Writer Mike Carey
Artist Pasqual Ferry
Additional Art Leinil Francis Yu
Colors Dave McCaig
Letters Chris Eliopoulos
Cover Dated March 2006
Ultimate X4, Part Two of Two
We conclude the mini-Mike Carey event with this issue!
So great that Ultimate Shadowcat was already becoming one of the main X-characters at this point.
She makes her appearance last issue but she is the main threat to both issues here so I finally looked Rhonda Burcill, who is the Ultimate version of Thinker – hence why she has Awesome Andy – who she calls, Robby, which is obviously a nickname off of Robot. One would think a super genius would have a bigger name for such things. She originally appeared in Ultimate Fantastic Four 19 and 20, which were also written by Mike Carey. So now that we know that, we should be able to enjoy the issue properly.
I’m not sure what happened to me when I first read these issues but I remember not liking them and feeling like I was missing so much or that the issues were confusing. I probably just read them too quickly, or something. Maybe even alphabetical order? That could have been the case.
Issue opens with Yu art, as we see the X-Men realizing they have been had.
Baxter Building, New York. Reed is being mentally teased by Miss Rhona Burchill. She starts mentally taking down guards.
Wolverine gets back on his feet and fights Thing.
Wolverine gets a bit of an advantage over Thing. Then embarrassingly takes taken out by his own flu. I like having some fun with Wolverine, he’s a character that can easily kill everyone in the next room, so you can put him in silly situations like this as it won’t damage him at all.
That is a great look between Ben and Reed.
Reed, smartly, wants to make a truce and goes directly to Shadowcat, the only brain the X-Men have.
Rhona starts going a tad insane with having so much mental powers so quickly. She’s smart, so she has a decent grasp on her new powers.
Reed is impress with what Xavier and Magneto was able to build, which they really don’t get enough create for all of their gadget creations. Sure, Cerebro gets mention but they had to build fancy planes and uniforms. Heck, even the Danger Room had to be designed and programmed.
We learn that the X-Men uniforms block themselves from Sentinel scanners, which is handy.
Shadowcat asks if Reed ever had a girlfriend, she probably just feels like it is nice to talk to a guy who doesn’t try to make fart noises with his own mouth after the first three minutes of meeting him.
I still prefer Shadowcat with Spider-Man but I wouldn’t have minded Shadowcat dating Reed, though he turn out to be a horrible person later – from what I’ve read about and seen in Cataclysm. Plus, there would be no way for Proper Kitty and Reed to date, so it is fun to wish for Proper Kitty and Spider-Man to date as that is an option.
Reed is stun and doesn’t know how to talk to a woman, romantically, who isn’t Sue. Why would anyone else want to talk to him about such matters? He has no time for that, he only has eyes for Sue.
Reed was able to make Wolverine better but he won’t be at full strength in a while. Shadowcat recognizing him as their heaviest hitter is accurate. Thing might take offense to that but Wolverine has a killer instinct that Grimm doesn’t have.
Johnny can’t figure out why Kitty isn’t talking to him but talks to Reed. Sue isn’t impressed. Their father wants the Ultimates to deal with Rhona.
I was just thinking if this series was to tie into one of the Fantastic Four films but the first one came out in 2005 and the sequel was 2007, so that doesn’t time out.
Reed created refractions shields, so they have a better chance of not succumbing to Rhona’s mental powers. He mentions that Human Torch’s shield only works up to a certain degree, so now we can expect him to get at least as hot as four hundred decrees. Don’t worry, it never becomes an issue. It is only an example of Reed having to tell Johnny what is up.
Since Rhona can control machines, they have to part the Fantasti-car a distance away and walk the rest.
We get the Rivalry of Iceman and Human Torch, which is as natural as sharks and bears being nature’s best friends.
Thanks to YouTuber zombiefeast for hosting the video. I really do miss Space Ghost Coast to Coast. This is from the Kentucky Nightmare episode, Season 7 Episode 1.
Not a fan of Reed calling the team of Shadowcat and Invisible Woman, girls, but that’s Ultimate Reed for you.
Sue and Kitty would be my ultimate heroes turn villains duo, as they could kill people so fast and easily!
Instead, Sue tries to undermine Kitty, probably due to Kitty’s slight interest in Reed.
Shadowcat’s plan is to phase her hands through the electronics and disable them. Sue has a faster plan, to set off miniature force fields, have them expand and take out an entire wall in a few actions.
Which I sort of like a Sue Storm with attitude, something the 60s version wasn’t really allowed to have. She isn’t defined by her gender or who she is with or who she has birthed. I’m sure she is considered the strongest member of the team like her proper version is. She would have to.
There is a two page Daily Bugle styled Bullpen Bulletin. Storm 1 of 6, learn the full story of Ororo’s past. Astonishing X-Men 13, he wait is over and it’s time to rock! Ultimate Fantastic Four 27, featuring Ultimates, and President Thor? X-Men 182, the return of Apocalypse! New Excalibur 4, the team is formed and they’re not happy about it. Uncanny X-Men 469, An X-Man takes teh law into their own tank. Wolverine 39, a deadly showdown with the Winter Soldier! X-Men Deadly Genesis 4 of 6, Professor X’s darkest secret stands revealed before all! New X-Men 23, X-23 must make a difficult choice!
Iceman saves a boy, the boy is under Rhona’s control. Ben and Reed get into the cargo bay. Thing fights Robbie.
Rhona takes control of the two boys and have them fight each other.
Shadowcat tries to sneak attack but is too close to Rhona.
If Shadowcat could have phased her hand, the story would be done.
Rhona takes control of the ladies’ minds. Before she can do anything though, Reed comes busting through the wall.
Thing is under Rhona’s control and starts fighting Reed. Reed takes a page out of Rhona’s book and gives her a adapting virus.
Rhona is escaping while the heroes are regathering their thoughts.
Wolverine has a plan to ensure that they never have to worry about Rhona again. He cut her secondary fuel line, which causes her flying car to explode.
Wolverine tries his best at a lame hero line but I can’t believe everyone just stands around, wiping their hands clean of the situation. Wolverine just straight murdered someone and they just shrug their shoulders. So bizarre!
Baxter Building. The Next Day.
Reed has cleaned up the Cerebro components. Yu has taken over for the issue. Which I wonder why he even did that for? He got to draw only three pages. Was the script not long enough and Carey had to add a few pages? Was Yu just looking for work? The pages are nice but I’m not sure why they switched artists.
He drew the X-Men Away Team page, so maybe Ferry only wanted to do the Fantastic Four pages after having to do all of the X-Men pages in the previous chapter. Is that even a reason?
Lieutenant Lumpkin, that is quite the upgrade from postal carrier, but it could be his son too as he is quite young here. Or it is a familiar last name.
Human Torch tries to hit on Shadowcat, she’s seeing Spider-Man, so why downgrade? As far as I know, he never tries to hit on her again once he is living with Aunt May. We’ll have to pay attention to that once we review those issues.
Wolverine is going to dry the Rolls Royce back to Salem. Jean Grey and the X-Plane fly above them, offering to pick them up but Wolverine wants the drive. Would that plane be able to load the car into it? It seems too sleek for that.
Shadow and Flame with Magik 