Avengers (vol. 3) #22
Ultron Unlimited Part Four: The Evil Trimphant!
Ultron has wiped out the entire nation of Slorenia and is poised to create an entire race of robots to replace humanity. The Avengers have been dispatched to deal with this crisis. In the heart of Ultron’s hideout, the team discovers that the homicidal robot has created an army of duplicates of himself to swarm the heroes.
Back in New York, Jarvis heads downstairs to see how Justice’s research into Ultron has been going. He discovers that Vance is gone, leaving a file open on the computer about a supply of Antarctic Vibranium that is being held in a police compound.
As the Avengers are fighting for their lives, the Prime Ultron is in the process of copying the minds of the Vision, Giant-Man, the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, Wonder Man, and the Grim Reaper. He intends to use their brain engrams to create an infinite number of personalities for his new race of robots. Giant-Man, in particular, has blamed himself for what has happened since he created Ultron. Fearing that Hank might suffer another mental break down, the Wasp tries to convince him that this is not his fault.[1] That’s when Hank reveals something that he has kept secret for years: That when he created Ultron he used his own mind to create its personality.[2]
Meanwhile, the Avengers continue fighting through the army of Ultron duplicates. They discover that not all of them are made of Adamantium. Despite, this there seems to be an endless stream of the robots. Eventually, Iron Man manages to recover a molecular rearranger device from one of the shattered Ultrons. Using his armor to super-charge the device he begins using it to deal with the Ultrons that are made out of Adamantium. However, the odds are still against them.
Back in Ultron’s lair, the Vision manages to break free by hacking into the computer systems to free himself from his prison. He then tries to reason with Ultron, asking him to give up his vendettas and find a place with the Avengers. At first it appears that Ultron will accept this offer, however he was only doing so to get close enough to attack the Vision. Although the Vision failed to stop Ultron, he created enough of a distraction for the Grim Reaper to get free and he uses a laser torch to free the other prisoners. That’s when the rest of the team arrives having destroyed the last of the Ultron duplicates. Unfortunately, the Prime Ultron is more powerful than the rest and resists their attacks. Seeing the battle shifting into Ultron’s favor, the Grim Reaper decides to retreat hoping that someone else like the Fantastic Four can stop this unbeatable monster.
That’s when Justice arrives with cylinders of Antarctic Vibranium, aka Anti-Metal. Handing this over to Giant-Man, he begins hammering Ultron with the material causing his metal inside his body to melt.[3] Hank beats Ultron until he is completed destroyed, and realizing he has finally ended his greatest mistake is comforted by the Wasp. Firestar congratulates Vance for his Hail Mary, helping save the team even though he has a broken leg.[4] With the crisis now over, the Avengers head for home. Moments after they leave, Alkhema arrives in the ruins of Ultron’s base where is finds the brain patterns that Ultron copied from his “family”. They survived the Anti-Metal bombardment because they were constructed out of ceramic and silicon. She decides to pick up where Ultron left off, figuring that his plans could use a mother’s touch.
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Giant-Man, Wasp, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Black Panther, Justice, Firestar), Ultron, Grim Reaper, Alkhema, Edwin Jarvis
Continuity Notes
Hank has suffered a number of mental breakdowns over the years. See Avengers #59-60, 161-162, 213, and West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #17-18.
Hank created Ultron years ago, as seen in Avengers #58.
Although Ultron is seemingly destroyed here, he created a back-up program in Alkhema that will make her recreate him in Avengers: The Ultron Imperative #1.
Vance suffered a broken leg during the team’s battle with the Doomsday Man. See Avengers (vol. 3) #16-18.
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.
