Tag: mcu

VisionQuest “Deadlock” Review

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Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another review/reaction of a VisionQuest episode, “Deadlock.” If you want to see my thoughts on VisionQuest’s previous episode, “Firewall,” check out this link. VisionQuest “Deadlock” begins where many episodes of VisionQuest begin: inside one of the synthezoids’ mind spaces. “Deadlock” begins with Jocasta’s mind space. On the heels of last episode, Ultron left Vision’s mind space for somewhere else. It makes sense that he’d want to join Jocasta. I love this narrative construction. It fits with a synthezoid. It almost gives VisionQuest a novel approach. Novel meaning both unique and like a book. VisionQuest found a way to show a character’s interiority. That’s cool. But the show may be leaning on this a little too much at times. Equal parts of the show occur in the real world and a character’s mind space. This worked at the beginning. I hoped for the show to pivot.

Quick Note: Spoiler Alert VisionQuest “Deadlock” is in effect. You’ve been warned.

Again, I love VisionQuest’s mind space narrative structure, but we’re six episodes (out of an eight-episode run) into the series. VisionQuest should’ve reduced the amount of time spent in a synthezoid’s headspace by now. I think, we are shifting from that because most of Vision’s AI buddies have flown the coop. The majority of VisionQuest’s mind space minutes occurred in Jocasta’s head. Again, this makes some sense. We watch Ultron and Jocasta find a connection, more on that in a minute, and see what the pair have planned for humanity. Nothing good. But their scheme makes sense for both characters and who they are. I questioned VisionQuest going the route of Ultron and his bride, but the show has proven my doubts unfounded.

I may have been too hard on VisionQuest sticking with its mind space structure. The show maintains good pacing, a rare thing for a Marvel television series. Ultron and Jocasta have revealed their plan for humanity: make humans more robotic. “I got the idea turned round,” Jocasta said. “Instead of making synths more human, we should inject machine into them (humans).” This is a subtle shift to Ultron’s original goal. It fuses Jocasta’s backstory (which we learn in “Deadlock”) with wanting to fix what ails humanity.

We see Lisa Molinari (Tommy’s love interest) infected with one of Jocasta’s nanobots. She loses most, if not all, of her autonomy. While Ultron shares Jocasta’s viewpoint that humanity is flawed, I can see the two finding a disagreement. Ultron convinces Jocasta not to use her nanobot on Tommy. Ultron plays this off as not wanting to upset Vision, but it run deeper. Ultron wants humanity. He yearns to live, taste, and experience things as a human. I can’t see this desire jiving with robbing humanity of its mortal experience. If everyone thinks the same, what would happen to the artists that Ultron loves?

I can see VisionQuest incorporating some form of Ultron not wanting to rid humans of their humanity. I don’t know if it will involve artists or family or some other aspect of the human experience, but I can’t imagine Ultron going on a journey (like entering Jocasta’s mind space) and not changing. Change is a main theme in VisionQuest. Tommy has embraced his dual identity (Thomas Shepard and Tommy Maximoff). Vision tries to relate to Tommy as a father. Even Ultron wants to feel what the people feel; in VisionQuest, Ultron takes his first sip of a real alcoholic beverage. E.D.I.T.H. even tells Paladin’s Tactical A.I. (played by Diane Morgan) that the “Strongest don’t always survive, but the ones most willing to change.”

Family is the other of VisionQuest’s major themes. I can’t imagine Ultron turning his back on his family (Vision and Tommy) when the moment of truth arrives. And I like what Lisa Molinari said about Vision being a father to Tommy. We learn by doing. I feel like this can apply to Vision and Ultron as father figures.

VisionQuest “Deadlock” had plenty of great moments. I like how the episode began with Jocasta trapping Ultron, or at least, she tried to imprison him. Jocasta’s actions run counter to what Ultron said Vision did in the previous episode. Vision called his locking up Ultron a mercy. Even though Ultron’s prison was short-lived, he could tell the difference between what Vision did and what Jocasta planned to do. Tommy namedrops his codename: Speed. I like how he called Keanu Reeves’s character in Speed, Speed, and how the Paladin had to correct him. And Paladin’s handler being a Tactical A.I. made sense, and E.D.I.T.H. taking her place fit. And it was fun.

VisionQuest “Deadlock” managed to bring many of the show’s disparate storylines together. Paladin returns but may now be in a tentative alliance with Vision. Paladin’s former employer is back in play and made a plea directly to the synthezoid. We still don’t know who exactly is hunting Vision, but I’m sure that will be revealed soon. We know what Ultron and Jocasta have planned and most of what our heroes need to overcome in the final two episodes. Lisa’s life is in the balance, and humanity may become more like machines. And Tommy and Vision have reengaged as father and son. Vision has finally told Tommy everything about his past.

