Avengers (vol. 3) #19
Ultron Unlimited Part One: This Evil Renewed!
The Black Panther has been called to the Wakandan Design Group factory that constructs Quinjets for the Avengers.[1][2] There he discovers that someone trashed the facility and killed all the staff. Searching the wreckage, he ends up running into one of the Avengers robotic foes back from the dead.
At that moment, Firestar and Justice are moving their things into Avengers Mansion after the couple decided to live there full time. Jarvis offers his assistance, but the young couple are fine. Vance, however, is still a little sour that he has to stay on the sidelines after suffering a broken leg during a recent battle.[3] Inside they are greeted by Captain America who tells them to join the rest of the team in the den as they are having a press conference, something Iron Man organized to try to undo some of the damage done to their credibility following their recent battles with Lord Templar, Pagan, and their apparent connection to the Triune Understanding.[4] When asked where the Scarlet Witch, Wonder Man, and Vision are, Cap notes that Wanda and Simon have gone out for lunch, but nobody knows where the Vision is.
Meanwhile, Wanda and Simon have gone to a local Transian cafe for lunch. There, Wanda agrees to do a traditional Transian dance for the patrons. At first, she is apprehensive about doing so but once she gets into rhythm with the music so loves every moment of it. When she finishes dances she joins Simon back at their table where she spies the Vision in his Victor Shade disguise sitting across the room.[5] The moment she notices him he quickly departs. Wanda then asks about “Victor Shade” to the owner and he tells her that Mr. Shade has been a longtime and one of his best customers. When Simon asks if there is anything the matter, she isn’t entirely sure.
Back at the mansion, the press conference begins and the Avengers become increasingly annoyed with the line of questioning coming from the reporters. They are grilled about their handling of Pagan and suggest that they might be religiously intolerant, they are also questioned about the lack of African-American representation on the team, Justice’s previous murder conviction, the group’s association with mutants, as well as the “Sandman debacle”.[6] Before the Avengers can get anything in edgewise, the Wasp comes crashing in through the window seeking help from her teammates. She tells them that Hank Pym has been kidnapped, prompting the Avengers to abruptly end the press conference so they can focus on this current crisis. Joined by Firestar and Justice, the rest of the team learn how Janet went to visit Hank at his new job at Nugent Technologies only to discover his lab in shambles. Trying to contact the Avengers with her communi-card, she discovered that something was disrupting the signal, prompting her to race to the mansion and hence her dramatic entrance earlier. That’s when Jarvis informs them of the incident at the Wakandan Design Group and how sensors picked up a robot comprised of adamantium.
Scrambling to a Quinjet, the Avengers decide to go to the Long Island facility first. On the way, the Wasp already figures that this is probably the work of Ultron. The team all recollect how Ultron was created by Hank and how the rogue artificial intelligence became an ever present threat to the Avengers. Always upgrading itself, Ultron has become more dangerous with each passing encounter and has created other artificial life forms as well including the Vision, Jocasta, and Alkhema, while also creating weapons for the Grim Reaper.[7] When they arrive at the facility, they land the Quinjet in a secret tunnel in the back and use it to enter the factory unseen. There, they discover that the Black Panther has been attacked by Alkhema. She begins attacking the Avengers, explaining that she has returned because Ultron is back.[8] However, she isn’t attacking them to help him, but rather to destroy the Avengers and take that pleasure away from her creator. The Avengers are unable to cause any damage to the robot thanks to her adamantium construction.
Eventually, the Scarlet Witch and Wonder Man arrive on the scene. There, Wanda threatens to use her hex powers to disrupt the molecular re-arranger — which allows Alkhema’s dense adamantium body to move — to immobilize her. However, the robot calls her bluff, reminding her of how, during their last encounter, Alkhema had created a device to counteract Wanda’s hex powers.[9] However, this time around the Scarlet Witch is much more adept with her powers and is easily able to bypass the device blocking her powers. Tortures Alkhema in order to get the robot to reveal Ultron’s location. Ultimately, Alkhema tells the Avengers if they want to know where he creator is, all they need to do is turn on the news.
Heading back to the mansion, the Avengers put on the news and are horrified to see Ultron launch a full scale assault on the nation of Slorenia. The robot and his forces decimate the small European nation and kill every man, woman, and child. The final clip from the area is of Ultron surveying the carnage he has wrought before finding and killing the camera man at the scene documenting everything. It’s a very long time before the Avengers can say anything.
