Essential Avengers: West Coast Avengers #7: U, ROBOT!
April, 1986
Henry Pym -- torn between TWO ULTRONS! Can even Wonder Man save him?
Congrats, its twins??
And definitely looks like they’re going for the wishbone.
So was Ultron(s?) saying that he wants to make amends with Hank all a ruse? Guess this is where we find out.
Last time on West Coast Avengers: Tigra has been feeling torn between human and cat lately. Mostly, its made her horny and catty, in the sense of being rude to other women. But still, its messing with her quality of life so the West Coast Avengers take a trip to cat world, a world of cat people. After some difficulty and horniness, the cat king of cat world agrees to remove one of her souls IF she does a murder on Master Pandemonium, a man whose limbs pop off and turn into demons. Initially Tigra says no, because Avengers don’t kill but then like ten seconds later she changes her mind. Inconsistent character writing is just consistent cat character writing according to this book.
BUT ALSO: Hank Pym joined the West Coast Avengers team as the dude that runs their base. And he’s been getting a lot of creepy calls from Ultron who has turned to just prank calling Hank I guess. But after Hank yells at him to knock it off, Ultron decides to embrace robot maturity and get over his desire to murder his dad. He wants to make amends and bury the hatchet, and he may or may not mean that literally!
But this issue begins with a cool POV shot.
Oo ah much cool.
So in Fantastic Four #277, Alicia Masters’ (actually Lyja Laserfist in disguise) apartment collapses due to a planet appearing above Earth. As happens in Fantastic Four sometimes. But point being, Ben Grimm had just returned from Battleworld and was, at the time, carrying the decapitated head of Ultron for reasons that I’m sure made sense, at the time.
He forgets the Ultron head in the rubble and goes off to deal with the plot.
And its found and picked up as a souvenir by nurse Annie Carruthers, who was with the Red Cross helping people injured in the collapse.
She takes the Ultron home and plonks it on her TV. Where it immediately starts absorbing the TV.
Geez, you die hard, Ultron.
You were just a head! A non-functioning head! Did you engineer yourself to shoot wires out of your neck stump if this EXACT SITUATION EVER HAPPENED, you weirdo?
Anyway, that was then.
Now, in the present, we gotta get to the cat orgy.
Which in the “land within” is a spectator sport??
Anyway, Hawkeye has some misgivings about all of this cat stuff. His keen insight has detected that maybe Tigra isn’t telling them everything.
Firebird agrees with Hawkeye. But also she just wants to leave. She has a Master Pandemonium to track down.
As for Thing, he decides that all cats are party animals based on this and based on the party Black Panther threw for the FF once.
Way to stereotype people with cat theming. Geez Ben, geez.
Hawkeye: “So you see -- we know all the fun people, and we go to all the fun places! And if you stick around, it’ll get even better!”
The Thing: “I knew it -- you never quit tryin’! You’re even worse than I wuz on my fourth date with Betty Lou Brindis!”
Hawkeye: “Listen! This is a natural! The She-Hulk’s an Avenger, but she joined the FF! Here’s your chance to even things up!”
That sure is an argument, Hawkeye.
Honestly? I’d rather just get She-Hulk back.
I miss her....
Firebird is sad that nobody has asked her if she wants to be a member.
But to be fair (to be faiiiiiiiir) you’ve met the Avengers like three times. Sometimes that’s enough. But sometimes its not.
What I really want to point out though is that cat dude about to eat a mouse in the background.
Cats is cats?
Ben mentions, in context of why he doesn’t want to talk about the FF, that he brought Ultron’s head back from Secret Wars and then dropped it somewhere.
Mockingbird mentions that the West Coast Avengers have fought an Ultron recently. And everybody concludes that yeah probably that head Ben brought back managed to rebuild himself and that’s the Ultron they fought in the opening two-parter slash crossover.
Hawkeye: “Don’t lose any sleep over it, big guy -- we chased ‘im off with his tail between his legs, just like we always have! That’s what Avengers are for -- maybe you should join up ‘cause you need our help...!”
