Why Marvel Should Keep Warren Ellis’ Ruins Far Away From the MCU
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Marvel Cinematic Universe
After the massive box office success of Deadpool & Wolverine, it’s no surprise that Marvel might be tempted to explore more mature, R-rated stories. The plan is already in motion, with Daredevil: Born Again heating Hell’s Kitchen and efforts underway to bring Blade into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, one dark and disturbing chapter from Marvel’s history should never make it to the big screen: Warren Ellis’ comic book story, Ruins.
While the MCU Multiverse offers plenty of exciting worlds, Ruins should come with a warning label—and maybe a stiff drink.
The Nightmare World of Ruins
To understand why Ruins is so unsettling, we first must revisit Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross’ 1993 classic, Marvels. In that story, we follow news photographer Phil Sheldon, who documents a world filled with legendary heroes and villains. Ruins flip this concept on its head, placing Sheldon in a twisted alternate universe where, as he puts it, “anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.”
That’s an understatement. In this bleak reality, iconic Marvel characters either meet gruesome deaths or survive their origin stories only to endure fates far worse than death. It’s a world so horrifying that even Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) would likely steer clear after his multiverse travels in Deadpool & Wolverine.
X-Men, Ghost Rider, and the Hulk Living in Horror
In the nightmarish world of Ruins, Wolverine’s body rejects the adamantium grafted to his bones, leaving him suffering from metal poisoning and rotting flesh. The rest of the X-Men fare no better—Jean Grey is forced into prostitution, while other mutants are mutilated in a camp run by Wilson Fisk. Cyclops has his eyes burned out, Quicksilver’s legs have been amputated, and Kitty Pryde, in a tragic twist, gets stuck halfway through a door, losing her intestines in the process.
And where is their mentor, Professor Charles Xavier, to save them? In this universe, he’s the villain. Known as President X, Xavier is responsible for imprisoning these mutants.
Other beloved characters suffer equally grim fates. Instead of becoming the Hulk, Bruce Banner’s exposure to radiation turns him into a grotesque mass of tumors, reminiscent of a scene from Akira. Meanwhile, Johnny Blaze (aka Ghost Rider) ends his days in a carnival, where he burns his skull to a crisp in a final, fatal stunt.
A Grim Tale Best Left Untold
Ruins is a story drenched in despair, painting a picture so dark that even Deadpool might struggle to find humor in it. It’s a fantastically grim tale, but one that Marvel fans should hope never makes its way to the MCU. Sometimes, it’s best to leave certain stories in the pages of the comics where they belong. Trust us, true believers—this is one nightmare you don’t want to see brought to life.
