Ultraforce facts for kids

The Ultraforce is a fictional group of superheroes. They appear in American comic books. First, they were published by Malibu, and later by Marvel. The team's main goal was to protect people. They also made sure other "Ultras" (superheroes) behaved well.

The group included many powerful Ultras from Malibu's Ultraverse. Some key members were:

• Prime: He was super strong.
• Hardcase: One of the first and most famous public Ultras.
• Prototype: An armored hero who spoke for Ultra-Tech.
• Topaz: A warrior queen from a place called Gwendor.
• Ghoul: An undead hero, the last of a group called the Exiles.
• Contrary: A mysterious person who formed the team and gave them cool technology.

In 1994, Ultraforce became an animated TV show. It had 13 episodes and was made by DIC.

Comic Book History

The Ultraforce team first appeared in Ultraforce #0 in September 1994. Like other famous teams such as the Avengers or Justice League, Ultraforce brought together heroes who already had their own comic series.

The first Ultraforce comic series ran for 11 issues. The first 7 issues were written by Gerard Jones and drawn by George Perez.

Later, Marvel Comics bought Malibu Comics. This led to a big event called Black September. During this event, Ultraforce teamed up with the Avengers in a comic called Avengers/Ultraforce. After this, the Ultraforce comic series restarted. It ran for 16 more issues until the Ultraverse comics ended.

The Ultraforce team also appeared in other big comic events. These included Phoenix Resurrection, Ultraforce/Spider-Man, and Ultraverse Unlimited.

Ultraforce Adventures

How the Team Started

Ghoul, the only survivor of the Exiles, rose from his tomb. The public and news bothered him a lot. Hardcase saved him. Hardcase told the press that only Ultras could control other Ultras, not the government.

Prime saw this on TV. He decided to find members for a new team called "Ultraforce." He convinced Prototype that the team was needed. But then they started fighting over who would be the leader.

Their fight caught the attention of Contrary. She took Hardcase and Ghoul to her airship. She showed them how their fight was affecting people. While Prime and Prototype fought on land, a villain named Atalon, king of the fire people, pulled them underground. Hardcase went to rescue them.

Meanwhile, Topaz, a queen from Gwendor, arrived on Earth. Contrary promised to help her return home. Prime and Prototype tried to fight Atalon but lost. Hardcase arrived just in time to save them.

After this, the Ultraforce team officially formed. The US government and President Bill Clinton supported them. The team tried to get help from other heroes like the Freex, The Strangers, Nightman, and Mantra. But they were all rejected.

Contrary's actions caused Prime to leave the team for a short time. Atalon created a new island and fought Ultraforce there. Prime returned during the fight. Atalon then set off a nuclear missile on the island.

In the battle with Atalon, a young Ultra named Pixx gave her life. She stopped Atalon's nuclear weapons but was killed by the radiation. Atalon was defeated. After talking with Contrary, he agreed to leave the surface world alone. Later, Ghoul investigated the strange death of a singer named Mosh.

The Black September Event

Black Knight, a hero from Marvel, came to the Ultraverse. He met Prototype and Prime. He helped them fight 'angels' created by Metabio Corporation. These 'angels' were accidentally set free by Siren, who then joined the team. The 'angels' couldn't hurt Ghoul because his body was already decaying. So, he was able to defeat them.

Topaz fought the sorceress Mantra for a sword that belonged to Topaz's people. But the villain Hybrid interrupted them. Hybrid sent Ultraforce on a mission to Egypt. Hybrid was defeated, and Topaz and Mantra made peace. Later, Black Knight looked for clues about Loki in New York. He found his love, Sersi, but she was controlled by an Infinity Gem. She attacked him and Topaz.

Then, Ultraforce fought the Asgardian God Loki. Loki was looking for the Infinity Gems in the Ultraverse. Loki used illusions to send the heroes in different directions. They found the Infinity Gems. With Sersi's help, they returned to Earth.

