Which Ultimate characters are better versions than their 616 counterparts?

[SpandexFan]

In my opinion:

See avatar. A roided out insane Hulk kicks arse, including the coveted Planet Hulk storylines. To me, Hulk will always be best when he's a mindless beast. The stuff he says in Ultimates 1 & 2 cracks me up! Having 283 random people killed everytime Bruce Banner transforms is to me what being a monster is all about. I even enjoy the Banner version of a nerdy scientist who lacks self-confidence, and lets his frustrations at a failed life fuel his Hulk outbursts. It's almost like the Ultimate Universe got right what Ang Lee desperately tried in his movie: a mentally screwed up human who takes out his frustrations in monster form.

Spider-Man. Spidey was always meant to be a nerdy high school student. Nuff said. Although recently, he hasn't been as entertaining as he was in the first 75-ish books. Spidey and his sense of humor will always be entertaining in the 616 universe, but I'd rather read about a kid adjusting to life and powers.

I really don't enjoy the mutant characters over any of the 616 characters, although I like the idea of a messed up Nightcrawler, and an evil Longshot. I also found the Iron Man and Fantastic Four origin storylines to be much more entertaining than the 616 stories.

 

[Roughneck]

Quicksilver is more powerful in ultimate....so it seems.....

Ultimate Cyke was cooler when Millar was writing him....

I like the sleeker look to nightcrawler...and the yellow

 

[TheCorpulent1]

None of the Ultimate characters are better than their 616 counterparts, as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Xofenroht]

Nein.

 

[Havok83]

Ultimate Longshot is the BEST Ultimate X-men character, whereas his 616 counterpat just plain sucks

 

[Red]

None of the Ultimate characters are better than their 616 counterparts, as far as I'm concerned.

That's the ghetto gospel.

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

None of the Ultimate characters are better than their 616 counterparts, as far as I'm concerned.

Ditto.

 

[Paloogin]

I prefer quite a few of them. I muuuuuuch prefer the Fantastic Four dynamic and their characters. It all seems a lot more believable (which is understandable as the original was written in the 60s, but still). Ultimate Thor was awesome when it was up in the air as to whether he was a God or just mental, I loved that. And I guess I prefer Ultimate Captain America as well. I like flawed characters, and Ultimate Cap is much more flawed and vulnerable with his 50s soldier black-and-white world view.

I know it's not cool to prefer Ultimate stuff, but I just think a lot of the characters have been written well and more realistically (or maybe just more cynically) than the originals, which appeals to me.

 

[Darthphere]

None of the Ultimate characters are better than their 616 counterparts, as far as I'm concerned.

Yahtzee.

 

[Havok83]

so no one agrees with me about Longshot?

 

[wobbly]

None of the Ultimate characters are better than their 616 counterparts, as far as I'm concerned.

Agreed.... Especially Ultimate Hulk. That murderous cannibal ****** has all the subtlety of a pigs fart. An utterly abysmal interpretation of the character.

 

[CaptainCanada]

None of them, really.

Particularly in the case of The Ultimates, where everyone is more or less a parody of the 616 character, based around one personality trait amped up to 11. Ultimate Cap is the personification of everything people who've never read 616 Cap assume that he's like. Iron Man is an ultra-shallow drunk, Hank Pym a vicious wife-beater, Wasp a complete flake, etc.

The only possible exception is Ultimate Thor who, despite being a political mouthpiece, also has a pretty cool story. He's still not as good as 616 Thor, though.

 

[masteryoda]

Nick Fury.

 

[VICTORVONDOOMX]

None of the Ultimate characters are better than their 616 counterparts, as far as I'm concerned.

SCORE!

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Samuel L. Jackson.

Fixed.

 

[masteryoda]

Fixed.

Touche'.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Seriously, though, you prefer Ultimate Fury to 616 Fury? The hard-assed military leader to the super-sexy spy who can do anything and is always one step ahead of everyone else?

 

[masteryoda]

Seriously, though, you prefer Ultimate Fury to 616 Fury? The hard-assed military leader to the super-sexy spy who can do anything and is always one step ahead of everyone else?

I might just have jungle fever.

I just think the stories I've read involving 616 Fury (which granted aren't alot, especially considering his status the last few years.) haven't done much to reveal his character. Historiclly in 616 I've found Fury to be used the same way Dr. Strange is usually used and that's to move the plot along and not to develop and reveal his character. All the stories about Shaft Fury have come about because of his character and because of choices he's made.

I also think Ultimate Cap was a way better character then 616 until Brubaker got ahold of him. But I wouldn't dare reveal that on these boards.

 

[SpandexFan]

Seriously, though, you prefer Ultimate Fury to 616 Fury? The hard-assed military leader to the super-sexy spy who can do anything and is always one step ahead of everyone else?

Heck yes, complete forgot about Fury. He makes a much more intriguing character in the Ultimate Universe. The entire theme of Nicky Fury being a military man and the government secretly tracking superheroes and everyone in some way linked to covert government ops feels a lot more realistic (and compelling) than the 616 storyline of hero registration.

I'm surprised there's so much nose thumbing to the Ultimate Universe. As someone who has read titles from every era, I think Marvel has done a terrific job with the Ultimate Universe. Most of it feels like a more contemporary approach.

I also agree with the poster who prefers Ultimate Captain America. I like his difficulty in coping with 21st century times. That was never captured in the original version with him being one of the first Stan Lee mainstays. And Magneto's intro story which copies the same one used in Stan Lee's intro feels so much more threatening. I don't think I ever realized how scary he was with all those stolen nukes until I read it in the Ultimate books.

 

[masteryoda]

True, Ultimate Magento is one scary fook. 616 Magneto was never as threatening or bad ass as the Ultimate Version.

 

[The Question]

Yeah, but Ultimate Magneto is a flat, uninteresting and unlikable character, wheras 616 Magneto actually has depth and something that resembles a character arc.

 

[masteryoda]

Yeah, but Ultimate Magneto is a flat, uninteresting and unlikable character, wheras 616 Magneto actually has depth and something that resembles a character arc.

That's very true, that's why I enjoyed the Ultimate version of him. his character wasn't as interesting but he was way more threatening.

 

[deemar325]

Hawkeye

Nick Fury

Falcon

Thor

Green Goblin

 

[spideyboy_1111]

Hawkeye

Nick Fury

Falcon

Thor

Green Goblin

eww seriously? that fire breathing hulk reject?

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

Ult GG has only had one good story so far imo. Hardly enough to top the original.