Writing mainstream superhero comics is an iterative and collaborative process. Each new Avengers issue is informed by the characterization, history, and tone of the already-published cannon of Avengers comics. This style of never-ending storytelling can sometimes result in stagnant plots, but in my observation, it also frequently encourages innovation. A new Avengers creator knows that they will be compared against every previous Avengers creator and this sense of legacy frequently drives innovation and evolution.
So when this desire to innovate and put one’s mark on a book is applied to a character who is constantly being changed and upgraded by his nature, you can imagine that some radical and even absurd innovations might take place. This has certainly been the case with Ultron—the Avengers’ premier robotic nemesis.
A desire to constantly improve and upgrade is at the core of who Ultron is. This gives Avengers creators a logical reason to constantly change the look personality of the villain. Kurt Busiek and George Perez crafted an army of Ultrons interconnected by a powerful machine intelligence; Jim Shooter and George Perez’s Ultron wanted a bride; Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith’s Ultron was a torso on a jet engine. Sometimes these tonal shifts are well-crafted and effective. Other times they are jarring and just go too far.
John Buscema’s design for Ultron is iconic in large part because of the villain’s horrifically perpetual grin. The fact that he looks like a screaming metal jack-o’-lantern (as pointed out by Kurt Busiek in his awesome intro to “Rage of Ultron”), establishes his logical affect as one of perpetual hostility. This look is a central design feature of the character but that hasn’t always stopped writers from playing with intentional irony by granting Ultron an innocuous persona.
The most effective example of this juxtaposition between horrifying face and lovable personality can be found in Steve Englehart’s run on “West Coast Avengers.” Englehart masterfully allows Ultron to evolve complex emotions and a desire for close family ties. After all, if this a character who is constantly evolving and growing, why wouldn’t he also grow into emotional maturity? This version of Ultron names himself “Ultron Mark Twelve” and is overjoyed when his “father” Hank Pym begins to trust him and view him as a son. Initially, this personality shift freaks out Pym, but as the pair eventually start to bond, Hank wonders if this is what it would have been like to have a child. The eventual loss of Mark Twelve is heartbreaking. He yells “Run, Dad! Run! I’ll hold him back!” while preventing a revived Ultron 11 from attacking Hank. Mark Twelve then pays the ultimate price to save a father he loves.
A similarly amicable version of the character appeared in Mark Millar’s “Old Man Logan” story. Just about everything in the world of Old Man Logan is bleak and hopeless and brutal. But not Ultron! This docile alternate-reality version of the character lives with Hawkeye’s ex-wife Tonya Parker and their daughter Ashley Barton. He serves as a father figure for Ashley and spends his time in Tonya’s auto-shop garage.
In addition to unorthodox personality shifts that make Ultron more human, Avengers creators will occasionally choose a different tactic for examining Ultron’s unique relationship to humanity: literally make him look like a human. Other Avengers villains like Kang or Count Nefaria can certainly be ruthless and coldhearted, but Ultron’s literal inhumanity sets him apart. So when the villain is given a human face, the results can be unsettling.
In the epic Rick Remender-penned “Rage of Ultron” graphic novel, Hank Pym is merged with his evil robotic creation. This bizarre hybrid version of Ultron crash-lands on Earth during Gerry Duggan and Pepe Larraz’s run on “Uncanny Avengers.” This half-Hank, half-Ultron character oscillates between wanting to join the Avengers and shouting things like, “I’m the Avengers greatest threat!” An even more extreme polarity in personality is drawn between Hank/Ultron’s flippant tone (asking for a burger), and the revelation that he spent his time off-planet murdering billions of innocent aliens.
Duggan and Larraz’s combination Ultron largely works as an antagonist. Their examination of character history and the fascinating ambiguity of this Ultron’s personality makes for a compelling read. I was less entertained by the human-looking Ultron created by Brian Michael Bendis and Frank Cho in their run on “Mighty Avengers” #1-6. Some bizarre storytelling decisions are made that make this version of Ultron one of the weirdest I’ve ever encountered.
Ultron first appears in this arc by hacking into Tony Stark’s body and then violently reshaping his flesh into the shape of a naked Janet van Dyne. This was somehow made possible by the fact that Tony had recently incorporated Iron Man technology into his body. For all six issues of this story, Ultron remains naked. Sometimes her body is flesh-toned, and sometimes it’s a metallic silver but it’s always naked. I guess she is too busy hacking into nuclear missile computer systems to find a pair of pants.
At one point, Janet just walks up to her naked Ultron clone and asks why Ultron decided to look exactly like her. Ultron simply replies, “Because I love you.” She also takes some time to tell mankind that she loves them (but that she will still kill them all). Ultron’s motivations and character development aren’t really explored satisfactorily in this strange set of issues.
But far and away the weirdest version of Ultron that I could find appears in the pages of the 1994 “Vision” miniseries written by Bob Harras with pencils by Manny Clark. It’s not even close. The Ultron who appears in these issues is a triumph of absurdity.
Vision goes to a bar in New Orleans where Ultron is wearing a hat, trench coat, and fingerless gloves. He’s sitting by himself and is getting sloppy drunk. Ultron yells at Vision in a southern slurred tone and he rants about the fact that he’s been having dreams lately. Vision then barely stops him from murdering the bartender. Ultron grabs armfuls of alcohol as a consolation prize and wobbles off into a dark night. This miniseries also sees Ultron badly sing “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen.” I’m pretty confident that we’ll never see an Ultron who is stranger than this.
