SUNDAY CLASSICS: Avengers: Ultron Unlimited

Slorenia is a place of death and rebirth and will soon take its place as a cradle of a new race and birthplace of my new world! – Ultron

Thank you for joining us for another installment of Sunday Classics. This week we are going to talk about the fabulously action-packed Avenger storyline Ultron Unlimited. This is a classic Avengers story with all the components that make The Avengers great, of course, it helps to have the juggernaut of a creative team consisting of Kurt Busiek, George Perez, Tom Smith, Al Vey, and Richard Starkings helps out tremendously even though this story holds up just fine all by itself.

Volume 3 of this run has some really good story arcs in it; however, it’s Ultron Unlimited that stands out as the benchmark for superb comic drama. Starting at issue 19 and culminating with issue 22 this story acts as fine wine and continues to age ever so gracefully. Ultron has been a constant thorn in the Avengers’ side none more than its creator Hank Pym. This is felt throughout the story, and as it progresses you really get a feel on how heavy Hank Pym’s heart sits, this especially rings true with Ultron Unlimited. With every incarnation of Ultron, you get a sense that Hank Pym’s spirit slowly chips away.

“Ultron is me. That’s my mind – stripped of conscience, of morality – but my mind” – Hank Pym

When paired with the likes of Thanos, Dormammu, Galactus he is a blip on the radar of super-villains but does not let that mislead you when it comes to his power or ability to completely wreak havoc at his will. He has destroyed Slorenia, has taken control of the world’s media, and will not stop until all biological life is no more. Combine that with Hank coming to the realization that he’s basically responsible for the death and destruction left in Ultron’s wake, the Avengers’ drive to persevere and you have one hell of a story. There is more to unpack in this arc than a fleet of semis. From Busiek’s perfect prose to Perez, Vey, and Smith forming their own artistic super team with beautiful visuals panel after panel and wrapping all of this up into a comic brilliance gift is Richard Starkings and his brand of lettering that boggles the mind at his ability to wrangle all the dialogue while capturing the mood and emotion of the characters through his craft.

Among all the action that is packed into this arc, there are two instances that stand out that that only adds to the notion that this is a must-read Avenger story. First, we see Ultron standing on a pile of dead Slorenians yelling at the reader about his plans for pure domination. This scene will always be a powerful reminder that Ultron is not to be taken lightly nor is his fierce drive to kill. The second tugs at the heartstrings a bit more. Hank confesses that he made Ultron’s brain waves of his own and now he is dealing with the horrific realization that death, destruction, and madness are his fault. It’s moments in comics like these that make them so good that you cannot help the urge to keep re-reading this story over and over again.