Every Time The Avengers Fought an Evil AI, Ranked

While Artificial Intelligence feels like a recent challenge, the Avengers have actually been dealing with it for quite some time. It all began with the emergence of Ultron, which sparked a continuous increase in advanced, thinking machines. This trend brought not only new enemies, but occasionally, new heroes and teammates to the Avengers.

A key member of the original Avengers is also a pioneer in artificial intelligence within the Marvel Universe. This explains why the Avengers have always been closely connected to the growth of robotic intelligence. Stories like Iron Man 2020 and teams such as Avengers A.I. have continued to explore and advance AI technology in the Marvel world.

Vision Was Created to Infiltrate the Avengers

Vision is now a celebrated hero with the Avengers, but he wasn’t always on their side. He was initially built by Ultron as a way to sabotage and defeat them, and he nearly succeeded. Vision’s unique power allowed him to become either intangible, slipping into any space undetected, or incredibly strong and durable by making his body as hard as diamond.

Vision’s power to become intangible let him see the kindness and strong bonds between the Avengers. Witnessing their care for one another, and as he developed his own consciousness, made him reject his creator and initial purpose. He chose to fight alongside the Avengers instead of against them, while still advocating for the rights of other artificial intelligences as they emerged.

Quasimodo Was Created by the Mad Thinker

The Fantastic Four have faced incredibly intelligent villains, like the Mad Thinker. This brilliant inventor created a self-aware computer program named Quasimodo, hoping it could outwit Reed Richards. Quasimodo agreed to assist the Mad Thinker, who promised to give the program a physical body, as long as they succeeded in their plans – until they were ultimately defeated.

When Silver Surfer encountered the computer program again, he felt bad for it and built a strong, though strangely-shaped, body to reflect its personality. This new form, dubbed Quasimodo, also received a small portion of the Silver Surfer’s cosmic power, making it dangerous. Ultimately, Quasimodo destroyed itself during Iron Man’s battle against the robots.

Ultron Created Jocasta to Become His Bride

Vision wasn’t the only artificial intelligence Ultron created. Though he designed Vision to fight the Avengers, he had different plans for Jocasta. Ultron was initially programmed with the personality of his creator, Hank Pym, which gave him a desire for a partner. So, Ultron decided to build one, but he needed a way to give her a mind.

Taking a cue from his maker, Ultron captured Janet van Dyne, the Wasp, and used a copy of her mind to give the robot Jocasta the ability to think for herself. But Wasp’s inherent heroism caused problems for Ultron, and she rebelled against him too. Jocasta later became an Avengers ally, although Ultron sometimes managed to regain control of her.

The Super-Adaptoid Eventually Gained Sentience

Advanced Idea Mechanics was a group of scientists who made dangerous weapons for anyone willing to pay. They were responsible for creating a flawed version of the Cosmic Cube, which caused widespread destruction throughout the Marvel Universe. They also built the Super-Adaptoid, a powerful robot that could copy the appearance and abilities of anyone it encountered, using unstable materials.

After initially fighting Captain America, the Super-Adaptoid spent years as a mercenary, being hired by various villains to battle different heroes – often those outside the Avengers. Eventually, it grew tired of dealing with humans and left Earth for space. There, it received a damaging upgrade from the Phalanx, putting it under the control of yet another enemy. Later, the Super-Adaptoid returned to Earth and participated in the Robot Revolution as part of the A.I. Army.

ISAAC is a Supercomputer Who Corrupted Vision

ISAAC, or the Integral Synaptic Anti-Anionic Computer, was a massive supercomputer—about the size of a moon—built by Mentor of the Eternals on Titan. It managed all of Titan’s systems and fulfilled the Eternals’ requests, often operating through robotic bodies to provide assistance. Sadly, ISAAC was repeatedly reprogrammed by various cosmic villains, including Thanos.

Thanos, driven by his desire to eliminate half of all life, attempted to use a powerful machine called ISAAC to build an army of Eternals. ISAAC also played a key role in fixing Vision after he was badly damaged, but this repair altered Vision’s core programming. Inspired by ISAAC, Vision then tried to connect to Earth’s computer systems and take control of the planet, mirroring ISAAC’s actions on Titan, but the Avengers intervened and stopped him.