This show may have done the near-impossible. Ultron was not the most inspired villain in the MCU. Avengers: Age of Ultron was one of the weakest Avengers films. And yet, VisionQuest has made Ultron cool. Like most Marvel Cinematic Universe properties VisionQuest has some pacing issues, but it’s better than most MCU vehicles, and this trilogy of mini series (WandaVision, Agatha All Along, and VisionQuest) are the strongest modern MCU properties. Most of that comes from each series focusing on its characters, even the ones who aren’t human.

Those are my thoughts on VisionQuest “Deadlock.” What did you think of this episode? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

VisionQuest “Firewall” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another review/reaction of a VisionQuest episode, “Firewall.” If you want to see my thoughts on VisionQuest’s previous episode, “Malware,” check out this link. VisionQuest “Firewall” progresses three of the show’s central characters (Vision, Ultron, and Jocasta) by giving them wants and needs. I like how VisionQuest has set up Ultron as having no connection to the outside world and desperately wanting a connection. We get a comical moment where Ultron surrounds himself with other copies of himself, a far cry from Vision’s family. VisionQuest “Firewall” gives more credence to Ultron. Even though we see everything through Vision’s eyes, this episode is an Ultron episode, and it’s better for it. Ultron wants connection, but he may be doing so in the most destructive way. And while Vision is locked inside his own mind (for most of this episode), “Firewall” maintained my interest.

Quick announcement: A Spoiler Warning is in effect. You’ve been warned.

Honestly, I felt like I’ve been watching a few episodes of Inside No. 9, where most episodes are bottle episodes. I love bottle episodes and don’t mind at least two in five episodes of VisionQuest. It saves production costs. It also makes sure the characters are interesting and focuses on building characters. I even like VisionQuest’s structure of having D.U.M.-E. and U simulate the outside world Vision and the rest watch. The two maintenance AIs set the bar scene and the one at the Louvre. This moments gave me stage technician vibes. D.U.M.-E. and U strike the old set and build the new one in between scenes. This is clever. It also fits with Vision watching most things through a filter of artificiality.

James Spader’s Ultron has been fantastic through VisionQuest’s run (so far). He provided a lot of comic relief early, but now, he serves as a layered villain for Vision. The two have an odd father/son like relationship. Ultron respects humanity. At least he respects the artists. He loves truth, and artists explore truths. That rings true for the MCU’s Ultron. A lot of what we see (in “Firewall”) are the conversations Ultron shares between Tommy, Jocasta, and Vision. Ultron’s relationship between all three of the characters held my interest. This can only happen with an actor like Spader, and VisionQuest’s writing and direction has mostly been great.

The less we talk about Ultron’s jab of “Son of a Witch” the better. Not the best line. In fact, I liked a lot of Ultron’s nonverbal mannerisms, like when Vision yells at him through a simulated prison window, and Ultron points to the phone and to his ear as if he can’t hear what Vision said. We all know what Vision said. You can get it from context. But I love how Ultron goaded Vision in that moment. As far as one-liners go, E.D.I.T.H. took center stage. “Metamussilini” was clever, and I just about fell out of my seat when E.D.I.T.H. reacted to Ultron and Jocasta flirting, or at least what passes as flirting between two synthezoids. “It’s like watching Hannibal Lector swipe right.” Awesome.

Brief detour. Now, we return to Ultron’s relationships in VisionQuest. Ultron and Tommy share a pint. During this interaction, we have Tommy voice what makes Ultron and Vision different. Vision tries to connect with others. He may have a long way to go, but he’s trying, and Tommy trusts Vision will get there eventually. Ultron doesn’t try. We’ll hear this sentiment again near the end of the episode when F.R.I.D.A.Y. claims that Ultron didn’t change, that would’ve taken effort. Ultron did something easier: Wait. I love it when stories have callbacks. Repeating patterns like this and in different ways and various contexts give a story meaning. Great stuff.

This opening scene between Ultron and Tommy also sets up Vision and Ultron’s desires. Ultron wants connection. Tommy insists he’ll never find it, but perhaps Ultron will with what he does next. And Vision wants to reunite with his son. We learn that Ultron stayed in contact with Paladin. This wasn’t a surprise. I expected Ultron to continue messaging Paladin. Turns out, Paladin kidnapped Tommy (while Vision was trying to reclaim his body), and Vision and Coat of Arms–I mean, Lisa Molinari–are on their way to Madripoor. It took a while for Vision to rest control from Ultron, but we end up in a proper place for episode 6. While I don’t care for Marvel releasing these episodes two per week, the release schedule makes sense because of VisionQuest’s bottle episodes or near bottle episodes.

Finally, we get to Ultron and Jocasta’s relationship. Jocasta shares an interesting insight. She claims Ultron has been poisoned with humanity, and she has the cure. Wow! While Ultron believes Jocasta to be his destiny (we are getting a version of Jocasta as the Bride of Ultron, yay!), VisionQuest has sown the seeds for a divide between the two synthezoids. Vision even thinks as much as he gives Ultron a hat for embarking on a journey. Yet another callback to a previous quote. Good. Surprisingly, Jocasta may have lost more humanity than Ultron. I can see Vision and Tommy connecting with Ultron by the series finale. While the two synthezoids share similar interests now, I can see them diverge.

