I used to write off Marvel’s Ultimate universe as a cheap imitation of the real Earth-616 Marvel continuity that began with Fantastic Four #1 in 1961.
Now? It’s possibly my preferred recommendation for new Marvel comic readers.
Before we get rolling, if you want to read through the entire Marvel Ultimate Universe – literally every issue! – you should consider a subscription to Marvel Unlimited!
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Likewise, if you’re here after 2024, you may be looking for Marvel’s Ultimate Universe 2 – I have a reading order for that too!
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The Ultimate Marvel Universe is thrilling, a fantastic entry-point, and rarely wastes time on slow plodding storylines. For the uninitiated, Marvel’s Ultimate line of comics takes all the existing and known characters – Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers – and recasts them in a similar, yet different Ultimate Universe set in the 2000s. It’s the sort of concept that could have fallen flat on its head, but actually works for some of the best Marvel stories of the decade.
Below you’ll find a reading order for the Ultimate Universe. Although I split up all the issues, I would mention that you can actually read a lot of these series without too much concern for the others. For example, I read over 100 issues of Ultimate Spider-Man before I ever even thought about the outside Ultimate Universe, and the reading experience was highly enjoyable. So roll with the approach that feels right to you.
Best of the Ultimate Universe – Essential Fast Track
The Ultimate Universe is an enjoyable and completely palatable read in its entirety. Nonetheless, if you still want all killer no filler – and if Sum 41 taught us anything, it’s that you most certainly do – here are my picks for the best 10 Ultimate Universe comics of all time!
1) Ultimate Spider-Man by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley
2) Ultimate X-Men by Mark Millar and Adam Kubert
3) The Ultimates by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch
7) Ultimate Comics Ultimates by Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic
8) Ultimate Comics Spider-Man: Miles Morales by Brian Michael Bendis, Sara Pichello, and David Marque
9) Divided We Fall / United We Stand
10) Cataclysm
Ultimate Universe Trade Reading Order
Ultimate Daredevil & Elektra #1 – #4
Ultimate Iron Man #1 – #5 + Ultimate Iron Man II #1 – #5
Ultimate Marvel Team Up #1-#16
Ultimate Fantastic Four #1 – #6
Ultimate War + Ultimate X-Men 26 to 33
Ultimate Spider-Man 40 to 45, 47 to 53
Please note that the issue by issue reading order can be found below, and that the rest of these collections can be found in the Ultimate Universe trade collector’s guide.
The Ultimate Marvel Reading Order
Intro to the Ultimate U
Ultimate Daredevil & Elektra #1 – #4
This story is all flashback so you could choose to read it after Daredevil makes an appearance in Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, but I prefer it as origin here.
Another flashback that is actually published well after a number of the issues below. Daredevil and Elektra are not hugely essential to many of the following Spider-Man, X-Men, and Ultimates stories (although they do pop up) so you could always come back to these stories if you like.
Ultimate Iron Man #1 – #5 + Ultimate Iron Man II #1 – #5
Flashback Iron Man origins from series released in 2005 and 2007-2008 respectively. I consider these pretty inessential and prefer Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch’s fully formed Tony Stark in The Ultimates. That said, Iron Man’s origins in the Ultimate universe are very different than those of Earth-616 (the main Marvel Universe), so it’s some semi-interesting background.
Worth noting as well that several in the comments have declared these issues out of continuity, and I’m hard pressed to argue otherwise.
Ultimate Marvel Team-Up #1 – #8
Ultimate X-Men #1 – #6
Ultimate Marvel Team-Up #10 – #16
Ultimate Fantastic Four #1 – #6
Ultimate Fantastic Four didn’t actually launch until 2003 – well after The Ultimates. The team is referenced off-handedly in Ultimates #2, but I prefer their origin here.
Alright, after some notes in the comments let’s go ahead and call this one: Out of continuity! It’s a weird Fantastic Four story that never really aligns with the Ultimate Fantastic Four that would come.
After the Ultimate War
Ultimate Spider-Man #46 + Ultimate Six #1 – #7
Ultimate Fantastic Four #7 – #18
The Gah Lak Tus Trilogy Begins
Technically the Ultimate Vision saga was collected in short stories across the Ultimate line of comics. So, for example, Ultimate Spider-Man #86 included a piece of the Vision story. In Marvel Unlimited, though, you can just read Ultimate Vision #0 altogether, and frankly it’s a lot more cohesive.
Ultimate Fantastic Four #19 – #26
Ultimate Fantastic Four Annual #1
Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk #1 – #6
Most of this showdown is published well after Ultimates v2 but I think it makes more sense before the conclusion of the Ultimates second wave.
