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Warning: Contains Potential Spoilers for West Coast Avengers #6!
The Avengersare about to suffer another major rift, and like a controversial Marvel Comics story from the 90s, it’s all revolving around whether Iron Man has been taken over by one of the team’s worst enemies. Back then, Tony was brainwashed and turned into a killer with help from Kang the Conqueror, and I think the corrupted Iron Man might be making a comeback–this time with Ultron’s guidance.
Marvel’s preview for West Coast Avengers #6–written by Gerry Duggan, with art by Ton Lima–sees the main Avengers sharing the same fear, as they confront Tony’s revamped team over Ultron’s place in the lineup. As a physical fight kicks off between Earth’s mightiest heroes, I’m concerned that it proves Tony Stark has been compromised by an Avengers supervillain once again.
Tony’s villainous turn in Avengers: The Crossing was rejected by audiences, with the event going down as one of the most hated moments in Marvel history. However, I think things could play out differently with Ultron in control.
The Avengers Suspect Ultron Has Compromised Iron Man’s Team — And They Might Be Right
West Coast Avengers #6 – Written by Gerry Duggan; Art by Ton Lima; Colors by Arthur Hesli; Lettering by VC’s Joe Caramagna
If Tony and Rhodey have been taken over by one of the team’s most iconic villains, Marvel Comics could be resurrecting elements from Avengers: The Crossing to do the story right this time, but it could still send the Avengers into total chaos. The Avengers are convinced that Ultron is manipulating Iron Man and his West Coast teammates, and I don’t think their fears are unwarranted. When the main team arrives to ask some questions, Tony gets defensive and doesn’t allow Ultron’s surrender. Now I’m questioning if Ultron is secretly behind Tony’s inability to reason with his fellow heroes.
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The new West Coast Avengers series has shown that the team’s version of Ultron is indeed heroic. However, I still feel like Tony and Rhodey are being too trusting of the legendary supervillain, especially as they find themselves up against other versions of the artificial intelligence. The armored duo tries to seem morally superior in the argument with the main Avengers, arguing that trying to question Ultron is somehow repeating an endless cycle of violence. However, their disagreement escalates into a physical fight, with an outcome that fans are not yet privy to.
Let’s Hope Tony’s West Coast Era Avoids the Mistakes of Marvel’s Most Hated Avengers Story
Is Ultron’s Takeover the New “Crossing”?
Avengers: The Crossing was a huge 90s crossover story that took over the Iron Man, Avengers, War Machine, and Force Works titles, and promised to usher in a groundbreaking new era for Tony Stark. Instead, it ended up being one of Marvel’s most controversial storylines ever, and a lot of the changes that were made in the storyline were quickly retconned or just glossed over and never mentioned again. I had only ever heard of the event as a total comics disaster before reading it, but I think there are elements within the story that could work well if given another chance.
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Crossing’s attempt to see Tony corrupted into a villainous killer by Kang didn’t go over so well, and even resulted in Iron Man’s death at the time. However, I think being taken over by a version of Ultron would make far more sense, both within the current West Coast Avengers storyline and thematically. Tony Stark’s identity as a superhero has always been closely tied to his reliance on tech and machinery, so Ultron using him as a tool could not only complicate his relationship with his armor but also create high-stakes drama for both him and the Avengers.
West Coast Avengers Might Be Fixing Marvel’s Biggest Mistake
The situation with Ultron could all be another misdirection, and both I and the Avengers could end up wrong about Tony’s current situation. Still, it’s strange that Tony is siding with Ultron over his established allies, and I think there may be more to Ultron’s supposed heroic turn. An upcoming variant cover for West Coast Avengers #8 by Godtail even shows a bizarre fusion of Iron Man and Ultron, and I think there’s still more to be revealed about Ultron’s motives. Either way, I’m trusting West Coast Avengers to handle a potential villain era for Tony better than Avengers: The Crossing.
The Avengers might be clashing, but I don’t think they’ll need to grab a younger Tony Stark from the past to go head-to-head with his older self like they did in the controversial 90s storyline. Marvel must have learned from its mistakes with that event, and West Coast Avengers seems to be crafting a less convoluted story that could see Tony manipulated by Ultron. If Iron Man is seriously being brainwashed by another one of the Avengers’ most terrifying villains, I’m ready for Marvel to right the wrongs of one of their most infamous events of all time.
West Coast Avengers #6 will be available April 2, 2025, from Marvel Comics!
“}]] Marvel may be teasing Iron Man’s villainous turn. Read More