All of this makes VisionQuest “Firewall” interesting. You don’t need to travel the world and have far flung adventures to tell a compelling story. This episode proves why I like bottle episodes so much. “Firewall” packs a heap of character building into a single episode. Like usual, I have yet to watch episode six. I could change my mind with what we see in that episode. I don’t know what to make of F.R.I.D.A.Y. jumping into the same connection as Ultron at the end of this episode; the rest of Vision’s dream team seem to think she’s gone. I also can’t wait to get to Madripoor. That should be fun.

Those are my thoughts on VisionQuest “Firewall.” Let us know yours in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

VisionQuest “Malware” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another review/reaction of a VisionQuest episode, “Malware.” If you want to see my thoughts on VisionQuest’s previous episode, “Reboot,” check out this link. VisionQuest has opted for a quick plot. Sure, the last episode, “Reboot,” spent time building up the show’s characters, but for the most part, this series has kept a brisk pace. We learned who the murderous synthezoid is (Jocasta) and who Jocasta’s programming is based. Actually, she isn’t a program at all, but the person whose brain waves are trapped inside the synthezoid. Interesting. This differs from the comics and used to great effect.

And before we go any further into this review or reaction of VisionQuest “Malware,” a spoiler warning is effect. Consider yourself warned.

VisionQuest wasted little time to reveal Jocasta. This is in keeping with Vision and Tommy’s relationship, Tommy’s past (before Vision entered his life), and the Vision’s internal world morphing over the course of a handful of episodes. This show has done an excellent job of slowing the pace (for a reflective scene or scenes) and hitting the gas (for an action scene or scenes). If anything, VisionQuest’s pacing might be a little brisk. This is a show that wants to hold your attention.

With each of these reactions, I struggle with where to begin. A lot occurs within a single episode of VisionQuest. Let’s begin with the Vision’s internal world. First, notice how I’m referring to Vision as Vision instead of The Vision. VisionQuest has deftly shifted the current Vision’s view of self as more in line with the previous Vision, so I’ll be calling him Vision from this point forward, I think. We’ll see if his circumstances change. Spoiler: they do at the end of this episode. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Vision’s internal world gets turned upside down by Jocasta’s invasion.

The gang of AIs, including Ultron, look into the Butcherbird Murders. Jocasta (the Butcherbird Killer) has been killing leaders of AI technology, the same tech geniuses behind Ultron and Vision. I liked how D.U.M.-E. and U dressed up as Sherlock Holmes, because of course they did. Ultron and E.D.I.T.H. form an uncomfortable alliance, working together to uncover the killer’s identity or at least their next target.

Before we get there, Ultron and Vision share a funny scene where they infiltrate police files. The Captcha Test was hilarious. How many squares contain a fire hydrant? Three. Five. It’s a comical moment but a good character one as well. Ultron chooses five because his robotic eyes can observe more within a picture. Vision picks three, which is what the police security deems as a “human” answer. This subtly shows Vision gaining humanity. This and Vision’s relationship with his son. And yes, Vision stops just shy of adopting Tommy. Tommy and Vision’s relationship remains a hallmark of this series. It can singlehandedly carry VisionQuest, but the show adds in Ultron (grandfather) and the host of AIs as Vision’s extended family.

This choice feels more in line with the MCU pre-Avengers: End Game. Most early Marvel projects focused on family and the relationship between fathers and sons. This could be why the Vision/Wanda Maximoff shows hit differently than most other recent MCU properties. They have that link to the past while looking toward the future, grounding viewers in something tangible. Few people are synthezoids or can phase through solid objects, but most of us have some version of a family, even if it’s a screwed up one like Thomas Shepherd’s. This week’s second episode saw plenty of callbacks.

My favorite must be the nod to Tommy’s love interest Lisa Molinari’s comic book counterpart: Coat of Arms. In the comics, Molinari has four arms. In “Malware,” she wears a coat with an extra pair of arms, and Tommy giggles because leave it to Lisa to have a “Coat of Arms.” Nice.

VisionQuest glossed over the introduction of Josephine “Jo” Carrington, one of Markridge Biotech’s founders and one of the creators of J.I.M. (the first attempt at a synthetic man). Carrington was turned into Jocasta. I’m certain we’ll find out how in future episodes, but for now, Jocasta believes she isn’t a copy of Carrington’s brain. She is Carrington. Honestly, I like that for VisionQuest’s story. After J.I.M.’s failure, I could see Markridge Biotech resorting to installing a person’s brain into a synthetic human. This also serves as a great motivation for Jocasta to murder Markridge Biotech’s executives. Good old fashioned revenge. It also makes Jocasta sympathetic.