Countdown to Ultimate Power
Ultimate X-Men / Fantastic Four #1 – #2
In Marvel Unlimited, the first issue is “Ultimate X-Men/Fantastic Four” and the second is “Ultimate Fantastic Four/X-Men”
Ultimate Fantastic Four #27 – #32
Ultimate Fantastic Four Annual #2
Ultimate Spider-Man #97 – #105
Countdown to Ultimate Human
Ultimate Fantastic Four #33 – #46
Ultimate Spider-Man #106 – #117
Ultimate Fantastic Four #47 – #53
Ultimate Spider-Man #118 – #122
Ultimate Fantastic Four #54 – #57
March to Ultimatum
Ultimate Spider-Man #123 – #128
Squadron Supreme #1 – #6
Ultimate X-Men/Fantastic Four Annual #1
Ultimate Fantastic Four/X-Men Annual #1
Ultimatum Reading Order
Ultimatum: Fantastic Four Requiem One-Shot #1
Ultimatum: X-Men Requiem One-Shot #1
Ultimatum: Spider-Man Requiem #1
Ultimatum: Spider-Man Requiem #2
After Ultimatum
Ultimate Comics Armor Wars #1 – #4
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1 – #6
Ultimate Comics Avengers #1 – #6
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #7 – #15
Ultimate Comics Avengers 2 #1 – #6
Ultimate Enemy Begins
Ultimate Comics Captain America #1 – #4
Ultimate Comics New Ultimates #1 – #5
Ultimate Comics Avengers 3 #1 – #6
Death of Spider-Man Reading Order
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #150 – #156
The Ultimate Spider-Man numbering returns to the original counting for the 150th issue.
Ultimate Comics Avengers vs. New Ultimates #1 – #2
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #157
Ultimate Comics Avengers vs. New Ultimates #3 – #4
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #158 – #160
Ultimate Comics Avengers vs. New Ultimates #5 – #6
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man (2011 – Present) #1 – #5
Countdown to Divided We Fall
Ultimate Comics Hawkeye #1 – #4
Ultimate Comics Ultimates #1 – #6
Ultimate Comics X-Men #1 – #13
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #7 – #12
Ultimate Comics Ultimates #7 – #12
Divided We Fall / United We Stand Reading Order
Ultimate Comics X-Men #14
Ultimate Comics Ultimates #13 – #14
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #13 – #14
Ultimate Comics X-Men #15
Ultimate Comics Ultimates #15
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #15 – #16
Ultimate Comics Ultimates #16
Ultimate Comics X-Men #16 – #17
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #17
Ultimate Comics Ultimates #17 – #18
Ultimate Comics X-Men #18 – #18.1
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #18
Ultimate Comics Ultimates #18.1
Countdown to Cataclysm
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #16.1 & #19 – #22
Ultimate Comics X-Men #19 – #22
Ultimate Comics Ultimates #19 – #24
Ultimate Comics Wolverine #1 – #4
Ultimate Comics X-Men #23 – #33
Ultimate Comics Iron Man #1 – #4
Ultimate Comics Ultimates #25 – #30
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #23 – #28
Cataclysm Reading Order
Cataclysm Point One #0.1
Cataclysm: Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1
Cataclysm: Ultimate X-Men #1 – #3
Cataclysm: The Ultimate’s Last Stand #1
Cataclysm: Ultimates #1
Cataclysm: The Ultimate’s Last Stand #2
Cataclysm: Ultimates #2 – #3
Cataclysm: Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #2 – #3
Cataclysm: The Ultimate’s Last Stand #3 – #5
Survive #1
After Cataclysm
Ultimate FF #1 – #6
Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man #1 – #12
All-New Ultimates #1 – #12
The Ultimate Universe Concludes in Secret Wars!
Or Does It?! Check out the CBH guide to the Ultimate Universe after Secret Wars!
And It’s Back! Check out the CBH Guide to the New Ultimate Universe (2023 – Present Day!)
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View Comments (166)
Well. Squadron Supreme is certainly the most racist, sexist, homophobic comic I've read in a long time. Thing reads like is was published in the Dark Age of Comics.
thanks for the recommendation.
Mark Bailey is the guy who got Spider-Man from Erik Larsen, who had the Amazing run following McFarlane's. There was no way he could hold a candle to the two previous artist's work, but somehow he's still the go to Spider artist. Why?
I love the reading lists over here!!
That said, if I’m really primarily (maybe only) interested in tracing the hulk storyline through the Ultimate universe, where should I be reading?
Thanks to anyone willing to help.
I think Ultimate X-Men Annual #2 should be read after the crossover with the F4, because in these two issues there is Kurt too, and it's weird seen what happened in the last X-Men's TPB.
Also Vol.15 of UXM comes after USM, because of Kitty and Peter's relationship, reading Ultimate X-men it looks like they broke up, but in Ultimate Spider-Man they're still a thing (if I used the right slang).
Will there be a new ultimate universe reading guide for the one that’s just starting?
Probally. Right now read all this.
Lol but nah ultimate invasion, then ultinate universe #1, then ultimate spiderman/black panther/xmen 2024
And now ultimates 2024.
