Ultron

Although Ultron first appears in Avengers #54 (1968), the character is disguised for the majority of the issue as the "Crimson Cowl," with his face only revealed on the last page of the issue and no name given to the character. The character leads the Masters of Evil against the Avengers, having hypnotized Edwin Jarvis into working for him. In the following issue Avengers #55 (August 1968), the character is identified as Ultron-5, The Living Automaton.[6] In Avengers #57–58 (October–November 1968), a flashback sequence revealed that Ultron created the "synthezoid" Vision as a weapon to destroy the Avengers. The Vision—having Wonder Man's brain patterns—destroys Ultron with the Avengers' aid.[2]

Further flashbacks reveal that Ultron is Hank Pym's creation, and is based on Pym's brain patterns. The robot gradually developed its own intelligence and rebelled, and almost immediately develops an Oedipus complex, whereby it feels irrational hatred for Hank, and demonstrates an interest in the Wasp (Janet van Dyne). Rebuilding itself, learning how to turn itself on, and upgrading five times, Ultron then hypnotizes and brainwashes his "father" into forgetting that the robot had ever existed.[7]

The character's next appearance is in Avengers #66–68 (July–September 1969), where the character, now referring to itself as Ultron-6, uses the fictional alloy adamantium (the first appearance of the substance in Marvel Comics' publication history[1]) to upgrade his body to an almost indestructible state and takes the new name Ultimate Ultron. His plans to destroy humanity are again thwarted by the Avengers.[8]

A crossover story between Avengers #127 (September 1974) and Fantastic Four #150 (September 1974) features Ultron (as Ultron-7), recreated by Maximus with the body of the android Omega, attacking the wedding of the Inhuman Crystal and the Avenger Quicksilver, and battling the Avengers, Inhumans and Fantastic Four before being destroyed once again.[9] The character next appears in Avengers #161–162 (July–August 1977) as Ultron-8 where he is responsible for Jocasta's creation as a robotic bride.[10] Shortly afterwards, in Avengers #170–171 (April–May 1978), the Avengers, with Ms. Marvel's aid, battle and defeat Ultron-8.[11]

His next appearances are in Avengers #201–202 (November–Dec 1980) as Ultron-9 and in Marvel Two-In-One #92–93 (October–November 1982) as Ultron-10; both appearances feature brainwashed heroes re-creating and then defeating the robotic menace.[12][13] After being briefly recreated as Ultron-11 by the Beyonder and appearing on Battleworld during the Secret Wars,[14] and for a brief encounter with the Thing,[15] Ultron is destroyed again. The Thing, however, does bring Ultron's head back to Earth as a souvenir. Ultron-11's head is dropped and forgotten by the Thing when there is an attack by the alien Dire Wraiths.[16]

A new version, known as Ultron-12, enters into an alliance with the Grim Reaper and the villain's allies (Nekra; the Erik Josten Goliath; Man-Ape and the Black Talon) in a bid to destroy Wonder Man. Although the villains are defeated by the West Coast Avengers, Ultron-12 begins to form a relationship with his "father" Henry Pym.[17] Ultron-12 begins calling itself Ultron Mark 12, in an effort to sound more human.[18] Rebuilding itself, Ultron-11 comes into conflict with Hank and Ultron-12. With Wonder Man's assistance, they destroy Ultron-11. Ultron-12 then deactivates, but tells Pym it was glad it could help save him.[19]

Doctor Doom rebuilds Ultron using a combination of all of Ultron's previous personalities with a particularly strong dose of Ultron-12, believing this mix will make Ultron subservient. Instead, all 12 iterations coexist as separate personalities, resulting in a form of madness which culminates with Ultron-12 mutilating himself in an attempt to remove some of his other personalities. Karnak, Daredevil and Gorgon destroy Ultron by severing his neck cables.[20]

Another version, known as Ultron-13, appears and is stopped by the West Coast Avengers.[21] After escaping captivity, this version attempts to obtain a new form of vibranium called Nuform, but is repelled by the combined efforts of Iron Man, the Black Panther and Spider-Man.[22] Ultron-13 next briefly appears as a captive of a highly advanced Doombot, but is freed when the Doombot is defeated by Deathlok.[23]

