Civil War II Transformed Ulysses into Marvel's Latest [SPOILER]

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for "Civil War II" #8, on sale now

Readers have seen the precognitive powers of the Inhuman Ulysses expand at an exponential rate over the course of "Civil War II," but the latest and final issue of the series takes the evolution of the character's powers farther than most might have imagined. From the relatively mundane power of premonition to empathetically projecting those premonitions into the minds of others and beyond, Ulysses' abilities have not only progressed beyond those of any other Inhuman, but beyond just about most every Marvel character on the planet. In fact, Brian Michel Bendis and David Marquez's conclusion potentially projects the place of Ulysses' into the vastness of the Marvel Universe's universe. In short, while it's the end of "Civil War II," it's only the beginning for Marvel's newest powerhouse.

Ulysses Is The Latest Cosmic Force In The Universal Order

Shortly after Carol Danvers blasted Tony Stark one final time, taking him down for good, Ulysses has his most pervasive and frightening vision yet, or rather, a series of them. One of these visions is a familiar one, but with a new dimension added: Miles Morales is still seen over the body of a slain Captain America on the steps of the U.S. Capitol Building, but this time a sinister vignette of Cap himself is visible overlooking the scene, lending weight to the idea that Ulysses' prediction stems from Cap's eventual outing as a Hydra agent.

Six additional premonitions are also shown, among them some grim futures that have been explored in the past: the alternate world of the Martian fighter Killraven, one that appears to be based on the classic X-Men storyline "Days of Future Past," and another that likely stems from Bendis' own more recent "Age of Ultron." The others feature another scenario featuring the X-Men, possibly tying into "Inhumans vs. X-Men," a showdown between Thor (the son of Odin, not Jane Foster) and Loki, and an even larger showdown that appears to forecast events from the upcoming "Monsters Unleashed" event, featuring familiar monsters such as Devil Dinosaur and Fin Fang Foom.

Larger than even Marvel's classic monsters is the entity that confronts Ulysses next: none other than Eternity, the living embodiment of the universe itself, with an invitation to join the ranks of Marvel's cosmic forces. These forces were shown to include other cosmic heavy hitters such as Master Order, Lord Chaos, and The Living Tribunal, as seen in last week's "Ultimates 2" #2, which made mention of the new order still under formation in the wake of the multiverse's rebirth following "Secret Wars." Ulysses appears to be more than pleased with the offer, and disappears along with Eternity.

Just What Is Ulysses Predicting, Anyway?

Eternity makes the incredulous Ulysses aware of the existence of the multiverse, and in the immediate wake of the half-dozen precognitive visions experienced by the young Inhuman, Eternity's mention puts forth interesting potential for Ulysses' powers. While his initial visions took place on this world that its inhabitants could, and did, act upon, his more recent ones depicting what appears to be already established alternate realities reveal that the future he sees is not necessarily the future of this reality. In terms of his most notable premonition, the fact that Miles hasn't killed Cap could simply indicate that it simply has yet to pass in this reality, or it could also point to the notion that while Miles will not kill Cap on this Earth, that scenario could instead play out on another.

In her subsequent discussion with The President, Carol acknowledges that Ulysses' predictions were those of a future; one of many possible futures. As she was present when Ulysses left with Eternity, her admission reflects a complete about-face in her stand regarding Ulysses' powers. Whereas she had interpreted his visions to be an absolute certainty within the context of this reality, the revelation that his predictions encompass all possibilities within the entire multiverse essentially invalidate her position. Ironically, the game-changing moment with Eternity's appearance came immediately after she had dispatched Tony; had Eternity arrived a moment sooner, Tony could have been spared a world of hurt.

What's Next For Ulysses? Even He Probably Doesn't Know

As recently revealed in "Ultimates 2," the movers and shakers of the cosmic realm are putting together a new team to govern the ways of the reborn multiverse, and they're seeking to fill some new positions, as witnessed by the addition of Galactus in his new and unfamiliar role as a life-bringer, rather than a destroyer. Ulysses also stands to fill a previously unseen role, perhaps as a kind of visionary or soothsayer to foresee events across the multiverse that would necessitate the new order's intervention. Such intervention could either be initiated to forestall his visions, or to ensure that they occur.

With Ulysses morphing from a normal kid to a cosmic powerhouse so quickly, it's difficult to imagine anything more powerful than one who controls and oversees the multiverse. But the aggressive pace of his metamorphosis would suggest that his evolution isn't necessarily over; he could be destined to assume the role of something previously unseen in the Marvel Universe. The character could conceivably be on the fast track to true godhood; not demigods like Odin or Zeus, but a true god, who oversees and controls all, perhaps even dwarfing the power of his current cosmic counterparts.

Of course, not all of the impact stemming from Ulysses' new role has to span the multiverse; if the character remembers his roots as an Inhuman, this could prove to be a further boon for the other Inhumans still on Earth, and perhaps even further upend the Inhuman / mutant status quo. Ulysses stands to be a catalyst for future events, both local and across the multiverse.