Last issue, The Ultimates made the shocking reveal that Janet van Dyne, aka the Wasp, wasn’t a double agent working for Nick Fury and H.A.N.D. She was actually a triple agent working for the Vision, a mysterious machine that’s started to dismantle H.A.N.D.’s forces. The Ultimates #20 winds the clock back, showcasing the events that led to the Vision’s birth while also revealing how he’s been engaged in a shadow war with Fury since the Maker came to Earth-6160.
Deniz Camp has previously explored the concept of time in The Ultimates, particularly in the Doom-focused issues and the Ultimate Universe: One Year In one-shot, which revealed Fury’s own dark history. In The Ultimates #20, he starts piecing together seemingly separate plot threads, including Janet’s spying on H.A.N.D. and the secret mission that Iron Lad sent Jim Hammond, aka the Human Torch, on. This lets Camp pay homage to the Vision’s mainstream origins tied to Hammond while taking the story in a new direction. I also love that Camp makes a nod to WandaVision by invoking the ‘Ship of Theseus’ paradox, as it seems fitting for the story he’s telling.
Camp also tackles the tricky question of time travel: how much you can change history without fundamentally altering it. It turns out the Vision did have an effect on history, specifically one that allowed him to turn the tide at the right moment. It’s also a miracle that Camp manages to avoid the headaches that usually come with time travel, resulting in a story that both stands on its own while also tying together threads that run throughout the series.
Marvel
Since this is a time travel issue of The Ultimates, Phil Noto returns for the interiors and once again delivers some incredible artwork. The level of detail he brings to the Vision is especially noteworthy; you can see the metal plates that compose his body, and despite the fact that he says he’s “a machine pretending to be a person”, there is a slight hint of emotion crossing his face. Noto also gets to draw a collection of heroes I never expected to see in this new Ultimate Universe, from Ghost Rider to Squirrel Girl and Howard the Duck. Yes, the uprising against the Maker’s forces features Howard the Duck, and it’s absolutely glorious.
The biggest appearance concerns another character, who makes their stand in Detroit. As the Vision notes, Detroit is well known as a city where people build things, and this hero has built the ultimate weapon to battle H.A.N.D. It results in a massive splash page where Helicarriers are toppled by this hero’s weapons, turning into burning piles of wreckage. If that wasn’t enough, Noto draws a showdown between Vision and Fury that’s only highlighted by the shades of blue and white Edgar Delgado brings to the table, giving the scene a futuristic hue.
The Ultimates #20 delivers another time travel tale that will reshape how fans look at the series, and a bold new take on the Vision. It’s the kind of story that this series has thrived on, and one I’m going to miss when it ends this year.
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