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Vision Quest
‘You betrayed us…? YOU!?’ an aghast Clint “Hawkeye” Barton shouts at his estranged wife and former teammate Barbara “Mockingbird” Morse-Barton. Inside the communications room of the West Coast Avengers Palos Verdes Compound, Clint tries to get to his wife, but his teammates hold him back, with the winsome Wasp a.k.a. Janet van Dyne telling him to calm down. Simon “Wonder Man” Williams agrees as he holds his friend back, remarking that the Wasp is right, he suggests that Hawkeye take some deep breaths, as there has to be more to this than there seems.
‘Blow it out your ear, Wonder Man!’ Clint replies while Greer Grant Nelson a.k.a. Tigra readies herself for battle perhaps, Clint asks why this shouldn’t be just what it seems. ‘Just accept the fact that we’ve been sold out…by my wife!’ Arms folded across her front, Bobbi remarks that is what she has always liked best about Hawkeye - that he always looks for the logical answer in every situation. Dr. Hank Pym tells Mockingbird that they are willing to listen to whatever she has to say, and asks what her connection is to the computer virus that has affected the Avengers system, ‘And what do you know about the disappearance of my husband?’ Wanda Maximoff a.k.a. the Scarlet Witch asks.
Mockingbird glances to the side, and pauses before revealing that she is the one who let in the computer hackers who planted the virus, and that she also choreographed the kidnapping of the Vision. ‘And…I’m sorry I did…’ Bobbi adds. Clint slaps his face - ‘Sorry? Sorry? I’m not hearing this!’ he exclaims, until Wanda tells him to stop it, before turning to Mockingbird and remarking that she owes them some sort of explanation. Bobbi replies that she knows, ‘You most of all’ she tells Wanda, before announcing that the only thing she can say is ‘I’ve been had!’ ‘”HAD”?’ Hawkeye shouts, ‘Yes, “had”, darling husband’ Bobby replies sarcastically, before beginning her story….
(Shown with flashback illustrations, takes place between West Coast Avengers (1st series) #41 and #42)Bobby reminds Hawkeye that following their big split, she went off and mostly sat around being angry. ‘Angry at you, angry at me, angry at the circumstances that had brought us together - and the ones that tore us apart!’ Bobbi explains that one day, there was a knock at the door, and she was greeted by SHIELD Special Operative Frank Hampton, who announced that he had been sent to call her in. Bobbi tells her former teammates that she keeps trying to remember if there was anything at that moment which should have made her suspicious - but there wasn’t, for Frank Hampton looked like SHIELD, sounded like SHIELD, ‘He even smelled like SHIELD - that strange mixture of metal and leather and bottled air’.
Bobbi reveals that she went with Hampton, in his flying car, and she was then introduced to the head of a project known as Vigilance. Bobbi tells the West Coast Avengers that the man’s name was Cameron Brock, and that in two words he told her what the project was all about: ‘The Vision’ he said. Cameron Brock reminded Mockingbird that several months ago, the Vision tapped into every computer on the planet and seized control of America’s nuclear arsenal - ‘His goal was nothing less than world domination!’ Brock declared.
Mockingbird assures the Avengers that she reminded Brock that the Vision had been - unhinged - at that time and was now fully recovered, which Brock was aware of, adding that he knows steps were taken which supposedly guarantee such a thing cannot happen again, and that so long as the Vision seemed content to stay in New Jersey, playing house with the Scarlet Witch, they had no problem. ‘But that has changed’ Brock told Mockingbird, reminding her that both the Vision and Scarlet Witch are once again active Avengers, and that gives the Vision access to the Avengers’ computer systems.
Brock told Bobbi that is what Vigilance is all about - ‘We are charged with keeping a watchful eye on everything the Vision does - every day‘. Brock explained to Bobbi that there was more, an additional part to the project, which is where she came in. ‘How’s that?’ Bobbi asked. Brock pointed out that Mockingbird has the unique position of being both a SHIELD agent and an Avenger, and that SHIELD now wished to make use of the knowledge Bobbi had gleaned as a member of that team to help in the creation of an emergency plan - a plan to guard against the eventuality of the Vision once more attempting to gain global mastery. ‘We need your help to work out all the necessary elements involved in penetrating Avengers Compound and seizing the Vision’ Brock told Mockingbird….
(Present)Bobbi tells her former teammates that she thought about Brock’s offer for a while, and then said “yes”. ‘WHAT?’ shouts Hawkeye - ‘Just like that you decide to help a bunch of half-gassed James Bond groupies attack us? Where the heck is your loyalty lady?’ Bobbi replies that attack was never supposed to be part of the plan, that the whole thing was just supposed to be theoretical, just a contingency plan. ‘As to loyalty - that happens to be to my country! I didn’t join SHIELD because I thought it would be a fun way to kill an afternoon…I joined because I believed in what they stood for. I still do!’ Bobbi explains that this is why she helped them, and that they quartered her right there, lap of luxury, real SHIELD style.
(Shown with flashback illustrations, takes place between West Coast Avengers (1st series) #41 and #42)Mockingbird reveals that, due to her knowledge of the Avengers Compound security systems and codes, she was able to create a scenario in which a small team of agents could do the job without tripping the alarms. ‘Excellent, Agent Morse, excellent!’ Brock told Bobbi, assuring her that she has done a better job than they dared hoped. Bobbi replied ‘Thank you’ but really, she wasn’t so sure.
A couple of days later, Bobbi accessed the computer files on her plans to see if she could do a little fine tuning - which is when she found something that had nothing to do with her scenario - Ultron! Everything was there in the computer - the plan to use a duplicate Ultron to battle the Avengers while the computer team accessed the main system, and another grabbed the Vision. Bobbi informs the West Coast Avengers that even the nasty mention of planting a posthypnotic suggestion in Wanda as she slept so that she couldn’t use her mutant hex power against Ultron was there.
Mockingbird was appalled, as the new additions to her plan were stupid and reckless, so she went to Brock and demanded the additions be removed, as the Avengers could get hurt fighting the fake Ultron. Bobbi pointed out to Brock that, even worse, should the real Ultron decide to attack, the posthypnotic suggestion on Wanda could get her killed. As Bobbi relates to the West Coast Avengers, Brock listened to her, then very politely said: ‘I’m very sorry to see you take this stance, Agent Morse…you’ll understand that we cannot possibly allow you to remain at liberty under these circumstances…’.
If that wasn’t enough to convince Barbara that the bozos she was dealing with were not SHIELD, then their fighting style was. ‘They were pathetic!’ she tells the West Coasters. But they were also treacherous, and Bobbi tells her former teammates that she remembers feeling a sharp feeling in her back, a sudden feeling that she was about to lose every lunch she ever had, and then, nothing. Bobbi expected to wake up dead, instead, she found herself in a maximum security cell, and recognized the style from SHIELD briefings - it was KGB!
(Present)‘KGB? You mean it was the Russians behind all this?’ Hank Pym asks, to which Mockingbird replies that it sure looks that way. Tigra begins to ask a question, but ends up roaring loudly. Puzzled by her sudden roar, Tigra looks sheepish and apologizes, before asking why the Russians would want to grab the Vision. Mockingbird replies that she is not exactly sure, but that she would be willing to bet their reasons were not too far from the story they originally told her. Barbara reminds everyone that the Vision successfully tapped into virtually ever computer system on Earth, accessing data so sensitive that some Heads of State do not have security clearance high enough to see what he saw.
Mockingbird remarks that she believes the Russians want to make certain the Vision has no memory of whatever Soviet secrets he learned. Hank suggests that the Soviets might also be interesting in learning what other nations’ security data the Vision might still retain. Bobbi agrees, and remarks that the Visions’ memory was not completely cleared of that information when he was restored to sanity, so therefore he could be a treasure trove of secret information. Simon asks Bobbi why she didn’t come and tell them this sooner, pointing out that she clearly escaped the bad guys. ‘Obviously’ Bobbi replies, ‘But only two hours ago!’ she reveals, before continuing with her story….
(Shown with flashback illustrations, takes place between West Coast Avengers (1st series) #41 and #42)It took nearly three weeks of Bobbi biding her time before she was able to sucker her guard into her cell with a yoga breathing exercise that simulated her own death. ‘Like I said, these goons were not very good’ Bobbi remarks, before declaring that she escaped the Installation, changed into her fighting togs to be ready for action - and arrived here too late to be able to do anything to help the Vision….
(Present)The Scarlet Witch tells Mockingbird, who is playing with her hair, that she doesn’t understand her attitude when she first arrived back here, and asks if it was her intention to help them, why she came in as much as admitting to having betrayed them. Bobbi looks awkwardly at Wanda and replies that she doesn’t know, before remarking that she was upset and embarrassed that she had been played for a fool, and that when she came in on them all, she realized it was too late, and realized that it was all her fault. Bobbi adds that it might also have something to do with seeing Hawkeye again. ‘Seems like he’s always had the power to make me say the wrong thing…like “I do”!’.
