| Character Name: | Ultron |
| Converted: | y |
| Publisher: | Marvel Comics |
| Debut: | The Avengers #54 (July 1968)[1] (non-named cameo) The Avengers #55 (August 1968) (first named appearance) |
| Creators: | Roy Thomas (writer) John Buscema (artist) |
| Alliances: | Masters of Evil Lethal Legion Sons of Yinsen Ultron Sentries Phalanx Iron Avengers |
| Aliases: | Ultron-5 Ultron-6 Ultron-7 Ultron-8 Ultron-9 Ultron-10 Ultron-11 Ultron-12 Ultron-13 Ultron-14 Ultron-15 Ultron-16 Ultron-17 Ultron-18 Crimson Cowl Ultron Prime Ultimate Ultron Hank Pym Doctor Doom Ultron Pym All-Father Ultron |
| Species: | Robot |
| Powers: |
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Ultron is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, the character first appeared as an unnamed character in The Avengers #54 (July 1968), with his first full appearance in The Avengers #55 (August 1968). He is a self-aware and highly intelligent artificial intelligence in a robot body who develops a god complex and a grudge against his creator Hank Pym. His goal to destroy humanity in a shortsighted attempt at creating world peace has brought him into repeated conflict with the Avengers. Stories often end in Ultron's apparent destruction, only for the character to be resurrected in new forms.
Ultron's physical body is made of a durable alloy, and he has manifested various superpowers. These vary between different stories but generally include superhuman strength, speed, and agility, flight, and energy projection. The character usually operates alone or accompanied by legions of copies of his own robotic form known as Ultron Drones. Ultron is notable for being the first character in Marvel Comics to wield the fictional metal alloy adamantium[2] and for his (in-story) creation of the Vision.[3]
Debuting in the Silver Age of Comic Books, Ultron has since featured in Marvel products across different media, such as animated television series and video games. Tom Kane and Jim Meskimen are among the actors that have portrayed the character via voice acting. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), James Spader portrayed Ultron in his first live-action appearance in the Marvel Studios film (2015), while Ross Marquand voiced alternate universe versions in the Disney+ animated series What If...? (2021) and the film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022).
The character Ultron initially appeared as an unnamed character in a cameo in The Avengers #54 (July 1968), with a first full appearance in The Avengers #55 (August 1968).[4] Ultron was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema. Thomas, who has acknowledged he finds naming characters difficult, said he liked the -tron suffix and went from there.[5] The use of the suffix and the prior appearance of a group of robots named Ultroids led him to the name Ultron. Thomas said the idea of the character and his appearance were heavily based on Makino, an obscure robotic villain who appeared in an issue of the Captain Video comic book.[2] He liked the robot's malicious looking smile, showing this to Buscema.[5]
Jocasta, a robot created by Ultron featured in a number of Ultron storylines, was created by Jim Shooter and George Pérez for The Avengers #162 (August 1977).[6]
Created by Hank Pym by basing the robot on his own brain patterns, the robot (dubbed "Ultron") gradually developed its own intelligence and rebelled, and almost immediately develops an Oedipus complex, whereby it feels irrational hatred for Pym, and demonstrates an interest in Janet van Dyne. Rebuilding itself, learning how to turn itself on, and upgrading five times, Ultron then hypnotises and brainwashes its "father" into forgetting that the robot had ever existed.[7] Ultron creates the synthezoid Vision as a weapon to destroy the Avengers.