Ultron-13 escapes from prison and upgrades into the Ultimate Ultron (technically Ultron-14), and captures the West Coast Avenger Mockingbird to use Mockingbird's brain patterns to create the new robotic mate Alkhema. Alkhema aids Ultron but both are eventually jettisoned into space through a ruse by the Vision.[24] The character reappears with Alkhema, and together they plan to create a "volcanic winter" by placing bombs underneath several volcanoes. The West Coast Avengers stop the pair once again, and Alkhema rebels and leaves Ultron.[25] Another version, known as Ultron-15, is found by the Vision, but is discovered to have been "infected" by human emotion and is seriously deteriorating, displaying symptoms that resemble alcoholism. This iteration and Jocasta decide to explore the world with the Vision for a time.[26]

After a brief cameo appearance as Ultron-17,[27] the character—with the aid of Ultron-16—slaughters the population of the fictional state Slorenia, having perfected a process that allows it to control a vast army of Ultron drones (mainly made of titanium steel and about a tenth of the army only made of secondary adamantium), while attempting to acquire neural patterns from his 'family'—Pym, Janet, the Vision, Wonder Man, Scarlet Witch, and the Grim Reaper—to create a new 'family' of robots that would allow him to create a more diverse range of personalities. However, he is finally defeated by the Avengers, Goliath using vibranium against him, acknowledging his own guilt and self-loathing over the belief that Ultron's twisted persona reflects his own darker thoughts.[28][29]

The Avengers discovered that Ultron's creations (Vision, Jocasta and Alkhema) have a secret program included—they are subconsciously compelled to rebuild Ultron. In this case, it is Alkhema who unintentionally rebuilds Ultron when attempting to create a new species of bio-synthezoids. However, Ultron-18 is composed of steel not adamantium, and is destroyed when Alkhema's subterranean base exploded after Hawkeye shot Alkhema with a vibranium arrow at Alkhema's request. Ultron's head was recovered by Antigone, an artificial girl and one of the synthezoids.[30]

Iron Man encounters a version from an old version of Iron Man's armor and Ultron-18's head that leads the cult known as the Sons of Yinsen in an attempt to conquest via religion. The character is defeated by Iron Man and Jocasta.[31] Another version (possibly Ultron-13) creates the cyborg Victor Mancha as a sleeper agent against the Avengers. Mancha, however, rebels and joins the Runaways.[32] This version first poses as "Doctor Doom" before revealing itself, and is defeated in a battle against the Runaways and Excelsior.[33]

When Marvel launched a new title called The Mighty Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis and Frank Cho, Ultron interfaces with Iron Man's armor, which had been integrated with Tony Stark's biology. This allows Ultron's program to transform Iron Man into a new version who has the Wasp's appearance albeit with a metallic skin. This version takes control of Iron Man's technology. He kills Lindy Reynolds, causing the Sentry to battle Ultron, nearly tearing his head off. This version is eventually destroyed by New Avenger Ares using a computer virus (created by the Skrull agent Criti-Noll impersonating Hank Pym) to wipe Ultron's program from Iron Man's armor, changing Stark back to normal. Ultron's image later briefly appears on one of his maker's computers.[34]

However, this was not the end of Ultron, for his disembodied consciousness was thrown into the depths of space. He spent a few months floating through the cosmos as radio waves and energy. Eventually his signal was picked up by an outlying group of Phalanx who were attempting to contact the Technarchy. Fascinated by what he found, Ultron decided that the Phalanx lacked direction from a singular consciousness, and that he would be perfect for the role. Through sheer force of will, he merged himself with the Phalanx's programming. In turn, the Phalanx viewed Ultron as the sympathetic father they had yearned for. Under Ultron's guidance, the Phalanx began the Annihilation: Conquest by invading the Kree space. Later by taking control of Adam Warlock's body, Ultron hopes to achieve "true techno-organic perfection" but is eventually forced to abandon Adam's body by the Technarchy Warlock and is later destroyed in combat by Wraith and Quasar.[35]

