The Ultimates 2 # 13 - Independence Day

Overview

The concluding chapter of the much-heralded Millar/Hitch tenure on Ultimates has finally arrived! All the running plot lines come to their cataclysmic end in these pages as the Team Supreme puts everything they’ve got into a grand finale that will take its place alongside the finest comics of the past decade. Alliances are made and relationships are severed in a tale you simply cannot miss. You have been warned! Part 7 (of 6)

In Norway, Thor battles against doctors that are trying to sedate him. His worried brother comes to him and tells him he needs to take his medicine so he stops believing he's a god. Thor knows this is all a trick though, an illusion created by his brother Loki. He's not really in Norway, he's in Washington, in the middle of battle. He slowly breaks free of Loki's spell and the real world comes into view. As soon as it does, Thor raises his hammer and brings it down on Loki, killing him.

Or so everyone thinks. As the Ultimates gather around to congratulate Thor, Loki gets up, saying that a hammer can't stop a being who can basically rewrite the universe. To show them what he means, Loki summons dragons, giant wolves, ogres, giants, and all sorts of monsters from Norse lore. While Captain America commands everyone to fall back, Thor continues to battle Loki. He tells his evil brother that his powers are weakening, but Loki disagrees. He says that hiding and planning was weak, but now he knows that he should have been brave. Should not have been afraid of Odin, and now, he's enjoying his fight with Thor. He's enjoying putting Thor on his knees. As Thor recovers from being beaten down by a swarm of Loki's, he tells his brother that he didn't come alone.

In the skies above, a rainbow appears and seems to fly to the battlefield. Upon closer inspection, countless vikings are seen riding the rainbow into battle. On the ground when the vikings show up as reinforcement, Hawkeye says he's sorry for ever doubting Thor. Captain America sees the warriors too, and tells all the heroes to get back into the battle.

The fight between Loki and Thor has turned and now Thor is in control. As he strikes his enemy, Loki admits that he was jealous. Then he starts talking about the humorous side of all the damage he's caused. Thor shuts him up with a hit from his hammer that calls down lightning so powerful that the impact is seen for miles around.

After the blow, Loki is nowhere to be seen. The skies clear, the battle stops, and Thor states that the planet is now under his protection.

During the clean up after the epic struggle, heroes from all over come to help. Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and even heroes from other parts of the world lend a hand. In the middle of it all, Tony Stark drinks.

Back at the site of the fight between Thor and Loki, the Ultimates congratulate Thor and show that they no longer doubt that he is a true god. Jan kiss Thor and Quicksilver recounts his favorite part of the battle, when Jan turned into a giant. Hank says that it was thanks to his formula. Captain America spots him and tells him that there will be consequences for his crimes. Hank plays off his turning traitor as a ploy to infiltrate the enemy and the whole thing seems forgotten. Meanwhile, Scarlet Witch flirts with one of the Ultron robots.

The news reports the battle, its end, the clean up and the consequences. Captain America walks with his evil counterpart's body as it's transported to the lab, but stops to talk with Nick Fury. The Ultimates will be going neutral. They'll be an independent unit, not under the control of the US anymore. Elsewhere, Thor talks with the rest of the team about the same thing, and Jan wonders how they'll pay for it without the support of a government. Just then, billionaire Tony Stark flies up in his Iron Man suit, and Thor says that his father works in mysterious ways.

In a nearby hospital, the Black Widow recovers. She had survived Tony Starks nanites by slitting her wrists and letting them flow out with her blood. She'd been found and saved, but now Hawkeye was coming for her. She tries to run but Hawkeye pins her to the wall with his arrows. She insults him one more time by bringing up his dead family right before he sends a third arrow through her face.

In Tony Stark's townhouse, he goes over changes being made to turn it into the new Ultimates HQ. He also explains to his assistant how the team going independent frees the US up to sign the superhuman test ban treaty. He goes to his own room and starts to cry over Black Widow when he sees a girl on the street through his window and he quickly gets over his broken heart.

At the Triskellion, Hank Pym is locked in the cage that previously housed Bruce Banner and Thor.

In a flashback to 1942, Steve Rogers walks with his girlfriend after going to a movie. They talk about what the experiment hes going to be a part of and Steve assures Gail that he'll be fine. He'll be more than fine, he'll be a hero. He promises that he'll be back right after the war, and they kiss.

The Ultimates Volumes One and Two were dedicated with love to Stan and Jack.