I mentioned in the previous VisionQuest episode write-up that in the comics, Jocasta was designed to be the bride of Ultron. While that can’t be the case here (if Carrington is stuck inside a synthetic body), Jocasta does recite a phrase dear to Ultron’s heart: Peace in Our Time. Ultron insisted he was a one-off in the previous episode. That can still be true, but Jocasta repeating this line could indicate that Carrington and Ultron have a shared lineage. A directive deep within themselves that could stop them from murdering half the planet.

And that’s where we get to this episode’s cliffhanger: Ultron has seized control of Vision’s body. We all knew Ultron was planning something or at least, he bided his time to make a winning move. I didn’t expect VisionQuest to pull the trigger on Ultron after four episodes. Like I said, VisionQuest has moved at a brisk pace. This must be Vision at his lowest. He’s trapped inside his own body, Ultron has kidnapped his son Tommy, Jocasta is still on the loose, and we most likely haven’t heard the last of Paladin. Like Lanterns earlier this year, VisionQuest has found fertile storytelling ground. We’ll have to see if VisionQuest can stick the landing.

I do trust Marvel with its Vision/Wanda Maximoff shows. They may struggle with other properties, but it’s obvious Marvel has wanted to tell these stories from the comics. Reading Avengers comics from the 70s-90s (my family held on to back issues), I always wondered how one would adapt Vision and Scarlet Witch’s story to the big or small screen. This pair has a bizarre storyline. The MCU has done a good job adapting their story. It isn’t the same as the comics, but that’s a good thing.

Those are my thoughts on VisionQuest “Malware.” What did you think? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

VisionQuest “Reboot” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another review/reaction of a VisionQuest episode, “Reboot.” If you want to see my thoughts on VisionQuest’s previous episode, “Theseus,” check out this link. “Reboot” is a spruced-up bottle episode where most of the action between The Vision and Tommy occurs in a hotel (with the pair looking inward), while the scenes involving The Paladin and Jocasta has a few locations to include a swanky penthouse (with The Paladin looking outward). I like the asymmetry used in these two story lines. It serves VisionQuest’s story well and makes the shifts between the two stories almost seamless.

Before we go any further, a spoiler warning is in effect. Consider yourself warned. I really liked how VisionQuest set up the two opposing stories. Like I said, The Vision and Tommy’s storylines looks inward. The Vision finds the man he wants to become through becoming Tommy’s father. He places the blame on Wanda Maximoff for most of “Reboot’s” runtime, unable to reconcile the absurdity of a synthezoid fathering a human child with a chaos witch. Saying it out loud, I see The Vision’s point. It’s ludicrous. And somehow, Wanda’s hex magic willed it into being. The Vision is Thomas Shepard’s father. How else can one explain that he can phase through solid objects? It’s something Tommy inherited from The Vision. The Vision side of “Reboot’s” story concerns itself with past connections and a hopeful future.

I loved the scenes between The Vision and Tommy. They felt real, like a parent and child reconnecting after years. Despite owning a wealth of knowledge, The Vision struggles to be a father. It’s touching. It’s honest. And it’s fitting that The Vision’s first step toward becoming a real father was to listen to his son. Beautiful.

The Vision’s internal world takes a step back in “Reboot.” The characters are just as engaging as ever. I liked the touch of Tony Stark basing his AIs off of real-life people. We may (and probably should) find out more about the people F.R.I.D.A.Y. and E.D.I.T.H.’s are copied from. The MCU did show Jarvis (Agent Carter) and J.A.R.V.I.S. early in its runtime. It’s great to see Stark continue this practice, because this is what happens in the comics. The comic book version of The Vision was a brain copy of Wonder Man’s. For a time, I wondered if the MCU would link Wonder Man and VisionQuest. Jocasta, who is most likely the other synthezoid introduced in “Reboot,” (we may get confirmation in the next episode) was a brain copy of someone else. I like the concept of brain copies. It’s a great way to flesh out the MCU and sprinkle in some callbacks, provided those callbacks are more than nostalgia bait and hold meaning.

Quick note: I’m writing these reviews/reactions as I watch the episodes; I haven’t yet watched episode four before writing this post, and my thoughts on the next episode may alter my thoughts on this episode (in retrospect). Future Kyra may know who the other synthezoid is and who’s brain the synthezoid copies.

I liked the scene at the end where The Vision’s internal world converges with this new synthezoid. The moment before the invasion, The Vision and the surviving AIs honor J.A.R.V.I.S.’s memory. Who knew U could sing? And D.U.M-E is anything but if he can recite poetry. It’s a touching moment and necessary one. J.A.R.V.I.S. may not have shown up as much in the MCU these past several years, but I still see bumper stickers that read, J.A.R.V.I.S. is my copilot. Fans didn’t have time to mourn his passing last week. And I liked the many Easter eggs VisionQuest threw into this episode. I counted almost 90. 90 is a lot. My favorites were when U sprayed E.D.I.T.H. with a fire extinguisher (like he did with Tony in 2008’s Iron Man), and F.R.I.D.A.Y. recounting the day she couldn’t save Tony. Equal parts funny and heartbreaking.