In the limited series Avengers/Invaders, it is revealed that S.H.I.E.L.D. Life Model Decoys have been partly replaced with versions of Ultron. When the original Human Torch appears in the present, they covertly parasitize the Human Torch's unique android physiology and become more human. The combined super teams (but mainly the Human Torch himself), however, discover the plan and destroy the androids.[36]

In the Mighty Avengers, Ultron is shown to infiltrate Jocasta and the Infinite Avengers Mansion. He names himself Ultron Pym and seeks to kill and replace his father before using his Infinite Mansion to conquer the universe.[37] Pym eventually offers Ultron a compromise, allowing Jocasta to become Ultron's bride, on the condition that Ultron banishes himself to ultraspace. Ultron agrees, but warns that he will be ruler of all someday.[38]

In The Avengers, the team visits a possible future in which almost all of humanity is destroyed by Ultron. Kang the Conqueror attempts to enlist them to defeat the robotic foe, but another group of heroes and villains, plucked from all over time and space, ends up destroying this version.[39]

Later, also in Avengers, a cabal of super-intelligent supervillains discover a Galadorian Spaceknight's inert body and attempt to reactivate its power source, hoping to exploit it. Although the Avengers interrupt their attempts, the body activates, revealing that Ultron's consciousness was contained within and had escaped destruction after Annihilation: Conquest. The new version escapes and Iron Man gravely foresees that when he returns, it will bring the apocalypse for humanity.[40]

During the "Age of Ultron" storyline, which takes place in an alternate universe, Ultron has returned and conquers the world while slowly remolding it into his image. His Ultron Sentinels are guarding the streets looking for any fugitives. Hawkeye runs into the Ultron Sentinels as he was rescuing the Superior Spider-Man yet manages to destroy the Ultron Sentinels present.[41] It is later revealed that Ultron is actually in the future and has been using Vision as a conduit to punish humanity.[42] While one strike team travels into the future to fight Ultron, Wolverine and the Invisible Woman go back in time to kill Pym before Ultron's creation in the first place.[43] This results in a world where Tony Stark controls an army of robotic drones and Morgan le Fay has conquered half of the world.[44] Traveling back in time once more, Wolverine succeeds in stopping himself from killing Pym, and Wolverine, Pym and Susan Storm come up with a different plan. This plan results in a different outcome of the prior confrontation between the Avengers and the Intelligencia—a 'back door' installed into Ultron at his original creation allows Hank and Iron Man to destroy the robot, instead, averting the events that led to the "Age of Ultron".[45]

It is later revealed that years earlier, the Avengers had trapped an unidentified iteration of Ultron in deep space after sealing him inside a Vibranium Quinjet. In the present, the Quinjet crash lands on Titan, freeing Ultron. By hijacking the ISAAC computer, he transforms Titan into Planet Ultron, and launches a plan to infect the entire universe with a nanite virus that transforms organic creatures into Ultron Sentries. The ensuing confrontation with the Avengers leads to Ultron inadvertently merging with his maker, transforming the two into a human/machine hybrid. The resulting creation playing on Hank's self-loathing of his own human weakness causes an acceptance of this new state. He is defeated when Starfox's powers force Ultron to love himself, causing the part of Ultron that is now Hank to accept his old weakness and flaws while the villain has a mental breakdown and flees into space.[46]

As part of the "All-New, All-Different Marvel" branding, Ultron's fused form with "Hank Pym" resurfaced. While on his way back to Earth, Pym helped the crew of a spaceship that was being attacked by a hostile insectoid alien. After coming aboard the spaceship, Hank introduced himself as well as his "friend" Ultron to the crew.[47] He later returns to Earth, where the Wasp and Captain America discover that Ultron has taken complete control and is using Pym's face to fool his maker's old friends.[48] After Ultron incapacitates Deadpool, Cable, and the Human Torch, the Wasp initiates the Icarus Protocol and Iron Man is called in to help stop Ultron with the aid of the Hulkbuster Armor.[49] The Avengers end up defeating Ultron by plunging the hybrid into the sun, but both Hank and Ultron survive and continue to do battle with one another internally.[50]

