Ultimen
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The Ultimen are a fictional superhero group featured in the animated series Justice League Unlimited. Based on original characters from the Super Friends, they are a group of young heroes who used their gifts to not only help people, but also to gain media attention.
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[edit] Team history
First appearing in the episode "Ultimatum", the Ultimen assisted the Justice League in saving an off-shore oil platform from a group of lava monsters. Near the end of the fight, Wind Dragon created a cyclone of arctic wind that froze the remaining creatures solid, a power he had never displayed before (another nod to Super Friends, as the "affirmative action" members seemed to manifest convenient new powers semi-regularly). Concerned, but not willing to dwell on it, he turned his attention to the media, giving such a wholehearted speech that it even made Superman groan. Though they were given the chance to join the Justice League, the Ultimen declined, saying they did not feel worthy yet for membership.
The team's money manager, Maxwell Lord, used the media to make them look like selfless heroes who had nothing to hide from the public. He contested that his Ultimen, unlike the Justice League, were a group of "down-to-earth" heroes (both figuratively and literally) who the people could relate to. Lord also justified the use of marketing their images and likenesses through toys and merchandise as a way to fund their crime fighting careers, giving the members impressively generous royalty checks to buttress his argument. Secretly, however, he was growing concerned with the knowledge that Wind Dragon had gained a new power, and called all the Ultimen together for testing. Long Shadow, having also mutated into gaining super hearing, heard Lord speaking to their doctor, Professor Hamilton, and learned that the Ultimen themselves were actually created in a lab and implanted with false memories by members of Project Cadmus. Eventually, they interrogated the truth out of Lord, who also told them that they were dying and were going to be replaced by clones. Angry, the Ultimen attempted to find the woman in charge, Amanda Waller, and confront her, but she and her project were long gone on her orders. When the Justice League showed up, they stopped searching for Waller and (except for Long Shadow) attacked them in hopes that they would be remembered for defeating the world’s most powerful heroes. They eventually lost, and with the exception of Long Shadow (who was officially offered membership into the Justice League), were taken into Cadmus' custody to await their eventual deaths. None of these original Ultimen make additional appearances in the series, and it is likely that their bodies simply deteriorated on to death.
In the episode "Flashpoint", it is revealed that Cadmus has created an army of clones of all the Ultimen, to be led by Galatea (herself a clone of Supergirl) against the Justice League. This Ultimen army no longer have the personality of the originals and are, basically, mindless automatons controlled by Galatea. In the following episode "Panic in the Sky", the clone army attacks the Justice League's Watchtower while its founding members are being held on Earth. The remaining members of the Justice League are able to defeat them and Galatea, though it has not been revealed how or even if they were disposed of afterward.
[edit] Members
The Ultimen themselves are a pastiche of several ethnically diverse superheroes from the old Super Friends series (sometimes referred to as the "Affirmative Action Heroes") as well as the Wonder Twins. While they retain the powers and cultural backgrounds of these characters, they are portrayed in a far less stereotypical fashion. Additionally, the two characters based on the Wonder Twins don't need to touch hands to transform, unlike the Superfriends originals.
- Wind Dragon – The leader of the Ultimen, who had the power to control the wind and later on create ice. (Based on Samurai)
- Long Shadow - Has the powers to expand his body mass, growing into a massive giant. Also demonstrates enhanced hearing. Has a crush on Wonder Woman, much to Batman’s chagrin. (Based on Apache Chief)
- Downpour - Shifter’s brother, can turn into any form of water, whether liquid, gaseous (steam), or solid (ice), including ice constructs. (Based on Zan of the Wonder Twins)
- Shifter – Downpour’s sister, can turn into any animal, even extinct ones, though she always has white skin, fur, scales, etc. (Based on Jayna of the Wonder Twins)
- Juice – Can generate and control electricity. Water is his weakness and causes his powers to short out. (based on Black Vulcan, who is in turn based on the character Black Lightning)
[edit] Others
- Maxwell Lord – Took care of the Ultimen’s public image and profits. He also looked after them.
- Amanda Waller – Led the creation of the Ultimen among other Project Cadmus affairs.
- Professor Hamilton – Looked after the Ultimen (along with Lord) and also acted as their doctor.
[edit] Trivia
- In the episode "Ultimatum", the Ultimen are fought by a team consisting of the founding members of the very first Super Friends series: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman. (Sadly for fans, Robin, Wendy and Marvin are nowhere to be seen. Dwayne McDuffie claims that Wonderdog appeared as "the beast that threw itself against the bars." [1] Robin could not have appeared, as he was on Teen Titans at the time.)
- Also conspicuous by his absence in "Ultimatum" was the only other "Affirmitave Action Hero" from Superfriends, El Dorado. The shirtless Hispanic hero had an arsenal of superpowers that were vaguely defined at best (though, he often exhibited teleportation and illusionary powers), likely explaining his absence.