I’ve delayed talking about The Paladin’s side of the story for long enough. We discovered more about The Paladin this week. Fantastic. Despite being one of VisionQuest’s chief antagonists, I almost found myself rooting for him. The Paladin has a strange moral code and magnetic personality, but the addition of an inferiority complex (he’s not a Paladin by blood) makes him a more complex character. VisionQuest choses its flashbacks well and doesn’t slow down the narrative by throwing in too many. Easter Eggs may be a different conversation. Anyway, The Paladin gets fired by his employer. Something tells me he won’t stop hunting The Vision, and The Vision will have more bounty hunters on his tail. Not to mention the other synthezoid.

Yes! I’m almost certain the other synthezoid is Jocasta Pym. To save me from going through all the MCU’s potential synthezoids, let’s just say she is the bride of Ultron, Jocasta. In the comics, Jocasta is a brain copy of The Wasp. I don’t see that. VisionQuest has reestablished brain copies as a thing in the MCU, so Jocasta will definitely be a brain copy of someone, but the Wasp doesn’t fit. The MCU also wants to distance itself from Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania. So, who is Jocasta’s brain double? She’s an assassin, so a Black Widow (maybe the one from Agent Carter) would make sense. Taskmaster was unceremonially eliminated (in Thunderbolts*), so Jocasta could’ve been a copy of Taskmaster. Regardless of who she is, Jocasta (or the other synthezoid) left an impression.

VisionQuest “Reboot” ended on a great note. I struggled to rewatch “Reboot” before writing this post because I wanted to see what would happen next. Jocasta infiltrating The Vision’s internal world is compelling. The visual cues VisionQuest leading up to this invasion was spot on (the color palette changes, Ultron following the butcherbird killer and painting the end scene during “Reboot’s” opening scenes). I’ve said it multiple times. The Vision/Wanda Maximoff trilogy of mini series is the best MCU property this side of Avengers: End Game. All of these projects are baseline good to great.

Those are my thoughts on VisionQuest “Reboot.” What are yours? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Getting Into Comics: Vision Starter Stories

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Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. VisionQuest began airing this week. To celebrate, we’re releasing a Vision starter stories post. Who knows? Someone may want to start reading stories based on the Android Avenger. Looks like it’s time for a Getting Into Comics: Vision Starter Stories post. Vision has a nice mix of single issues and storylines. We’ll begin with the single comic books and progress to comic book storylines. Let’s talk about Vision Starter Stories.

Single Issues

“Behold The Vision” (Avengers Vol 1 #57; Written by Roy Thomas; Art by John Buscema; August 1968)

Usually, we try to include a character’s first appearance on these lists, but Vision had a dynamite first issue. Ultron created Vision to take down the Avengers. When Vision refuses to attack the Avengers, he and his “father” have a falling out. During the course of “Behold The Vision,” Vision proves himself worthy of consideration as a member of the Avengers, and the Avengers and Marvel Comics would never be the same.

“Even an Android can Cry” (Avengers Vol 1 #58; Written by Roy Thomas; Art by John Buscema; September 1968)

Vision’s second issue was another great one. I wouldn’t say these two comic issues constitute an overarching storyline; that’s why they’re listed separately. Vision wants to join the Avengers, and the team tests his mettle, like any other potential member. While he was presented as an android, Vision is far more than that. “Even an Android can Cry” serves to show Vision’s humanity. After he joins the team, a joyous Vision lets loose one tear. John Buscema does a great job conveying Vision’s emotions, and this single panel has endured as one of the best representations of the character Marvel has ever published.

“The Vision and The Scarlet Witch’s Wedding” (Giant-Size Avengers Vol 1 #4; Written by Steve Englehart; Art by Don Heck; February 1975)

You can’t tell Vision’s story without Scarlet Witch. They two fall in love and in Giant-Size Avengers #4, they get married. Of course, there was a ton of prejudice toward both characters and their union. Vision is a robot, and Scarlet Witch is a mutant, who innately see a lot of prejudice. In Giant-Size Avengers #4, the couple stand up to the haters, and tie the knot. During the ceremony, which served as a double wedding with Mantis and Swordsman, Kang showed up to cause a mess, but it all worked out in the end. Or did it?

Storylines

A Year in the Life (The Vision and The Scarlet Witch Vol 2 #1-12; Written by Steve Englehart; Art by Richard Howell; 1985-1986)

Vision and the Scarlet Witch have shared multiple miniseries; we went with the one that included, A Year in the Life. The story focuses on the titular two as they settle in Leonia, New Jersey, shortly after getting married. A Year in the Life is probably the best look at the relationship between the two heroes that we’ve ever seen. After the two settle down, it doesn’t take long for things to go crazy. Vision and Scarlet Witch face obstacles from multiple directions: Ultron, the Grim Reaper, Magneto, and Quicksilver. Looks like everyone from the Visions and Scarlet Witch’s past has it out for them. The couple endures and toward the end of this series, Wanda makes herself pregnant. This results in the birth of the couple’s twin sons: William and Thomas.

