Ultron is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers #54 (1968), and was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema.

Fictional character biography

Ultron 1 - 5

Ultron is a robot created by scientist and adventurer Henry Pym. Based on Pym's own brain patterns, Ultron was intended to serve Pym in his superheroic identity of Goliath.^[1] Ultron, however developed its own intelligence and rebelled, and almost immediately developed an Oedipus Complex (later noted by the Avenger Black Panther), whereby he felt irrational hatred for his "father" Hank, and demonstrated an interest in Hank's lover Janet van Dyne, The Wasp. Rebuilding itself and upgrading no less than five times, Ultron (now called Ultron-5) then hypnotized Pym and brainwashed him into forgetting that Ultron had ever existed.^[2] Ultron then adopts the guise of the villain the Crimson Cowl, and formed a new version of supervillain team the Masters of Evil to battle Pym and his teammates the Avengers. Although the plan fails, Ultron develops an insane hatred of the Avengers and dedicated himself to their destruction.^[3]

Ultron then creates the "synthezoid" the Vision, for use as a weapon against the Avengers. This strategem fails when the Vision turns against him and aids the Avengers to defeat Ultron.^[4] Pym learns that Ultron has used the brain patterns of the supposedly dead being Wonder Man^[5] to program the Vision,^[6] and the Vision's body is later thought to be that of the 1940's superhero the original Human Torch.^[7]

A short time later the Vision begins to act strangely and steals a cylinder of the newly created metal adamantium from the spy organization S.H.I.E.L.D. It is revealed that this was a hypnotic suggestion placed by Ultron, who uses the cylinder to recreate a new, invincible body (from Ultron-6 to Ultimate Ultron). After several inconclusive skirmishes with Ultron, the Avengers prevent his plan to detonate a nuclear bomb in New York City. They then request a sample of the metal vibranium from absent member the Black Panther, and formulate a plan to draw out Ultron. Dr. Myron MacLain – the creator of adamantium prepares to give a speech at the United Nations. Ultron attacks, and battles the Avengers Goliath and Thunder God Thor. Holding them off, Ultron attempts to read MacLain’s mind, but self-destructs – the blast contained by Thor with a vibranium dome. MacLain is then revealed to be Pym in disguise, who had anticipated Ultron’s strategy and memorized the term “thou shalt not kill”, which Ultron could not accept.^[8]

Ultron’s head is eventually found the Inhuman Maximus, who grafts it to an animated statue of a figure from Inhuman history, Omega. Disguised as Omega, Ultron (now Ultron-7) interrupts the wedding of the Inhuman Crystal and the Avenger Quicksilver and attacks guests the Avengers and the Fantastic Four. After revealing his true identity, Ultron is defeated by Franklin Richards.^[9]

Several years later, a recreated Ultron (Ultron-8) is still suffering from an Oedipal complex. After capturing Pym and brainwashing him yet again, Ultron coerces him into attacking the Avengers in his old Ant-Man persona. Although Pym is defeated by the Wasp, Ultron then attacks and manages to use an an encephelo-ray on several Avengers (Captain America; Beast; Scarlet Witch and the Vision), which places them in a coma. Ultron then captures the Wasp and flees with Pym, who is coerced into creating a robotic “bride” for Ultron, using Janet Pym as the template.

The remaining Avengers ( Iron Man, Thor; Wonder Man and the Black Panther) are guided by a message from ants - sent by Ultron’s bride – to his hidden laboratory. When Iron Man threatens to destroy his robotic creation, Ultron flees and swears vengeance.^[10] The robot, which Pym names Jocasta, is later examined and reanimates. Tracking the robot to a convent, the Avengers battle an upgraded Ultron (Ultron-9) once again. Now immune to his encephalo-ray and aided by heroine Ms. Marvel, the Avengers battle Ultron, with the Scarlet’s Witch’s hexes causing a malfunction in his molecule rearranger. Thor contains Ultron’s leaking power as he detonates.^[11]

Sometime later Iron Man, acting another of Ultron’s hypnotic suggestions, makes it possible for him to be recreated. Ultron (Ultron-10) then kidnaps the Scarlet Witch, intent on preventing her from using her hex power against him. Iron Man, however, suspects that he has been controlled and leaves a warning for Thor, who leads the team to Ultron’s secret vault. In the ensuing battle, Hawkeye knocks Ultron into a vat of liquid adamantium, which solidifies and immobilizes him.^[12] Courtesy of yet another hypnotic suggestion, Jocasta recreates Ultron (Ultron-11) a month later. With the aid of hypnotised Fantastic Four member the Thing, Ultron begins to build a robotic army but is eventually stopped by robotic adventurer Machine Man. Jocasta is destroyed in the final battle.^[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.

A new Ultron (Ultron-12) enters into an alliance with the villain the Grim Reaper and his allies (Nekra; the Erik Josten Goliath; Man-Ape and the Black Talon) in a bid to destroy the Reaper's brother, Wonder Man. Although the villains are defeated by the West Coast Avengers, Ultron-12 begins to form a relationship with his "father", Henry Pym.^[16]

Ultron 12 and beyond

The head of Ultron-11 is dropped and forgotten by the Thing when there is an attack by the alien Dire Wraiths.^[17] It is later found by a Red Cross worker, and reactivates when in brought in contact with a television. The head hypnotises the worker, and then through the use of human pawns returns to a hidden laboratory where it rebuilds itself. Ultron-11 discovers Pym and Ultron-12 are present, and regarding the latter as an abomination, attacks them. Pym is captured, and although Ultron-12 is badly damaged, it repairs itself and summons Wonder Man, who destroys Ultron-11. Ultron-12 then deactivates, but tells Pym it was glad it could help save him. ^[18] Ultron-12's head is later used by Doctor Doom to recreate the robot and use it against the hero Daredevil, although the robot has memories of all its past incarnations and eventually tears itself apart in a moment of conflict.^[19]

