Marvel is about to permanently retire a major hero, with new images showcasing fresh details for their final appearance. Here’s everything you need to know about the beloved hero’s upcoming exit.
Marvel Is Permanently Retiring Ultimate Wolverine
Ultimate Wolverine 16 cover art, showing the series main characters
In new solicit information, Marvel has showcased the final issue of Ultimate Wolverine. This June, Marvel’s Ultimate Continuity – aka Earth-6160 – will come to a permanent end, wrapping up the critically acclaimed, fan-beloved three-year imprint. Ahead of that, Ultimate Wolverine will come to an end April 15, with Marvel promising “an epic, devastating showdown.”
Ultimate Wolverine has followed Logan’s journey as he goes from the brainwashed ‘Winter Soldier’ to a freedom fighter attempting to take down the Rasputin family, who rule over Russia in this continuity, carrying out vile experiments to turn mutants into living weapons. With Colossus, Mikhail and Omega Red dead, Wolverine has one final target, with the issue’s summary reading:
YEAR TWO OF THE ULTIMATE UNIVERSE NEARS ITS END IN THE FINAL ISSUE OF ULTIMATE WOLVERINE! Wolverine and Phoenix track Magik right into the demonic dimension of Limbo for an epic, devastating showdown! To escape Illyana’s realm of dark magic, a final sacrifice must be made, one that will lead directly into ULTIMATE ENDGAME #5!
Cover art from Alessandro Cappuccio, Francesco Manna, Marcos MartÃn, Alex Lins​​​​​​​, Ario Anindito and CAFU​​​​​​​ & Moreno DiNisio tease this much-hyped fight, which will forever end Ultimate Wolverine in fire and death.
ultimate wolverine with torn mask
Here’s everything we know so far about exactly how this fan-favorite hero will go out, and whether Marvel is really going to retire Ultimate Wolverine forever. Don’t forget to vote in our reader poll at the end of this article, about how Marvel should handle the Ultimate Universe.
Ultimate Wolverine Has Several More Targets Before the End
Colossus, Magik, and Omega Red in the Ultimate Universe.
Since the series began, Wolverine has been systematically tearing apart the leaders of the Eurasian Republic and their abominable Directorate X. With Omega Red beheaded by Wolverine and Colossus melted by the Phoenix, there’s just one target left: Illyana Rasputin’s demonic Magik.
ultimate wolverine as winter soldier
The leaders of the Eurasian Republic are a crucial part of the Maker’s Council – a team of villains who totally control Earth-6160… or at least they did when the imprint started. Wolverine has made huge headway in Russia, but heroes all around the world have been doing their part as well.
The Maker’s Council: Where Are They Now?
(Introduced in 2023’s Ultimate Invasion #2)
the maker’s council in ultimate comics
Member
Area Controlled
Current Fate
Khonshu and Ra
The Upper and Lower Kingdoms
Imprisoned in Wakanda by the Black Panther.
The Black King, aka Emmanuel Da Costa
The Society of South America
Killed by Emma Frost and his son Roberto after failing to defeat Luke Cage’s Avengers. Replaced by Emma Frost on the Council.
Sun Emperor, Viper and Silver Samurai | aka Shiro Yoshida, Aida and Kenuichio Harada
Hi No Kuni
Opposed by Hisako Ichiki’s X-Men, but still in power.
Captain Britain, aka Henri Dugarry
The European Coalition
Lost an eye to the Ultimates, currently marshaling his ‘Black Crusade’ army of folkloric beings against them.
Colossus, Magik and Omega Red | aka Piotr and Illyana Rasputin, and Arkady Rossovich
The Eurasian Republic
Wolverine and Phoenix have killed off Omega Red and Colossus, and are currently pursuing Magik.
The Hulk, aka Bruce Banner
The Children of Eternal Light
Still alive and consolidating power over the Council. Recently lost a lieutenant to Luke Cage’s Avengers.
Obadiah Stane and Howard Stark
North American Union
Obadiah was killed during Kang’s attack on the Maker. Howard rebelled against the Maker but was trapped within the City, becoming Immortus after relative millennia organizing a guerrilla resistance.