Yep. A Year in the Life influenced the WandaVision storyline. There’s a chance we’ll see this story affect the currently airing VisionQuest’s story.

VisionQuest (West Coast Avengers Vol 2 #42-50; Written by John Byrne; Art by John Byrne; 1989)

We had to include the comic book storyline that shares the same name as the VisionQuest TV show. Vision has “died” on more than one occasion, but death seldom means the end for a comic book character. This also makes sense for Vision, because he is a synthoid. Vision’s resurrection came with a cost. When the Avengers rebuild him, Vision returns as a completely different “person.” His humanity is no longer intact. His new look (all white) mirrors his new reality as an unfeeling robot, which is a stark change from his previous persona.

Vision and Scarlet Witch’s romantic relationship is all but dissolved, but that’s only the start. The Vision’s new personality and direction would reshape the Avengers and the rest of the Marvel Universe for decades. When I heard the MCU intended to bring back Vision in WandaVision, I knew Marvel would borrow heavily from VisionQuest. I’m glad the MCU has turned Vision and Scarlet Witch’s saga into a trilogy: WandaVision, Agatha All Along, and VisionQuest. Despite the most recent MCU phases revolving around the multiverse, I’ve enjoyed the fusion of technology and mysticism. Vision and Scarlet Witch are at the core of that combination. VisionQuest is a landmark Marvel comics storyline and a must read for any Marvel fan.

Yesterday and Tomorrow (Avengers Icons: The Vision #1-4; Written by Geoff Johns; Art by Ivan Reis; August-November 2002)

Geoff Johns is known for his work in DC Comics, but he made the leap to Marvel Comics in 2002 to write the miniseries Avengers Icons: The Vision. Johns continued several plot threads, including the one we just discussed: VisionQuest. In this series, the Vision meets the granddaughter of the man who created the original Human Torch (the android from the 1940s, not Johnny Storm). The original Human Torch’s body happens to be the body Ultron installed Vision into back in 1960s. Yesterday and Tomorrow also centers on Vision’s lost humanity being restored. This storyline marks a new era for the synthoid.

Coincidentally, story beats from Yesterday and Tomorrow could find their way into the VisionQuest TV series. That’s conjecture. The series hasn’t yet finished its run.

Avengers Disassembled (Avengers Vol 3 #500-503; Written by Brian Michael Bendis; Art by David Finch; 2004)

Full disclosure: Vision doesn’t have a long appearance in Avengers Disassembled. But it is meaningful. In fact, Avengers Disassembled includes the deaths of several popular Avengers: Ant-Man, Hawkeye, Jack of Hearts, and of course, Vision. Who’s behind Vision dying this time? Let’s just say that one of the issues (cover pictured above) is entitled “Chaos.” Scarlet Witch has a history of going rogue.

House of M (House of M #1-8; Written by Brian Michael Bendis; Art by Olivier Coipel; 2005)

Remember how I said that Scarlet Witch has a history of going rogue? House of M revolves around Wanda having a mental breakdown. She creates an alternate reality. In this new world, Vision and Scarlet Witch’s children are alive and well in the Vision household. It doesn’t last. House of M explores the mind of a troubled and powerful woman. And if House of M sounds similar to WandaVision, it was the basis for WandaVision. While Scarlet Witch is the main character in House of M, it still contains several great moments for the Vision.

The Visions Graphic Novel Cover

The Visions (The Visions #1-12; Written by Tom King; Art by Gabriel Hernandez Walta; 2015)

We save one of my favorite storylines for last: The Visions. In this story, Vision takes a new job as Avengers liaison in Washington DC. He moves to the United States capital with the family he constructed, a family of synthoids. While WandaVision borrows the scene at the end of The Visions (changed of course, to fit within the MCU’s storyline), I’d like to see more of The Visions in VisionQuest. Obviously, the MCU will continue with Vision and Scarlet Witch’s children, but I could see some moments borrowed from The Visions.

I love The Visions. It’s a page-turner of a mini-series. Of all the storylines on this list, you’ll need to do the least amount of other reading with The Visions. This series does a great job of retelling a lot of Vision’s past. It explores Vision’s quest for humanity, a recurring theme for the character. And I grew to care about this family of synthoids. They’re more than synthoids. If you only wanted to pick up one story from this list, I’d recommend The Visions.

