Avengers (vol. 3) #20
Ultron Unlimited Part Two: This Evil Unfolding!
After Ultron wiped out the entire country of Slorenia, the Avengers have been called in to the Pentagon for a briefing on the situation. The mood is uneasy among the team as the Avengers just recently learned that the Black Panther originally joined them in order to spy on the group. Despite this, Captain America assures Justice that they can still trust T’Challa.[1]
When they meet with the Pentagon brass, they are shown footage of Ultron’s conquest of Slorenia that shows how he systematically wiped out the entire country. He started off with a coordinated attack against its military, then decimated Slorenia’s illegal cyborg unit the Black Bregade.[2] When confronted by the mystical Ember, Ultron slaughtered the young hero. With no further resistance, the robot killed every man, woman, and child. Once his genocide was complete, Ultron then announced that this was but his first step before creating a new race of machines that will replace the entire human race.
This really hits Iron Man hard, because he understands what Hank Pym must feel about his creations running amok, since he himself often prevented his Iron Man technology from being used for evil.[3] Captain America then asks the general if they have been able to get any information out of Alkhema, one of Ultron’s creations. Unfortunately, since the Avengers captured her, she hasn’t said anything. She has been secured in a government facility where she is being restrained in an adamantium casing to prevent her from moving. One of the military staff notices that Alkhema has begun to hum for some reason and doesn’t like what she is doing. The Avengers then sit down and come up with a strategy of dealing with Ultron. Captain America agrees to help a United Nations deployment to try and retake Slorenia. Since Justice is still recovering from a broken leg he is ordered to return on the mansion.[4]
Meanwhile, the Wasp, Wonder Man, the Scarlet Witch, and Vision have returned to Nugent Technologies to search the scene of Hank Pym’s kidnapping to see if they can find anything they can use against Ultron. They are shown around by Alice Nugent, Hank’s former lab assistant and the owner of the company.[5] They learn that Hank was working on a new communications network that would use insects as signal carriers. While the Scarlet Witch and Vision scan the lab for clues, Wanda mentions how she saw Vision at the Transian cafe earlier and asked why he took off when she spotted him. He tells her that he goes there quite often and didn’t know that Wanda and Simon would show up that day, but tells her that they have nothing to talk about.
It’s then that the Wasp find Hank’s ID card and begins to cry. She tells her teammates that she is worried for Hank’s well being, reminding them about the various mental breakdowns he has suffered over the years. She remembers how, early on in their career, she would always push Hank to stop being so stuffy and be romantic. Not long after that, Hank created Ultron and suffered his first mental breakdown. This led to him becoming Yellowjacket and claiming to have killed Hank Pym. Janet saw through this and took advantage of the more affectionate Yellowjacket to finally get Hank to marry her. She now feels guilty for taking advantage of him in such a vulnerable state.[6] She then remembers Hank’s next breakdown, wherein he forgot everything beyond his career as Ant-Man and how Ultron took advantage of that situation.[7] Then there was the time after that, where Hank struck Janet leading to his getting expelled from the Avengers and his later incarceration for treason.[8] Hank was framed and eventually cleared his name, but he retired from being a superhero for quite some time after that.[9] Although their marriage was over, Janet and Hank got back together and while they were making progress she noticed him becoming distant with her again and the old fears about his mental health came rushing back and she fears that this new situation with Ultron will break him again.[10]
That’s when the Vision detects something approaching the building. Moments later they are ambushed by an army of Ultron duplicates based on his previous evolutions. The Avengers put up a good fight, but the sheer number of Ultrons — with some being constructed out of adamantium — are too much. As the Scarlet Witch, Wasp, and Vision fall under the power of the robots encephalo-rays, Wonder Man is pounded into unconsciousness by a giant Ultron-7.[11] With the heroes defeated, the Ultrons take them prisoner and fly off. Powerless to stop them, Alice runs to a phone to warn the rest of the Avengers.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Avengers — Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Black Panther, and Firestar — have joined up with UN troops and are now flying across the Borge Mountains. Firestar takes this moment to reflect on her time as an Avenger. She realizes that she has come to enjoy it, especially after they found a way to cure her of her health problems.[12] She is willing to put her life on the line for the team, but wishes Vance could be there with her.
Back at the mansion, Justice refuses to sit on the sidelines doing nothing. So he heads down to the Avengers computers to look up everything they have on Ultron in the hopes he can come up with a way of defeating their foe.