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Wasp, Scarlet Witch, Black Panther, Vision, Wonder Man, Justice, Firestar), Ultron, Alkhema, Edwin Jarvis
Continuity Notes
Here, it is stated that this facility was once owned by Stark Enterprises but was given to the Wakandan Design Group when the company became Stark-Fujikawa. After Tony Stark’s death in Avengers #395, the Fujikawa Corporation took over Stark Enterprises starting in Iron Man #329. Stark was later resurrected following Onslaught: Marvel Universe #1. He’ll later retake control of his company in Iron Man (vol. 3) #56.
It is stated that recently the Avengers crashed three Quinjets and needed replacements built. These incidents happened in Avengers (vol. 3) #17, Annual 1999, and 0.
Vance mentions his concussion and broken leg which happened over the course of Avengers (vol. 3) #16-18, during the team’s battle with the Wrecking Crew and Doomsday Man.
The battles with Templar and Pagan happened in Avengers (vol. 3) #13-15. The Triune Understanding has been secretly trying to ruin the Avengers reputation as part of a grand scheme to prepare the world for an invasion by Kang the Conqueror. See Avengers (vol. 3) #41-54 and Annual 2001.
Vision has been using the Victor Shade identity since Avengers Spotlight #40 and uses an image inducer to disguise himself as an ordinary human.
Lots of stuff being brought up all at once here. Other than the Triune Understanding stuff the following things are also mentioned
The lack of African-American representation on the team: At this point in their history, the Avengers have only had four black members. The Black Panther who joined up in Avengers #52, the Falcon in issue #184, Captain Marvel/Photon who joined in Avengers #227. Lastly, War Machine was a member of the west coast team starting in Avengers West Coast #94. This pressure for more representation on the team will lead to them being forced to admit Triathlon onto the team in Avengers (vol. 3) #27.
Justice’s father, Arnold Astrovik, was an abusive parent and Vance killed him in self defense in New Warriors #21. Vance was convicted of murder and sentenced to prison time in the Vault in New Warriors #25. He was eventually paroled in New Warriors #42 thanks to pressure from mutant rights and child abuse advocates.
The whole suspicion over mutants here is that this story takes place during a period of heightened anti-mutant sentiment following the events of Onslaught: Marvel Universe #1.
“The Sandman Debacle”: The Sandman had gone straight in Marvel Two-In-One #86 and his heroics led to him getting reserve status on the Avengers in Avengers #329. However, he later quit the team over a misunderstanding in Amazing Spider-Man #348. More recently, in Peter Parker: Spider-Man #12, Sandman’s old partner-in-crime, the Wizard, used an ID Machine to make him evil again.
Lots of Ultron backstory being dumped all at once. Here are the details:
They mention how Ultron was created by Hank Pym and how it instantly rebelled against him. This was all laid out in Avengers #58.
Ultron upgrading his body to be comprised of Adamantium in Avengers #66-68.
The creation of the Vision in Avengers #57-58 and 134-135, the creation of Jocasta in Avengers #161-162 and the creation of Alkhema in Avengers West Coast #90-91.
It was revealed in Avengers #161 that Ultron was the one who first outfitted the Grim Reaper with his high-tech weapons.
Here, the Wasp recounts how Alkhema’s personality is based on Hawkeye’s wife Mockingbird, who is said to be dead. Bobbi Morse was seemingly killed in action during a battle with Mephisto in Avengers West Coast #100. In reality, this wasn’t the real Bobbi, but a Skrull spy who took her place circa Avengers West Coast #91. The truth won’t come out until Secret Invasion #8 and New Avengers: The Reunion #2.
Ultron came up with a means to counteract Wanda’s hex powers in Avengers West Coast #90.
Topical References
One of Angelica’s boxes is labeled “Angel’s tapes and CDs”, this should be considered a topical reference as cassette tapes are an obsolete technology. While CDs are still around they are not as ubiquitous as they once were thanks to the advent of digital media formats and streaming services.
Justice is depicted as having a plaster cast to treat his broken leg. This should be considered a topical reference as there are now better alternatives such as orthopedic boots now exist.
A reporter name drops Chase Manhattan Bank when grilling the Avengers. This should be considered topical as this is a real world company. They also simply go back Chase Bank now.
One of the reporters is depicted using a pocket tape recorder to document the interview with the Avengers. This is an obsolete technology as well.
Alkhema quips that the Avengers should try using the Yellow Pages to find Ultron and later suggests they turn on CNN. These are topical references as these are real world buisnesses/products.