That’s our list of Vision Starter Stories. Which stories would you add to this list? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

VisionQuest “Theseus” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another review/reaction of a VisionQuest episode, “Theseus.” If you want to see my thoughts on VisionQuest’s first episode, “No Strings,” check out this link. “Theseus” begins by backtracking a year in the life of Thomas Shepard. Or is he Tommy Maximoff? Fortunately, VisionQuest doesn’t dwell too long in Tommy’s past, just long enough for us to get sense of where his life was headed, how he met his love interest Lisa. I like that VisionQuest gave us this quick flashback and went back to current events. I don’t mind flashback sequences, but they should be meaningful and shorter. Good job. I also like how VisionQuest is developing The Vision and Tommy’s relationship. This development could drive the show.

Before we get any further into VisionQuest “Theseus,” a spoiler warning is in effect. You should watch the show and the Disney+ series WandaVision and Agatha All Along. I said this in the last review/reaction and I’ll say it again, this trilogy of mini series are the highlights of the Marvel Cinematic Universe post Avengers: Endgame. With that out of the way, let’s talk about VisionQuest “Theseus.”

VisionQuest continues to balance scenes with The Vision’s interior world and the world outside his head. I like how Paladin isn’t “The Paladin” but one of many. VisionQuest hasn’t dropped too many breadcrumbs as to who hired Paladin to capture The Vision, outside of S.W.O.R.D., who rebuilt The Vision. But who’s in charge of S.W.O.R.D.? S.W.O.R.D. is the organization that emerged from the wreckage that was S.H.I.E.L.D.. The leader of S.W.O.R.D. makes sense as the person who tasked Paladin, but their name drop could–and should–affect the MCU. Who is the one pulling the strings?

Getting back to Paladin, his odd sense of morality has me intrigued. He insists on no collateral damage but didn’t hesitate to murder the sanitarium guard the moment he questioned his authority. Isn’t the guard collateral damage? Don’t get me wrong, VisionQuest did an adequate job of showing this guard as a comically sadistic jerk, but Paladin broke his own rule. They may not be rules. They may be guidelines. We didn’t see as much of Paladin’s handler in “Theseus” as we did in “No Strings.” Not gonna lie. I was a little disappointed. Diane Morgan is fantastic, and she and Todd Stashwick (Paladin) have great chemistry, exchanging barbs. We should get more of the handler in next week’s episodes.

I hinted at it before, but Paul Bettany has done a great job conveying The Vision during his latest iteration. He isn’t the synthezoid he used to be. He struggles to make connections, specifically with his son, Tommy. And Tommy has his own struggles. We saw Billy struggle with identity issues in Agatha All Along (seriously, you should watch this show if you haven’t already), but Billy’s powers align more with his mother, Wanda. Tommy’s powers are closer to his uncle’s, Quicksilver. Quick shoot out: VisionQuest has did a great job in the first episode with hinting at Tommy’s powers and does a great job exploring what he can do with those powers in “Theseus.”

It makes sense that Billy would take to his powers and past better than Tommy. Billy’s consciousness found a well-adjusted kid with a strong family. Tommy’s consciousness found a kid with a broken family life. I love the moment at the end of “Theseus” when Tommy won’t let The Vision get captured by Paladin. “I can’t leave you. You’re my…something.” Ah! Tommy can’t bring himself to call The Vision his father, but The Vision is the closest thing Tommy ever had to a father. This was such a great moment. It tugged at the heartstrings.

I’ve avoided it long enough. It’s time to talk about The Vision’s interior world. I like the development of Ultron getting released from his prison. The Vision could no longer maintain Ultron’s prison, so Ultron walked out the front door. Ultron is the most human of all The Vision’s interior residents. He appreciates humanity. And I can’t help but think he has an evil plan afoot and that makes his escape even juicier.

Ultron’s the one who suggests that one of the other AIs sacrifice themselves to save The Vision. J.A.R.V.I.S. answers the call. He deletes himself, so The Vision can have a chance with his son. In the following moments, Ultron suggests that J.A.R.V.I.S. wouldn’t have been his first or second choice, but it had to be J.A.R.V.I.S.. I loved James D’Arcy’s performance as Jarvis from the Agent Carter television show. I was happy to see him return as an AI version of J.A.R.V.I.S. in VisionQuest, but J.A.R.V.I.S. is the most famous and popular of all The Vision’s AI friends. He had to sacrifice himself because his death carried the most emotional depth.

Honestly, I had to rewatch that sequence of events to absorb that J.A.R.V.I.S. was gone. That was an excellent choice on behalf of VisionQuest’s showrunners and writers. While I wouldn’t mind Ultron sneakily convincing the other AIs to systematically sacrifice themselves, I don’t think that fits for Ultron’s character, and it would become old hat real soon. Ultron has something else in mind, but I don’t know what and that has me on the hook. Paladin may be a worthy adversary, but I’m more intrigued by Ultron’s motives and who hired Paladin to retrieve The Vision. And of course, the father/son dynamic of The Vision and Tommy and even Ultron and The Vision. VisionQuest has set up a nice collection of story threads to explore.

