The Ultimates Have an Exciting New Leader for The End of an Era

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The Ultimates are working under a new leader as they approach Marvel Comics' Ultimate Endgame, and he might be just what they need.

The official solicitations for Marvel Comics' slate of titles set to be released in February are in, and The Ultimates are going to be staring down their biggest fight yet alongside one of their world's most underrated heroes. Not only will the issue see the eponymous team of heroes begin to make their last stand against the Maker's Council, but they will be led into battle by none other than Luke Cage himself. Readers can check out the main cover art for the issue below.

The Ultimates #21

Written by DENIZ CAMP
Art by PERE PÉREZ
Main cover art by DIKE RUAN
Variant covers by INHYUK LEE and (TBA)

The official solicit synopsis for The Ultimates #21 from Marvel Comics reads, "Luke Cage and the New Avengers! The New Avengers, led by Luke Cage, take on the Maker’s Council! Prisoners turned super-powered heroes thanks to the heroic catalysts reclaimed from the Maker…in an all-out brawl across the globe!"

The Luke Cage of the current Ultimate Universe made his comic book debut in The Ultimates #9, which found him imprisoned within Seagate Penitentiary for an unnamed crime he almost certainly never committed. There, Luke and his fellow inmates were subjected to relentless cruelty on the part of the corporate guards, though it wasn't long before he began fighting back. Thanks to Tony Stark, Luke Cage was given the chance to be the hero he was always meant to be, and with his newfound power, he kicked off a resistance effort that has spread farther than he ever imagined.

With the current Ultimate line quickly approaching its end, fans have been on edge waiting to see what that looks like when it arrives. The Ultimates writer Deniz Camp previously opened up about the subject, noting, "It's hard to talk about it without getting emotional. It really is the culmination of everything Jonathan began. Everything from my book and everyone else's book are all converging. It's gonna be definitive, it's going to be big. It's going to be emotional, there's going to be death... It's just wild."

While the first Ultimate title to reach its conclusion, Ultimate Spider-Man, is set to close out in December, the months that follow will mark the conclusions of each other's ongoing Ultimate titles. These include Ultimate Black Panther in January, Ultimate X-Men in February, and The Ultimates in April, all of which will end with their 24th issues.

The Ultimates #21 goes on sale Feb. 25, 2026 from Marvel Comics.