Hank suggests that they get into the reasons for Bobbi’s behavior later, but that right now they should take the position of assuming she is telling the truth and that her presence her is not some continuing plot, adding that he thinks Mockingbird best show them the location of the ersatz SHIELD installation, for at the moment, that is their only lead as to the current location of the Vision.
A few minutes later, a sleek Quinjet streaks from the concealed launch bay in the cliff face below the Compound. On board, the Scarlet Witch and Mockingbird sit to the back of the jet, and Barbara tells Wanda that there are not enough ways she can say how truly sorry she is that this has happened. ‘We’ve been friends, you and I, and now…’ Bobbi begins, until Wanda interrupts, ‘Now I am forced by circumstances to reconsider our friendship’ Wanda replies, addressing Bobbi by her codename, Wanda adds that even though she believes Mockingbird when she says she was duped into assisting with the kidnapping of her husband, the fact remains that she was willing to assist in the formation of the plan which made the kidnapping possible. ‘And although I may understand your reasons, there is no way I can ever condone them…’.
Suddenly, the Wasp motions out of the window, ‘There it is!’ she exclaims, before remarking that the abandoned factory complex, according to their records, is deserted and scheduled for demolition, meaning it is ideally suited for the kind of activity that Mockingbird described. Janet tells Hank to make a slow pass at five hundred feet, adding that she will shrink down to wasp size and see if she can find a way to reconnoiter. Hank begins to reply ‘Right darling’ before cutting himself off, ‘Right Jan’ he says instead.
‘Hey, do you mind, Wasp?’ Hawkeye exclaims, telling Jan that, in case she has forgotten, he is the one who is supposed to be West Coast chairman, so he will decide what they should do. ‘All right, Clint. What do you suggest?’ the Wasp asks. Bobbi watches as Clint turns away and mumbles, before remarking that they can make a slow pass at five hundred feet, and that the Wasp can shrink all the way down…his voice trails off, ‘Good plan!’ the Wasp exclaims before diving out of the Quinjet and flying down to the complex below.
Approaching a ventilation grate, Janet decides that everything looks peaceful, and that if the perpetrators are still around, it would seem that they are asleep at the switch. Jan decides that is not too surprising, as she suspects that they do not know Mockingbird is gone yet, and the Wasp knows that, if nothing else, Mockingbird’s SHIELD training would have allowed her to escape undetected - especially if she timed her break to fall well between changes in the guards’ shifts.
The Wasp decides that this place is way too big to search alone, even at her full human size, before telling herself that it is lucky Hank recently reactivated the bio-engineered antennae in her forehead, so she doesn’t need to search alone. The Wasp concentrates, and across the sprawling complex, tiny, unnoticed ants pause in their robot-like labors, responding to the strange, unspoken language that of all humans, only the Wasp and Hank Pym have learned to comprehend.
Seconds later, the Wasp flies towards a door, ‘According to the ants, there’s been almost constant activity around that big door’ she thinks to herself, deciding that it is time to see what is going on behind it - only to discover that the door Is sealed so tightly that not even an ant - or a wasp - could get through. Suddenly, the Wasp hears some people coming, and deciding that she doesn’t want to engage anyone yet, she backs herself up against the wall, then flies over them, deciding to look a little deeper in this complex before she gets back in touch with her teammates. ‘Hey…what was that? A bee?’ one of the men asks. His companion tells him to ignore it, as this old factory is so full of bugs that most of them don’t even notice the bugs anymore.
The Wasp notices that the men were both speaking English, ‘And is that second guy was a Russian, so am I!’ she exclaims, before recalling that Mockingbird was convinced this is a KGB operation. ‘Speaking of Mockingbird, this looks like it’s probably the cell block where she was held’ Jan decides as she swoops down for a closer look, and seeing two guards decides that it looks like they still haven’t noticed she is gone. ‘How’s he doing in there?’ one of the guards asks to another. ‘Okay I guess. He don’t complain much, anyway’ the second guard replies, before remarking that it seems kind of rough, keeping an old man like locked up like that. ‘Since he was no use, would it hurt to let him go? Who’s he gonna talk to?’ the second guard asks. ‘Well, the Avengers for a start!’ the first guard points out, before reminding his associate that they just do what they’re told. ‘They want the old geezer held, we hold him!’.
The Wasp wonders whom they are talking about, who they have all locked up and flies over to the small window, and looking into the cell, Janet sees who it is: ‘Oh my gosh! It can’t be!’ she exclaims in shock….
Back aboard the Quinjet, a troubled Scarlet Witch continues a path of thought which she began earlier today, while wondering what is taking the Wasp so long, ‘I must know if my husband’s down there!’ Wanda thinks to herself, wishing that the Vision could hear her thoughts, and knew how her heart reaches out to him, even if she did not recognize him as the one fate had chosen for her when they first met….
(Shown with flashback illustrations)Wanda recalls how she was a captive of the dimension-spanning barbarian known as Arkon, ‘Flee whoever you are! No one can stop him! No one!’ Wanda cried to the Vision, who had come to rescue her. ‘She speaks the truth, android, beware!’ Arkon warned the Vision. Wanda recalls how, for months, she and the Vision fought side by side as Avengers, never once daring to give voice to the secret emotions that were growing in their hearts - until there came that time of the search for the Celestial Madonna, where three women were candidates for that cosmic role - Wanda, Moondragon and Mantis!
As Wanda remembers, it was as that strange adventure unfolded that the Vision finally learned the secret of his beginning, that the evil robot Ultron-5 had forced the creator of the original Human Torch to transform the fallen android’s silent body into the Vision’s own, and no longer a creature without a past, a fatherless enigma, the Vision finally spoke the words Wanda had waited so long to hear: “Marry me” he exclaims. ‘Oh, yes, Vision! Yes, yes, yes!’ Wanda had replied. And even though they were spoken with the Vision’s chilling robotic voice, they were the sweetest words Wanda had ever heard!
Wanda’s involvement with the Vision and his search for his past had meanwhile absented her from the quest for the Celestial Madonna, long enough that the choice was made without her. ‘This one…?’ Mantis asked when she was appointed the Celestial Madonna. As Wanda recalls, the living ghost of the Swordsman had declared Mantis the Celestial Madonna because of her humility and physical perfection, and so, in a sheltered garden in Vietnam, Immortus officiated what must have been the strangest double wedding of all time - the mutant Scarlet Witch to the android Vision, and the exotic Mantis to the reanimated Swordsman!
Wanda and the Vision left the reanimated Swordsman and the newly elevated Mantis to ascend to a higher plane, and they returned to the Avengers and America, Wanda’s adopted homeland. But, if the Vision and Wanda had expected their marriage to be one of a fairy tale’s happiness ever after…it did not take long for her brother, Quicksilver, to burst that shining, fragile bubble. ‘You know I have never approved of the feelings you have shown for this machine, sister’ Quicksilver told Wanda, ‘If you think I will now sanctify this mockery of a marriage with my blessing you are sadly mistaken!’.
Wanda knew that much of the human world would share her brother’s stance, so she and the Vision chose to keep their joining a secret, at first, but though this meant they could share their great joy with only a few close friends, they found it left that joy remarkable undiminished - all the more so when Wanda used her power to warp probabilities and caused her womb to bring forth the fruits of an otherwise impossible mingling of mutant and android - and their twin sons William and Thomas were born.
(Present)Speaking of Wanda’s children…back at the guest house at the Palos Verdes Compound, in the makeshift nursery, the newly hired governess tends to her infant charges. ‘Aren’t you just the prettiest little darlings!’ she exclaims before picking them out of their cot, and telling them that it is time to get ready for a nice new day. Miss Bach tells the children that it looks as if their mother and have already gone out. ‘Such a lovely couple. But what dangerous lives they lead!’ Miss Bach exclaims, before putting Tommy and Billy in the bath, she declares that she wouldn’t like to think what sort of a world this would be without the Avengers, and tells the children that they are both very lucky to have such wonderful people as their parents. ‘Although I suppose your daddy isn’t quite people, is he?’.
Miss Bach turns away to get something from a cupboard, remarking that she remembers how surprised she was when everyone found out that the Vision and the Scarlet Witch married. ‘My brother-in-law thought it was terrible. Like someone marrying a blender, he said!’ Miss Bach adds that her brother-in-law said that he thought in most states the Scarlet Witch would be arrested, and the Vision impounded. ‘Did you ever hear such a silly…thing…?’ Miss Bach asks as she turns back to the toddlers. ‘Oh my lord - NO!’ she screams….