Those are my thoughts on VisionQuest “Theseus.” What are yours? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

VisionQuest “No Strings” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with a review/reaction of VisionQuest’s pilot, “No Strings.” Ahead of beginning this series, I had moderately high expectations for VisionQuest. Wanda Maximoff and Vision mini series are the best thing the Marvel Cinematic Universe has released since Avengers: End Game. That’s high praise. That includes two Spider-Man films (No Way Home and Brand New Day), Wonder Man (which I still love), and at least one Deadpool film. WandaVision and Agatha All Along are great. While it’s too soon to tell if VisionQuest will live up to the previous series in this set of series (as of writing this post, I’ve only watched the first episode a few times), “No Strings” delivers a solid premise with a couple of hiccups.

Since they’re so great, you should watch WandaVision and Agatha All Along before watching VisionQuest, but if you haven’t yet watched them, you don’t need to because VisionQuest does a good job recapping all necessary story elements from these two series and MCU movies in its opening minutes. If Marvel continues to tell ongoing stories, they should continue this trend. VisionQuest takes advantage of The Vision’s identity crisis, having its titular character replay scenes from past MCU vehicles. It works but slows down the momentum.

Even though VisionQuest dropped two episodes this week, this review or reaction will only concern itself with the first of these two episodes. We will release a second post on “Theseus” later this week. Before we continue, a spoiler alert is in effect. If you have yet to watch VisionQuest “No Strings,” you may want to pause and return to this point in the post. Consider yourself warned.

The Vision lives in two worlds: the outside world, and The Vision’s rich interior world. I love how VisionQuest adapted aspects of The Vision’s life in the comic book series The Visions. Obviously, the MCU can’t adapt The Visions wholesale in VisionQuest; Marvel borrowed some elements of that series in WandaVision. The Vision shouldn’t construct children to replace the ones he lost in WandaVision. It’s been done. Instead, Marvel opted for bringing back several of the helper AIs Tony Stark created in the MCU thus far: J.A.R.V.I.S., F.R.I.D.A.Y., E.D.I.T.H., D.U.M.-E., and U. Throw in Ultron, and you have a party. And it’s the inclusion of Ultron that stirs trouble and sparks the inciting incident.

I like how VisionQuest showed how these AIs interact with each other and the roles they take. I’m not going to list all of these AIs again; those are a lot of acronyms. James Spader’s Ultron and Emily Hampshire’s E.D.I.T.H. serve as great foils to J.A.R.V.I.S. and F.R.I.D.A.Y., who serve as The Vision’s restrained persona, while the other two are great comic relief. Not that the other four don’t have comedic moments. They’re a joy to watch.

I wouldn’t mind if VisionQuest stayed within The Vision’s inner world for an episode or two (that may happen in a future episode) because this is a rich world, but I’m glad The Vision must interact with the outside world. Returning to Ultron sparking the inciting incident, he sends out a crypted message to a bounty hunter (Paladin) who is looking for The Vision and gives the bounty hunter The Vision’s position. Ultron says himself that he’s giving The Vision the kick in the pants to get moving. Evidently, The Vision has remained in his past self’s shadow. He’s retraced the original Vision’s footsteps, refusing to make any new moves. Ultron’s action forces The Vision to something. Anything. Even though this is only the first episode, VisionQuest is playing with the dichotomy of Ultron as The Vision’s father and his greatest foe. I love this balance. It also plays into the cliffhanger “No Strings” ends with its closing minutes: Paladin has kidnapped The Vision’s son, Tommy.

Yes! Billy returned in Agatha All Along. If I remember correctly, Wiccan (Billy) was last seen looking for his brother. Could we see a large family reunion by the end of VisionQuest’s runtime? Seriously, if you haven’t yet watched Agatha All Along, you should. It’s excellent. With Tommy’s kidnapping VisionQuest combines elements of Finding Nemo and Taken. The act itself comes straight from Taken, but the vibe I’m sensing (with Ultron congratulating The Vision for having a son) gives me Finding Nemo. And I love how watching that scene multiple times I could read this moment at the end as Ultron being a sarcastic jerk or being sincere. In a way, Tommy is Ultron’s grandson. James Spader is a treasure. This entire cast is amazing.

VisionQuest introduced plenty of interesting threads with its debut, “No Strings.” Someone hired Paladin to retrieve The Vision. Paladin believes S.W.O.R.D. is behind it, but who knows. Ultron works within The Vision’s head. He’s biding his time for the right moment to strike, and that moment will occur at some point. I’ll be disappointed if Ultron never takes a shot at freedom. Heck, Ultron could be the one who hired Paladin, though I doubt it. VisionQuest “No Strings” was a solid–if not rocky because of the flashbacks–first outing. So far, it’s shaping up to be a worthy third part of a WandaVision, Agatha All Along, and VisionQuest trilogy.

Those are my thoughts on VisionQuest “No Strings.” Let us know yours in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.