Though Ultimate Marvel began as an effort to reboot the Marvel universe in an updated and grounded way, the world eventually transformed into a strange mirror dimension on the main Marvel Universe. By the time the United States of America broke apart in Ultimate Marvel, it was clear that the grounded and realistic approach went out the window.
However, this also had the after-effect of having Captain America take the office of President of the United States in 2012's Ultimate Comics Ultimates #16, by Sam Humphries and Luke Ross.
Ultimate Captain America had much the same origins as the mainstream 616 version, winning his reputation as a World War II veteran only to be lost decades while frozen in ice, before eventually returning to lead the world's preeminent superheroes in battle. From there, the two Captains diverged drastically, however. Cap's path towards the presidency began in the dark days following the death of Spider-Man. Blaming himself for Spider-Man's death after the hero threw himself in front of a bullet for him, Rogers hung up the star-spangled costume and retired.
Nick Fury requested that Captain America come out and make a statement against the president's actions in the attacks on the country led by the Maker and his Children of Tomorrow. The advanced race of super-beings threatened the country and the president sought to fight back. Fury knew this would lead to destruction, but Captain America could not bring himself to shoulder such responsibility. The Maker attacked Washington D.C., not only killing the president but several of the people who would have succeeded him, throwing the government into a state of disarray.
Texas and California eventually seceded from the country, Sentinels began ravaging the countryside hunting down mutants, and the populace of Ultimate Marvel were more divided than ever. With his country facing these challenges, Captain America stepped up and began fighting back, returning to costume and leading the Ultimates to reunify the country at last.
His actions proved inspirational to a people disheartened by the corruption festering throughout the country, and even the former Energy Secretary who succeeded to the presidency proved a disappointment. Upon his ousting, the American people wrote in the one candidate they knew they could believe in -- Steve Rogers.
When all was said and done, Captain America won the vote and accepted the office, taking the oath while still in costume and not even sticking around for the press afterward as he set off to save the country. Despite the people around him constantly worrying about the President of the United States endangering his own life, Rogers refused to set his responsibilities aside again. During his first term, he managed to successfully reunite the country and bring all states back into the Union. As his last act punctuating his noble service to the country, he then abdicated the presidency, confident that he was only fit to be as a wartime president and that others would do better in his place under normal circumstances.
The whole story proved to be one of Ultimate Captain America's defining moments. Beyond serving as a fitting character arc for him, the whole story also proved to be an optimistic testament against much of the cynical reputation Ultimate Marvel gained. Even years later, much of the comics line is remembered as a gritty take on Marvel's classic catalog, Captain America's presidency shows how the history of the Ultimate Universe could be contorted in strange and delightful ways, too.
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