Despite what a loud minority of people would have you think, comics have always been political. Whether that was Steve Ditko’s Spider-man arguing with student protestors, Captain America punching Hitler, or almost every X-men comic, writers have always shared their ideals through stories. Recently though, it has felt like comics from the Big Two have been bolder in these messages, but none have approached it so aggressively as Deniz Camp in The Ultimates.
Spoilers ahead for The Ultimates #21
Both in Europe and the US, it is mainly left-leaning policies that fund the arts, which means like music, films, and literature, comics have a tendency to be more liberal. Generally however, the more popular a product is, the less likely it will have a strong political message attached to it.
“We’re finally going to give the people what they want. Super-powered spectable without the politics” – Emmanuel Da Costa
For comics, this means that the heroes can regularly overthrow authoritarian regimes, but rarely, if ever, change the actual status quo. An example of this would be the recent One World Under Doom Marvel event where nothing was done to address the issues that saw people so eager to live under Doctor Doom.
The Ultimates
Deniz Camp throws caution to the wind however in The Ultimates, writing what almost feels like a manifesto at points. Camp touches on ideas from socialism, communism, and anarchism, as the heroes build a grassroots movement to overthrow the Maker. If you are unfamiliar with the series, Camp is not writing about protesting peacefully, or writing pointless blogs (like and subscribe), he is taking some of the biggest names in comics and having them violently resist their oppressors.
Again, while you could make an argument for DC and Marvel telling stories like this before, it is how Camp is regularly sharing ideas for alternative ways of living that sets it apart. In The Ultimates #21 (illustrated by Pere Pérez, colours by Federico Blee) we are shown the people seizing the means of production, setting up worker committees, and building a better society. Compare this to the ending of One World Under Doom, which essentially saw a return to normal, as if nothing happened, and the difference is stark.
The Defenders
It is in the same issue, The Ultimates #21, that Camp introduces a new team of super-powered individuals which provide a new angle for him to critique society. The Defenders are put together by Emmanuel Da Costa, King Black of the Hellfire Club, as a way of combatting The Ultimates. Having understood the popularity of The Ultimates being a problem for his cause, Emmanuel felt he could manufacture his own team to win over the public.
The Ultimate Defenders roster:
- Ballistic – human missile
- Thora – powered by the Norse gods
- Marvel Boy – monster hunter
- Proctor – leader of the Black Knight Brigade
- Decay’s Beautiful Daughter – one of Hulk’s Immortal Weapons
The Defenders are immediately sent to take on The Ultimates but things do not go well. In an attempt to frame The Ultimates, Ballistic murders dozens of prisoners before cameras beam the footage millions of watchers. Emmanuel explains that these ‘heroes’ have been assembled more on marketing potential than any actual merit. They also certainly do not have any morals to speak of.
“People don’t want lectures and ideologies forced down their throats. They want straitforward, super-powered violence.” – Emmanuel Da Costa
While The Defenders have the element of surprise over the heroes, their edge does not last long. Although the superheroes might have bested the counter-revolutionaries on their own, they were not in fact on their own. On Earth-6160, The Ultimates are not just a superhero team, they are a revolutionary movement. In the fight with The Defenders, the likes of Luke Cage and Thor are joined by regular people who help swing the battle in their favour.
Although a fun and self-contained plot for the issue, The Defenders were not just there for entertainment (despite their origin!). Camp had clearly created them to critique the way superheroes and their teams are written. Having Emmanuel talk about having the team chosen to appeal to the widest audience highlights the commercialisation involved, something the Marvel and DC editorial teams obviously account for when creating stories.
Emmanuel also highlights how the Defenders are apolitical and fight for the vague and meaningless concepts of “truth” and “justice“. Both the Justice League and Avengers, as well as almost all superhero teams from the Big Two, are guilty of this. Having no real substance behind what they stand for, it makes them accessible to a wide audience, but arguably also makes the vague and meaningless, ultimately alienating more people.
This might be stretching the message a little, but it is likely that Camp was not only thinking about comic books when he wrote The Defenders. Almost all major creative projects will likely look at how to appeal to the largest audience, therefore affecting creative decisions, often to the detriment of the story. It is also apparent that this desperate need to appeal to everyone has affected politics, with parties unwilling to tackle serious issues in fear of losing votes.
What would be interesting if this issue was a nod to the practices over at Marvel. Was Camp highlighting a creatively limiting editorial mandate at Marvel? The fact this issue exists might suggest otherwise, but there is a little phrase that Camp uses that could be telling. As the battle between The Defenders and The Ultimates is broadcast to millions, the host of the stream calls viewers “true believers“. Most Marvel fans would recognise this as the term coined by Stan Lee to address Marvel fans. Surely that cannot be a coincidence?
Reading each issue of The Ultimates, it is easy to forget this is being printed by Marvel. However, Marvel knows how successful the Ultimate Universe has been and would be foolish to change one of their best current titles. Allowing Camp a free voice in this series has given it a heart and passion that is missing in so many. Hopefully it will encourage Marvel to take more risks with their characters and storylines.
“All power to the people!”
Buy The Ultimates #1 (3rd print) – Forbidden Planet (UK)
Buy The Ultimates Vol. 1 – Bookshop.org (US)
Buy The Ultimates Vol. 1 – Bookshop.org (UK)
Key Comics Vault earns a small commission on any sales using the above links
Key Comics Vault 
Leave a comment