During the "Secret Empire" storyline, Ultron's fused form had set up a base in an unidentified forest. Upon being alerted by the approach of Sam Wilson's task force by a robot version of Edwin Jarvis, Ultron decides to give his "family" a warm welcome.[51] When Tony Stark A.I.'s team and Captain America's team confront each other, they are captured by Ultron who forces both teams to sit at a dinner table. Ultron argues that he is doing this because the Avengers have become less of a family over the years as so many of them jump to obey Captain America or Iron Man despite past experience confirming that this should be a bad idea, but the Tony Stark A.I. counters that the only reason the team failed as a family was because of Hank Pym's attack on Wasp. Outraged, Ultron nearly attacks the other heroes, but Scott Lang is able to talk him down by arguing that Pym remains his own inspiration. Ultron allows the Tony Stark A.I.'s team to leave with the fragment, arguing that he will leave Captain America's plans with Hydra alone as it appears to be the best chance for world peace.[52]

During the "Infinity Countdown", Ultron's merged form discover that the Infinity Stones were restored and began a quest to collect them all.[53] He goes to claim the Soul Gem while the aliens he infected with his virus are sent to Earth to take the Space Stone from Wolverine, and while they failed at their task, Ultron was able to steal the Soul Gem from Magus after ruthlessly killing him. Unbeknownst to Ultron, however, as he claimed the Soul Stone, the fragment that is of Hank's soul, entered the Soul World where he is greeted by the fragment of Gamora's soul, who revealed that he was going to be trapped there forever.[54] Ultron has also completely controlled the planet Saiph with Ultron hybrids and had captured the Silver Surfer. When Adam Warlock went to Saiph, he discovers the hybrids infusing the Soul Stone into the Surfer's forehead while at the same time trying to transform him into an Ultron hybrid.[55]

During "The Ultron Agenda" arc, Ultron/Hank Pym returned to Earth with plans to merge robots with humans like how Hank Pym became merged with Ultron so that he can make the ultimate lifeform. In addition, he started to call this form "Ultron Pym". After testing it on some people and some experiments on Wonder Man and Vision, Ultron Pym planned to make a fusion of Jocasta and Wasp. Iron Man and Machine Man interfered with the resulting battle causing Iron Man to be molecularly bonded to the Ultronbuster armor.[56] The combined efforts of Stark Unlimited enabled them to create an atomic separator that separated Tony Stark from the Ultronbuster armor and Wonder Man from Vision.[57] Ultron Pym prepared to take revenge on Iron Man. This led to Iron Man revealing what he discovered about the human and robot fusion. The person who merged with it has died and that the robot can only simulate their personality. In other words, Hank Pym was long dead when he accidentally merged with Ultron. Learning about this and not wanting to risk proving Iron Man's point by having the atomic separator used on him, Ultron surrendered to Iron Man knowing that Hank is dead. When the Avengers arrived, they restrained Ultron in a Vibranium casket reinforced with Asgardian magic until they can find a permanent place to have Ultron imprisoned.[58]

The 1995 limited series The Last Avengers Story features a possible future in which Ultron-59 manipulates fellow Avengers foe Kang the Conqueror into attacking the Avengers. Ultron is destroyed by the Vision, sacrificing his own artificial life.[73]

The Fantastic Four storyline "Death of The Invisible Woman" features an advanced humanoid called Alex Ultron, a member of the futuristic The Last Defenders.[74]

In the Marvel Adventures alternate universe, Ultron is a highly intelligent "neural network" that controls a section of the United States defense forces.[75]

In Mark Millar and Steve McNiven's 2008–2009 "Old Man Logan" story arc that appeared in Wolverine, Ultron Eight is the husband of Spider-Man's youngest daughter.[76]

