Kara Dennison
August 19, 2024 
It’s definitely Marvel manga o’clock on the Viz app. Besides the return of Deadpool: Samurai for a second run, we’ve got a brand new collab between two beloved super-suited heroes. What happens when your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man swings into the world of the original Ultraman? Read on to find out!
A Cinematic Universe
The events of Ultraman: Along Came a Spider-Man start in the Marvel universe… or, well, a Marvel universe. But we can’t help but get a few MCU vibes from this depiction, and not just because of the designs of the main Avengers. Iron Man, Cap, Thor, and more all bear resemblances to their movie counterparts. But there’s also a presence that seems very keyed to recent news: Doctor Doom.
Now, he’s got his mask on, so we can’t tell if he and Tony Stark look strikingly similar here. More importantly, though, he’s piling on the doubt for poor ol’ Spidey, who’s just gotten a talking to form his mentor Tony Stark about trying to save civilians instead of neutralizing the initial threat. Just as things are heating up, both Doctor Doom and Peter end up catching an unexpected train. But not just any train…
The Train in the Vary Dimension
Long-time Ultraman fans will know what’s going on immediately when this train rolls in. First seen in 1966’s Ultra Q, the first installment in the Ultra series, this train transcends time and space to take its passengers to an “ideal world.” And for Peter Parker, that means he’s going to be hopping to another fictional world: one similar to, but different from, his own.
Given Marvel’s recent bout of multiversal madness, it’s an interesting route to take. Granted, its primary function is bridging the gap between these two fictional franchises easily. But there were much simpler ways to bring the two characters together, considering there’s a Spider-Man tokusatsu series. So what’s the point of doing it this way? We think there’s an interesting lesson to be learned here.
Back in Time
While Peter Parker might not know who Ultraman is, we do. More than that, we know exactly who’s stepping up. Shin Hayata (he even name-checks himself before transforming) from the 1966 Ultraman is protecting the streets of Japan from giant monsters. And while the second chapter leaves off here, we have a sense of where it’s going.
In the first chapter, Peter Parker tries to reconcile his heroic ideals with the job of being an Avenger. After losing Uncle Ben, he doesn’t want to see anyone else die, and is upset by the idea of ignoring civilians. Doctor Doom reiterates that “real heroes” don’t exist. So we suspect that Ultraman’s brand of heroism may give Peter the perspective he needs to go home and keep fighting the good fight.
Interested? Start reading Ultraman: Along Came a Spider-Man!
