Showing posts with label Ultron. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ultron. Show all posts

Wednesday 20 October 2021

Ultron in the MC2

 

I might be a little late to the party with this post, but I still wanted to put something out to cover Ultron in the MC2, especially given I missed my chance last time he made a major appearance on the big screen, so now with his return to the small screen via the Disney+ animated series What If, I'm seizing the opportunity.

 


I briefly touched on Ultron in my History of the MC2: The Avengers post but let’s take a more focused look this time. At an unknown point in the team's past prior the original team’s final mission, an Avengers team which included Captain AmericaIron Man and Thor fought Ultron Extreme, the newest model of the team's old foe. Iron Man eventually managed to erase Ultron's programming and the villain's indestructible body was sealed away ‘half a world away, in a cavern far beneath the Earth’ for over a decade (Avengers Next #2-#3).



The Avengers Compound contains an armory and ‘trophy room’ within which an inert head of an older model Ultron was kept. During Sylene’s staged attack on the Avengers Compound by ‘Zombie Avengers,’ her lackeys Warp and Ulik secretly stole this Ultron head. Sylene then used her magicks upon this Ultron ‘artifact’ so that it would guide her to the body of Ultron Extreme (Avengers Next #1-#2).


 







Still inert with its programming wiped, Sylene imbued the shell of Ultron Extreme with her magic and set it against the Avengers, while disguising herself as another ‘prime’ Ultron resembling that of the stolen head. However, when ‘Ultron Sylene’s assault module was suddenly destroyed leaving her vulnerable, she was forced to cover her deception by appearing to ‘self-destruct.’ Busy using her magic to disguise herself as the kidnapped and depowered former Avenger Kevin Masterson to enable her to enact her final plan, the Ultron Extreme body was left to collapse inert once again on the remote island atoll (Avengers Next #3).














It’s also worth mentioning that a model of statue of Ultron is on display in the Avengers Compound alongside many others representing past Avengers foes (American Dream #1). Presumably the actual head of Ultron and other villain ‘artifacts’ are kept well away from the public in the aforementioned armory or trophy room.

 


While this might be the last time we see of Ultron in the MC2, the ever-clever Stinger notes that the villain was previously only deactivated and that his programming could be copied or restored in the same way Avengers members Mainframe and the Vision have done in the past (Avengers Next #3).

 




Until I learn how to restore myself from some lines of code, I remain

 

frogoat

 

 

Thursday 3 May 2018

History of the MC2: The Avengers

I was inspired recently to make a timeline of events covering the history of the MC2, spanning the nebulous 15 year stretch of time after the Main Marvel Universe (or Universe-616) split off and became the MC2 (or Universe-982) and before the next-generation of heroes began to emerge in J2 #1, A-Next #1 and What If #105.

Given that Avengers: Infinity War is tearing up box offices worldwide, I figured a good place to start would be with the MC2's original Avengers team. The final days of the original Avengers is a major mystery within the pages of the A-Next series. The storyline culminates in the next-generation Avengers team learning the fate of the original team and deciding to put an end to the threat that disbanded them over a decade prior.






While we don't know the exact point at which the history of the Main Marvel Universe Avengers stops being the same as that of the MC2 Avengers, we do know a few things about the teams past history. At an unknown point in the team's past, an Avengers team which included Captain America, Iron Man and Thor fought Ultron Extreme, a new model of the team's old foe. Iron Man eventually managed to erase Ultron's programming and the villain's indestructible body was sealed away for over a decade (Avengers Next #3).


The Avengers became aware of an alternate reality in which Victor Von Doom wielded a Universal Cube which would allow him to travel to other universes via portals to conquer them. With all of reality at risk, the Avengers held an emergency meeting. Many attended this urgent summons including (but not limited to) Captain America, Firebird, Firestar, Giant-Man, Hawkeye, Hercules, Iron Man, Justice, Living Lightning, Scarlet Witch, Tigra, Vision and the Wasp (A-Next #7).








With a team assembled, the Avengers headed into the breach between worlds on what would become their final mission. We learn through Jarvis that this was around a year and a half prior to the Avengers officially disbanding. Sadly, many of the heroes did not return, with only Hawkeye, Hercules, Iron Man, Scarlet Witch,Vision and the Wasp re-emerging from the portal (A-Next #7). Unbeknownst to the rest of the world, Captain America had not died, instead choosing to stay behind and continue the fight (A-Next #10).






In the wake of the tragedy, Hawkeye was left blind (A-Next #10); Hercules went mad with grief and was held in facility in Mount Athena (A-Next #6); the Vision left to work in the White House and the Wasp died, leaving her twin children (Henry Pym Jr and Hope Pym) orphaned.


After mourning their fallen comrades, Iron Man and the Scarlet Witch worked tirelessly for months to seal the portal permanently against future attacks. Unfortunately, to achieve this the Scarlet Witch was sealed within a stasis pod, holding the aperture shut. Tony Stark retired as Iron Man, but continued to work to help the world (A-Next #7).







Around this time -though it's unclear whether it was before or after the team's final mission- Tony Stark developed Mainframe, a sophisticated robotic armour with Tony's own brain patterns, designed to ensure there would always be someone to answer the call to assemble (A-Next #7, Spider-Girl #95).

Designing and building a Nanite Agenda in an attempt to aid the Scarlet Witch, Tony discovered too late that his friend James Rhodes aka War Machine had tested it on himself to protect Tony. The Agenda proved harmful, caused a slow erosion of Rhodes' humanity, making him less and less human over time whilst also gifting him increasing superhuman abilities (Spider-Girl #95).




In the interim, a new group of heroes banded together to fill the role of the Avengers. Their roster included Nova, Jubilee, Speedball, Jolt and the Steel Spider. Over time, for various reasons, fewer members answered the call and eventually the team fell apart and the Avengers were officially disbanded (A-Next #7, Spider-Girl #32).





Fortunately, the day would come when a new team of Earth's Mightiest Heroes would answer the call and a whole new generation of Avengers would assemble....


Based on various comments throughout the series, the Avengers officially disbanded some 10 years prior to the events of A-Next #1 which, coupled with Jarvis stating the original Avengers final mission took place approximately a year and a half prior to this, we can form a rough timeline:


·  The Avengers fight Ultron Extreme, eventually erasing his program and sealing his indestructible body away

·  Tony Stark begins work on his Mainframe project to ensure there will always be Avengers

·  The Avengers become aware of the Universal Cube's threat and head to the alternate earth

·  Of all the Avengers who left for the mission, only six return. Captain America staying behind to help on the alternate earth

·  Iron Man and Scarlet Witch work to seal the portal between worlds

·  A new team of Avengers forms but struggles to stay together

·  Scarlet Witch is encased in a stasis pod, holding the portal shut

·  Tony Stark retires as Iron Man and finishes work on Mainframe

·  Tony Stark develops a Nanite Agenda, which James Rhodes tests on himself, gaining powers but slowly losing his humanity in the process

·  The interim Avengers team falls apart and the Avengers are officially disbanded


*At some point -either before or after the original team's final mission- Luke Cage served as a member (Avengers Next #1). Considering he's mentioned as being alive, we can assume he was not involved with the original team's final mission, but this fact does not preclude prior Avengers membership. It's equally possible Cage was a member of the interim Avengers team, as there is no evidence either way.*


Hopefully this helps shed some light on the final days of the original Avengers in the MC2. If I've missed anything or something isn't clear enough, please let me know.


Until I run out of Avengers to Assemble I remain,


frogoat