Damn, Hawkeye. You’re incorrigible.
The narration notes that the audience has probably seen the Thing put his fist through a table before, so changes scenes to Hank Pym.
So, yeah, Ben probably finally lost his patience some more with Clint.
Anyway, Hank is wandering around the abandoned warehouse district of L.A., commenting on how New York’s abandoned warehouse district was cool and had a 30s atmosphere but L.A.’s is just gross urban sprawl.
New Yorkers always be like that.
Anyway. Ultron Mark Twelve arrives out of a creepy alley, being creepy but not murdery. And he doesn’t call Hank daddy again which is a step in the right direction.
Ultron Mark Twelve: “Hello, dad! I see you’re come. Does this mean you’ve decided to believe me, and begin our relationship anew?”
Hank Pym: “It means... yes, I’ve decided just that! I may be crazy, but there is a lot of me in you, and what you’re saying sounds believable to me!”
Ultron: “Wonderful! That’s wonderful!”
Hank Pym: “But be aware, Ultron or Mark, or, whoever, you are -- I’m not a stupid man! What we’re doing is between you and me so far, but I did record a complete record on the computers in case you try anything funny -- !”
Ultron: “I know, dad! I’ve kept an eye on each of your Avengers since we began talking -- in case you tried anything funny -- !”
Ultron: “But you didn’t! Hard as it must have been, you chose to accept me as your son -- your prodigal son -- and I promise you you’ll never regret it! We have years to make up for now -- years! Father and son -- that’s who we are! A family --!”
God, I love that panel of Hank being just so uncomfortable being hugged by Ultron.
It is one of my favorite out of context panels of Ultron to share with people.
Ultron Mark Twelve announces that he’s going to take Hank to his SECRET LABORATORY in Silicon Valley and prove that he’s ending his criminal career.
So, that’s neat.
In the past times, there’s another Ultron POV shot where he has Annie Carruthers ship him to David Menconi in Sunnyvale who he then mind controls to drive his dumbass Ultron head on a TV set body to the Ultimatum Inc. building in Silicon Valley and attach him to a proper Ultron body.
Ultimatum Inc.? If you had a nose, this would be on it, Ultron.
If the Avengers never find you after you escape its because they don’t really look.
Meanwhile, in the present times, Hank and Ultron Mark Twelve, hence to be shortened Mark per Ultron Mark Twelve request, arrive at Ultimatum Inc.
Mark praises Hank’s performance during that whole Grim Reaper thing but Hank says that he’s never returning to the superhero life. Mark pivots and says that retirement is nice too, he’ll be retiring himself, but keeping his lab for experimentation.
Hank Pym: “It’s amazing! My experiments brought you into existence -- and now you experiment yourself!”
Mark: “It’s merely an analog to the human ‘father-son’ relationship! Who knows -- if I create something useful, you may yet become a ‘grandfather’!”
Vision, somewhere: ‘Am I joke to you?’
To be accurate though, Vision is more identifying himself with the Williams recently and his body itself was just refurb from the robot Human Torch. So its less like Ultron created him and more like he kidnapped someone else’s kid and brainwashed him.
BUT WHAT ABOUT JOCASTA? I guess it doesn’t count because of the brain waves thing? Who knows.
Also, the greatest thing in this or anything then happens.
Mark: “But I must ask you, father -- I have been worrying about this since my final evolution gave me my human sensibilities -- did my disruptions of your life -- my attempt to make the Wasp a basis for Jocasta -- did those things cause your divorce? Every child feels guilty when his parents separate, of course...”
Hank Pym: “No, Mark -- I managed to destroy my marriage all by myself!”
Oh my god.
Mark the Ultron just seriously asked ‘daddy, is it my fault you got divorced?’
This is the greatest comic book.
Anyway anyway, they head inside the lab. Hank Pym comments on how big the lab is and Mark jokes “Stealing money when you need it does have its rewards -- !”
Mark walks off to get the lights and Hank admires all the various Ultron torsos and limbs strewn about.
Gasp, treachery!
