Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 Update: New Character Revealed

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance has been making waves in the fan community since it was announced last year. The sequel to 2004's Marvel: Ultimate Alliance draws on the recent Civil War event that ran through nearly every Marvel Comics book. The dramatic story saw the Marvel universe divided into two camps after a disaster resulted in laws passing that require heroes to register with the government. One camp is fine with the registration; the other has the expected privacy concerns and chooses not to. The resulting friction between the groups turns into a big mess that divides friends, families, and even teams. Since MUA 2's announcement, fans have speculated as to the game's roster. Although Albany-based developer Vicarious Visions and publisher Activision have been keeping pretty quiet on the specifics of the roster, with characters being revealed slowly, both have hinted that the roster will contain a few surprises. Today we're able to reveal a biggie: Aunt May.

For those who aren't familiar with the feisty centenarian, May Reilly Parker is Peter Parker's--yes, Spider-Man's--aunt. May, along with her deceased, perforated husband Ben Parker, raised young Peter when both of his parents were shot by thugs in Crime Alley. The young boy swore vengeance that night and, after being conveniently bitten by a radioactive spider years later in high school, became Spider-Man. Or something like that; the point is that a radioactive spider bit a nerd, he got superpowers, and led a double life while living with his aunt, which takes the "cool" edge off of things, but so it goes.

Anyhoo, May was able to keep Peter mostly on the straight and narrow as he led his double life of high-school nerd and outcast hero. Although May is commonly viewed as a side character in the Spider-Man universe, it's a little-known fact that she's been a power player in the Marvel Universe from time to time, which makes her a perfect addition to the Civil War roster. Vicarious is prepping a variety of special attacks and fusions that play to her unique nature. Fans should plan on using canes, walkers, and May's entire body as they wade into the fray in MUA2. We're especially curious to see if Vicarious will actually offer fans a version of May's "Golden Oldie" persona which, as fans know, came about when she was cosmically empowered by Galactus to be one of his heralds. In any case, May will take her place on ex-boyfriend Captain America's team (they dated briefly during the first World War) in the game.

If you're a fan of Marvel Comics and have been hankering for the chance to play as Aunt May, then your time has come. The addition of the character is a bold move on Vicarious' part and proves that just because you read Civil War doesn't mean you know what to expect out of MUA2. We'll be anxiously following MUA2 as more of the roster is revealed. Look for more on the game soon.