Warning! Spoilers ahead for Ultimate Finale #1!
Marvel is saying goodbye to Peach Momoko's X-Men for now, but not before giving them a new name, and a new mutant recruit.
Momoko's Ultimate X-Men has consistently ranked among the most highly regarded Marvel books since it launched in 2024. In an epilogue for the series, Momoko makes it clear there's still a lot of work left for her fledgling mutant heroes to do, in a world that is terrified by their powers.
"We're the Secret Society X-Men," the mutant known as Maystorm tells new mutant Micchan after the team saves her from civilians who have been armed and authorized to use force by the "Mutant Restraint Force."
The Secret Society X-Men's appearance in the Ultimate Universe: Finale one-shot is short and sweet, but it does what it needs to, which is set up a new chapter for the Ultimate X-Men. The question is whether Marvel's going to deliver, and whether Peach Momoko will still be at the helm.
Peach Momoko's X-Men series ends with its mutant heroes finally calling themselves that. Like the rest of Marvel's Ultimate line of books, Ultimate X-Men was an origin story. It ends, at least for now, just as a new era dawns for Momoko's mutants.
In Momoko's part of Ultimate Universe: Finale, Maystorm, Mori, Natsu, and Nico Minoru briefly appear to get into a scuffle with some Mutant Restraint Force soldiers while helping the tentacled young mutant Micchan escape. The point of the story is simple: the more things change, the more they stay the same. As radically different as Peach Momoko's X-Men was in many ways, it still boiled down to the fundamentals. More mutants are popping up every day and the world is a dangerous place for them.
Momoko's X-Men reimagining was a joy to watch from beginning to end, but readers can't help but feel like it was just getting started. And now that it is over, what is Momoko's next move at Marvel Comics? Is it more Ultimate X-Men? Or is she ready for a different project?
As the current era of Ultimate X-Men ends, there's a brewing conflict between the Mutant Restraint Force and mutantkind. The book's heroes are now officially the Secret Society X-Men. And there are still plenty of unknown dangers out there, mutant villains even more dangerous than the ones they've already encountered.
It's possible Ultimate X-Men could return and pick up on these threads with a different creative team. But considering how Peach Momoko wrote and illustrated the series, and poured her heart into it, that wouldn't sit right with many X-readers. If this really is the end for the series, it goes out with a lot of untapped potential left, but also having managed to deliver a satisfyingly complete origin story for its team.
Ultimate Universe: Finale #1 ends with the confirmation that: "the Ultimate Universe will return." Check back soon, because more should be expected to be revealed by Marvel in the coming days and weeks. And at the top of fans' minds, and the top of their wish lists for the next era of Ultimate Marvel, will be more of Peach Momoko's Secret Society X-Men.
Ultimate Finale #1 is available now from Marvel Comics.
What do you think, X-Men fans? Do you want more of Peach Momoko's mutants?
The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.
