Warning: contains spoilers forWest Coast Avengers#1!Marvel has just set up a sequel toAge of Ultronwith a teaser that will chill fans to the bone. One of Marvel’s most evil villains, Ultron, has seemingly turned over a new leaf inWest Coast Avengers#1. The android fights alongside Iron Man, Spider-Woman and the rest of the team, proving himself a worthy Avenger.However, darker forces are at play.
West Coast Avengers#1 is written by Gerry Duggan and drawn by Danny Kim. The world is stunned to seeUltron has become a good guy, yet the great deeds he does as a member of the Avengers speak for themselves. Soon after, at the hospital, Tony Stark meets a woman named Meredith, who does not have long left to live. Tony is rattled by the encounter. Later,Meredith goes to Ultron’s base, where he removes her head and attaches it to a robotic body.
Ultron then welcomes her to “the family,” swearing the world will hear his “gospel.”Marvel then offers a tease declaring the upcomingGospel of Ultron.
Ultron Just Might Be Marvel’s Most Irredeemable Villain
Only One Incarnation of Ultron Has Been Good–Until Now
Ultron’s legacy of evil extends into the MCU, thanks to 2015’sAvengers: Age of Ultronfeature film, where he was voiced by James Spader.
No discussion of Marvel’s most despicable villains is complete without mentioning Ultron. Created by Hank Pym,the various iterations of Ultron have terrorized the Marvel Universe, and he gives even the most powerful heroes pause.Ultron is Marvel’s ultimate villain for another reason: he can never be truly defeated. The Avengers have made this assumption more than once, only to learn Ultron survived. His nature allows him to be rebuilt and reprogrammed, making him essentially immortal. Ultron’s legacy of evil extends into the MCU, thanks to 2015’sAvengers: Age of Ultronfeature film, where he was voiced by James Spader.
One X-Man Would Be The Perfect Avenger To Defeat Ultron
Dark Web: X-Men #1 reveals one X-Men member who would be an ideal recruit to help the Avengers defeat Ultron, but they’ve somehow never been asked.
Yet it would seem, on the surface at least, that Ultron has once again been rebuilt, but this time as a force of good.West Coast Avengers#1 sets up how Ultron returns as its central mystery, leaving the matter to future issues. While nearly every incarnation of Ultron has been evil incarnate, there was one version that came down on the side of good: Ultron 12. Ultron 12 tried to be a hero, and was largely successful. His career, and his potential, were cut short by Ultron 11. 11’s victory over 12 can be viewed as Ultron reasserting his evil self.
Has Ultron Truly Seen the Error of His Wicked Ways?
Ultron’s Rhetoric is Disturbing on Several Levels
InWest Coast Avengers#1, Ultron puts forth a benevolent public image, but meets resistance from several corners, including his fellow teammates. As seen at the issue’s end, however, Iron Man and the rest’s suspicions are well-founded, as Ultron is playing a deeper game.Ultron is taking people who areterminally ill, or who view themselves as “defective,” leading them on with promises of immortality. In reality,Ultron is stripping away their humanity, and remaking them in his image.Ultron has hit upon his most disturbing scheme yet, largely because it is masquerading as something good and positive.
The language Ultron chooses to describe his new campaign is just as chilling. Ultron initiated Meredith into his warped and twisted “family,” turning her into a cyborg. While it remains to be seen if Meredith or the others retain their free will or not, there is no going back from the changes Ultron has foisted upon her. Ultron sees his mission as holy, referring to his message as a “gospel.” Ultron’s sinister new plan is his worst because he genuinely believes he is doing the right thing by converting people into machines.
Cult Leader Ultron Has the Potential to Be One of Marvel’s Best Villains
Whatever Ultron’s endgame may be, a teaser at the end ofWest Coast Avengers#1 makes it clear it is going to become everyone else’s problem. The issue concludes with a teaser forThe Gospel of Ultron, coming in 2025. While the teaser only mentions the event happening inWest Coast Avengers, an Ultron who doubles as a religious fanatic is a great idea, and a worthy follow-up toAge of Ultron.With an army of cybernetic zealots at his disposal, Ultron is deadlier than ever.
