Marvel's Greatest Robotic Villain Is Part Of The Team In West Coast Avengers #6 [Exclusive Preview]

In comic books, every bad guy has his turn playing for the good team, from Magneto to Vegeta to Megatron.

In some cases, it even sticks, and a villain permanently becomes a hero. Mainstays of the Avengers started as villains: Black Widow and Hawkeye were partners-in-crime, while Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver served in their father Magneto's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. All of them chose the path of redemption and truly became worthy of being among Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

The new "West Coast Avengers" features Iron Man building an Avengers team in that redemptive spirit. Alongside his teammates War Machine, Firestar, and Spider-Woman, Tony Stark has put together a West Coast Avengers team to reform villains. The first one is the Avengers' most infamous villain ever, the homicidal android Ultron. Created by the Avenger Hank Pym/Ant-Man, Ultron is not a cold, unfeeling artificial intelligence. He's a sadistic and misanthropic tin shell of rage. This adamantium-skinned android is out to destroy the world to punish his "father" for rejecting him, and his victims can (literally) fill entire countries.

There's nothing redeemable about Ultron, except for one iteration of him. The classic "West Coast Avengers" #7 by Steve Englehart and Al Milgrom featured Ultron Mark 12, who repented and tried to reconnect with his creator, Hank Pym. That change of heart (gears?) got Mark 12 murdered by the still-evil Ultron Mark 11.

This new "West Coast Avengers" comic, written by Gerry Duggan, continues the spirit of that story with another repentant Ultron. Marvel has shared an exclusive preview of "West Coast Avengers" #6 with /Film. The cover, drawn by Ben Harvey, suggests that not all the Avengers can forgive their worst and most brutal foe.

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The issue synopsis for "West Coast Avengers" #6 — drawn by Ton Lima — reads as follows.

"AVENGERS ... DISASSEMBLED? As the West Coast Avengers try to stay afloat after their encounter with FLAG-SMASHER, a new group of ruffians have come to disrupt them ... and it's THE AVENGERS?! Are they there for Ultron, or do they have a bigger issue with Iron Man's other team?"

Following a recap page getting new readers up to speed, the comic cuts to a "weeks ago" flashback. Tony is talking with Janet Van-Dyne/the Wasp, ex-wife of Hank Pym and Ultron's "mother" (Jan's "son" once tried to make her into a robot mate called, what else, Jocasta). Wasp is cynical about the West Coast Avengers' new mission and she's not alone.

Cue the main, East-Coast Avengers team arriving: Captain Marvel, Sam Wilson/Captain America, Scarlet Witch, Vision, and Storm. (For their adventures, read "Avengers" by Jed MacKay.) The battle has only begun in these preview pages, but it looks like a pretty typical superhero team vs team fight: started by a misunderstanding that escalates but cools down soon enough. The Avengers fighting Ultron is nothing new either — except that several of their friends are now fighting alongside the robot, too.

Marvel Comics

Marvel Comics

Marvel Comics

Marvel Comics

Marvel Comics

"West Coast Avengers" #6 is scheduled for print and digital release on April 2, 2025.