Summary
Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Ultimate X-Men #5!Back when he was a super-villain,Magnetowas perhaps the most ruthless mutant inX-Mencontinuity. He believed whole-heartedly in mutant supremacy, and launched many dastardly schemes to that end, as Magneto was hellbent on weakening humanity in order to allow mutantkind to rise up as the ruling class. And now, inX-Men’s new Ultimate Universecontinuity, another mutant supremacist has risen to take Magneto’s place - and he’s the darkest villainUltimate X-Mencould have chosen.
In a preview forUltimate X-Men#5 by Peach Momoko, the main characters of the series, Hisako (aka Armor) and Mei (aka Maystorm) approach one of their classmates, Nico, to help solve an ongoing mystery. Hisako has been haunted by a dark, spirit-like figure who feeds on the traumas of others, and ignites a darkness within them so great that it makes some of its targets take their own lives. This ‘demon’ has been haunting Hisako, so she and Mei approach Nico because she’s a fellow mutant with telepathic abilities, and she may be able to learn this creature’s identity.
Before going on the offensive in trying to uncover the identity of this dark entity, Hisako is haunted by them yet again at the start of this preview. During that encounter, the entity is once more trying to convince Hisako to be their friend. It tells her that they are the same (confirming that this creature is, indeed, a mutant), saying, “We could control this stupid world. We are… superior.” And this mutant in question, as teased throughout this storyline, is seemingly none other than theUltimate Universe’s version of the Shadow King.
Apocalypse Finally Admits He Respects 1 Founding X-Men Hero
Apocalypse lives his life by a doctrine that dictates only the strongest are fit to survive, which is exactly why he respects 1 founding X-Men hero.
The Shadow King is Filling Magneto’s Role in the Ultimate Universe
While it’s still not officially confirmed that this villain is the Shadow King (as they are simply referred to as Shadow, and doesn’t seem to be a variant of Amahl Farouk), they’re at the very least a mutant with a striking resemblance to the classicX-Menvillain, certainly enough to make the comparison. However, what’s interesting is that Shadow’s goals are unlike those of the original Shadow King, and are closer to those of Magneto.
Based on what Shadow said to Armor, it seems they’re trying to recruit her to their mutant supremacist cause, not dissimilar to Magneto and his Brotherhood of Mutants. And Shadow’s end goal is to “control this stupid world”, using their mutant powers to conquer the planet just as Magneto tried to do during the height of his villainy in Earth-616, with Armor and any other mutant they can corrupt by their side.
Ultimate X-Men’s Shadow Could Create a Power Struggle with Another Super-Villain: The Maker
Shadow’s mission to usher in an age of mutant supremacy is reminiscent of Magneto’s early goals as a villain, but that isn’t the only takeaway. Another villain has already taken over this world and shaped it in his image, meaning Shadow’s goals put him directly at odds with the Maker. The Maker traveled from Earth-616 to Earth-6160, and succeeded in conquering the planet. But now, with the Maker temporarily out of commission and Shadow angling to claim the world in the name of mutantkind, a new power struggle is brewing in the Ultimate Universe, which is an incredibly interesting development.
If the Maker is lucky, Shadow will be taken care of by Armor and Maystorm long before he’s ever freed from his temporal prison. But, if Shadow is still at large, then the Maker will have his own version of ‘Magneto’ on his hands, as will the wider Ultimate Universe, as Earth-6160 just confirmed the Master of Magnetism’s villainous ‘replacement’, and the monster filling his shoes is the darkest mutantX-Mencould have chosen.
Ultimate X-Men (2024)
Visionary creator Peach Momoko creates a new generation of X-Men for an all-new universe! Hisako Ichiki is a teenage girl who just wants to live a normal life — go to school, hang out with her friends, ignore the political strife broiling over after the events of ULTIMATE INVASION — but life has other plans for her. In Japan, urban legends have sprung to life and brought some unusual new powers with them… Meet Armor, Maystorm and a group of new Ultimate X-Men the likes of which you’ve never seen before!