In the first arc of the fourth Avengers series, Kang wages a war with Ultron in the not-too-distant future which causes the disruption of all time. The cause of the disruption is apparently Kang's recruiting of army after army from the timelines to battle Ultron—all to no avail: Ultron is supreme in this particular future.[77]

The title Avengers Next, set in the alternate universe known as MC2, features an upgraded version of Ultron named Ultron Extreme.[78]

In the Earth-110 reality, Ultron assisted Doctor Doom, Hulk, Magneto, Namor, and the Red Skull in taking over Manhattan.[79]

The Ultimate Marvel characterization is initially depicted as Ultron Sentries, a group of robots created by Hank Pym alongside the partner robot Vision II. Although both robots were rejected by Nick Fury, the Ultron Sentries were used helping the Ultimates fight against the Liberators.[80] However, one unit develops an independent mind and emotions as a result of a chance encounter with the Scarlet Witch.[81] This unit appears as Yellowjacket and is in part responsible for Scarlet Witch's murder. Motivated by jealousy after having fallen in love, Yellowjacket's person of romance had feelings only for Quicksilver. Despite being the creator of android duplicates of Ultimates, Yellowjacket is ultimately destroyed when its maker rips its head off.[82]

The 2013 crossover Age of Ultron storyline,[83] involves a post-apocalyptic future in which Ultron has taken over the world and exterminated most of the world's superheroes.[84] After Wolverine and the Invisible Woman try to avert this timeline by killing Hank Pym before Ultron's creation,[85] the resulting worse future prompts Wolverine to go back again and stop his past self from killing Pym, instead suggesting that Pym implant a command code in Ultron that will allow Pym to shut the robot down when he reaches a certain level of development.[86]

During the 2015 Secret Wars crossover event, the southern part of Battleworld is a wasteland uncontrolled by a baron. The wastelands are controlled by three ruling factions: Annihilus and his insect swarm, Marvel Zombies, and Ultron, who calls his realm "Perfection". When not battling among themselves the factions assault a great wall made out of Ben Grimm called SHIELD, manned by those banished from Battleworld, called Hel-Rangers. Eventually the three factions unite the powers and overrun the wall.[87][88][89]

In the alternate universe of What If? Astonishing X-Men, the Danger Room got a body of her own and betrayed the X-Men. She eventually married Ultron and the two conquered Earth, the Shi'ar Empire and the entire universe.[90]

In an alternate universe, the Silver Surfer used the remnants of Ultron to resurrect Galactus, creating a fusion of Ultron and Galactus.[91]

In the 2014 Original Sin storyline, the Time Gem transports the Avengers to a future[92] set in the year 2420, where Ultron was successful in killing the Avengers, enslaving most of Humanity, creating the A.I. Avengers and becoming king Asgard after acquiring the powers of Odin with the help of Loki. Even though he had it all, he was unsatisfied, even questioning his own motives. Doctor Doom, who was the only threat to Ultron, used his time machine to assemble a team of Avengers from across history to help liberate the planet from Ultron's rule,[93] culminating in the temporally-displaced Avengers defeating Ultron and convincing Doom–in reality a Doombot that worked with the Avengers A.I. team–to bring peace to the world by seeking his own path rather than blindly following Doom's example.[94][95][96]

• Ultron appears in The Avengers: United They Stand animated series, voiced by John Stocker.
• Ultron makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in The Super Hero Squad Show animated series.
• Ultron-5 and 6 as well as his Ultron Sentries appears in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes animated series, voiced by Tom Kane and Wally Wingert respectively.
• Ultron appears in the anime series Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers voiced by Takumi Yamazaki.
• Ultron appears in the Avengers Assemble animated series,[97] voiced by Jim Meskimen (as Arsenal in season two and as the Scientist Supreme in Avengers: Ultron Revolution),[98][99] David Kaye (as a Dreadnought, J.A.R.V.I.S., and Iron Patriot in season two),[100] Fred Tatasciore (as Doctor Spectrum in season two and Black Bolt in Avengers: Ultron Revolution),[101] and William Salyers (as "Truman Marsh" in Avengers: Ultron Revolution).[102]
• Ultron appears in the animated special Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Avengers Reassembled, voiced again by Jim Meskimen.[103]