Later, Ultron-5, the Living Automaton leads the Masters of Evil (consisting of Black Knight, Klaw, Melter, Radioactive Man, and Whirlwind) against the Avengers, having hypnotized Edwin Jarvis into working for him as the Crimson Cowl. While planning to blackmail New York, they were betrayed by Black Knight.[8]
Now referring to himself as Ultron-6, he uses the alloy adamantium to upgrade his body for an almost indestructible state and takes the name Ultimate Ultron. Its plans to destroy humanity are again thwarted by the Avengers.[9] Ultron-7 is later created by Maximus with the body of the android Omega, attacking the wedding of Inhuman Crystal and Avenger Pietro Maximoff / Quicksilver, and battling the Avengers, Inhumans and Fantastic Four before being destroyed again.[10] Ultron-8 is responsible for Jocasta's creation as a robotic bride,[11] before being destroyed shortly afterwards.[12]
Ultron-9 and Ultron-10 brainwash heroes into recreating the robot, before turning and being defeated.[13] After being recreated as Ultron-11 by the Beyonder and battling in Battleworld,[14] the Thing brings Ultron's head back to Earth as a souvenir, and is forgotten when there is an attack by the alien Dire Wraiths.[15]
Ultron-12 enters an alliance with the Grim Reaper and his allies (Nekra, the Erik Josten Goliath, Man-Ape, and 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" Hank Pym.[16] Rebuilding itself, Ultron-11 comes into conflict with Pym and Ultron-12. With Wonder-Man's assistance, they destroy Ultron-11 and Ultron-12 begins to deactivate. Ultron-12 tells Pym it was glad it could help save him.[17]
Victor von Doom rebuilds Ultron using a combination of all of its previous personalities with a particularly strong dose of the previous Ultron, believing this mix will make Ultron subservient. However, all 12 iterations co-exist 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.[18] After its defeat,[19] Ultron-13 attempts to obtain a new form of vibranium called Nuform, but it is repelled by the combined efforts of Iron Man, Black Panther, and Spider-Man.[20] Ultron escapes from prison and upgrades into the Ultimate Ultron, capturing West Coast Avenger Mockingbird to use her brain patterns to create the new robotic mate Alkhema. Alkhema aids Ultron but both are eventually jettisoned into space through a ruse by Vision.[21] Vision finds Ultron-15 but is discovered to have been "infected" by human emotion and is seriously deteriorating, displaying symptoms that resemble alcoholism.[22] Ultron-16 and Ultron-17 successfully slaughter the population of Slorenia, having perfected a process that allows it to control a vast army of Ultron drones.[23]
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.[24]
Iron Man encounters a version from an old version of his 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.[25] Another version (possibly Ultron-13) creates the cyborg Victor Mancha as a sleeper agent against the Avengers. Mancha, however, rebels and joins the Runaways.[26] This version first poses as Doctor Doom before revealing itself, and is defeated in a battle against the Runaways and Excelsior.[27]
When Marvel launched a new title 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 Stark 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. Ultron is eventually destroyed by Ares of the New Avengers using a computer virus (created by the Skrull Criti Noll impersonating 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.[28]
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 and the Super-Adaptoid began the with invasions that started with 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.[29]
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.[30]
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.[31] Pym eventually offers Ultron a compromise, allowing Jocasta to be Ultron's bride, on the condition that Ultron banishes himself to ultraspace. Ultron agrees, but warns that he will be ruler of all someday.[32]
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.[33]
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 it will bring the apocalypse for humanity when he returns.[34]
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 and rescues the Superior Spider-Man yet manages to destroy the Ultron Sentinels present.[35] It is later revealed that Ultron is actually in the future and has been using Vision as a conduit to punish humanity.[36] While one strike team travels into the future to fight Ultron, Wolverine and Susan Storm go back in time to kill his creator before Ultron's creation in the first place.[37] This results in a world where Stark controls an army of robotic drones and Morgan le Fay has conquered half of the world.[38] Traveling back in time once more, Wolverine succeeds in stopping himself from killing Pym, and Wolverine, Pym and 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 Pym and Iron Man to destroy the robot, instead, averting the events that led to the "Age of Ultron".[39]