Back at the mysterious complex, the Quinjet is fired on by weapons aimed from the complex, ‘What the heck is going on? Are they insane?’ Hank asks, remarking that for a Russian operation to take this kind of action on American soil is tantamount to a declaration of war! Wonder Man agrees, and asks Tigra to step aside as he opens the emergency floor hatch, he dives out of the Quinjet, boasting that he will show them just how dim a view they take of this kind of thing in America. Simon lands on one of the laser weapons, crushing it, before ripping up the grounding that the weapons are latched to, and realizing that these guns are not manned, at least not here anyway, so the best use he can be to his teammates is to get down inside the complex for a more direct assault.
At that moment, inside the complex, Cameron Brock enters a console room and asks what is going on, ‘Who authorized firing the plasma cannons?’ he exclaims. ‘You did, sir’ someone replies nervously asking Brock if he doesn’t remember ordering them programmed to fire automatically if the same aircraft made more than three passes over this installation in a specified time frame. ‘Don’t quote me from regulations I wrote!’ Brock bellows, before declaring that is not just any aircraft out there, but the Avengers’ Quinjet. He reminds everyone that the whole point of this covert masquerade was to avoid directly confronting the Avengers. ‘Well…if we can’t get engaged, will we still be able to see each other on weekends?’ shouts a voice. Brock turns to the direction of the voice and sees Wonder Man leaning against a wall.
Outside, the Quinjet lands, and Hank takes command, pointing out that there is no point in waiting for Simon or the Wasp to come back, he tells everyone to get ready, and as Mockingbird knows the way, tells her to take the lead. Bobbi does so, staffs in hand, and with Tigra following her, Bobbi remarks that she thinks this way is the quickest, but as she rounds the corner of the building, an agent steps in front of her ‘Quickest way to a coffin, you mean!’ the agent shouts as he aims his gun at Bobbi, telling her to say “Good night, Gracie!”.
Less than a heartbeat from death is Mockingbird, but a heartbeat is more than enough time for the Scarlet Witch to act, and Wanda unleashes only a tiny part of her mutant hex power - and the ten million to one odds against every bullet in a machine gun turning out to be a dud become one to one odds, as the agent starts to fire nothing. ‘What in the name of…’ he begins, only for Barbara to kick him hard in the face, ‘Looks like your best laid plans have gang aglae’ she remarks, ‘Or to put it your way…”good night, Gracie”!’.
Bobbi makes her way towards a large metal door, ‘One down…’ she mumbles, before pointing out that there are still some doors left, and that their enemy may have changed the exterior codes if they have discovered her escape yet. Hawkeye tells Mockingbird not to sweat it, and boasts that this is finally something he can handle. With that, the familiar sound of Hawkeye’s great bow signals the release of an arrow of curious design - it pierces the corner of the steel door, the arrowhead then deploys itself - inside the door, and out, as the tiny plex-steel blade draws itself across the seam of the door, and eventually the door collapses with nothing left to hold it together.
Hank Pym congratulates Hawkeye on some nice work, before declaring that they are going to have to split up if they are to search this place efficiently. ‘Well. That was fun’ Clint thinks to himself, less than impressed. As the quintet enter the complex, Clint remarks to himself that he was in charge again for about half a second there, as he rushes off in one direction. Hank goes in another, as does Tigra. Wanda, however, calls out to Mockingbird, pointing out that since she knows this place, she wants to be close by. Barbara agrees, but tells Wanda to be on her toes, as she may have to move quickly.
And so, the duo are about to round a corner when Bobbi sees one of the faux-SHIELD officers, and informs Wanda that he is one of the techno-squad men. Bobbi grabs him as he passes them, and declares that he has just “volunteered” to tell them where the Vision is. ‘Huh? Mockingbird? The Scarlet Witch? What? How?’ the surprised man exclaims. Bobbi forces him against a wall and holds one of her staffs to his throat, ‘That’s two more questions than you’re entitled to!’ Bobbi warns him, before ordering him to drop the phoney British accent and tell them where the Vision is being held. ‘Not bloody likely, you can’t make me tell you anything!’ the defiant agent snaps back.
Mockingbird warns the agent not to try and be a hero, reminding him that she is SHIELD trained, and knows fifty-seven ways to kill him - fifty-six of which hurt. ‘Here’s a small sample!’ Bobbi exclaims as she causes the man to cry out in pain. Wanda calls out to Bobbi, but Bobbi tells her to keep out of this, and turns back to the agent, ‘Now talk, you! Where is he?’ she asks again. The agent replies that he is in section 31, which causes Bobbi to grab him hard by his cheek, ‘31? They’re that far ahead on this!?’ she asks, before demanding to know the code to the door. ‘Osiris! The code is “osiris”!’ the agent replies.
‘Blast, blast, blast!’ Mockingbird exclaims, before urging Wanda to follow her, exclaiming that they may already be too late. “Osiris”? Wanda thinks to herself as she follows Barbara. Wanda looks back at the agent, slumped over on the floor and asks Bobbi if she would have really killed him. ‘Looks like we’ll never know’ Bobbi replies, avoiding the question, before motioning to Section 31. Barbara enters the code “Osiris” and as the large doors open, she warns Wanda to prepare herself, as this may not be pretty.
Eyes wide, Wanda looks in the lab, ‘Bobbi…what…what…is that?’ she asks. ‘You wanted to find your husband, Wanda…there he is!’ Bobbi reveals, motioning to a large work station in the middle of the lab, where all sorts of circuits and wires are stretched out. Various parts of the Vision’s body are in some tanks of fluid, and his skin lies hanging on the edge of the table. The Vision has been dismantled….


[User]
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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Better a Widow…
A mangled mess of wires and circuits stares up from where it lies sprawled out on a table. Once, part of if it was a face. A face that spoke, and smiled, and sometimes laughed. Once, even shed a happy tear. Once, the eyes looked out into the world with gentle compassion and sometimes cold steel rage. He was called the Vision. He is no longer aware of that. He is no longer aware of anything - least of all the identity of the woman who is his wife: the mighty Scarlet Witch, long serving member of the Avengers, Wanda Maximoff gasps ‘Vision!? Vision no! That can’t be you! It can’t!’ Wanda exclaims while.
Former West Coast Avenger Barbara Morse-Barton a.k.a. Mockingbird stands at Wanda’s side as several scientists who have been working in the room watch the Scarlet Witch, realizing who she is, they wonder what she is doing there. ‘I thought the Avengers were going to be kept busy while we…’ one of the men remarks, before realizing what he was about to reveal and shutting up. ‘While you WHAT!?’ screams the Scarlet Witch, before rushing over to one of the scientists and grabbing him by the collar of his jacket, asking him what he has done to the Vision.
Mockingbird approaches Wanda and informs her that they have erased the Vision, ‘Erased?’ Wanda asks. ‘Yes…’ Bobbi replies, explaining that is what this whole kidnap scheme was about, and reminds Wanda that the Vision once tapped into every computer system on Earth, took control of them, and the people who tricked her into helping plan the Vision’s kidnapping said it was all a contingency plan in case he ever tried to do it again.
Bobbi points out that it turns out this wasn’t a contingency plan, before remaking that she thinks their motive was the same - to strip the Vision of all the data he might have picked up from the security networks. Wanda reminds Bobbi that she said this was a KGB operation, and asks why the Soviets would erase the Vision’s memory banks, as Hank said the Vision would be more use to them with his memory intact.
Suddenly, Simon “Wonder Man” Williams enters the room, declaring ‘He would - if this was really a KGB job!’ Carrying Cameron Brock under one of his arms, Simon reveals that this isn’t a KGB job, well, not entirely anyway. Wanda turns to her brother-in-law and asks who he is carrying. Mockingbird answers this question by pointing a finger at Brock and explaining to Wanda that this is the guy she told the West Coast Avengers that was in charge of this operation. Wonder Man informs the ladies that he found Brock in the control room of this bogus SHIELD operation.
Wonder Man orders Brock to tell Wanda and Bobbi what he told him earlier, and Brock obliges, boasting that now they have accomplished the goal of this operation, there is no need to maintain the security screen. Brock reveals that this is not a KGB operation like Mockingbird deduced, explaining that the KGB is simply in charge of the detention cells where she was held until her escape in the morning. Brock points out that security and detention are what the KGB does best after all, to which Mockingbird replies ‘You could say that’ before asking Brock if he is not KGB then why he is so chummy with them. ‘Who are you, Brock?’.
