Ultimates (Marvel NEW)/Issue One

The first issue of Ultimates is a short introduction to the book's concepts and the team's members. It is the first part of The Ultimate Superhero Team story arc and shows how the team was formed.

Synopsis
Repeatedly the Avengers have refused to join S.H.I.E.L.D. and they are getting sick of it. They decide to assemble their own Avengers, but not just that, they want to assemble the Ultimate Avengers.

Plot
Nick Fury walks through the Helicarrier's halls and sees quite a few agents rejecting missions as the missions are Avengers level territory. After seeing this so much, he gets sick of it and once again calls up the Avengers to ask them to join S.H.I.E.L.D. He is once again rejected and gets ready to hit a table in anger, only to instead slump over in defeat. He is visited by Maria Hill, who reveals that she's noticed the same problem he has and has a solution for it: Project Ultimate. Fury is instantly confused at this, and Maria explains that they would assemble their own team of heroes, their own Avengers they can send on the missions everyone is too afraid to. Fury claims that every hero in the world has some built-in mistrust for S.H.I.E.L.D. and none of them would join with them. Maria counters by claiming that she's found a few heroes who are either already partnered with the government or wouldn't reject the offer. This interests Fury, who tells her to keep talking.

Maria picks up a card and slides it into a computer, causing a screen to appear with all of the heroes' biographies. She begins reading them off, starting with Red Hulk, AKA General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, a former enemy of the Hulk's who injected himself with Gamma Rays to fight and defeat Hulk. She gives a brief explanation of Red Hulk's abilities, revealing that he isn't as powerful as Green Hulk but was able to go toe to toe with him for quite a while. She moves on to Cloak and Dagger, AKA Ty Johnson and Tandy Bowen, two troubled runaway teens who were kidnapped and experimented on by a group of criminals who wanted to test a drug that they would sell to the Maggia. The drug ended up giving the two the ability to tap into the Darkforce and Lightforce respectively. The next member she talks about is Deadpool, with Nick instantly calling her insane, claiming that Deadpool would never work on a team of heroes. His rejections cease however when Maria reminds Nick of how powerful Deadpool is. After doing so, she quickly talks about a hero named Ronin, who is rather mysterious, before quickly moving on to Aaron Stack, the Machine Man, who is completely robotic, meaning that if he is destroyed they would be able to rebuild him with all of his previous counterpart's memories.

Maria asks Nick what he thinks of her choices, with Fury claiming that this could work. Meanwhile, in the other room, every hero that Maria spoke about is waiting. She walks in and reveals that Nick agreed, with them rejoicing, revealing that she had already gathered them all up before even telling Fury about the plan. Deadpool then asks Maria who their leader is. Maria doesn't respond, revealing that she doesn't actually have a leader for the group. Luckily, Nick Fury comes on the intercoms and claims he has the perfect leader for the group, revealing that he knew Maria had assembled the team without his permission the entire time. Later, the group follows Nick Fury to a prison named The Raft. Every member of the group is confused as to why Fury took them here, with Red Hulk claiming that there is no one in any prison that would make a good leader for a team made up of the good guys. Fury then clicks a button and a cell opens up, with a man dressed in a Captain America-like suit walking out.

The man asks if it is shower time only to instantly freeze in place when he sees Fury and the team standing in front of him. Fury introduces the man, revealing that his name is U.S.Agent, also known as John F. Walker. Dagger, not knowing a single thing about the man, waves at him. Walker in a blind rage of confusion grabs Fury and steals his gun before running off, threatening to kill them all if they follow him. Fury gets back up, rubbing his head, with Red Hulk stating that he told him so. Fury yells at Ross to not get cute with him and for the team to get him. They begin chasing after Walker, who is also been shot at by the guards of The Raft. Walker, as a way of slowing the heroes down, begins shooting random objects to make them fall in front of the team. Walker turns out to be far more skilled than the team once thought, as he manages to get outside of The Raft and attempts to steal the jet that the team came in on. The team shows up and tries to stop him, only for Nick Fury to walk out clapping. Everyone is confused by this, with Fury revealing that in all of his years only a few men have been skilled enough to take him by surprise, and because Walker managed to do so he will make an amazing leader for "The Ultimates". The newly dubbed Ultimates are either amazed or terrified at this, with Walker getting out of his jet and laughing. Red Hulk demands to know what's funny, with Walker responding with four words: "now I own you".