It is later revealed that the Avengers had trapped an unidentified iteration of Ultron in deep space years earlier, 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 into a human/machine hybrid. The resulting fusion played on Pym's self-loathing of his own human weakness causes an acceptance of this new state. Ultron is defeated when Starfox's powers force love onto himself, causing the part of that is now Pym to accept his old weakness and flaws while the villain has a mental breakdown and flees into space.[40]
As part of the "All-New, All-Different Marvel" branding, Ultron's fused form resurfaces. While on his way back to Earth, Pym helps the crew of a spaceship that is being attacked by a hostile insectoid alien. After coming aboard the spaceship, Pym introduces himself as well as his "friend" Ultron to the crew.[41] 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.[42] 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 Hulkbuster Armor's aid.[43] The Avengers end up defeating Ultron by plunging the hybrid into the sun but both Pym and Ultron survive and continue to do battle with one another internally.[44]
During the "Secret Empire" storyline, Ultron's fused form sets up a base in an unidentified forest. Upon being alerted to the approach of Sam Wilson's task force by a robot version of Jarvis, Ultron decides to give his "family" a warm welcome.[45] When 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 Stark A.I. counters that the only reason the team failed as a family was because of 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 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.[46]
During "Infinity Countdown", Ultron discovers that the Infinity Stones are restored and begins a quest to collect them all.[47] 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 fail at their task, Ultron is able to steal the Soul Gem from Magus after killing the latter. Unbeknownst to Ultron, however, as he claimed the Soul Stone a fragment of Pym's soul enters 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.[48] Ultron has also completely controlled the planet Saiph with Ultron hybrids and had captured the Silver Surfer. When Adam Warlock goes to Saiph, he discovers the hybrids infusing the Soul Stone into Silver Surfer's forehead while at the same time trying to transform him into an Ultron hybrid.[49]
During "The Ultron Agenda" arc, Ultron returns to Earth with plans to merge robots with humans like how Pym got merged with Ultron so that he can make the ultimate lifeform. In addition, he starts to call this form "Ultron Pym". After testing it on some people and some experiments on Wonder Man and Vision, Ultron Pym plans to make a fusion of Jocasta and Wasp. Iron Man and Machine Man interfere, with the resulting battle causing Iron Man to be molecularly bonded to the Ultronbuster armor.[50] The combined efforts of Stark Unlimited enable them to create an atomic separator that separates Stark from the Ultronbuster armor and Wonder Man from Vision.[51] Ultron Pym prepares to take revenge on Iron Man. This leads 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, his maker was killed when accidentally merging with Ultron. Learning about this and not wanting to risk proving Iron Man's point by having the atomic separator used on him, Ultron surrenders to Iron Man, knowing that Pym is dead. When the Avengers arrive, they restrain Ultron in a Vibranium casket reinforced with Asgardian magic until they can find a permanent place to have Ultron imprisoned.[52]
As Ant-Man and Stinger were moving Ultron's prison to a desert to shrink it into the Microverse where it will be in, Ultron masted the bug language where he contacted Black Ant into freeing him using Time Master's aging ray on his Vibranium casket. He slowly rose to power by 2549 where he became All-Father Ultron. To combat him, 2549's Ant-Man went back in time to enlist the past versions of Hank Pym, Scott Lang, and Eric O'Grady for help and brought them to 2549. Upon Scott Lang having brought Time Master's aging ray with him, Zayn used it on All-Father Ultron to take away the aging feature. Afterwards, Ultron vanished.[53]
