Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Last issue Ultron escaped from the Vault in his new Ultimate Ultron body and came after the West Coast Avengers. He lured Mockingbird, Spider-Woman, U.S. Agent and Wonder Man away with a robotic version of Dr Myron MacLain, the inventor of adamantium that makes Ultron so invulnerable, and then attacked Hawkeye and Scarlet Witch at the WCA Compound where he announced his intention to eradicate all life from Earth rather than just destroy humanity. Then Vision came to their aid.
Ultron tries to persuade his synthezoid 'son' that he's fighting on the wrong side. They should be allies in destroying all organic life on the planet which they could then occupy forever. Vision of course turns the offer down so Ulty sends a swarm of his new robo-ticks against him, which Vizh analyses as sentient computer chips designed to assimilate flesh for its life energy. But, again of course, they don't wok on his synthetic flesh nor do they survive a heat ray from the solar jewel on his forehead. But Ultron's adamantium body *is* immune to another such blast which ricochets around endangering the Compound's staff and Rachel Carpenter, young daughter of Spider-Woman. So he tries another tactic, going intangible to leap on the foe and plunge his hands into its head and chest. But the result harms the android rather than the robot as the civilians get into vans and escape. Vision then strikes in diamond-hard form but not even diamond can scratch adamantium.
Wanda Maximoff tries her hex bolts but they continue to not work. Clint Barton fires off a flare arrow which messes up Ultron's optic sensors making him stop pummelling his 'son'. Wanda is concerned for her ex-husband but he responds in his current emotionless manner. Ultron drops a wall on them while Hawk fires an explosive arrow which the robot causes to rebound and explode at the archer's feet. Then he enters the main building through a hole he made and searches the place to find what he came for - his previous robot bodies that his 'father' Henry Pym has salvaged. He gathers them up in a big forcefield bag and flies off with them ...
... just the quinjet containing the other 4 Whackoes returns from Sandiego. Spider-Woman, US Agent and Wonder Man dive out of it leaving Mockingbird to pilot it. But the flying robot dodges them all. USA and WM land on their feet and Simon Williams catches Julia Carpenter. However Bobbi Barton tries to ram Ultron in midair but he strikes back, smashing into the cockpit and adding her limp body to his trophies as the quinjet crashes to destruction before flying away.
Hawkeye has recovered and seen what's happened. Vision lifts the big lump of wall off himself and Scarlet Witch, and she thanks her ex for saving her life (by shielding her with his invulnerable body). But he responds that he would have done the same for any Avenger. SpW says Consuelo and Roberto have called from their van to say that her daughter Rachel is OK, but she nearly trips up backwards over the body of their groundsman Carlos (who was killed by Ultron last issue defending Rachel). Clint's frantic with worry over his estranged wife Bobbi.
Vision explains that he learned of Ultron's escape from prison and of the theft of some adamantium from Silicon Valley, and he deduced that the robot would come here for more. They in turn tell him that Dr Pym is away doing scientific research and Ultron has also kidnapped Dr MacLain. Vision remembers that Pym electronically tagged the old Ultron bodies so they might be able to track them. Hawkeye gets angry because he's frustrated at the time it takes so Wanda takes him aside so the others can get on with it. Clint admits that although they're about to be divorced he still loves Bobbi.
Now we turn to a lonely ultra-modern house in Death Valley where Hank Pym is holed up doing his biochemistry research. But then Ultron busts in through a massive window with Mockingbird in 1 hand and his old bodies and Dr MacLain in tow. The robot villain has decided he needs 1 more thing before he wipes out all life and his creator Pym is the 1 to help him. Hank deminiaturises a high-tech gun but Ultron bats it aside. And Pym particles fail to shrink the adamantium robot who declares that he wants Pym to create him an adamantium mate. To that end he begins to hypnotise the human.
Vision has tracked the moving robot bodies to what Scarlet Witch says is Hank's house, which raises alarm bells in their minds. Consuela and Roberto return with Rachel, and Julia embraces her. Simon has to break the news that Carlos is dead. Hawkeye's not been in this scene but now he enters to say that they have other quinjets in working order. So they leave in 1 for Death Valley. After they've gone Consuelo takes a phone call from Miguel Santos (Living Lightning) in college because he's heard about the trouble. On the way Vision tells Wanda he's returning to the (East Coast) Avengers afterwards. And Julia slaps USA when he suggests that she's miffed about Clint still loving his wife.
Mockingbird wakes to find herself clamped in a machine with mesmerised Drs Pym and MacLain at the controls. Ultron says he's going to turn her into a robot (like he tried to do to all humans in #65-69) and she will become his bride (to replace Jocasta who betrayed him and is (currently) dead). Pym detects the approaching quinjet and Ulty throws 1 of his old bodies at it, clipping a wing. This time it's Wonder Man and Vision who jump/float out while the other 4 wait until they've landed. Wondy lands on an Ultron while intangible Vizh causes 2 to run into each other. Scarlet Witch's hex is working again and Spider-Woman's psionic web can wrap a metal body up. US Agent tells the archer he's useless here before charging his superpowerful body into the fray.
While the others fight through more Ultrons Hawkeye drinks a potion and runs into the midst of the foes who dogpile on him. But then he suddenly shakes them off by growing huge with his old expandable Goliath costume shredding through his Hawkeye duds. Wanda realises out loud that this is what he was doing when he went temporarily missing earlier. The giant now charges toward the building to save Bobbi but Ultron comes out to meet him and introduces his new bride Alkhema aka War Toy who addresses him as "Clint, darling".