If you’ve been following the high-stakes war for the future of the Marvel Universe, The Ultimates #19 by writer Deniz Camp and artist Juan Frigeri is the high-stakes gut-punch you didn’t see coming. While the series has been defined by massive battles against the Maker’s Council, this issue proves that the smallest secrets can be more destructive than a fleet of Helicarriers.
The World at War
The story picks up a month into a brutal global conflict. H.A.N.D has destroyed the Ultimates’ cloaked satellite headquarters. On the ground, things are just as chaotic. Captain America is leading a liberation of the East Coast, engaging in surreal warfare against Captain Britain’s literal horde of enslaved mythical creatures like elves, orcs, and trolls. It’s “make-believe run amok,” and the toll is high: Cap even had to kill King Arthur (though in this world, resurrection cauldrons mean that’s likely temporary). However, the real meat of this issue is the heartbreaking flashback that reframes everything we know about the Pyms.
The Heart of the Matter: Janet and Hank
While the world burns, we are treated to the origin story of Janet Van Dyne and Henry Pym in this reality. Janet was a woman with big dreams who feared marriage because of what it did to her mother. Then she met Hank, who was a brilliant young man who didn’t try to make her dreams seem small.
But tragedy strikes during an accident at a corporate expo. Hank survives, but he’s a different person now. With three brain bleeds and 18 surgeries, the man who could once recite French poetry can now barely string sentences together.
The emotional core of the issue is Janet’s choice. Despite her father dismissing Hank as dead weight, she stays. When the broken, confused Hank wakes up and simply asks, “Are you… okay?” she realizes she can’t walk away. They build a small but moderately happy life together: she works retail while he cleans bathrooms at the university where he used to teach. It’s a tragic, beautiful portrait of devotion: until everything changed.
The Shadow of H.A.N.D.
The big twist is that Janet hasn’t just been sipping and knitting on her nights out. She has been secretly training for years. While Hank was kept in the dark to protect his soft nature, Janet was becoming a specialist in hand-to-hand combat, espionage, and military history.
Janet admits she did it for herself as much as for him, as it gave her the purpose and the bigger life she thought she’d lost. This revelation recontextualizes her entire character: we now know she was basically a sleeper agent who has been less than truthful all this time, but for good reasons.
Art and Visual Storytelling
Juan Frigeri’s art is spectacular, particularly in how it handles the contrast between the high-fantasy gore of the current war and the soft, domestic tragedy of the flashbacks. The image of a giant being taken down from the inside by a shrunken Janet is visceral and horrifying to look at.
Federico Blee and Edgar Delgado’s colors do heavy lifting here. The present day is washed in the harsh oranges of fire and the cold blues of space, while the flashbacks have a slightly more nostalgic, cinematic glow that makes the eventual accident feel even more jarring. The design of the Helicarrier attack on page 5 is a standout, capturing the sheer scale of the sacrifice being made.
The Big Reveal and Verdict
The issue ends on a massive bombshell, revealing a surprising new character standing over a fallen Fury. It’s an introduction that instantly shifts the power dynamics of the series just as we reach the endgame.
Overall, The Ultimates #19 proves Deniz Camp is one of the best writers in the game right now for balancing cosmic stakes with human fragility. It asks the question, “What would you sacrifice for what you believe?” and then shows us that sometimes, the answer is the trust of the person you love most.
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The Ultimates #19 proves Deniz Camp is one of the best writers in the game right now for balancing cosmic stakes with human fragility. It asks the question, “What would you sacrifice for what you believe?” and then shows us that sometimes, the answer is the trust of the person you love most.