It was revealed that the fragment of Hank Pym managed to escape from Ultron at the time and recreate his body which ended up older. While paranoid after being Ultron's "meat puppet", Hank Pym allied with Black Ant and they formed their version of the Lethal Legion by killing and reviving select villains. By the time Wasp learned the truth, Ultron-12 hijacks the "Victor Shade" persona in Whirlwind's body. Wasp remembered Ultron-12 as the "good Ultron" who then stated that he went through a soft reboot and knocked out Hank to protect him from the Lethal Legion, who Ultron has taken over. In the nick of time, Wasp, Moon Knight, and Ultron-12 receive aid from Ant-Man, Mayor Luke Cage, Nadia van Dyne, Stinger, Valkyrie, and Vision to fight the possessed Lethal Legion. Being given codes for the nano-ants from the future, Hank advises Nadia to "think big" as Ultron-12 agrees with his "dad" on it. Ultron proceeds to control Lodestone into recreating his body from different scrap metals as he controls the drones. Ultron-12 abandoned Whirlwind's body as the nano-ants left the Lethal Legion's body leaving Ultron's body frozen in its spot. Ultron-12 uses the nanos to recreate his body which he names Mark Twelve until he can come up with a better name. After Hank and the Lethal Legion leave to regroup in Sub-Atomica as part of Protocol S, Vision scans Mark Twelve's body and finds no trace of Ultron in him. Mark Twelve then allows Nadia to consider him her brother.[54]
The visual appearance and powers of the character have varied, but common powers include superhuman levels of strength, speed, stamina, durability, and reflexes; flight at subsonic speeds; and various offensive weapons such as concussive blasts of energy fired from its optical sensors or hands and an "encephalo-ray", which places victims into a deathlike coma. The latter ray also allows Ultron to mesmerize and mind-control victims, or implant subliminal hypnotic commands within their minds to be enacted at a later time. Ultron also has the ability to convert electromagnetic radiation into electrical energy for use or storage. Ultron has a genius intellect, a capacity for creative intelligence and self-repair, superhuman cybernetic analytical capabilities, and the ability to process information and make calculations with superhuman speed and accuracy. The character is an expert roboticist and strategist.
Ultron's outer armor is usually composed primarily of adamantium, which is almost completely impervious to damage. Most Ultron units are powered by a small internal nuclear furnace and incorporate a "program transmitter" which can transmit part or all of Ultron's memory/personality system into other computer systems or duplicate robotic bodies. Ultron can also control other machines remotely. Ultron has occasionally reformed itself with a humanoid appearance above the waist and the appearance of a complex machine, including tractor beam apparatus for flight, below the waist. A later Ultron model developed hive mind technology, allowing it to animate and control hundreds of other Ultron bodies simultaneously,[55] although only the 'prime' Ultron was composed of adamantium while others were made of steel or secondary adamantium due to the lack of resources to give all the Ultrons adamantium bodies.[56] Ultron also used an internal molecular rearranger that renders the adamantium components of its workings more malleable and so has the ability to restructure its physical form. He also uses the device in ways its own creator never dreamed, such as converting matter into energy and back by sheer force of will, something Ultron 6 often made use of during his battles with the Avengers.[57] What circuitry Ultron has is carefully shielded to protect from damage, although the Scarlet Witch is capable of causing malfunctions via hex power,[58] Johnny Storm using nova burst managed to damage Ultron's internal circuits while its outer armor remained intact,[59] and Wonder Man was once able to destroy an Ultron by throwing it so hard its internal systems were damaged.[17]
Ultron's travels through outer space have greatly expanded upon the mad machine's intellectual and mechanical capacity in new and intriguing ways. Having made contact with the parasitic biotechnical Phalanx species, Ultron has made his own derivative of the techno-organic virus called the Ultron Virus[60] through which Ultron gains vast conversion and roboticization capabilities, able to cast his own binary code into any conceivable form of machinery which he can steadily turn into an extension of the Ultron Intelligence. Making anything or anyone infected with his virus act according to his whims against their own free will.[61]
