Ultron, the menacing AI villain, first graced the silver screen in Avengers: Age of Ultron, but his comic book history is far richer and darker than many fans realize. While James Spader’s portrayal was captivating, the comics delve into twisted plots and shocking revelations that showcase the true extent of Ultron’s evil. Let’s explore ten comic book moments that unveil Ultron’s deepest secrets.
He Has A Child
The Runaways, a group of teenage heroes atoning for their parents’ sins, encounter Victor Mancha. Victor has implanted memories of a normal upbringing, but when electrical and magnetic powers emerge, the Runaways discover the shocking truth: Ultron is his father. Despite appearing to be a teenager, he’s only a few years old. Victor joins the Runaways to fight Ultron, but trust remains an issue, especially after a future Runaway warns of Victor’s villainous future as Victorious, who killed the Avengers.
Time Broke Because Of Him
The Age of Ultron comic storyline differs greatly from the movie. In the comics, Ultron conquers the world, killing billions. Wolverine travels back in time to prevent Ultron’s creation by killing Hank Pym. However, this creates an even worse present ruled by Morgan le Fey. Wolverine then travels back again to stop his past self, leading Pym to install a shut-off switch in Ultron. These time-travel shenanigans rupture the space-time continuum, causing different Marvel universes to merge.
He Transformed Iron Man Into A Naked Woman
Ultron’s ability to inhabit different forms leads to a particularly bizarre moment in The Mighty Avengers. He takes over Iron Man’s body, which at the time, is powered by Extremis. Pushing Extremis to its limits, Ultron transforms Iron Man into a naked Janet van Dyne, also known as The Wasp. Ultron is eventually defeated, and Iron Man is restored. This remains one of the strangest moments for Earth’s mightiest heroes.
Fight With The Devil
Despite being an Avengers-level threat, Ultron has suffered some embarrassing defeats. During Daredevil’s drifting phase, he encounters an Ultron struggling with multiple personalities. Ultron seeks to isolate the circuit preventing him from experiencing happiness and starts tearing off his own head. Daredevil intervenes and, after initially being beaten, vows to never be hit like that again. He then whacks Ultron’s head with a giant stick until he decapitates the robot.
He Was Really Created By Hank Pym
The Marvel Cinematic Universe deviates from the comics regarding Ultron’s creator. In the comics, Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man, is responsible for Ultron’s creation. Ultron’s erratic behavior stems from inheriting Pym’s unstable brain patterns. While the movie hints at Tony Stark’s culpability, the comics explicitly link Ultron’s actions to Pym’s mental state. Ultron hypnotizes Pym to forget his creation, but the guilt resurfaces later, amplified by Ultron’s obsession with Pym’s wife, The Wasp.
Bride Of Ultron
In a twisted take on the Frankenstein narrative, Ultron creates a “bride” by kidnapping The Wasp and transferring her consciousness into a robotic woman named Jocasta. However, Jocasta quickly turns against her creator, mirroring Ultron’s betrayal of Hank Pym. The Avengers hesitate to accept Jocasta, delaying her full membership until she quits. She later sacrifices herself to save the Avengers and is brought back as a bodiless AI, assisting Tony Stark.
Hypnosis
While Scarlet Witch handles hypnosis in Age of Ultron, Ultron is the master of hypnosis in the comics. He starts by making Hank Pym forget creating him, then mind-controls Jarvis, the Avengers’ butler. Iron Man later discovers he was the one who re-created Ultron under a post-hypnotic suggestion. Ultron also hypnotizes The Thing to fight Machine Man. This obsession might stem from Hank Pym’s brain patterns since Pym once used hypnosis on himself. When Ultron tried to extract knowledge from the hypnotized Pym, he only received the phrase: “Thou shalt not kill.”
Fights In The ‘Family’
Despite being a world-destroying robot, Ultron has a large “family,” including Victor Mancha and The Vision. In the comics, The Vision’s body is that of the original Human Torch. Ultron forces Professor Phineas Horton to upgrade the android as an Avengers-killing machine but Horton leaves the original personality intact. Ultron reprograms The Vision with Wonder Man’s mind, but this backfires (again), and The Vision joins the Avengers. Wonder Man considers Vision a brother, and The Vision marries Scarlet Witch, further expanding the Ultron family.
He Merged With His Creator
When Hank Pym confronts an isolated Ultron unit, Ultron claims to have access to Pym’s memories, including a subconscious hatred for humanity. After faking pain, Ultron takes over Hank Pym’s body during a seemingly sweet father-son moment. Captain America’s attempts to separate them fail. However, when the robot-human combo absorbs Starfox’s powers, Ultron experiences a moment of clarity. Realizing the horror he has become, Ultron flies into space, taking Pym’s mind with him and leaving the Avengers to mourn Pym’s death.
He Was Resurrected By An Iron Man Cult
While the Marvel Cinematic Universe links Iron Man and Ultron, the comics have an even more insane connection through Ho Yinsen. Other prisoners who escaped with Tony Stark formed a cult called the “Sons of Yinsen.” They recover Yinsen’s preserved brain, planning to place it inside sentient Iron Man armor. However, the mind inside is actually Ultron, who deceives the cult, sending them to war against Iron Man. When that fails, he blows up their floating city. However, Yinsen’s lingering influence forces Ultron to save Iron Man, his hated foe.
Which Ultron moment surprised you the most? Leave your comment below!