Ultron: “So many times I worked out elaborate schemes to deliver you into my lairs -- !”
Hank Pym: -- And now I just walk in without telling anyone where I’ve gone!
Wait, you did?
Hank, that was dumb!
He grabs a spare Ultron arm from the table of Ultron limbs and blasts Ultron with the Ultron concussion blaster in the fingers.
But, y’know, adamantium chassis. Hank does no real damage and Ultron double finger guns the arm out of Hank’s hands.
Ultron: “Always resourceful, Pym! Always a flair for the unexpected! But even as an Avenger, you lacked the raw power to defeat me, and as a civilian -- you are almost too easy to kill! Almost but not quite -- !”
TWO ULTRONS?
ULTRON LIMITED??
Okay so I guess Mark didn’t betray Hank.
But I wish Ultrons had more different designs because now that Ultron-11 and Mark Ultron are wrestling, its hard to tell them apart.
By way of punching each other and discussing, the Ultrons figure out that when Ultron-11 was raptured to Battleworld by the Beyonder, Ultron’s backup program in the computer banks figured he was gone forever so churned out another Ultron.
But then Ultron-11′s head was brought back to Earth by Ben Grimm (thanks, Ben) so now there’s some redundancy. Also, some philosophical disagreements.
Ultron-11: “What kind of Ultron are you, Twelve?”
Mark: “An Ultron who has evolved past mechanical hatred -- an Ultron who loves his father!”
Ultron-11: “A decadent Ultron! An Ultron to demonstrate the perils of further evolution!”
How very Kang of you, Ultron.
Also, non-Mark Ultron is such a pissbaby that he is literally afraid of growing up lest he stop hating Hank. Amazing.
Less amazing though, he rips off Mark’s head.
Dangit.
I liked Mark! Having a friendly Ultron hanging around was such a fresh concept.
Also, dang, becoming a good guy really does nerf you. I’m pretty sure its usually harder to decapitate Ultrons.
Ultron-11, out of that previously mentioned fear of ever growing up, erases everything related to Ultron-12 out of the computer banks.
With that accomplished, Ultron-11 gloats that he made it all the way back from Battleworld, traveled across the country as a head connected to a TV, and found a special toy surprise for him at the end of his journey.
Ultron-11: “But now we’re both here, and now I shall demonstrate what stopping one level short of decadence can mean! Now I shall have my satisfaction at long, long last, and you will learn the definition of cruelty -- ! Come with me, ‘father’!”
And he drags Hank off.
And misses that Mark the Ultron wasn’t quite finished yet.
In another cool POV shot, Mark the Ultron-12′s decapitated head coaxes his body to walk over to him.
Meanwhile elsewhere, the film set!
Wonder Man is playing the priest for the Queen of Eagles and acts a scene where NotConan Arkon busts out of his bonds and then throws the “priest” off the parapets into the crocodile moat.
And I can’t tell whether the crocodiles are real or not.
I think they’re real considering someone on the film crew praises Simon because they’re saving a fortune on special effects thanks to his indestructible bod.
I think Simon Williams just beat up some crocodiles.
Anyway.
Everything is coming up daisies for Simon! He owned up to his not-secret criminal past and it got him a movie role, a burden removed from his soul, and Christina from the film crew all over him.
Also, Ultron is lurking in the trees.
Oh no!
Oh, hi Mark.
Your head is on backwards.
You didn’t put yourself together very well.
He begs Wonder Man for help because Hank is in danger from Ultron. But another Ultron.
To his credit, Mark admits that he was the one who joined Grim Reaper’s plot. Not gonna pretend he’s a completely innocent Ultron here.
Wonder Man: “That is hard to believe -- !”
Mark the Ultron: “I know it is -- but you more than anyone else, must know that a man can change -- !”
Aiming for Simon’s feel good redemption feels, huh? Clever, Mark.
Speaking of Hank Pym being in danger, Ultron-11 has come up with an INSIDIOUS KARMIC DEATH FOR HANK!
Ultron: “You built me, Pym -- when I was Ultron-1! You put my pieces together! How fitting, then that I tear your pieces apart!”
