"Age of Ultron" (abbreviated AU) is a 2013 comic book fictional crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics that involved the conquest of the Earth by the sentient robot tyrant Ultron. The storyline consisted of an eponymous, 10-issue core miniseries, and a number of tie-in books.
The storyline was published between March and June 2013 and featured a storyline by Brian Michael Bendis. Artist Bryan Hitch provided the art for issues one through five, and Brandon Peterson for issues six through nine. Other artists who contributed to the series include Carlos Pacheco and Joe Quesada, the latter of whom drew part of the final issue.
Marvel stated that all art for the series was completed before it was solicited, ensuring deadlines were met and that there were no more than thirteen tie-ins to the four-month event.
This story takes place on two different Earths: the alternate Earth where Ultron annihilated humanity is referred to as Earth-61112, and the alternate reality where Morgan le Fay took over half the world is referred to as Earth-26111.
A sequel, Cataclysm, was released later in 2013.
The story arc's title served as an inspiration for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), although the film does not directly adapt the events of the storyline. A free adaptation of the storyline's events later appeared in the MCU animated series What If...? (2021).
Publication history
In 2011, Avengers Vol. 4 No. 12.1 featured a storyline where the Intelligencia find a crash-landed Spaceknight and try to power it back up. During a fight with the Avengers while they try to rescue Spider-Woman, the Spaceknight is powered up, revealing that it was Ultron in disguise. Ultron escapes, setting up the events of Age of Ultron.
In mid-November, 2012, Marvel Comics released a cryptic teaser written "Age of Ultron" in binary code. Three days later the event was officially announced, although by this point it had been over a year since the event had been originally announced. The first of ten issues written by Brian Michael Bendis was released in March 2013 and ran through June of the same year.
Neil Gaiman's Angela character was introduced into the Marvel Universe in the last issue of the Age of Ultron miniseries, although the issue was shipped in a polybag to prevent other details of the story's ending from being publicized too early. An Age of Ultron #10 A.I. one-shot by writer Mark Waid and artist Andre Lima Araujo will delve into the repercussions of the storyline for Hank Pym. Following the conclusion of Age of Ultron, a new ongoing series titled Avengers A.I. by writer Sam Humphries and Andre Lima Araujo will launch in July.
Plot
Main story
New York is in ruins. Ultron has returned and taken over the world, with Ultron Sentinels guarding the streets and looking for fugitives. After rescuing Spider-Man from the Owl and Hammerhead, Hawkeye takes him to an underground area beneath Central Park, where a small handful of other heroes have taken refuge. Captain America has the idea to offer a hero to Ultron to be captured to infiltrate his base; Luke Cage and She-Hulk volunteer and Cage delivers She-Hulk to Ultron's forces. Cage is shocked when he discovers that they are going to negotiate with the Vision instead of Ultron. The Vision reveals that Ultron is acting from the future using him as a conduit. She-Hulk is killed freeing Cage and the other superheroes flee Manhattan. Cage later dies from radiation poisoning, but is able to tell the heroes what he learned about Ultron.
Meanwhile in San Francisco, a disfigured Black Widow meets with Moon Knight in one of Nick Fury's old bases to search for fail-safe plans Fury had for different apocalyptic scenarios. The heroes regroup in the Savage Land, and Black Widow arrives with Moon Knight and Red Hulk, and they reveal Fury had a fail-safe plan to defeat Ultron should he conquer the world. The heroes meet with Fury, whose plan is to use Doctor Doom's Time Platform to go into the future to defeat Ultron before he attacks the present. Iron Man, Captain America, Nick Fury, Red Hulk, Storm, Quake and Quicksilver go into the future, but Wolverine goes into the past to kill Henry Pym before he can create Ultron, and is followed by the Invisible Woman. The Invisible Woman attempts to convince Wolverine to reconsider his plan, but he reminds her of the crimes Ultron will commit and kills Pym.