Another version of Ultron eventually appears (Ultron-13) and plans to transform a farming community into an army of robots, but is stopped once again by the West Coast Avengers.^[20] Another Ultron (Ultron-14) tries 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.^[21] Ultron (Ultron-15) next appears as a brief captive of a highly advanced Doombot, but is freed when the Doombot is destroyed by Deathlok.^[22]

The next Ultron (Ultron-16) plans to take control of a nuclear missile and cause a detonation that will cause catastrophic seismic reactions around the planet. On a whim, Ultron also captures the West Coast Avenger Mockingbird and using her brain patterns creates a new robotic mate called Alkhema. Alkhema aids Ultron in his scheme but both are eventually jettisoned into space through a ruse by the Vision.^[23] An upgraded version (Ultron-17) reappears with Alkhema some months later, 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. ^[24] Another Ultron (Ultron-18) is found by the Vision, but is discovered to have been "infected" by human emotion and is seriously deteriorating. This Ultron and a recreated Jocasta decide to explore the world with the Vision for a time.^[25]

Several years later another Ultron (Ultron-19) appears, who has had the Avengers under surveillance for some time.^[26] This version is composed entirely of adamantium, and single-handedly slaughters the population of the state Slorenia. Ultron then uses the corpses of his victims to create a robotic army of Ultrons, some of which are formed from secondary adamantium. The Avengers are alerted to this when viewing a satellite image of corpses arranged to form an image of Ultron's head. The Avengers battle the army of Ultrons, and Pym (now in his Goliath persona); the Wasp; the Vision; Scarlet Witch and Wonder Man are captured, with Ultron intent on transforming his "family" into androids for company after conquering the Earth. Captain America; Thor; Iron Man; the Black Panther and new member Firestar battle the Ultron army and destroy most of the robots, until another new member Justice arrives and provides Pym with vibranium, which Pym uses to destroy the invincible prime version.^[27]

This version of Ultron also appears to have been responsible for the creation of the cyborg Victor Mancha, who was to be used as a sleeper agent against the Avengers. Mancha, however, rebels, and joins the young team the Runaways.^[28]

A shocked Iron Man encounters yet another version of Ultron shortly afterwards, which is revealed to be an old version of his armour that achieved sentience when programmed by Jocasta. Leading the cult the Sons of Yinsen, this Ultron hybrid is intent on conquest via religion, and is eventually stopped by Iron Man and Jocasta.^[29]

Female Ultron

Following the events of the Civil War, Ultron interfaces with Iron Man's armor, which Iron Man had integrated with his biology. This allows Ultron's program to transform Iron Man (with Tony Stark inside it) into a new version of Ultron that has the human appearance of the Wasp, albeit with a metallic skin. Ultron then takes control of Earth's weather satellites with the intent of conquering the Earth. Although a very formidable combatant, this version is eventually destroyed by new Avenger Ares, whom Ultron has never encountered before, and whose tactics Ultron cannot anticipate. Ares uses a computer virus to wipe Ultron's program from Iron Man's armor. Pym, however, later views an image of Ultron on a computer screen.(Ultron's image actually appears right after Pym leaves the computer monitor unattended and is never seen by Pym himself).^[30]

Phalanx

One version of Ultron leads the alien race the Phalanx, who view Ultron as the sympathetic father they have yearned for.^[31] Together, they invade Kree space. Taking control of the body of Adam Warlock, Ultron hopes to achieve "true techno-organic perfection", but is evenutally forced to abandon Warlock's body by the technarchy Warlock.^[32]

Powers and abilities

Ultron's abilities vary with each redesign, but typically include enhanced strength; flight, and various offensive weapons such as concussion blasters and an "encephalo-ray", which places victims into a deathlike coma. The latter ray also allows Ultron to mesmerize and mind-control his victims, or implant subliminal hypnotic commands within their minds to be enacted at a later time.

Ultron's outer armour is unusual in that it is usually composed of primary adamantium, which is to date almost completely impervious to damage. Most Ultron units are powered by a small internal nuclear furnace, and incorporate a "program transmitter" which can beam part or all of Ultron's programming into other computers or alternate robotic bodies. Ultron can also control other machines remotely. A recent Ultron model developed hive-mind technology, allowing him to animate and control hundreds of alternate Ultron bodies simultaneously.^[33] Ultron also uses an internal molecular rearranger that renders the adamantium components of his workings more malleable and so have the ability to remodel his physical form. What circuitry Ultron has is carefully shielded to protect from damage, although the Avenger the Scarlet Witch has been shown to be capable of causing malfunctions with her hex power.^[34]

Other versions

Marvel Adventures

In the Marvel Adventures universe, Ultron is a highly-intelligent "neural network" that controls a section of the United States defence forces.^[35]

MC2

Avengers Next features an upgraded version of Ultron named Ultron Extreme.^[36]

Ultimate Ultron

In the Ultimate Marvel Universe, Ultron has been shown as a robot designed to be an expendable super soldier. It was created by Hank Pym along with a partner robot called Vision II.^[37] Ultron robots later reappear as butlers to the Ultimates.^[38]

In other media

Television

Ultron appears in The Avengers: United They Stand animated series, voiced by John Stocker.

Film

Ultron is the main villain in the direct to video animated film Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow, played by voice actor Tom Kane.

Video games

• Ultron appears in Captain America and the Avengers.
• Ultron appears as a boss in the RPG video game Marvel: Ultimate Alliance voiced by James Horan.

References