Brock announces that he is actually a field operative of the Canadian Secret Service, which shocks the Scarlet Witch, while Wonder Man remarks ‘Ain’t that a kick in the head? Canadian spies! We’ll be having to worry about the Australian’s next! Killer koalas!’ ‘Since you mention it…’ Brock begins, announcing that his deputy chief happens to be Australian, before informing the Scarlet Witch that this operation is a worldwide venture, that virtually every security network on Earth sent one or more representatives to protect their interests in this project - the American CIA, British MI-7, the French Deuxieme Bureau, the Russian KGB…everyone.
Calmly, Wanda asks why, pointing out that the Vision wasn’t hurting any of them, as he was completely cured of the madness that made him try to seize global power. Brock tells Wanda that the Avengers had said this, and he told Mockingbird that was acceptable - provided the Vision remained outside of the Avengers, and reminding Wanda that she and her husband recently rejoined the Avengers, and therefore the Vision once again had access to their super-sophisticated computers.
Brock motions to the Vision’s dismantled body and explains that the various agencies decided to set aside their individual differences - for a while at least - and deal with this potential problem - before it realized its potential. Brock adds that it is ironic, the Vision’s intent when he seized control of all the computers, was to unite the nations of the world, and now, at least temporarily, he has done that.
‘I suppose you think that’s very funny, Mr Brock!’ Wanda snaps, before telling him that he is forgetting one very important detail - the very thing which allowed him to do this to the Vision in the first place - the fact that he is an android means they can restore him! ‘You took him apart, Brock, but we can put him back together again!’.
Suddenly though, Dr. Hank Pym announces that he is afraid it is not that simple. Wonder Man turns and asks his friend how long he has been standing there, to which Dr. Pym replies ‘Long enough to know we’ve got ourselves a serious problem here!’ Puzzled, Wanda asks Hank why that is, reminding him that he is an expert in the fields of biology and robotics. ‘You can put the Vision back together again, can’t you?’ she asks. ‘Maybe’ Hank replies, admitting that he is reasonably familiar with the Vision’s systems, reminding Wanda that he even took a stroll through the Vision’s inside once, during his Ant Man days.
Hank holds up a part of the dismantled Vision and tells Wanda that is not the part that really worries him - what worries him is what they will do if the Vision has been totally erased as Mockingbird seems to think. ‘Quite frankly, I don’t know how we’ll deal with that!’ But the Scarlet Witch doesn’t see how that could be a problem, reminding Hank that the Vision’s brain patterns were copied from Wonder Man’s and declares that they only have to repeat that process. Wonder Man watches the Scarlet Witch intently as Hank tells her that he wishes it were that easy.
Hank explains that would only recreate the matrix on which the Vision’s mind was formed, without the accumulated data that comprised the Vision’s particular memory, that matrix would be like a blank canvas, ‘And we have nothing to paint on it with!’. A desperate Wanda tells Hank that the Vision kept a back-up memory file stored in the Avengers’ computers, which would be complete up to the last update. Her voice trails off when she remembers what Hank is about to say - that Brocks’ team planted a tape worm in the Avengers’ computers, and all programs dealing with the Vision - including that one - have been expunged, and from every computer system the Avengers time-share with.
‘Hank…no…please, tell me you’re not saying…’ a trembling Wanda asks. Hank puts his hands on Wanda’s shoulders, telling her that he doesn’t want to get any false hopes up, and suggests they deal with putting him back together first, adding that he still has no idea how easy that will be, reminding her that the Vision did used to be the original Human Torch. Hank adds that even though he was built fifty years ago, the old Human Torch was the most sophisticated android ever created.
Suddenly, ‘That sounds like a cue for me to make my dramatic entrance…’ a voice exclaims. Hank turns to see his estranged wife turned lover and teammate Janet Van Dyne a.k.a. the Wasp, with a man who is standing in the shadows. The Wasp remarks that she found him in one of the KGB style cells. ‘See if you’re as surprised as I was…’ Jan adds as the man steps out of the shadows. ‘Great Scott! He’s far older than any photo I’ve ever seen of him…but I’d still know that face anywhere - Professor Horton!’ Hank exclaims. ‘You got it, lover. The creator of the original Human Torch!’ the Wasp remarks.
The Scarlet Witch announces that, according to the Vision’s story of his beginnings, Professor Phineas Horton is dead, in fact he died in the Vision’s arms. Cameron Brock remarks that is what they heard too, and goes over to the frail old man, remarking that as they knew the Vision was supposed to have been created out of the inert body of the original Human Torch, they thought it might be a good idea if they found someone familiar with the Torch’s functions, and after running a global records search, looking for former associates of Professor Horton, relatives and others, to their surprise, they found that Horton himself, not exactly hale and hearty, was alive.
Hank remarks that the Vision could have been mistaken about Horton’s death, after all it would have been the first time the Vision had experienced someone’s death. ‘In any case’ Hank exclaims ‘If you are the real Professor Horton, you’re a godsend at this moment!’. Brock remarks that is what he and his colleagues thought too, before declaring that, as it turns out, Horton being alive was not the only bomb shell they were going to uncover. Brock urges Horton to tell the Avengers what he told him earlier.
Clutching his cane, Horton mutters that he is still very confused by all this. ‘You told me that this robot was supposed to be my poor, lost Torch…’ Horton motions to the Vision’s scattered remains and exclaims ‘But I have never seen this construct before…this is not my work!’….
‘Now ain’t this interesting!?’ Clint “Hawkeye” Barton thinks to himself as he explores the complex, discovering that some of this place is real, but most of it is just a mock-up, like a movie set. He supposes that the people in charge didn’t want to spend any more than was necessary to fool Mockingbird and get their job done - whatever that might happen to be. ‘Something to do with Vizh, Bobbi said. Wonder how they were able to put the grab on him in the -’ Clint thinks to himself, before getting distracted as he hears a growling noise.
Hawkeye rushes off in the direction of the noise, deciding that it sounds like Tigra, and that she doesn’t sound too happy. Hawkeye readies his bow and arrow as he supposes that Tigra must have got herself in some kind of trouble - only to enter a room and see that Tigra isn’t the one in trouble - she has some of the staff backed into a corner. One of them tries to keep her at bay with some kind of wooden beam, then sees Hawkeye, ‘Help us!’ he calls out. ‘For God’s sake…stop her!’ another person shouts.
Clint calls out to Tigra, who turns at the sound of his voice, ‘Uh-oh’ Greer Grant Nelson thinks to herself, while Hawkeye tells her to take it easy. ‘What’s got into you, kitty?’ he asks, only for Tigra to lunge at him, roaring!
Meanwhile…miles away, at the campus of Absolom College, near Saunders, Texas. Inside an office, ‘Very well, ladies and gentlemen - let us begin, shall we?’ one of the people seated around a boardroom table remarks, pointing out that if they are to proceed beyond this point, then they must finalize their selection of a suitable subject. Another person declares that they have compiled a listing of some prospects, each of whom have the desired attributes. The first one appears on a large monitor, Archangel, and someone remarks that they would vote no on this one. ‘Agreed’ someone else adds, before the group begin working their way through the list:
Apocalypse: ‘Too powerful’Avalanche: ‘No’Banshee: ‘Too weak’Beast: ‘Too unstable’Blob: ‘No’Caliban: ‘No’Callisto: ‘No’Cannonball: ‘No’Black Tom Cassidy: ‘Too weak’Cloak: ‘Too unstable’Colossus: ‘Dead’Cyclops: ‘No’Cypher: ‘Dead’Dagger: ‘Too unstable’Dazzler: ‘Dead’Destiny: ‘No’Firestar: ‘No’Forge: ‘No’Havok: ‘Dead’Iceman: ‘No’Karma: ‘No’Legion: ‘Too unstable’Multiple Man: ‘No’Magik: ‘No longer viable’Magma: ‘No’Magneto: ‘Too powerful’Malice/Polaris: ‘No’Mandrill: ‘No’Marvel Girl: ‘No’Mastermind: ‘No’Mesmero: ‘No’Mystique: ‘No’Nekra: ‘NO!’Nightcrawler: ‘…No’Phoenix: ‘Too powerful’Pyro: ‘No’Quicksilver: ‘Too unstable’Rogue: ‘Dead’Sabra: ‘Unverified’Sabretooth: ‘Unverified’
Suddenly, the Scarlet Witch appears on the monitor - ‘YES!’ someone shouts.
Back in L.A., one hour later, the West Coast Avengers watch as paramedics take Professor Horton away. Hank tells Wanda not to worry, assuring her that they will take good care of him. ‘If that is truly who he is’ Wanda remarks, before asking Hank if that really is Horton, why he said that the Vision was not “his work”. ‘Why would he lie like that?’. Hank replies that he doesn’t know, when suddenly a police officer approaches him, ‘You seem to be in charge of all this…what do you want us to do with these guys you captured?’ he asks.
