Ultimatum #5 - Marvel

This issue wraps up this mini-series. I thought Jeph Loeb and David Finch did a fantastic job. We find out that when all's said and done . . the Ultimate Universe . . and this Earth in particular . . still exist. This whole thing was set in motion by Dr Doom. He's the one that had Wanda killed so that Magneto would have to take action. Without going into to much detail about the story . . the thing I like about the Ultimate Universe is that the story-tellers can do all those things they've been dying to do . . or have the characters do, but . . it couldn't have been dared in the regular Marvel Universe. You want some examples? Well . . Magneto takes out Wolverine. I mean down to the atoms. First he uses his powers to turn Scott's visor, and Iron Man's repulsors on him, and then when he still struggles to stab him before he dies, Magneto flays him to the bone, and all the Adamantium on them. With all the firepower assembled against him, it ends up being Nick Fury, with his knowledge that sends Erik into a catastrophic free-fall. He uses Jean to fill his head with all the knowledge that he has about the creation, and beginning of mutants. "Man and mutant. It made things so black and white for you. Everything wrong in your life, everything was because of us humans, homo-sapien. So . . what if you . . by playing God could change all that? Wash away all those . . inferiors? There's only one problem, Erik. The truth. Mutants weren't chosen by God. They weren't genetically gifted. Or aberrations either. They were made in a laboratory by a crazy ass doctor who thought he could change the world. Ordinary men who were used like lab rats to be super-soldiers. That's all you are. You Bastard! Just a man. No different from the millions you killed thinking you'd be making the world a better place. A self-loathing, self-destructive, homo-sapien. It was my sin that kept it hidden. That made it my responsibility to show you the truth. The Ugly Truth!" Erik uses his powers to put the Earth back on it's axis. And then . . Scott takes his head off. Wow! The story ends about a week later when Scott is talking in front of the Senate building because they're getting ready to pass a law to regulate all mutants. He's shot dead, through the head, on the steps of the building. And we find out it was Pietro that did it. We see that this Brotherhood of Evil Mutants consists of Pietro, Mystique and Sabretooth. It's lead by a woman who's identity we haven't seen yet. Oh yeah, and to punish him for his sins, the Thing visits Doom . . and crushes his head between his rock fingers. We also see that Victor has Namor prisoner in a tank . . doing who know what to him. There's really a whole lot of loose plot-threads hanging here to lead us into the next evolution of the Ultimate Universe. I can't wait to read the rest of the Requiem books, and find out where we go from here. I think this is a fantastic franchise, and I'm glad it didn't end here. By the way, at the end of the book there's a list of those who died during Ultimatum. Firestar, Havok and Spider-man are listed as Missing In Action. Also I think it's interesting to note that Wanda, or the Scarlet Witch, isn't listed as one of whom we lost. Hmmm!