After this, Loki tricked the Ultraforce heroes into fighting the Avengers. It was a competition between Loki and the Grandmaster for the Infinity Gems. Loki won and got all the gems. But he soon lost them to a being called Nemesis when the seven gems came together. Both teams, Avengers and Ultraforce, fought Nemesis. They were in a changed reality that mixed both universes.

Black Knight defeated Nemesis. This caused a huge change in reality. It changed the Ultraverse, making Hardcase and Contrary disappear. Their teammates forgot them. Also, Prototype (Jimmy Ruiz) was replaced by the first Prototype, Bob Campbell.

After Black September

After the "Black September" event, Ultraforce was reformed as a new team. Marvel's Black Knight became the leader. The new team included Black Knight, Prototype (Bob Campbell), Prime, Topaz, and Ghoul.

The new team fought a group called the Fold. They followed a man named Pascal and were killing Ultras. The team found out Pascal was dead. The Fold was just using his name to control people. The US government gave the team a new base in Headless Cross, Arkansas. A mysterious man named Cromwell became the team's government contact. Bob Campbell's wife, Felicia Campbell, helped the team as a medic.

Later, new members joined. These included the mysterious Lament and the hero Wreckage. Ultraforce investigated murders that Wreckage seemed to have committed. They found out the murders were done by an Ultra named Bonnehammer. He worked for a criminal group called the Commission. With Wreckage's help, Ultraforce defeated Bonehammer.

The team also joined forces with the X-Men. This happened when the Phoenix Force came to the Ultraverse and took over Prime. Both teams worked together to drive the Phoenix away. But it found a new host: Amber Hunt.

Ultraforce also teamed up with Spider-Man. They fought aliens called The Shifters. These aliens tried to start a war between the Ultraverse and Earth-616. Afterward, Amber Hunt and Ghoul investigated the Exiles' graves. They found the Progeny, an alien threat from the future.

While investigating the Ultra Foxfire, Ultraforce met Timothy Halloran, the Mastodon. He was committing murders in the sewers of New York. Mastodon was taken for medical help. Foxfire was a secret carrier of the Progeny virus.

Ultraforce investigated the murder of Senator Robert Shrine. Other Ultras were also killed in this case. During their search, they fought the Rawborgs and Dog. After some teammates attacked Dog, Black Knight removed Topaz, Ghoul, Lament, and Wreckage from the team. Topaz didn't want to leave and argued with Black Knight.

Topaz, Lament, and Prime started acting very aggressively. They attacked Black Knight and Cromwell. It was revealed that Prime, Lament, and Topaz were infected by the Progeny virus. They fought their future selves, who came from 50 years ahead to cure them. The Progeny virus would have infected all Ultras on Earth. After curing the virus and taking Foxfire with them, the future Ultraforce erased the memories of this event from their past selves.

Black Knight and Topaz searched the base to understand what happened. They accidentally released Specimen 13. He was one of several beings kept in a secret basement and was also Cromwell's brother. Specimen 13 overpowered the heroes. But his brother convinced him to return to his chamber.

After this, Ultraforce joined the New Exiles. They were fighting an alien robot named Maxis. Ultraforce collapsed a building on Maxis, stopping him for a short time. Right after, a whole fleet of Tulkan aliens arrived. They said they were tracking a monster called Demonseed. Demonseed had caused a lot of damage to their worlds. The Tulkans tracked the monster to Earth and wanted revenge. Ultraforce and the New Exiles fought the best of the alien fleet. They defeated them after a tough battle. With problems on their ships, the Tulkan leader accepted defeat and left. After the invasion, Black Knight returned to his home dimension. He went with the Exiles Siena Blaze and Reaper through a portal, with Maxis's help.

Prototype (Bob Campbell) became the new leader. He accepted new members from the Exiles: Hellblade, Ripfire, Amber Hunt, Ironclad, and the robot Maxis. Maxis no longer had his original mission. When Ghoul arrived, he was also welcomed back to the team.

Back at their base, Ultraforce met Hardcase. But they didn't recognize him. Hardcase explained that he wasn't erased by Black September. Instead, he was sent to a place called limbo. There, he created the creature Demonseed as a friend because he was lonely. However, Demonseed turned against him. It escaped to the past through a portal, destroying many alien civilizations.