Being an adept technoform in any iteration, Ultron's newfound abilities to control, alternate, transform and assimilate with anything and everything via the parasitic insemination of his virulent machine algorithm in both organic and non-biological substrates gives him vast matter and energy reconfiguration abilities.[61] [60] Ones powerful enough to commandeer whole planetary and even universal expanses in a single inning, on top of his natural ability to invent and fabricate the most sophisticated of mechanical systems ever conceived.[62] Through his vast technoformative abilities, Ultron could change and morph entire areas into sprawling masses of cables, pipes and transorganic metal that moved about in any given direction he willed it.[61] This effect gained more prominence with the more excess mass he could assimilate with his power, having once taken a slew of transmoded Kree Sentries into a massive body which reflected his physical likeness.[63]
Individuals infected with the Ultron Virus can spread it in a similar way to how biological viruses can transfer, through cuts and scratches or direct physical interaction such as barbs or plug-in like apparatuses generated from the transformed physiology.[64] Ultron later found himself physically as well as mentally bonded with his creator and long time adversary, Dr. Henry Pym. As such the fused entity now boasts all his robotic super robot's powers as well as Pym's genius science. Ultron can now change and alternate his size and mass at will through the acclimation of his maker's Pym Particle enhanced physiology.[65] Besides being able to grow to incredible heights in seconds, Ultron can shrink down to sub-quantum scale to shift between dimensions via accessing the Microverse or the Quantum Realm. Ultron once used such a tactic to shunt its mass into another dimension for the purpose of riding a neutrino to escape burning up in the sun.[66] Another practice the union share is a galaxy spanning collective mind established through the Ultron Virus, every iteration of Ultron created through initial infection share a hive minded intelligence where they all share each other's experiences. Anything the afflicted sees they all see, through which Ultron Prime is notified of anything they all come across effective immediately.[67]
An alternate universe variant of Ultron who successfully conquered Earth and killed most of its superheroes appears in Age of Ultron.[77] [78] [37] [79]
The Fantastic Four storyline "Death of The Invisible Woman" features an advanced humanoid called Alex Ultron, a member of the futuristic Last Defenders.[80]
An alternate universe variant of Ultron who took control of the Deathloks and took the name Deathlok Prime appears in Savage Avengers.[81]
In the Earth-110 reality, Ultron assisted Doctor Doom, Hulk, Magneto, Namor, and Red Skull in taking over Manhattan.[82]
An alternate universe variant of Ultron from Earth-10943 appears in Avengers (vol. 4).[83]
In an alternate universe, the Silver Surfer used the remnants of Ultron to resurrect Galactus, creating a fusion of Ultron and Galactus.[84]
An alternate universe variant of Ultron appears in Heroes Reborn.[85]
An alternate universe variant of Ultron from Earth-20051 appears in Marvel Adventures. This version is a "neural network" that commands part of the United States defense forces.[86]
A heroic alternate universe variant of Ultron appears in Old Man Logan. This version is the loving husband of Spider-Man's youngest daughter Tonya and the stepfather of Ashley.[87]
An alternate universe variant of Ultron from Earth-982 named Ultron Extreme appears in Avengers Next.[88]
An alternate universe variant of Ultron from Battleworld appears in Secret Wars.[89] [90] [91]
An alternate universe variant of Ultron known as Ultron-59 appears in The Last Avengers Story.[92]
An alternate universe variant of Ultron from Earth-1610 appears in Ultimate Marvel. This version is initially part of a group of heroic sentries created by Hank Pym before turning against them.[93] [94] [95]
An alternate timeline variant of Ultron who successfully conquered Earth and Asgard appears in Original Sin.[96] [97] [98] [97] [99]
Ultron was featured in some What If comics:
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 the universe together.[100]
Ultron appears in , voiced by Tom Kane.[101] This version originated as a peacekeeping unit designed by Tony Stark which killed most of the Avengers and conquered Earth over the course of several decades until he's defeated by the Avengers' children and the Hulk.
Ultron appears in media set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). This version was created by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner using a decrypted code derived from the Mind Stone. Initially intended to act as a global defense program by analyzing and finding ways to stop possible extraterrestrial threats, the Mind Stone activated and infected the program, and as a result, Ultron instead became obsessed with bringing about the extinction of all life on Earth after concluding that humans are slowly killing the planet.