Hank tells the officer that there is not a whole lot they can do, ‘I’m sure you’ll find this operation has government approval’. Hank adds that even if it doesn’t, no doubt Cameron Brock and the rest of the foreign nationals will claim diplomatic immunity. ‘Very astute, Doctor Pym’ Brock boasts. Janet, in wasp-form flies over to Hank, and asks him if there is nothing they can do? ‘They kidnap one of us…disassemble him…’ her voice trails off, to which Hank adds that they get to stand around with egg on their faces, before pointing out that they can register a complaint with their government liaison, Raymond Sikorsky. ‘For all the good that will do!’ Brock boasts.
Hawkeye and Tigra arrive and Hank asks them if they are all right. ‘We were beginning to wonder where you’d both got to’ he adds. Clint replies that they are fine, and that Tigra got a bit carried away, but she is fine now. ‘Thanks Clint’ Tigra whispers. Hank announces that they best get back to the Compound and see what can be done about the Vision. He turns to Wanda and asks her if she is coming, to which the Scarlet Witch replies that she will be right with him, as soon as she is done here:
Wanda points at the complex which housed the dismantling of her husband, and around her body, reality begins to shift and flow. To calculate the odds against every bit of building material in a structure - every board and nail, every beam and rivet - every pane of glass, every hinge, staple, spot of glue…all reaching their point of maximum fatigue at precisely the same moment…to calculate the odds against this would require the manipulation of numbers so huge there is not a computer on Earth up to the task. The Scarlet Witch does not know this though, her knowledge of science has been but little enhanced since the villainous Magneto brought her out of her Balkan home. She knows only that she wishes this terrible place expunged. Dead. And suddenly, the building dies, collapsing in upon itself in a glorious display of power from the mighty Scarlet Witch.
Less than ten minutes later, newly installed holographic imaging devices turn off automatically at the approach of the Avengers’ Quinjet, revealing the cliff-face hangar door beneath the West Coast Avengers Compound. Wanda declares that she still doesn’t understand why they could not do more about this, to which Hank replies that he sympathizes with Wanda’s feelings, but that this is one of those rare occasions where even the Avengers are helpless. Pym reminds Wanda that this attack on her husband was approved by virtually every government on Earth, including the United States, so the best they can hope now is to restore what they can of the Vision.
‘How can they have done this, Hank? After all the times the Vision has fought for them - risked his life for them?!’ Wanda asks. Hank replies that “life” is not exactly an issue as far as these people are concerned, the Vision is just a machine and not truly alive. Hank is about to say something else, but tells Wonder Man, who is carrying a whole lot of tanks and equipment, to be careful, as the tanks contain the Vision’s pseudo-organic parts and cannot be duplicated.
‘Don’t worry, Doc, I won’t…’ Wonder Man begins, when he notices some flashing lights on the monitor behind Hank, he asks what that means. Hank explains that is the internal distress signal from the guest house, meaning someone there must have pushed the panic button. ‘Panic button?’ Wanda remarks. ‘Miss Bach! Thomas! William! My babies!’ she screams, ‘No! No! No! Those monsters can’t have come for my children too!’ Wanda screams as she rushes through the connecting tunnels beneath the Compound, followed by her teammates, Wanda is surprisingly faster than them, propelled by images so horrible only a mother could comprehend them.
Fifty-three seconds after seeing the alarm light, Wanda emerges in the guest house. ‘Miss Bach! Helen!’ she exclaims, asking what has happened. The nanny turns to the Scarlet Witch, shaking, she stutters ‘Tommy…Billy…I was giving them their morning bath…I only looked away for a second…and when I looked back they were gone! They were just…gone!’ the middle-aged woman exclaims.
‘GONE?!’ shouts Wanda, before storming into the bathroom, only to see her twin children playing in the bath. She goes over and hugs them, ‘You’re here! You’re all right!’ she gasps, while Miss Bach exclaims that the children were gone, that she searched everywhere. The Wasp enters and tells Miss Bach to calm down, before asking what is going on here. Wanda scowls as she replies that is for Miss Bach to explain, and declares that when she interviewed Miss Bach for this position she should have asked her if she had a sick sense of humor.
Wanda holds her children as she rushes from the bathroom, informing Miss Bach that she can pack her things and leave, as her “services” are no longer required. ‘But…but…’ Miss Bach begins to reply, before turning to the Wasp and asking her to please listen to her when she says the babies were gone, that they just vanished without a trace. Janet thinks to herself that Miss Bach sounds like she really means it, but from what she saw, the children didn’t seem affected at all by this. The Wasp asks Helen to calm down, and explains to her that this is out of her hands as she is no longer the Avengers chairman, adding that even if she were, she couldn’t do any more than offer advice in the Scarlet Witch’s private life. Janet assures Miss Bach that she will make sure she gets the proper severance pay however, to which Miss Bach thanks her.
Two days later, outside the Avengers’ med-lab, the Scarlet Witch holds herself, her cloak lying beside her on a seat when Wonder Man enters, telling his sister-in-law that perhaps she should get some sleep. Wanda turns to Wonder Man and remarks that she didn’t hear him come in, before asking what time it is. Simon replies that it is nearly three in the morning and asks if Hank is still working on reassembling the Vision. Wanda replies that he is, and that apparently it is not as hard as Hank feared it might be. ‘Hank says it’s rather like assembling a jigsaw puzzle. Each piece has only one place it can properly go’.
Unfortunately, as Wanda reveals to Simon, there are literally hundreds of thousands of pieces, and no guide, no “blueprint”. ‘If only there was some way we could have contacted the real Professor Horton’ Wanda laments. Simon asks her if she still doesn’t believe that the old man Janet found was the real Horton, to which Wanda asks how she possibly could, as Professor Horton is dead, he died in the Vision’s arms shortly after the Vision was “born”. ‘The Vision told us so, when he learned all the details of his origin!’ Wanda reminds Simon, adding that if that central fact was not to become untrue, everything they think they know about the Vision would become equally suspect.
Wonder Man points out that he was not an Avenger when all that was going on, ‘In fact, I wasn’t much of anything, seeing as how I was in a regenerative state that had everyone thinking I was dead - including me!’ he remarks, before revealing to Wanda that he has always been a bit bothered by the fact that the Vision learned all the missing details of his origin from Immortus. ‘I mean he’s pretty much a lying -’ Simon’s sentence is interrupted by a loud sound coming from inside the lab proper.
The two heroes get to their feet and Wanda explains that Hank sealed himself in the lab to reduce the risk of contaminating the Vision, before calling out to Hank, asking him if he can hear her, she asks what is happening. The only response the Scarlet Witch receives is more thuds, crashes and clangs. Wonder Man declares that it sounds like there is a fight going on out there, before warning Wanda to look out, pointing out that if Hank sealed the lab it will take at least three minutes for the airlock doors to cycle and open.
But using his incredible strength, Wonder Man shoves the doors apart, and steam begins to billow out into the waiting area - then Wonder Man is suddenly confronted by a hand covering his face - a hand mixed of some kinds of metal and perhaps flesh. ‘What in the name of…?’ exclaims Simon, thrown to the floor as he looks up at the strange being standing over him. ‘Vision!?” gasps Wanda, the word trembling and nearly dying in her throat. However, Wanda requires no answer to have her dread confirmation - this is her husband.
The Vision places a hand around one of Wanda’s wrists, while Simon urges Wanda to keep back, as he doesn’t think the Vision recognizes her. But Wanda turns to the Vision, ‘Vision! Say you know me…please!’ she exclaims in panic. But the only trace of emotion on the synthezoid’s fleshless face is a skull’s sepulchral grin - even when he picks Wanda up and tosses her aside. Wanda cries out while Simon calls to her. Still on the ground, Wanda is unable to believe the bizarre behavior of the being she calls her husband. As she did not properly protect herself, Wanda is somewhat stunned, and remains on the cold floor as the Vision, almost sensing her helplessness, moves forward - looming over her for the kill.
‘Oh no you don’t!’ cries Wonder Man as he comes to Wanda’s defense, ‘Time you took a nice long nap until we figure out what’s wrong with you!’ but as Wonder Man tries to restrain the Vision, and although Simon is powerful, he hesitates to use his strength against one whose shared mind patterns once made him very much a brother, enabling the Vision simply shift his body and toss Wonder Man over his shoulder, causing Simon to smack hard into a steel wall.
Meanwhile, directly above the med-lab, in the living room of the Compound, Hawkeye is relaxing and thinks to himself that was some weird moment with Tigra the other day, knowing that if he hadn’t managed to subdue her with a quick whiff from his gas arrow, then she might have ripped his throat out. Clint admits that he is not sure why he promised he wouldn’t tell the others about it, before realizing that it seems like Tigra has been hiding out in her bungalow since they returned. Hawkeye then hears a loud noise….
