Whatever a Spider Can’s All-New Ultimates #1 recap

All-New Ultimates tells the story of new street-level superhero team the, well, All-New Ultimates featuring Miles Morales’ Spider-Man, Jessica Drew’s Spider-Woman, Cloak and Dagger and Bombshell (Kitty Pryde is around somewhere as well).  This is a relatively new team and #1 obviously starts at the beginning of their attempts to fight crime as one.

The issue starts with conversation between the characters attempting to name their group acting as a faux introduction of sorts to the All-New Ultimates name and it’s major players, although it could, and maybe should have been Spidey ‘n’ Friends. But we’re shown Spider-Man, Cloak & Dagger, Spider-Woman and finally Bombshell fills out the teen superhero team as its last member.

We’re then introduced to Ganke Lee, who is Spider-Man’s BFF as he gets attacked by destinctive looking super-powered muggers only for Cloak and Dagger to intervene and save him. Cloak teleports everyone away from danger and then they try to convince Ganke to go to a hospital or a doctor. The shock of the attack finally catches up to Ganke.

This leads to Spider-Man being called to help his friend and a brief description of the attackers as wearing snakes and skulls and knives on their jackets. Cloak and Dagger make their excuses and Spider-Man unmasks, and as Miles Morales tells Ganke that he can stay at his house until his face looks better so that his parents don’t find out.

We then scene-hop to the Lower East Side where some cops are raiding somewhere. The room is clear but it turns out to be a live-lab which is dangerous, especially when a body turns up. Apparently the lab belongs to someone called Stone, who is on the run with a disfigured looking skinny guy.

Next we’re taken to Hell’s Kitchen Church which is the headquarters for the All-New Ultimates. Here we get an amusing scene showing Lana (Bombshell) turn up late because of her parole officer meetings, Jessica (Spider-Woman) try to get everyone to communicate with phones and Cloak describing their superheroism as an ‘after school program’.

We then get a bit of exposition from Spider-Woman who tells us she wants the group to take down a lab that is now under the control of a rising criminal gang the Serpent Skulls (the very same guys that attacked Ganke earlier in the issue). The Skulls are making a new product and are aiming to expand.

We jump to Jessica’s appartment and learn that Kitty Pryde is living there. Kitty and Jessica have a lenghty discussion about Kitty’s new found celebrity after she saved the world and how she’s gone from a freak to an in-demand hero. Jess also tries to convince Kitty to join the All-New Ultimates but she initially declines.

We then see Styx and Stone attacking some people near Bombshell’s home, Bombshell activates a distress signal she was given earlier at the meeting and then intervenes. All hell breaks loose as Bombshell’s powers fail briefly, Spider-Woman turns up and breaks Stone’s weapon harness and Cloak and Dagger arrive as well.

Styx manages to incapacitate Cloak with his touch, after Dagger is almost hit by Stone’s weapon. Spider-Man saves Cloak and then the police arrive and cause a mini-stand-off. One of the officer’s called Terry points his gun at everyone but ends up on the receiving end of Styx’s touch and then Styx is shot by the other police officers. Terry is writhing around the floor in pain and his colleague is reassuring him.

Meanwhile the Ultimates are also reeling with Cloak still incapacitated and the team trying to figure out if they make a run for it or stay and help. But before a decision can be made the Serpent Skulls show up and surround everyone involved. Their leader is revealed to be a villainess called Diamondback, who hints that a big brawl is about to happen.

Want more Spider-Man news? Subscribe to the Whatever A Spider Can newsletter to get the latest news and rumors about upcoming movies, TV shows and comics before anyone else. Or you can follow us on Twitter @WhatASpiderCan or like us on Facebook.