Marvel Previews New West Coast Avengers Team With Ultron

“You shall all die… by the hands of Ultron-5!” So swore Ultron on the final panel of 1968’s Avengers #55, the sentient robot’s first full appearance. As the Crimson Cowl, Ultron assembled Avengers villains Klaw, Whirlwind, Radioactive Man, and Melter to form a new Masters of Evil, attacking his “father”: Hank Pym. Years later, a new version of Ultron joined another supervillain team — the Lethal Legion — when his creator visited the Los Angeles-based Avengers in 1985’s West Coast Avengers (Vol. 2) #1.

“Never shall the immortal Ultron rest until he has destroyed all who bear the name of Avenger,” the ever-evolving villain told the team of Iron Man, Hawkeye, Mockingbird, Tigra, and Wonder Man. “And then, all who bear the name human!”

Decades later, Ultron is evolving again: into one of Earth’s mightiest heroes. Announced at San Diego Comic-Con, X-Men and Invincible Iron Man writer Gerry Duggan and Ghost Rider: Final Vengeance artist Danny Kim are reassembling the West Coast Avengers for the title’s 40th anniversary. A mysteriously redeemed Ultron will join the team alongside Iron Man (Tony Stark), War Machine (James Rhodes), Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew), and the mutant Firestar (Angelica Jones).

“Redemption has been on my mind this year, and we’ll see who can be redeemed on the West Coast. It’s a fun action story, but it’s also an Ultron tale — and one of my biggest Marvel swings yet,” said Duggan. “I previously had the pleasure of writing a pretty great horror story about Ultron wearing Pym’s face, and this is a very different tale with one of my favorite Marvel characters, in one of my favorite legacy titles in the city that has been my home for so long. Wait until you see what Danny Kim is cooking up. Find redemption in November in the city of Angels.”

The official synopsis: “Ultron returns… redeemed? Iron Man and War Machine have put together a new team of Avengers — one that includes villains seeking a path to redemption. Their case study? Ultron — who, against all odds, seems to be walking the straight and narrow…for now. But does the success of one guarantee the success of all? Spider-Woman and Firestar have their doubts. And can any amount of heroics really absolve Ultron of his past?”

Before the ongoing series hits stands on November 27th, Marvel Comics has revealed new West Coast Avengers #1 variant covers (below). Along with the standard cover (above) by Sentry cover artist Ben Harvey, the debut issue features a New Avengers homage variant by Kim, a Spider-Woman spotlight by Jeehyung Lee (Thor: God of Thunder), and an Ultron variant by Gerardo Sandoval (Venom: Separation Anxiety).