…and forty seconds later, he emerges in the med-lab area, where the Vision holds Wonder Man high above his head, Clint realizes that it must be the Vision on a rampage, so fires his constrictor arrow at the Vision, which wraps itself around him, but with the faint whirr of servomotors usually muted by a layer of artificial flesh, the Vision snaps the steel cables like they were nothing, shocking Hawkeye.
Wonder Man shakes Wanda, telling her that she has to do something, as brute force is not going to stop him, she needs to use her powers. ‘NO!’ Wanda replies as she stands idly watching the Vision grab Hawkeye and hold him upside down, causing his arrows to all fall out, while Wanda declares that she cannot use her powers against the Vision. Wanda points out that she doesn’t have precise enough control over the effects of her hexes. ‘What if I make him explode?’ she asks, ‘What if I damage him beyond repair?’.
Wonder Man goes over to help Hawkeye, telling Wanda that she must take that chance, and to trust that her power will not permanently damage someone she loves. ‘But do it now! Before he kills Hawkeye - or me!’ Simon urges. Trembling, and her eyes filled with hot tears, the Scarlet Witch raises her hands - then quickly retracts them, covering her face with her hands and sobbing, she asks her friends to forgive her, as she cannot do it.
‘That’s all right, Wanda…you don’t have to do anything. I can handle this!’ Hank announces as he emerges from the med-lab holding a device which he aims at the Vision, causing the Vision to drop Hawkeye and fall to the ground. Wonder Man asks Hank what it is, and while Wanda drops to her knees beside the Vision, Hank explains that it is the neutralizer that Brock’s people used on the Vision so they could kidnap him in the first place. Hank explains that he would have used it sooner but that he was unconscious. Hank adds that he failed to consider when he reactivated the Vision that in his mindless state his first reaction might be defensive.
Wonder Man tells Hank that it is lucky he regained consciousness when he did, to which Hawkeye exclaims that lucks has nothing to do with it, and asks what time it is in Washington right now, declaring that they have a call to make.
Shortly, the men are talking to Raymond Sikorski, the Avenger’s government liaison over a computer monitor. Clint tells Sikorski that he doesn’t care if he woke him from his death bed, and demands to know what the paper-pushes are going to do about the Vision. ‘Do?’ Sikorski asks. ‘You seem to be missing the point, archer’ Raymond remarks, before announcing that they have already done it - the Vision has been rendered harmless and he presents no further threat to the security of this nation, or any other for that matter.
Raymond informs the Avengers that they are now at liberty to re-program the Vision to suit whatever function they wish. ‘Re-program?’ Hank asks, telling Sikorski that it is not as easy as that. ‘Your people destroyed all trace of his former personality - for all intents and purposes, he’s dead!’ Hank adds that they don’t know how long it will take for Wanda to recover, explaining that they have got her downstairs under sedation at the moment. ‘Yes…I do regret this traumatic experience for the Scarlet Witch’ Raymond replies rather coldly.
Raymond then announces that, while they are on the subject of major interruptions, he has another one for them. Sikorski informs Clint, Hank and Simon that, if they wish to avoid further government intervention in their actions, then they must now accept the new team member which they have assigned to the West Coast Avengers. ‘WHAT?’ Hawkeye shouts. Raymond claims that he is sorry to be so blunt about this, but that he just realized what time it is in California, and since their new team member took the red eye out of Dullies, the new member - in fact new leader - should be arriving at the Compound right about now.
‘He’s someone who will make sure a proper eye is kept on the Vision from now on!’ The men hear a motorcycle arrive at the Compound and race to the main door, ‘”Proper eye…”?’ Clint remarks, repeating Raymond’s words. The men see a figure approach the door carrying a shield. Assuming it to be Captain America, Hawkeye exclaims that it cannot be him, as he has just been appointed chairman of the East Coast team. ‘Apparently not’ Hank remarks, while Simon smiles, pointing out that if they have to accept a new member on the team, it could have been a lot - ‘Worse?’ Simon’s word catches in his throat as their new leader enters, and the three men stand in shock. ‘Oh no!’ Hawkeye exclaims, while the new leader smirks and declares ‘Oh yes. Face it boys…this little jamboree just joined the major leagues!’…it’s everyone’s least favorite super hero: USAgent!


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

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New Faces
The West Coast Avengers Palos Verdes Compound, California, where the newest team member has arrived. Look closely at his face - it is the face of the handsome John Walker, better known as USAgent, formerly Super Patriot. It is also the face of the man who, for a while at least, wore the uniform of this nation’s greatest champion - Captain America. It is a face hewn to heroic proportions: Proud. True. Rock hard. And yet - perhaps those proportions are a trifle too much in the idealized mold. The jaw is perhaps a fraction too square, the iron sinewed neck a bit too thick. And, in the fervor, the fierce pride of place and patriotism which burns in the piercing eyes, might we not detect a hint of…madness?
In the sprawling living room of the Compound, at 9.47 A.M., four of the current West Coast Avengers have gathered along with one of their former teammates: Clint “Hawkeye” Barton, Simon Williams a.k.a. Wonder Man, Doctor Hank Pym, Janet Van Dyne a.k.a. the Wasp, and former member Barbara Morse-Barton better known as Mockingbird. ‘Who is this guy?!’ Hawkeye exclaims, motioning to USAgent who has his back turned to everyone else and stares out the window. Clint adds that the new arrival hasn’t said more than two words since he cruised in here this morning and declared himself a new member.
Wonder Man isn’t as uppity about the situation as his friend, and tells Hawkeye to be fair, as that is not quite how it happened. Hank agrees, and reminds Clint that USAgent arrived with instructions from their government liaison, Raymond Sikorski, and didn’t just turn up and declare himself a new member. ‘Yeah, well, it amounts to the same thing, doesn’t it, Doc? I get the old “golden toe”!’ Hawkeye replies, adding that the way things have been going around here for the past few days, it seems like everyone is forgetting his is supposed to be the West Coast Avengers chairman.
Suddenly, Mockingbird speaks up and tells Hawkeye that no one has forgotten anything, except for him perhaps, reminding him that the Avengers can only operate because the government sanctions it. Bobbi adds that if the bosses in Washington want USAgent to be their new member, then all they can do is go along with it. Clint points at his estranged wife accusingly, ‘”We” Avengers? “Our” new member? Well excuse me, lady, but since when did you think you come back into this little family!?’ Hawkeye shouts angrily. Clint declares that Mockingbird quit the Avengers, but it seems like a hundred and fifty percent of the nastiness that has gone down around here in the past three days has been because of her.
The Wasp flies over and tells Hawkeye that he is letting his emotional involvement with Mockingbird muddy his thinking, and reminds him that Bobbi was duped into helping the covert international operation kidnap the Vision, and as soon as she realized what was happening she came to warn them. ‘Yeah…conveniently too late for us to do anything’ Clint replies, adding that so now, on top of the Vision lying on a slab with his guts rearranged, they have to put up with the USAgent.
Hands folded behind his back, USAgent tells Hawkeye that he is missing the point, ’But then, I hear that’s one of the things you do best’ Agent adds, before turning to his new colleagues and stating that Mockingbird is correct, they aren’t being asked to decide anything. ’I’m an Avenger now. Period!’.
Hawkeye lunges USAgent, ’Why you arrogant, son of a -’ Clint begins as he throws a punch, which USAgent easily blocks, and grabs Hawkeye’s hand, ’Hey, let go!’ Clint exclaims while Walker grasps his hand tightly. ’Understand this, Hawkeye’ USAgent exclaims, gripping tighter. Both men begin to grimace, while Walker declares that he is here because the United States government wants him to be, adding that it is not a situation which involves debate. ’Got that, mister?’ Walker adds as he uses his enhanced strength to toss Hawkeye across the room, knocking over a table and lamp in the process.
Bobbi rushes over to Hawkeye, asking him if he is okay, Clint mumbles that he is, before realizing that it is Bobbi who is concerned about him, and leaping to his feet, he tells her to get away from him as he strides across the living room, muttering that this is all he needs - getting his butt kicked by the president of the “Clint Eastwood fan club”, and having the first person come to his aid be the woman he is supposed to be divorcing.
Wonder Man tells Hawkeye that Mockingbird is just trying to help, and suggests to his friend that he needn’t be such a dope about it, before turning to USAgent, and adds that speaking of kicking butts, ’Maybe you’d like to try those moves with someone more in your league?’ Simon asks Walker. ’Any time you want!’ USAgent replies, until the two are interrupted by the Wasp, who flies over telling them to stop, exclaiming that this is ridiculous, and adding that squabbling amongst themselves never solves anything.
