[1] The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Avengers comic-book franchise, centering around a task-force of super-humans and special agents organized by the U.S. government to combat growing threats to the world.

[2] The first volume of the Ultimates, written by Millar and illustrated by Hitch, was published in limited series format and ran for thirteen issues with production delays from January 30, 2002[3][4] until March 31, 2004.

[5] Hitch described the alternative-reality reimagining as one where, "You have to approach it as though nothing has happened before and tell the story fresh from the start.... We had to get to the core of who these people were and build outwards, so Cap [Captain America] was a soldier, Thor is either a nut case or a messiah ...

[8][9] It ran into similar production delays, however, due to Millar's struggles with Crohn's Disease and involvement writing Civil War, as well as the artists' need to keep busy with other work in the meantime.

establishes a strike force of government-sponsored superhumans which includes Steve Rogers (Captain America); scientist couple Henry and Janet Pym (Giant-Man and the Wasp); Bruce Banner (the Hulk) and Tony Stark (Iron Man).

The team then join forces with the mutants Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch and agents Hawkeye and Black Widow against the alien shape-shifters the Chitauri, who are defeated.

Seeing how having the Ultimates working with the United States government "policing" the world would produce similar results to their battle against the Liberators, the team decided to leave S.H.I.E.L.D.

Pym and Wasp discover the truth about the Ultron robot, which has adopted the identity of Yellowjacket and uses the Ultimates' DNA to create a series of android duplicates.

Writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Esad Ribić relaunched the Ultimates with a different lineup consisting of Nick Fury, Iron Man, Thor, Spider-Woman and others.

launch, writer Michel Fiffe and artist Amilcar Pinna brought together a new team, including Spider-Man, the new Black Widow who was formerly Spider-Woman, Kitty Pryde, Bombshell, and Cloak and Dagger.

When the Maker collaborated with the High Evolutionary to destroy the Superflow that kept the different universes separate in order to merge them into one reality, the Ultimates members Captain America, Iron Man, Giant-Man, Wasp, and Hulk were revived where they were to help Eternity fight the First Firmament.

The rest of the Maker's Council conducts a false flag attack on Stark Tower which kills thousands, framing Tony and his group as terrorists.

During their work, Iron Lad oversees Captain America's awakening from his coma and explains about the changed political status quo, while Thor still heals from his wounds.

[25] Iron Lad, Captain America, and Doom later raid a facility called "Damage Control" which contains different items belonging to deceased heroes as well as the corpses of many.

Examples include the broken body of a robot, the corpse of the "Infant King of Attilan", a taxidermy of a man and his pet Smilodon from the Savage Land, fragments of an unknown costume, and the metallic skeleton of Weapon X.

While they are attacked by agents of H.A.N.D, the Maker's secret police, Captain America and Iron Lad manage to free Human Torch from his casing, welcoming him to the Ultimates.

Earlier that day, Steve Rogers views a holo-program from Howard Stark's files on the history of the former United States of America as it shows how Maker altered the Earth's timeline since 1963, starting with him establishing The City and meeting John F. Kennedy.

With Giant-Man and Wasp unconscious and Iron Lad's armor in power saving mode, Captain America fights against a ranting and rambling Midas.

Lejori then calms down the gamma-irradiated humanoid as it regresses to a human baby as she talks about how Bruce Banner left her fellow islanders to live in the fallout after the "Banner-Ulam Gamma Bomb" was tested nearby.

[28] Later at the Triskelion, Iron Lad briefs Captain America on recent attacks to Roxxon facilities where survivors have stated seeing flying arrows that are of Stark/Stane's design.

During the fight, armed soldiers arrive, which Hawkeye states are part of Roxxon's "Cleanup Crew", a team of mercenaries who secure mining operations and that put down the "Savage Land Revolt" in the 70s.

Meanwhile, With Emmanuel da Costa infuriated that they harmed Roxxon which is part of his profile, Hulk calms him down while stating that he had time to study their strengths and weaknesses.

[29] Later, Iron Lad has cracked the Overnet used by Maker's Council and has brought the entire team (minus Doom) to a Damage Control location that supposedly contains a dozen super-powered prisoners that they plan to rescue before their execution.

His Immortal Weapons (consisting of Bride of Nine World-Breakers, Crane Mother of the Bomb, Decay's Beautiful Daughter, Fat Cobra, Prince of Meltdowns, and Uranium Brother #235) then arrive as they take gamma injections.

On the Triskelion, Doom convinces She-Hulk to lay low to protect both her people and the Ultimates, stating he can tap into Hulk's surveillance system to keep an eye on her village.

They fought against them while Captain Universe, Star Brand, Molecule Boy, Giraud the Phoenix, Gary: Wielder of the Infinty Gauntlet maintained the integrity of their ship.

A lot of people died upon impact where Captain Marvel landed in the Stone Age which took her awhile to build a time ship to locate her teammates.

[32] One of Tony Stark's "origin machine" success stories occurred in 2024 at Seagate Prison when one of those boxes showed up in front of inmate Luke Cage.

Popmatters.com praised Mark Millar's writing in the opening eight issues, stating the writer "is able to walk a very fine line of keeping the story measured yet entertaining".

[38] Comics Bulletin, in a review of the "Homeland Security" story arc, states the artwork is "visual magnificence" yet is concerned about the dark writing of the characters stripped of their "super-heroic nobility" and was "disheartened by the book’s tone and cynicism".