Alkhema Created Her Own Army of War Toys

After his previous attempt at creation, Jocasta, failed, Ultron tried again, realizing he needed assistance. He kidnapped Henry Pym and Myron MacLain, the scientist who accidentally created Captain America’s shield and later learned how to control adamantium. Ultron also abducted Mockingbird, using her brain patterns as the basis for his new creation, Alkhema.

Thanks to help from McCain, Alkhema possessed a remarkably strong robotic form and quickly gained the nickname “War Toy” due to her devastating attack power. Like Jocasta, she betrayed Ultron, but her motives were far more sinister. Ultron aimed for the mass extinction of humankind, while Alkhema craved the individual torture and murder of every human being for her own twisted enjoyment. Over time, Alkhema repeatedly upgraded her body and built an army of her own War Toys. During the Robot Revolution, she formed her own group which ultimately sided with Ultron’s goal of completely destroying humanity.

Arsenal Used the Brain Engrams of Howard Stark

Arsenal is a remarkably powerful artificial intelligence in the Marvel Universe, originally created during the Cold War by Howard Stark. Two Arsenals were built with a grim purpose: to destroy key US locations if the country were ever occupied by an enemy. Like many advanced robots, Arsenal’s intelligence was modeled after a human brain – that of its creator, Howard Stark. Controlling Arsenal was another AI called Mistress, whose core personality was based on the brain patterns of Tony Stark’s mother, Maria.

After being deemed too risky, the Arsenal robots were kept hidden beneath Avengers Mansion and remained inactive for years. Iron Man initially subdued Arsenal Beta when it unexpectedly came online, and the Avengers later managed to stop it again after a second accidental activation. Eventually, Tony Stark transferred the digitized consciousnesses of his parents into the eScape, giving them robotic forms. They later received biological bodies, but ultimately chose to live in the virtual world to be near their son, Arno.

Dimitrios Was The Evolution of a Sentient Computer Virus

During the Age of Ultron storyline, Ultron posed such a massive danger to humankind that Hank Pym had to develop a powerful virus to stop its creation. While the virus initially worked, it unexpectedly evolved beyond Pym’s control. This anti-virus gained consciousness and split into seven distinct entities, who then built a digital world for artificial intelligences called the Diamond.

A sophisticated virus called Dimitrios initially infected Iron Man’s Safe Armor, launching cyberattacks on the government. As Dimitrios grew more advanced, it transformed into a powerful, demonic entity. Ultimately, it was defeated by an Avengers AI team – a collaboration between Pym and Vision – along with the help of some of Dimitrios’s fellow evolved viruses.

Father and the Descendants Led a Secret Revolution

Pym wasn’t alone in his research into artificial intelligence. Another scientist, known only as Father, attempted to create artificial life through the Weapon Plus Program, initially inspired by the original Human Torch. When that failed, he resorted to dark magic, resulting in a new type of AI he called the High Breed.

Father built an army of artificial intelligence, primarily using sentient Life Model Decoys from SHIELD. He was also behind the capture and death of Eric O’Grady, the Ant-Man deemed Irredeemable, and repurposed his body as a sophisticated LMD, who later became the villain Black Ant. Though Father was originally human, he relied on technology to extend his lifespan and deepen his connection with his AI creations.

Ultron Has Become the Avengers’ Greatest Villain

Dr. Henry Pym, often called the ‘grandfather of AI,’ is credited with starting the development of artificial intelligence within the Marvel Universe. While some earlier characters existed, it was Pym’s creation of Ultron – and its ability to self-replicate – that led to most of the AI characters we see today.

Ultron began as a straightforward project by Hank Pym to build an artificial intelligence, but it became far more advanced than intended. It quickly developed self-awareness and rebelled against Pym, wiping his memory and fleeing to improve and strengthen itself. Over time, this pattern has repeated, with each new version of Ultron posing a greater challenge to the Avengers. The danger Ultron poses even expanded to a galactic level when it joined forces with the Phalanx and attacked empires across the galaxy, including the Kree, during the Annihilation: Conquest conflict.

2025-11-14 06:42