Ultron Is a Gnarly Villain, And Marvel Just Found a Way to Make Him an Even Bigger Threat

Ultron has always been one ofThe Avengers' deadliest villains, but a new upgrade has just made him more unstoppable than ever. This change is both a cool twist in-universe and a brilliant addition to the character's lore that'll make future Ultron stories all the better thanks to the freedom it gives writers.

West Coast Avengers #3 - from Gerry Duggan, Danny Kim, Arthur Hesli & Joe Caramagna - has just made a genius change to Ultron by revealing that there’s a huge number of duplicate Ultrons out in the universe. The original Ultron has essentially turned himself into an entire species, looking for the best way to win (and survive) his battle against humanity.

Ultron splits himself into independent copies while floating in space in West Coast Avengers (2024) #3

The issue flashes back to the aftermath of 2015’s Rage of Ultron, written by Rick Remender with art by Jerome Opeña, in which Ultron combined himself with Hank Pym and went into hibernation in Earth’s orbit. What this issue reveals is that while hibernating, Ultron split himself into numerous copies, each with their own free will and individual schemes.

Ultron Has Split Himself Into Multiple Copies, Each With Free Will

Each Version of Ultron Has Its Own Master Plan - Including Joining the Avengers

Ultron declares its free will from all other versions of itself in West Coast Avengers (2024) #3

West Coast Avengers (2024) has been following two different versions of Ultron so far, a heroic Ultron on the titular team and a cult leader renamed ‘One’, who promises to save terminally ill hospital patients by transforming them into cyborgs. This reveal helps to explain why the two Ultrons, as well as all those appearing since 2015, can coexist, and why heroic Ultron doesn’t have any knowledge of One or his plans. It also gives future writers near-infinite room to introduce new Ultrons without having to worry about hyper-specific continuity. For an inhuman arch-villain like Ultron who is meant to cause chaos and need entire teams to stop him, that's a good thing.

One of the smartest things this reveal does is neutralize one of Ultron’s classic weaknesses - his connection to all the other versions of himself. Ultron's usual tactic is to unleash a swarm of robotic drones controlled by his prime self, meaning that if Earth's heroes can take out the leader, they win the day. However, defeating any one of these new Ultrons won’t affect the others at all. They don’t even know each other’s plans. Ultron's not only made sure that he'll stick around, but he's also countered the Avengers' best strategy to stop him.

Ultron Doesn't Have to be One-Note Anymore

With Multiple Ultrons, Writers Can Do What They Want

Two versions of Ultron discuss their plans while on the moon in West Coast Avengers (2024) #3-1

Ultron is a relatively straightforward villain who wants to destroy and replace humanity, believing himself the ultimate form of 'life.' While that drive to succeed via survival of the fittest still applies, it's now interpreted through each Ultron's very different plan. Indeed, fans have already seen how different the new Ultrons can be, as one becomes a cult leader and the other a superhero. Ultron's new tactics don't mean each version is working alone, either. Ultron is the most advanced AI on the planet, and he can do amazing things with technology - even working by himself, One has already created a small army of cyborg followers. Meanwhile, all across the Marvel Universe, other versions of the Mad Android are unleashing similarly ambitious plans.

Until now, writers had to explain how Ultron had returned and why his tactics had changed in each story, often with mixed results. In Brian Michael Bendis and Frank Cho's Mighty Avengers #1, Ultron returns in a new form based on Janet van Dyne and possesses Tony Stark's body. At the time, it was an odd decision for the terrifying villain, but from here on, why would Ultron not try any unusual tactic that has a chance of succeeding? Not only does losing one Ultron not threaten the 'species,' but it doesn't even waste time - each Ultron is enacting their plans and gathering resources at the same time. If even one succeeds, all prior losses aren't just justified - they're meaningless.

Gone are the days when Ultron's AI had to keep surviving battle after battle, lurching from one plan to another. Now, the deadliest AI every created has gone from supervillain to planetary infestation, and the Avengers will never know how many Ultrons are out there. West Coast Avengersjust gave Ultron the potential to become Marvel's most creative and versatile villain - now creative teams just have to take up the challenge.

West Coast Avengers #3 is on sale now from Marvel Comics