It’s as true today at Marvel as it was in the 1970s. You’re nobody unless you’ve teamed up with Spider-Man. The Avengers are a bonus. For some of us of a certain age, though, we encountered a different superhero first. Not Batman (though maybe), but the hero Ultraman!
Though Marvel teamed with Tsuburaya Productions to publish two Ultraman mini-series starting in 2019, the greatest hero of Japan will crash into the Marvel Universe for the first time. Of course he’s chasing kaiju, as well as the mystery of Spider-Man having disappeared. Does this mean we’ll see a kaiju version of Green Goblin? The possibilities boggle the mind.
Whatever it is, it happens in Ultraman x Avengers. That x doesn’t stand for X-Men (though maybe), but as the new stand-in for “meets” and frankly, it does look cooler. Both Godzilla and Kong think so. But that’s another universe…
From Marvel:
The four-issue limited series will see the return of the hit creative team behind Ultraman’s previous Marvel comic series: writers Kyle Higgins and Mat Groom and artist Francesco Manna. The four-issue epic will feature a wide array of appearances including mainstay Avengers, Spider-Man, and more.
Spider-Man has disappeared from New York, an intergalactic invader has arrived on Ultraman’s doorstep, and the Kaiju of Earth are acting even more mysteriously than usual. This can only mean one thing: It’s time for Ultraman to meet the Avengers! But what cosmic threat is great enough to require a team-up of Marvel’s mightiest champions and Japan’s greatest hero? Find out as Shin meets Sam, Spacium Ray meets Repulsor Ray, and “THWIP!” meets “SHUWATCH!” – in the epic crossover event.
artwork by Dike Ruan
“Of course we’re excited to be back with more ULTRAMAN, as ever, but especially for such a meaningful event,” Groom and Higgins said. “This is the first time Ultraman will meet the Avengers, despite them having so much in common– both being created in the 1960s, both being arguably the most popular and successful super heroes from their respective countries of origin. Being able to tell the story of this historic meeting: discovering how they interact, the ways in which they’re different, what they have to learn from each other—it’s a tremendous privilege.”
Check out Dike Ruan’s cover and witness pop culture history in the making when ULTRAMAN X AVENGERS arrives in August!
In addition to running Fanboy Planet, Derek has contributed stories to Arcana Comics (The Greatest American Hero) and Monsterverse Comics (Bela Lugosi's Tales from the Grave). He has performed with ComedySportz, City Lights Theater Company and Silicon Valley Shakespeare, though relocated to Hollywood to... work in an office? If you ever played Eric's Ultimate Solitaire on the Macintosh, it was Derek's voice as The Weasel that urged you to play longer. You can buy his book "I Was Flesh Gordon" on the Amazon link at the right. Email him at [email protected].