While in the ruins of Tblunka, Slorenia’s capital city, Ultron has hooked up the Vision, Wonder Man, Giant-Man, the Wasp, the Scarlet Witch, and the Grim Reaper to machines that he will use to drain their minds, intending to create personalities for his new race of robots.
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Giant-Man, Wasp, Scarlet Witch, Black Panther, Vision, Wonder Man, Justice, Firestar), Ultron, Alkhema, Grim Reaper, Edwin Jarvis
Continuity Notes
The Black Panther joined the Avengers back in Avengers #52. They learned that T’Challa originally joined up so he could spy on the Avengers in Black Panther (vol. 3) #8.
The Black Bregade was supposed to have been shut down following the events of Force Works #12.
Notably, Iron Man once went on a suicide mission to destroy all unauthorized use of Starktech in the world in Iron Man #225-232 and Captain America #340. Hank Pym was shown to have created Ultron in Avengers #58.
Justice suffered a broken leg during the a battle with the Doomsday Man. See Avengers (vol. 3) #16-18.
Alice was first seen working with Hank back in Iron Man #194.
Hank’s first breakdown, the creation of his Yellowjacket identity, and marriage to the Wasp happened in Avengers #59-60.
Hank being manipulated by Ultron happened in Avengers #161-162.
Pym struck Janet in Avengers #213, leading to his expulsion from the Avengers and Janet divorcing him. Egghead then forced Hank to steal adamantium from the military leading to his arrest in Avengers #217. Hank later defeated Egghead and cleared his name, but in the aftermath of the battle decided to retire from costumed heroics all together. See Avengers #228-230.
Hank eventually became a “scientific adventurer” for a period of time starting in West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #21. However, returned to his Giant-Man role in Avengers #366.
Hank and Janet got back together in West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #42 and have been on-again-off-again ever since.
Presented are nearly every version of Ultron seen to date. They are:
Ultron-1: The first design, created by Hank Pym. This version gained a mind of its own and turned against his creator as seen in Avengers #58.
Ultron-5: After a series of upgrades, this was the first version of Ultron to attack the Avengers as seen in Avengers #56-58.
Ultron-6 aka the Ultimate Ultron: The first model to be constructed from adamantium. He also pilots himself in war chair. See Avengers #66-68.
Ultron-7: A massive version of the robot that was incorporated into the body of Omega the Ultimate Alpha as seen in Avengers #127 and Fantastic Four #150.
Ultron-8: A human sized version that was responsible for creating Jocasta. It was destroyed by the Scarlet Witch. See Avengers #157, 161-162, and 171.
Ultron-9: Recreated by a hypnotically controlled Iron Man, this Ultron was trapped in a prison of adamantium in Avengers #202.
Ultron-10: Was resurrected by Jocasta and defeated by her, Machine Man, and the Thing. See Marvel Two-In-One #92-93.
Ultron-11: Ultron-11 was involved in Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #1-12 and was destroyed. His severed head was brought back to Earth in Thing #21. He rebuilt himself again in West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #4-6 which led to…
Ultron-12: Was constructed shortly after Ultron-11 was abducted during the Secret Wars. This one fought the new west coast team in West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #1-2 and Vision and the Scarlet Witch (vol. 2) #2. It soon grew repentant of its evil ways and attempted to have a positive relationship with Hank Pym. It was destroyed by Ultron-11 in West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #7.
Ultron-13: Created by Doctor Doom with all of its past personalities all rolled into one, creating an internal conflict within itself. See Daredevil #275-276, Amazing Spider-Man Annual #25, Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #11, and Web of Spider-Man Annual #7, and Deathlok (vol. 2) #2 & 5.
Ultron-14: Created War Toy/Alkhema battled the West Coast Avengers and Blackwulf. See Avengers West Coast #89-91, Annual #8, and Blackwulf #3-5.
Ultron-15: A drunken sot that was looked after by the Vision. See Vision #1-4.
Firestar discovered that her microwave powers — when used at full capacity — put her at risk of becoming sterile in New Warriors #63-64. She became reluctant to use her powers because she eventually wanted to have children. Hank Pym came up with a solution in Avengers (vol. 3) #12, creating a circuity mesh that would correct her body chemistry and make her immune to her own microwave powers.
Topical References
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.