Ultron is one of the most nefarious and tricky foes the Avengers have had to deal with in the pages of Marvel Comics. However, the character was underutilized in his big-screen debut in 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron. The film’s climax sees the villainous AI disintegrated, leaving little room for Ultron’s return in future MCU projects.
However, one particular storyline from rivals DC Comics, featuring Cyborg could show the path for bringing back Ultron, especially amidst all the uncertainty revolving around the MCU’s plans involving Kang the Conqueror. Here is how Cyborg faced a grim fate in the comics because of his cybernetic parts, and how it could translate to Ultron’s MCU return.
Cyborg’s Gruesome Comic Book Arc Saw the Rise of a Sentient Virus Like Ultron
During the New 52 relaunch of the comic titles under DC, Cyborg became an integral part of the Justice League. In this new continuity, Victor Stone is implanted with advanced technology that turns him into a Cyborg. During the Trinity War storyline, Cyborg’s body is taken over by the Grid, a sentient virus cultivated within his cybernetic implants.
The Grid rejects Cyborg’s human parts and separates his cybernetic parts from the body, becoming its own entity. The virus later joins the Crime Syndicate and fights the Justice League, until it is stopped by Cyborg, implanted with new technology from his father. However, the Grid survives by hiding itself within Cyborg’s sub-systems.
The Grid was originally a program created by Cyborg to compile sensitive information about members of the Justice League. However, it later gained self-awareness and was manipulated into turning on Cyborg and joining the Crime Syndicate. The Grid’s storyline parallels that of Ultron in the MCU, who was initially created as a peace-keeping AI by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner but turned rogue.
How Cyborg’s Comic Book Storyline Could Be Used For Ultron’s MCU Comeback
Cyborg’s comic book storyline involving the Grid could serve as a blueprint for Ultron’s MCU return. In the comics, after its initial defeat at the hands of Cyborg, the virus survives by hiding within the hero’s systems. The same could be true for Ultron, whose last interacted with Paul Bettany‘s Vision, meant to serve as Ultron’s final physical form.
As a result, it is possible that Ultron could have survived within Vision and laid dormant until it found a way to acquire a stronger physical form. Moreover, after Vision’s death, the android was resurrected by S.W.O.R.D., using Wanda Maximoff’s powers. During this time, Ultron could have infiltrated the S.W.O.R.D. database and continued to survive.
An alternate version of Ultron already appeared in the animated series What If…? and demonstrated he could be a Multiversal threat by fighting the Multiversal Avengers. Hence, amidst all the uncertainty around Jonathan Majors‘ Kang the Conqueror, the MCU could thrive by bringing back a menacing villain like Ultron, who could have been hiding in plain sight all along.
Moreover, there is precedence for the same in comics, wherein Ultron fused with Hank Pym. The MCU is reportedly undergoing heavy restructuring and could benefit from bringing back a villain from previous arcs. As a result, mirroring the Cyborg storyline from the comics could be an interesting approach to bringing back Ultron into the MCU fold.
