Avengers, The #202

Issue Details

Synopsis

"This Evil Undying" Iron-Man calls an emergency meeting of the Avengers in the wee hours of the morning. The meeting is interrupted by the front windows of the mansion suddenly being shattered. Captain America assumes they are under attack, but shell-head hears a faint cry for help and realizes their “attacker” is the Wasp. Resuming normal size, Jan relates her encounter with the robot intruder. She escaped death by shrinking to wasp size and flitting away, immediately fleeing to the mansion and in a state of exhaustion nearly collided with the window, thus why she burst it with a sting. Comparing notes with Jan, Iron-Man relates his suspicion that Ultron has returned and is brewing up a new batch of adamantium, likely to create more beings like himself. Adding credence to his suspicions, Jocasta says her sensors are being jammed. She cannot even locate the Beast and Wonder Man who has not yet returned to the mansion. Cap says it is vitally important that the team protect the Scarlet Witch, whose hex power defeated Ultron twice before and therefore makes it likely she will be Ultron’s first target. In private, Iron Man makes a recording in which he confesses his suspicion that he himself, under a post-hypnotic command, is responsible for Ultron's reconstruction. Iron-Man believes that Ultron approached him as Tony Stark, unaware of his double identity as Iron-Man, and hypnotically commanded him to steal chemicals from Stark Labs. Tony leaves the recording for Thor (the only Avenger at that time who is aware that he is also Iron-Man) and tells him there is a secure device that can track his armor’s whereabouts in the mansion’s security vaults. He entrusts Thor to use it and advises that if he again falls under Ultron’s sway, he should use lethal force to stop him if need be. The Wasp tells Cap and Hawkeye that she feels useless against an opponent as powerful as Ultron, and claims she is returning to her home in order to clean up the lab. Meanwhile, Iron-Man takes Jocasta to the lab, claiming he can boost her sensors. As he anticipated, Iron-Man has once again fallen under Ultron’s control. He distracts the Vision and overpowers Wanda, kidnapping her. The Vision, Cap, and Hawkeye discover Wanda is gone and find Jocasta disabled. Thor arrives and Jarvis gives him the message. Finding the tracking device, they rush to Wanda’s rescue. Iron-Man takes Wanda to Ultron’s new hideout, a disused Stark Industries lab, where he is in the middle of brewing a new batch of adamantium. Ultron is about to kill Wanda, but Stark fights against the villain’s mental control. Ultron absorbs the armor’s energy reserves, however, rendering him helpless (and unknowingly interrupting the tracking signal the other Avenger were homing in on.) Ultron is once about to kill Wanda, but is distracted by the Wasp -- rather than going home, she hid in the folds of Wanda’s costume in order to surprise their foe. The Wasp’s surprise gives Iron-man time to re-energize his armor and he attacks Ultron. The rest of the Avengers arrive and join in the fight. After a brief battle, Hawkeye knocks Ultron into the adamantium vat. The rest of the team disrupt the heating units keeping the adamantium in its malleable liquid state. The compound hardens, encasing Ultron who is then rendered powerless and defeated.