthe Multiverse is vast, and chaotic, and that not everyversion of Iron Manis a hero – and, in fact, not every version is even Tony Stark. In Marvel’s Ultimate Universe, for example, I think the original version of the “hero” is set to return as a villain.
The Ultimate Universe is currently operating in real-time, steadily growing closer to the return of the villainous version of Reed Richards, the Maker. Like any good story, however, I think there’s going to be a twist that most people won’t see coming. The very few heroes the Ultimate Universe has are scrambling to prepare for the Maker’s return, but I don’t think it’s going to be the Maker who returns, at least, not entirely.
Instead, I thinkHoward Stark is going to make his dramatic return – as the true major antagonistfor his son’s newly formed Ultimates team.
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It’s very important to keep in mind that the first Iron Man of the 6160 universe wasn’t Tony Stark, but Howard Stark. He’s the one who originally created the armor and wore it first. He’s the one who first stood up against the Maker and tried to fix the world. While most think that this cost him his life, this isn’t technically true. No one, myself included, knows what happened to Howard Stark, andI’m concerned that if he does return, it won’t be a joyous occasion, but instead, a terrifying reveal of a madman.
The Ultimate Universe has been building up to the city unsealing and the Maker returning, but I’m worried it won’t be the Maker who steps out first.
The new Ultimate Universe was molded in the image of the Maker, a deranged and evil version of Reed Richards from the original Ultimate continuity. The Maker has been trying foryears to recreate the Ultimate Universe, and when he finally succeeded, he learned his lesson from the mainstream Marvel universe.In this “perfect” version of the Ultimate Universe, there would be no heroes to stand against him. The Maker intentionally edited people’s histories to make sure they never became the heroes they were meant to be. It was a brilliant and brutal plot, and it very nearly succeeded.
The Maker split America up into regions, each ruled by a different person. One of these was Obediah Stane, and when he died, Howard replaced him, at which point he was horrified to discover how the world worked. This moment drove Howard to fight the Maker. This resulted in Kang, the Maker, and Howard all being sealed inside the Maker’s living city for a year, with no way out. The Ultimate Universe has been building up to the city unsealing and the Maker returning, but I’m worried it won’t be the Maker who steps out first.
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While Iron Man is usually a hero, there have been several stories that have explored just how chaotic andevil Iron Man could truly be if he wanted. One of the most famous examples of this is theSuperior Iron Manstoryline. In this story, Iron Man’s morals were reversed, turning him from a benevolent tech genius into a terrifyingly manipulative monster. One of the first things Tony did was release an app that was physically addictive and then charge people for subscriptions. It was a terrifying look at how Tony’s genius could be used for evil.
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One thing I know is that Howard Stark has been trapped for a year with a megalomaniacal genius and a time-traveling warlord. It’s entirely possible that the Maker could have manipulated and broken down Howard’s mental state, convincing him to join him. It’s also possible that Howard has defeated both of them, as right before the city sealed itself, hehaddefeated them both. Howard may decide that the Maker’s world can’t be saved, andwhen he exits the city, he’ll try to burn the world down so he can recreate it in his own image.
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The other big thing that I think is worth considering is the fact the Ultimates are being led by a young Tony Stark, known as Iron Lad. This version of Tony is doing everything he can to live up to his father’s example. Tony has never met the Maker, whichmeans the Maker isn’t exactly a personal villainfor him.What would be a good twist is having Howard become the villain, which is far more emotionally heavy for Tonyand would make him question everything. As it stands, no one knows what’s going to come out of the city, but I don’t think it’s going to be the Maker, I think it’s going to be anIron Manunlike any fans have ever seen before.
Iron Man
Anthony “Tony” Edward Stark, AKA Iron Man, is a Marvel Comics superhero who has enjoyed several years of the spotlight and has become a mainstay in several Marvel media franchises. After suffering a critical injury, Tony creates a specialized armored suit powered by an arc reactor, which keeps him alive. Egotistical but good-hearted, Tony utilizes his super intellect and inventions to fight to protect humanity from various threats, eventually becoming a founding member of the Avengers. In 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was kicked off with the film Iron Man, which starred Robert Downey Jr. as the superhero.