The Maker, aka Reed Richards
Worldwide
Bonded to his time-warping base the City as the living core of its system.
While Ultimate Wolverine #16 ends Ultimate Wolverine’s solo series, it’s not quite the end of his story. The character will still appear in Ultimate Endgame, with various comic covers showing him battling the Hulk (Hulk vs Wolverine being a classic face-off, with its own dedicated series in the original Ultimate Universe of the 2000s.)
ultimate endgame cover showing wolverine vs the maker’s council
ultimate endgame cover showing wolverine vs hulk
That said, Ultimate Wolverine #16’s summary says it will lead directly into Ultimate Endgame #5 – the finale of the entire line. Logan’s story is all about freeing Russia from its villainous rulers, and that quest will likely conclude with his solo series. However, he may also be a vital part of the final fight against the Maker over in Endgame.
Is Wolverine About to Turn on a Major Ally?
ultimate sabretooth
Alex Lins’ cover for Ultimate Wolverine #16 shows Logan engaged in a gory battle against Sabretooth. That’s a big surprise, as Sabretooth is actually a friend of Logan’s in this continuity.
While the two have clashed, they worked together in the Opposition and trust each other deeply, with Sabretooth only leaving the resistance group to dedicate his life to protecting two young mutants targeted by Directorate X.
ultimate wolverine befriends sabretooth
That decision makes it possible that Magik may threaten Artie and Leech to force Sabretooth into a final battle against Wolverine, despite their friendship.
Ultimate Wolverine Could Be on Track for the Definitive Happy Ending
ultimate jean grey phoenix
While Wolverine may be forced to kill a friend, he’s regained another. Ultimate Wolverine has killed off most of the classic X-Men. Cyclops, Beast, Iceman, Professor X and Angel have all fallen in this series. However, Jean Grey’s Phoenix was able to escape Directorate X and unite with Logan.
ultimate wolverine and pheonix hunt for magik
It’s possible this series may be the rare ending where Jean Grey and Wolverine actually get to live happily ever after – a major victory after being tortured and experimented on by the Maker’s council.
However, with the promise that “a final sacrifice must be made”, it’s possible that one of them will fall before the series’ end. And with the entire Ultimate Universe about to end, Marvel won’t be holding back on which characters it kills…
Is the Ultimate Universe Really Over?
iron lad’s ultimates team
In superhero comics, it’s rare that any retirement or death is permanent, and fans have been skeptical about Marvel truly ending its Ultimate Universe imprint, especially because of how well it’s been received.
However, Marvel has been clear that the imprint really is closing down. Deniz Camp, writer of the flagship The Ultimates series, has explained that while ending the line after Ultimate Endgame wasn’t the original plan, it’s happening for a reason: with the story coming to a natural end, Marvel would rather have a complete epic that will sell for decades, rather than a line that fizzles out like the original 2000s Ultimate Universe.
However, some fans have continued to doubt due to the release of Ultimate Impact: Reborn #1 on May 20. Early promotional images suggested that Marvel may be backtracking on truly ending the Ultimate Universe forever.
ultimate universe reborn impact promo image
However, as more information has come out, that doesn’t seem to be the case. The new issue will reportedly focus on the ‘Origin Boxes’ that Miles Morales took from the Ultimate Universe to Marvel’s mainstream reality, imbuing new characters with immense power.
new characters introduced in ultimate impact reborn
Given how firm Marvel has been with its announcement – and the fact that Ultimate Impact: Reborn seems set to focus on the legacy of the Ultimate Universe, not its future – it seems pretty certain that the Ultimate Universe, and Ultimate Wolverine, truly are being permanently retired. Will Marvel resurrect them again in ten years? It’s possible, but it’s clearly not the plan right now.
Marvel is about to officially retire Ultimate Wolverine, but not before a fiery showdown with the last of his tormentors and a climactic war for the future of his entire reality.
Ultimate Wolverine #16 is coming April 15, 2026.​​​​​​​
Writer
Brian Michael
Publisher(s)
Marvel