Hank agrees with his ex-wife and declares that as much as they all hate the idea of having a new team member foisted upon them like this - and a stranger to boot - their charter requires them to go along with this at least until the USAgent is proven incapable or unworthy of membership. ’Until that happens there’s nothing else we can do’ Hank adds. But suddenly, Clint declares that there is something he can do right now, ’I quit!’ he shouts as he walks out the door, slamming it loudly behind him.
Mockingbird calls out to Hawkeye, of course she gets no response. USAgent goes over to her and tells her to let him go, remarking that if Hawkeye is not prepared to play by the rules, then there is no place for him in this group. Angrily, Mockingbird points at Walker and replies ’No place? Buster, if it wasn’t for him, there wouldn’t even be a West Coast branch of the Avengers, he founded this group!’.
USAgent tells Barbara that she is wrong, and declares that the Vision founded this group, as he was the one who conceived of the idea and appointed Hawkeye as chairman. Walker adds that it is the same Vision who subsequently attempted to take over the world and whose return to active status as an Avenger is the main reason why he is here. ’Oh go swallow your shield, big man!’ Barbara snaps back, before turning and leaving the living area, announcing that she is going after Hawkeye - ’And it’s gonna take more than a two-bit imitation of Captain America to stop me!’ she adds.
‘Well…all this excitement and it’s not even ten o’clock yet!’ the Wasp remarks to Hank, joking that it is business as usual then, before telling Hank that she is going to check on Wanda and asks if he wants to come. Hank tells Janet to go on ahead, as it is time for him to get back to working on the repairs for the Vision.
Shortly, Hank and Wonder Man stand over the Vision’s motionless and strange body. Simon asks is his “brother” can really be fixed, adding that if he is turned back on, what is going to stop him from attacking them like he did earlier this morning. Hank gets to work, assuring Simon that he doesn’t anticipate a recurrence of that unfortunate incident, and reminds Simon that as he said at the time, it only happened because the Vision was in an automatic defensive-mode when he reactivated his systems.
Hank informs Wonder Man that while they have been dealing with the arrival of their new leader, he has had the computers reprogramming the Vision’s memory banks with all the pertinent data about the Avengers, so when he wakes next, the Vision will know they are his friends. Hank remarks that his primary concern now is what to do with the Vision’s bio-synthetic skin, for when it was removed, it’s circulatory system was badly traumatized. Looking into the tank of fluid where the Vision’s new skin floats, Simon remarks that he wonders what Wanda is going to think of her husband’s new hue.
Speaking of Wanda Maximoff a.k.a. the Scarlet Witch, and six hours later, the mighty mutant is interviewing a new nanny for her twin children. Hair pulled back, Wanda smiles as she tells Mrs Hunter that her references are superb, adding that she cannot remember when she has seen a more impressive resume. The middle-aged woman thanks Wanda and remarks that she has made it her life’s work looking after children, adding that she has never had a dissatisfied customer.
Wanda replies that’s good before asking Mrs Hunter if she understands that the situation here will be markedly different from any place she has worked before, adding that Thomas and William are far from ordinary babies. Mrs Hunter smiles and replies that all parents think their children are extra special, and remarks that she has been governess for everything from normal, average babies to child prodigies, and the one thing she has learned is that, under it all, kids are still kids!
Wanda replies that she is sure that it quite true in most cases, and explains that she does not speak merely from parental pride. ‘As the offspring of a mutant and an android, William and Thomas are quite unique in human experience’ Wanda exclaims, before asking Mrs Hunter if she would like to meet them now. Mrs Hunter replies that would be nice, when suddenly a call over the communications system comes into the bungalow. Wanda excuses herself and receives the video-call, greeting Hank and asking him what is going on. Hank asks Wanda to come down to the med-lab, and that she does so wearing her costume.
Moments later, Wanda is dressed in her stunning costume, she adjusts her headpiece and asks Mrs Hunter to forgive her for running off like this, explaining that since Doctor Pym is calling from the med-lab, she assumes that it can only concern her husband. Mrs Hunter smiles and replies that she understands, before remarking that she can introduce herself to the twins. Wanda thanks Mrs Hunter and strides out of the bungalow, calling back that they are asleep in the nursery at the top of the stairs.
Mrs Hunter replies that she is sure she will have no trouble finding it, and tells Wanda to take care, before she starts up the stairs, calling out to the twins, she exclaims ‘Here comes old Mrs Hunter to see her new…babies?’ Mrs Hunter looks around, confused, as the nursery is empty - the twins are nowhere in sight!
On the other side of the sprawling Compound, sits another bungalow, identical to the Scarlet Witch’s, though it is profoundly different in content, and houses Greer Grant Nelson, better known as Tigra, who is on her knees besides the refrigerator. ‘So…hungry…’ Tigra exclaims in a strange voice. Furniture lies scattered around the dinning room, one of the chairs has all the stuffing pulled out of its seat. Tigra’s eyes are wide and her appearance slightly distorted, the strange voice sounds again as Greer exclaims that it has been nearly three days since she has had anything to eat - but there is nothing in the house that she wants.
Tigra knows that she dare not go out of her bungalow looking like this - but instinct gets the better of her, as she needs something to eat. Suddenly, she hears a chirping sound outside her window. ’Bird…food…’ she growls, only to keel over, ’No! No! Stop it! Stop it! I’m not an animal!’ Greer tells herself. ’No! No!…YES!’ she screams as she leaps out of her window….
Meanwhile, Wanda arrives in the med-lab and asks Hank and the Wasp if everything is all right, ’Why did you want me in my costume?’ she adds. Hank apologizes and supposes that he should have explained, assuring Wanda that there is nothing to get upset about, well, no more upset than she already is anyway. ’Then…what?’ Wanda asks, puzzled. Hank informs Wanda that he has completed the reprogramming of the Vision’s memory banks, and points out that as most of their data tapes concerning various battles they have all been in, he thought it mire be less confusing for the Vision for Wanda to be in her costume when the two are reintroduced.
Puzzled, Wanda asks ’”Reintroduced”?’ and admits that she doesn’t understand. Hank tells Wanda that she knows all their data about the Vision himself was eradicated by a sophisticated computer virus that the people who kidnapped the Vision introduced into their system, and all the systems they interface with. Wanda turns away, ‘Are you saying…he doesn’t remember me? That he won’t know who I am?’ she asks. Hank replies that the Vision knows all of them, but that his perceptions may have been altered. ‘It’s difficult to explain in human terms’ Hank tells Wanda.
Suddenly, ‘Perhaps it would be better if I did the explaining, Doctor Pym’ a cold voice exclaims. A shocked Wanda turns, and is taken aback by the being standing before her - it’s the Vision! Gone are his red skin and green and yellow costuming, the Vision is now completely ghostly-white. ‘Is there a problem, Wanda?’ a stoic Vision asks. ‘Vision? Oh…Vision!’ Wanda exclaims as she rushes over and embraces her husband. The Vision does not follow Wanda’s emotion, and his arms remain motionless at his sides. ‘Vision?’ Wanda asks, pulling away.
The Vision asks Wanda if there is some significance to this action, to which Wanda looks nervously to Hank, who replies that this is what he was talking about. Hank explains that the Vision has all the information they can supply, but that his emotional connection to the information is non-existent. ‘But…why?’ the Scarlet Witch asks, reminding Hank that he said none of the Vision’s parts had been damaged when he was disassembled, that only his programming was erased. ‘If you’ve restored the data that formed that programming…’ Wanda begins, but Hank interrupts, explaining that it is nowhere near that simple. ‘There’s still one vital element missing…’ Hank reveals.
Soon, Wanda approaches Simon who is sitting on the beach beneath the Compound cliffs. Wanda calls out to Simon, who solemnly remarks that he thought she would come looking for him sooner or later. Calmly, Wanda tells Simon that Hank said he cannot complete the Vision’s restoration without Simon’s brain patterns, ‘But he says you’ve refused to help cooperate…?’ Wanda asks. ‘Yes…I guess I have’ Simon replies. Wanda sits down on the sand next to Simon and asks him why, as she thought he was her friend, the Vision’s friend. ‘I am, Wanda. I always will be!’ Simon assures her, before remarking that perhaps Wanda doesn’t understand what it is she is asking of him. Simon reminds Wanda that he hasn’t always been a super hero, and that once he was a normal man, a pawn in a scheme to destroy the Avengers….
(Shown with flashback images)Simon tells Wanda of how Baron Zemo called him penniless, accused and an embezzler, all because of Tony Stark and his bodyguard Iron Man. Baron Zemo then offered Simon Williams wealth and power beyond imagining. The Enchantress and the Executioner were also present for this, but of course Zemo’s accusations were just so much hot air, for Stark’s only involvement in his downfall had been creating inventions that were better than Simon’s. Simon admits though, that it was pleasant enough to hear someone else being blamed for his own shortcomings, so he proceeded to let Zemo bombard him with his ionic ray.