Demonseed finally appeared and fought Ultraforce. It was too powerful for them. Ripfire was killed in the creature's attacks. But Hardcase sacrificed himself. He sent Demonseed back to limbo, where he fought it forever. Despite losing members, Ultraforce looked to the future to continue their mission.

50 years in the future, Prime, Ironclad, and others were living happily after many battles.

Team Members

Here are the members of Ultraforce. The "First appearance" is where the character first showed up in the Ultraverse. It's not necessarily when they first appeared in a comic or joined the team.

Original Team (Before Black September)

New Team (After Black September)

Meet the Heroes: Short Bios

Hardcase: The Famous Ultra

Hardcase is a superhero who first appeared in his own comic series. He was one of the first heroes in Malibu Comics' Ultraverse. Hardcase's real name was Tom Hawke. He was a Hollywood actor who became one of the first publicly known Ultras (superhumans). He even formed the first superhero team in his universe, called The Squad.

Hardcase first appeared in Hardcase #1 in June 1993.

Hardcase was incredibly strong. He could throw a car over 50 yards easily. His leg muscles let him jump almost a mile. He was also very tough and hard to hurt. Extreme temperatures were the only things that really affected him. When he did get hurt, Hardcase could heal quickly, especially if he drank seawater. His senses were also super sharp, letting him hear and see things from far away.

Prototype: The Armored Hero

Prototype is the name of two different superheroes in the Ultraverse comics. Both heroes used a special armored suit made by the Ultratech company. They also worked for that company. The first Prototype was Bob Campbell. After an accident, a young man named Jimmy Ruiz took his place.

Bob Campbell was the first person to speak for Ultratech. He wore the Prototype armor. But he got hurt in a demonstration and lost an arm after fighting a villain named Arena.

After Bob's accident, Ultratech hired Jimmy Ruiz. He was given special treatments and implants to help him control a new Prototype armor. In his first public appearance, a supervillain attacked Jimmy. Jimmy defeated the villain.

Jimmy and Bob later found out that Ultra-Tech was corrupt. They decided to leave the company and become independent heroes. They fought against a Japanese organization called Techuza.

When Marvel relaunched the Ultraverse during the Black September (comics) event, Jimmy Ruiz was erased from history. Bob Campbell became the only Prototype who had ever existed. His arm was never torn off. He joined the new Ultraforce team and later became its leader. He led the Ultraforce heroes against the villain Demonseed.

Contrary: The Mysterious Organizer

Contrary was a mysterious woman. She found ancient technology from the Fire People. She used it to build a secret school for young Ultras. She also had a special airship that could travel anywhere. People thought she might be "Wetware Mary," a nurse who accidentally gave a virus to babies. This virus turned them into Ultras when they grew up.

Years later, Contrary found some of these children for her Academy of the New Elite. A group of runaway teens called Freex opposed her. When Ultraforce was formed, Contrary brought the members together. She convinced Hardcase to be the leader. She was also very interested in the adventures of the Black Knight when he arrived from Earth-616.

When Marvel relaunched the Ultraverse during the Black September (comics) event, Contrary disappeared. No one knows what happened to her.

Topaz: The Warrior Queen

Topaz is a character created by Mike W. Barr. She first appeared in Giant-Size Mantra #1. She was a warrior queen from Gwendor, a realm where only women lived. Topaz was the title of the queen, and her real name was never shared. She met the sorceress Mantra when Mantra arrived in her kingdom. She fought Mantra for an old family treasure called Gwendor's Claw.

An alien spaceship crashed, creating portals that briefly connected Gwendor to the Ultraverse. Queen Topaz was stranded on Earth. She was shocked to find a world where men and women lived together, unlike Gwendor. Topaz was very upset by this new reality. But Pixx of Ultraforce calmed her. Pixx showed her an image of "the true power behind men"—Hillary Clinton, who was the First Lady of the USA at the time.

