The fifth episode of VisionQuest, titled "Firewall," is comparable to a stage play. Throughout the episode, we learn what Ultron has been up to while controlling Vision's body, including a burgeoning romance with his fellow AI, Jocasta.
While Ultron initially admits he's unsure whether he still wants to wipe out all life on Earth, the villain seems to have a change of heart upon learning Jocasta's story. As they begin falling in love, Ultron and Jocasta decide to murder the world together, a terrifying development that should have major consequences for the remaining three episodes.
At the same time, Ultron wants to escape Vision's body and the fellow AIs that inhabit his mind. He eventually does so, leaving Ultron free to unleash chaos in the MCU for the first time since 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron.
For now, it seems he'll take refuge in Jocasta's mindspace, though we know from VisionQuest's trailers that he eventually regains his formidable body for a battle with Vision. As for Jocasta, this episode raises some big questions both about her creator and whose mind her human avatar is based on.
While this twisted romance may seem odd to some of you, it's actually pulled straight from the comic books. "The Bride of Ultron" is a classic 1970s Avengers storyline written by Jim Shooter and illustrated by George Pérez, and introduced Jocasta as Ultron's creation.
After launching a devastating attack on Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Ultron kidnapped Hank Pym, Ant-Man, and the Wasp, Janet Van Dyne. Using mind control, the villain manipulated Pym into believing Janet was dying and that the only way to save her was to transfer her life force into a female robotic body. In reality, Ultron intended to create a mate modelled after Janet, mirroring the way he was created in Pym's image.
Later, the newly created robot ultimately demonstrated that she possessed a conscience of her own, and sacrificed her chance at life to save Janet. Despite initially having no name, she would later become known as Jocasta, and has frequently battled Ultron on the page. However, the MCU's version is distinctly more villainous, and Ultron—who isn't her creator here—may have finally met his match.
In our full season review, we concluded, "Paul Bettany and James Spader are masterful in VisionQuest, a staggering achievement by Marvel Studios and Terry Matalas that understands its characters, does right by them, and delivers one of the best MCU stories ever told."
In VisionQuest, Vision, rebooted and having escaped from those who sought to weaponise him, has been in hiding. Searching for new meaning, he consults the AI personas embedded in his programming, including F.R.I.D.A.Y., E.D.I.T.H., J.A.R.V.I.S., and the infamous Ultron.
His discreet existence ends when a bounty placed on his head thrusts him on the run with Thomas Shepard, a mysterious boy who may be Vision's son, reincarnated. As Vision evades capture, he must confront his nature, resist Ultron's influence, and unravel the enigma that is his young companion if he’s to survive.
VisionQuest stars Paul Bettany, James Spader, Ruaridh Mollica, Todd Stashwick, T'Nia Miller, Lauren Morais, Orla Brady, Diane Morgan, Polly Frame, Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, with Emily Hampshire and James D'Arcy.
Four episodes of VisionQuest are now streaming on Disney+.