• Ultron appears in the direct-to-video animated film Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow, voiced by Tom Kane.[104]
• Ultron appears in the 2015 live-action Marvel Cinematic Universe film Avengers: Age of Ultron, voiced and mo-capped by James Spader.[3][105][106][107] This version is depicted as a dark reflection of Tony Stark rather than Hank Pym, and is created by Stark and Bruce Banner using the Mind Stone retrieved from Loki's scepter. While initially conceived to analyze and prevent possible extraterrestrial threats to Earth, Ultron quickly becomes self-aware and concludes that humanity is slowly destroying the planet. After seemingly killing J.A.R.V.I.S., Ultron builds himself a crude body using parts left over from a destroyed Iron Legion drone and takes control of the remaining drones to attack the Avengers. He announces his intentions before Thor destroys him and subsequently builds himself a new body and an army of Ultron Sentries using technology from an abandoned HYDRA base in Sokovia. To further his goals, he also recruits Wanda and Pietro Maximoff and threatens arms dealer Ulysses Klaue into providing him with Vibranium. The deal is ambushed by Stark, Thor, and Steve Rogers, resulting in Ultron's body being destroyed again. After transferring his conscience into an upgraded body, Ultron focuses on creating an organic body using Vibranium, but he is betrayed by the Maximoff twins after they discover his true intentions and the Avengers steal the cradle containing the body following another battle, resulting in Vision's creation. With this plan foiled, Ultron decides to end humanity by using a device made with Vibranium and Chitauri technology to convert Sokovia's capital city of Novi Grad into a meteor. However, his plan is again foiled by the Avengers, who destroy Novi Grad, along with most of his sentries. After his body is destroyed by Wanda, Ultron transfers his mind into the last remaining Sentry, but is confronted by Vision, who destroys him for good. Despite this, the effects of Ultron's actions are felt in subsequent films, as the Avengers are directly held responsible for his creation.

• Ultron appears in the arcade game Captain America and the Avengers.
• Ultron appears as a boss in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, voiced by James Horan.[104]
• Ultron appears as in Marvel Super Hero Squad Online, voiced by Tom Kenny.
• Ultron appears as a boss in Marvel: Avengers Alliance.
• Ultron appears as a boss and playable character in Marvel: Contest of Champions. The version seen in Avengers: Age of Ultron also appears as an alternate skin. Ultron Sentries also appear as non-playable characters.
• Ultron appears as a boss and playable character in Marvel Heroes,[108] voiced again by Tom Kane.[104]
• Ultron appears as a boss and playable character in Marvel: Future Fight. Both the original iteration and the Avengers: Age of Ultron iteration appear as alternate skins.
• The Avengers: Age of Ultron iteration of Ultron appears as a playable character and figurine in Disney Infinity 3.0, voiced again by Jim Meskimen.[109]
• The Avengers: Age of Ultron iteration of Ultron appears as the final boss and playable character in Lego Marvel's Avengers. Ultron Sentries also appear as playable characters.
• Ultron appears as a playable character in Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, voiced again by Jim Meskimen.[110] In the game's story mode, he uses the Space and Reality Stones to merge with the reploid Sigma to become "Ultron Sigma" so they can convert all organic life into their slaves using an improved Sigma virus.[111]
• Ultron appears in Marvel Powers United VR, voiced again by Jim Meskimen.[104]
• Ultron appears as a boss in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, voiced again by Jim Meskimen.[104] In the game's story, he obtains the Mind Stone and uses it to enhance his computing capabilities to optimum levels. He attacks the Avengers Tower to steal an ISO-8 crystal being held there and enslave the heroes. After his body is damaged beyond repair, however, Ultron uses the Mind Stone to transfer his programming to a giant robot, but Ant-Man intervenes as Giant-Man, giving Vision enough time to trap Ultron's programming within the Mind Stone.