Pixx explained that men on Earth have fragile egos. She said it was easier for women to let men think they were in charge. Topaz was still bothered by this "unnatural" order. But she agreed to join UltraForce, even though a man, Hardcase, led it.

After Black Knight arrived in the Ultraverse, Topaz often disagreed with his orders. When Sersi met Black Knight, she seemed angry. Topaz fought Sersi until Sersi calmed down. After Black September, Topaz stayed in the Ultraverse and got used to it. There were hints that she and Black Knight liked each other, but nothing happened. Topaz was a key fighter in battles against the Tulkans and Demonseed.

Ghoul: The Undead Survivor

Ghoul's real name is Jonathan Martin. He was created by Steve Gerber, R.R. Phipps, Dave Olbrich, Chris Ulm, and Tom Mason. He first appeared in Exiles Vol.1 #1. Jonathan Martin was one of many young people affected by the Theta Virus. This virus gave superhuman powers but also killed its host without help. He became like a zombie, neither truly alive nor dead. Dr. Rachel Deming recruited him into the Exiles. She gathered a group of Theta Virus victims with superpowers. The whole group was killed by an explosion caused by Amber Hunt. Before his "death," Ghoul defeated the villain Malcolm Kord and his helpers.

Ghoul survived. He was buried for a while, then rose from his grave looking different. He met Hardcase and became a member of Ultraforce.

Pixx: The Sacrificing Hero

Pixx, whose real name was Penny Burka, was created by Gerard Jones and Jeff Parker. She first appeared in Giant Size Freex #1 (1995). Penny was a normal teenager until her powers appeared. She started to uncontrollably project images that others saw as real. Her parents contacted the Academy of the New Elite, run by Contrary. Under Contrary's teaching, Pixx found that her powers also gave her amazing technical skills. She was part of the first Ultraforce team. But she gave her life in the battle against Atalon.

Ultraforce's Foes

• Before Black September
  • Attalon
  • Angels (created by Metabio corporation)
  • Hybrid
  • Loki
  • Nemesis
• After Black September
  • The Fold and Pascal
  • Bonehammer
  • Phoenix Force
  • Shifters
  • The Progeny
  • Rawborgs and Dog
  • Specimen 13
  • Maxis
  • Tulkan armada and his Elite
  • Demonseed
  • Rune

Will Ultraforce Return?

In 2003, Marvel asked Steve Englehart to bring back the Ultraverse. He planned to use popular characters like Hardcase and Prime. But Marvel decided not to restart the comics.

In June 2005, Newsarama asked Marvel's editor-in-chief, Joe Quesada, if there were plans to bring back the Ultraverse. He replied:

Let's just say that I wanted to bring these characters back in a very big way, but the way that the deal was initially structured, it's next to impossible to go back and publish these books.

There are rumors out there that it has to do with a certain percentage of sales that has to be doled out to the creative teams. While this is a logistical nightmare because of the way the initial deal was structured, it's not the reason why we have chosen not to go near these characters, there is a bigger one, but I really don't feel like it's my place to make that dirty laundry public.

This means there are big reasons why Marvel can't easily publish these comics again.

When Simon Spurrier, who wrote the 2021 Black Knight series, was asked if his story would be in the Ultraverse, he said: "None percent, I'm afraid."

Ultraforce Animated Series

There was a short-lived Ultraforce animated TV show. It had 13 episodes. The show was based on the first Ultraforce comic book. DIC Productions, L.P. and Bohbot Entertainment produced it. There was also an Ultraforce action figure line made by Galoob.

The cartoon featured the same heroes as the comic: Prime, Hardcase, Prototype, Topaz, Ghoul, Contrary, and Pixx. Other heroes like the Night Man and the Strangers also appeared.

Episode List

Voice Actors

Ultraforce in Other Media

• The Ultraforce character Topaz (created by Mike W. Barr) appeared in the movie Thor: Ragnarok (2017). She was played by Rachel House. Topaz also appeared in the short film Team Darryl. Both were part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, made by Marvel Studios.