Its a good time to hop on board you got like 4 issues of each (sans-ultimates/ultimate universe)
Hi, I know this is an old post and all but I wanted to ask
Is it really better to read stuff like the Ultimate events in one swing? I've found that some things don't seem to match quite well like Nightcrawler quitting the X-Men but showing up in the U Spider-Man Deadpool arc for exemple
Also Nick Fury contacting Charles about Jean after being caught in another universe in ultimate power (if reading through this guide)
Although I must say this guide has been a huge help so far in going through the entirety of the Ultimate comics and for that I'm grateful!
You pretty much can't go wrong reading any of this ultimate universe stuff for my money it's some of the best marvel stuff in the last 30 years it got stupid around ultimatum but even that book could have been great if they'd win a different route with it The art in it is absolutely phenomenal by David Finch it's some of the best looking Spider-Man and hulk you'll ever see but the storyline just jumped the shark lol but ultimate universe for the first 6 years was better than anything the regular main universe was putting out marvel was even considering making that the main universe Go back and look at the ads back then that said the gold standard ultimate marvel meaning that was they considered that the prime top of the line version of their characters the ultimate characters That's how they did an ad campaign called the gold standard ultimate marvel
So I've been following this guide and really enjoying it. However I noticed The Ultimates #14 and so on seems to be missing. This list only stops at issue #13. I checked out other sites and those were the same thing. Only the first thirteen issues of The Ultimates. Is there a reason for this? Maybe I'm just overlooking this. Sorry I'm new to this lol. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
There's no Ultimates #14, the ultimates vol 1 ends at the #13 issue, it continues in Ultimates 2
Thanks! That makes a lot of sense!
Hello,
Thank you for doing such a wonderful reading list. I’ve been steadily making my way through it for some time now.
Can I ask why Ultimate Adventures is missed off? From what happens in the story, I think it should come after the Ultimates first run, but before Ultimate War.
Also, I think that Ultimate Wolverine vs Hulk is in the wrong place. I’ve just finished that and started the last few issues of the Ultimates second run in which Betty is a peripheral character. Without going into spoilers, if UWvsHulk goes before Ultimates 2, Betty shouldn’t be in that, but she is. Maybe these two arcs are in the wrong order on your reading list.
Thank you for you many marvellous lists.
Andrew
Befire ultimates v3 has black panther you really need to read ultimate captain america annual which doesnt seem to be on the list
Or immediately after as it lays context for Ultimates 3, but doesn’t spoil its surprise.
The "Squadron Supreme 1-6" mentioned above is the 2008 series by Howard Chaykin and Marco Turini?
Hey Dave, for someone who really wants to get into the Marvel comics, do you recommend starting with the Ultimate Marvel Universe list above or would you recommend starting with your Best 100 marvel stories 1998 to 2015? Granted I don't have unlimited time to read comics but I really do want to start reading them I just don't know which of the two options are more worth my time. Any kind of reply would be sweet! Thank you!
Currently, I'd suggest you check out the Best 100 marvel comics list first. That will get you up to speed with the Marvel Comics universe that continues today.
For the Ultimate Universe, I think it's well worth the time, but if you're strapped, I'd consider checking out the "My Marvelous Year" podcast where we're starting our Ultimate Universe reading club and podcast *this week!*
details here: https://www.patreon.com/mymarvelousyear
Ultimates 4-13 seems to fit better right before Ultimate War cause of the appearances of pietro and wanda between 21 and 25 of X-Men
Or at least 8 and on which pietro and wanda appear in
Also, Ultimate Spider-Man 68 and 69 happens before Ultimate Fantastic Four 13-18, They appear in 68 and 69 before they've gone at all public
Ultimate Secret happens after Ultimates 2 1-5 as events from number are mentioned in one of the issues in passing despite the first issue of Ultimate Secret saying it happens before Ultimates
I ended up finding much better, clearer and actually accurate guides at crushingkrisis.com and comicbookreadingorders.com so if anyone else finds a bunch of inconsistencies and mistakes across this guide like I have then I suggest using them instead.
Ultimates Annual 1 occurs after Ultimates 2 issue 6
Love the guide and currently using it to help navigate all of Ultimate-dom. Curious if their should be a tweak in early Ultimates and Ultimate X-Men. Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch appear to do double duty on both Ultimates and The Brotherhood, and it may be best to read the latter half of Ultimates deeper into the Ultimate X-Men run and into Ultimate War.
Keep up the great work!
God, I wish there was more Ultimates and Ultimate X-Men.
The way it's slightly modernized and streamlined, as well as having almost only 1 series to follow each (initially at least, if you don't count all the events, but thank god for this guide here to guide me through), it made a perfect read for someone finally getting into comics, after basically not reading any for the last 20 years.
Some might find it too edgy, but I love how dark some characters get, considering that it makes it more believable and it had a lot of 'Oh Shit' moments cause of that.
Will it matter if I just read Ultimate Spider-man without reading any others?
Not really. You may the occasional reference, but Spidey is pretty self-contained.
may miss*