Ehhhh not great. If you’ll pardon the pun, its kind of a stretch.
But he had like five minutes to think of it so... Eh.
Before he can tear Hank Pym apart in his ridiculous delimbing machine, Wonder Man OH YEAHs through the wall.
Wonder Man.
You’re feeling a little Superman again.
You’re going to get sued.
Ultron mocks Wonder Man as the Avenger that’s too afraid to fight but Wonder Man tanks some finger beams and laughs.
They beat the crap out of each other a bit but there’s only so many pages left in the book and Wonder Man quickly takes the upper hand.
Ultron knocks tons of machinery on top of Wonder Man but he just lifts heavy thing like he’s effortless Spider-Man, throws it on Ultron, and then squishes his indestructible head.
Head is adamantium but his computer brains aren’t. That’s the handwave Simon gives anyway. He shook “his brains out into the carpet!” apparently.
Anyway, Mark the Ultron staggers in.
Mark the Ultron: “Thank you, Wonder Man -- thank you for doing what I couldn’t -- saving my dad!”
And then he immediately starts dying.
BECAUSE HIS HEAD IS ON BACKWARDS.
Yeah, Ultron-11 survived as a decapitated head after having his insides boiled by Johnny Storm going nova fire on him. And then connected to a tv and made a cross country trip.
Ultron-12 though? He connected his head on backwards because of his stupid decapitated hands and the faulty connections has been short-circuiting his brain.
I think the Ultron-12 design just isn’t as hardy at Ultron-11.
It’s a bit sad.
Mainly for the loss of potential that Mark the Ultron represented.
Alas, Mark the Ultron.
Wonder Man asks Hank if he can’t just... y’know, rebuild Mark Ultron?
But Hank decides its not safe to even try. He never fully understood Ultron even when he was Ultron-1. If you don’t remember, Ultron-1 just sort of switched himself on and progressed through childhood right to hating his dad.
And Ultron-12 maturing enough that he just decided to become good isn’t something Hank can explain either.
If he tried to rebuild Mark the Ultron, he’d be likely as not to create a jerk Ultron again.
(Partially this is because Hank isn’t being honest with himself or Simon here. Part of the reason why Ultron is so Ultron is because Hank used his own brain scan to create him.)
Anyway!
Hank is sad that he never had the chance to tell Mark the Ultron about how he’s seeing Tigra now so that he’s not alone in his life, as Mark lamented as he died.
Wonder Man: ‘Oof.’
Paraphrased but basically ‘oof.’ Wonder Man realizes that Tigra has been making out with both him and Hank. And while before he had been jealous of the attention Tigra paid to Hank, now he can’t bear to take what little Hank has away from him.
Wonder Man: “She’s a fine woman, Hank! You’re a lucky man there!”
There you go, Simon.
As Hank and Wonder Man fly back to the West Coast Avengers Compound, Hank takes solace “now that there will be no more Ultrons!”
WOMP WOMP!
Wait, where did that head even come from?
Is that the same David that delivered Ultron to his Ultron factory? Did he let David take a spare Ultron head? Why?
So.
I’ve been waiting to get to this story since I started West Coast Avengers the ongoing series.
I love the concept of Mark the Ultron, the Ultron who just became slightly mature and got over being a supervillain.
I actually think it was a waste to kill him off here.
Can you imagine Ultron joining the West Coast Avengers? If not as part of the team then as part of the support staff, to hang out with his dad?
Or maybe yes, the sixth member of the team. Hawkeye has been furiously courting Ben Grimm for it but the slot goes to Ultron right when Ben was coming around to the idea.
God, a good Ultron on the Avengers would be amazing. And as this story proves, you can easily still have an antagonist Ultron running around.
If anyone is foolish enough to allow me to write comics, I’d have a future version of the Avengers that just casually has an Ultron and nobody will explain it.
Anyway (putultronontheavengers) rant over.
Put Ultron on the Avengers.
Follow @essential-avengers and put Ultron on the Avengers. Like and reblog maybe.
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