Ultron
Ultron is a fearsome artificial intelligence inside a living automaton.
In the comics: The character of Ultron was created by artist John Buscema and writer Roy Thomas – first appearing in 1968, in Avengers #54, disguised as The Crimson Cowl. His origin story had him created by Hank Pym (see: Ant-Man), but his artificial intelligence continued to develop independently until Ultron rebelled against his father figure. He eventually brainwashed Pym, erasing him from his creator’s memory, and upgraded his form with the fictional alloy, Adamantium.
In the movies: Due to make his big screen debut in the upcoming Avengers: Age Of Ultron, the powerful automaton will have an altered origin story. Director Joss Whedon has explained that in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ultron will be the creation of Tony Stark – aka, Iron Man.
Powers: Ultron benefits from super strength, super speed, heightened stamina, near-indestructibility, super reflexes, and the ability to fly. He can issue blasts of energy from his hands that can render the recipient comatose, but can also initiate mind control during which hypnotic commands can be buried in a person’s subconscious for later use. He is super intelligent, can turn himself on and off, repair himself, and interface with other technologies. He can duplicate himself by transmitting himself into other objects and systems, operate as a hive-mind, and has been seen to control machinery remotely.
Enemies: Ultron’s primary foe are the Avengers, and in the comic books, he has led the Masters of Evil in efforts to destroy them. Notably, Ultron has used the character of Edwin Jarvis, under hypnosis, in attempts to realize his dastardly plans. The character of Edwin Jarvis appears in the Marvel television series Agent Carter (played by James D’Arcy), and features in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (voiced by Paul Bettany) as an artificial intelligence used by Tony Stark. In Avengers: Age Of Ultron, Bettany will appear as the voice of Jarvis, and the physical presence of The Vision – an android created by Ultron. In the comics, Ultron intends to use The Vision as a weapon against the Avengers, but the heroic team turn him against his creator.
Casting: The character of Ultron has appeared in several animations, voiced by John Stocker, Tom Kane and Jim Meskimen. In Avengers: Age Of Ultron, he is played by James Spader.