Then, when Zemo was done, Simon Williams was reborn as Wonder Man - except there is a catch, and Zemo revealed that the radiation will kill Wonder Man in one week. ‘But I have the antidote - so will you be my slave, Simon Williams - or will you die?’ Zemo asked. Wonder Man had no choice but to go along with Zemo, the Enchantress and the Executioner, and proceeded to kidnap the Wasp and lure the other Avengers into battle. However, part of Zemo’s scheme involved tricking the Avengers into accepting him as a new member - and during the time Simon was with them, he learned to respect their selflessness and nobility, and decided he could not let Zemo kill them. Wonder Man turned on his “masters”, and died for it….
And while that would have been the end for anyone else’s story, it was barely the beginning for Wonder Man. The Avengers knew they could do nothing to save Simon’s body from death, so they hurried back to Hank Pym’s lab and there, a recording was made of his brainwave patterns - those same patterns which were subsequently used by Ultron-5 to create a matrix for the mind of the Vision!
However, even after a portion of Simon’s personality found new life in the Scarlet Witch’s future husband, the fates were not done with Simon, and his mad brother, Eric, called upon the voodoo houngan known as the Black Talon, for Eric wanted Simon restored to life - except what was resurrected was a mindless zombie! Simon was once again a helpless slave of one who sought to destroy the Avengers - only this time, he would not be able to change his mind, having no mind to change - or so it would have seemed, but for a miracle, as slowly, almost painfully, Simon’s mind grew active again, and Simon remembered the man he had been, and therefore, lived again!….
(Present)Wanda looks remarkably upset, while Simon adds that to shorten a long story which Wanda already knows, pretty soon it was discovered that Simon hadn’t actually died in the first place, and Zemo’s ionic ray had begun a mutagenic change in his cell structure, so what seemed to be death was really a kind of chrysalis stage, like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly. Wanda rests on her knees and declares that she does know all of this, and that knowing it does not help her understand why he will not let Hank re-copy his brain patterns into the Vision. Simon glances away from Wanda as he remarks that it is kind of hard to comprehend, as no human has ever experienced what he has gone through - seeming to die and then waking up to find out that another man has a piece of your brain.
Wonder Man tells Wanda that the Vision was like a part of him, his basic nature was Simons, his feelings, his emotions….Simon’s voice trails off as both he and Wanda get to their feet, with Wanda remarking that Simon has even called the Vision a brother, but now he is just a human-shaped robot who happens to bear a resemblance to the man she married. Wanda urges Simon that it does not have to be that way. ‘It would only take a word from you to give him back his soul!’ she pleads.
‘I know…’ Simon replies, glancing away, he assures Wanda that he wished he could, that he wished it was all so simple that he could walk into the lab and let Hank do whatever he has to do. Simon asks Wanda to try and understand him. He assures her that he knows how awful and traumatic the past few days have been for her, and adds that in his own way, he has shared her suffering. ‘I had no choice in the transfer of my soul into the Vision the first time…now…I have a choice!’ Simon points out.
‘And…you choose not to allow it?’ the Scarlet Witch asks. ‘Even knowing that without your help the man I love can never be whole again?’ she adds. ‘Yes…forgive me, Wanda, but…’ Simon begins, only to be interrupted by a furious Scarlet Witch who screams ‘Forgive you? I HATE YOU!’ and slaps him hard across the face. Of course through his impenetrable skin, Simon barely feels the Scarlet Witch’s slap - but that doesn’t stop the fact of it brining tears to his eyes. Wanda strides across the beach, with Simon rushing behind her, asking her to wait, to listen to him. ‘I have listened quite enough!’ Wanda replies, moving her hand slightly, she continues her stride, while Simon stands alone.
Around Simon, circling birds cease their constant calling, and Simon feels a shudder rise through his spine, for he knows the power he has unwittingly unleashed. High above him, the ancient cliff moans, a strangely human sound. It has stood thus for uncounted years, shrugging off even the worst of California’s earthquakes. But, it will stand no longer…and the huge cliff-face tumbles down upon Wonder Man in a spectacular, amazing display. Eventually, a large mound of earth and dirt is lifted up, and Wonder Man emerges, fists clenched, his face displaying unmeasurable amount of pain from inside his soul.
His screams - torn from his heart and soul - as he flies upwards. The scream encapsulates in one out-pouring…all the anger, pain, rage and frustration he has known since his resurrection, bursting out of him like a thing alive, growing, swelling, surging like the tide before a hurricane. As far away as San Francisco, people pause - they open doors and windows, they tip their heads as a dog might, straining to catch the distant sound. Closer, glass rattles and ornaments fall from the shelves. Then, the sound is gone, faded on the breeze like some ghost of memory. As it has been said, and there is truth in it….that in space, no one can hear you scream…and Wonder Man soars through space itself!
Later, back at the Compound, USAgent is lecturing the Vision: ‘You heard me, robot. As long as I’m on this team we’ll have some decency around here. Get some clothes on! NOW!’ Walker bellows. The Vision replies that USAgent’s position is not logical, and points out that humans wear clothes for any combination of three reasons - protection, modesty or vanity. ‘None of these applies to me’. Wanda approaches the two, concentrating on the Vision, she does not hear his words, only their tone. The Vision’s voice has become once more the perfectly modulated monotone she heard when he first spoke to her what now seems like a hundred lifetimes ago. Each word is a separate entity, held distinct from those around it by the mechanical precision of the Vision’s speech. Monotonous…mechanical…not at all human….
The Wasp enters and tells USAgent and the Vision to break it up as she hands the Vision some cloth, all that was left of his costume after the bad guys cut it off him, she assures him that it is as much a part of him as his skin. ‘Maybe you can do something with it?’ Janet asks. The Vision replies that he is sure he can, as his ability to manipulate the molecular structure of his body extends to this cloth, he then thanks Janet. Adjusting the cloth, the Vision announces that Doctor Pym has reprogrammed his memory banks with all the details he could remember of his past existence, therefore he is quite aware of his role as a “super hero” and the significance of flamboyant costuming in that vocation.
Placing the adjusted clothing on his form, the Vision remarks that he believes in this instance he would prefer to evoke the traditional super hero costume, rather than duplicate the form precisely. ‘Of course, I make the necessary concession to our leader’s sensibilities’. The Vision has put his new costuming on, which basically consists of some togs, and a shoulder piece which extends into a cape, he asks if this will suffice. ‘That’ll do, I guess. At least you look like you’ve got clothes on’ Walker mutters, while the Scarlet Witch asks the Vision why he has bleached out all the color. The Vision replies that if that is to be his name, “the Vision”, then it is logical for him to look the part, spectral and unearthly.
Hank Pym announces that as long as they are all here together, he has another bomb-shell to drop on everyone, and remarks that they have known for years now that they believed the Vision was rebuilt out of the android body of the original Human Torch, but just the other day they Torch’s creator, Professor Horton, stated that the Vision was not his work. Hank reminds Wanda that her first reaction was to assume that Horton was lying for some reason, and reveals that is not the case. Hank explains that he did a detailed analysis of every part of the Vision when he was re-assembling him, ‘And there’s no way he could ever have been the Torch!’.
Later, Hank walks down a corridor, with the Wasp flying at his side, Hank explains that he just said what he felt needed to be said, and did not mean to upset Wanda all over again. Jan tells Hank that he did a pretty good job, as Wanda is in a real mess. Janet begins to say something else, when they pass a room and hear a voice inside exclaiming ‘No, no, I can make it work, I know I can!’. The Wasp asks who is in there, to which Hank replies it must be the USAgent, as he said he didn’t need much and was going to set up quarters in one of the spare rooms.
‘They’re all kind of wild and undisciplined…but I think I can whip ‘em into shape!’ the Wasp wonders who Walker is talking to, so hovers besides the keyhole, only to discover that Walker has blocked it up with tape or something. ‘They’re good people at heart. Strong people, you’ll like them’ USAgent remarks. Hank tells Jan not to snoop, to which the Wasp supposes that even a jerk deserves his privacy, and the two continue down the hallway as the USAgent remarks that it is too bad about the Scarlet Witch. Hank asks Janet if he can buy her dinner, to which Jan replies that it is her treat, as she is the one with the big bucks, before asking Hank when they installed a telephone in that spare room.
Inside the USAgent’s new, sparse quarters, Walker sits on the end of the single bed, his shield rests against a dresser, which has two photo frames on top of it - containing photos of his parents, Caleb and Emily Walker. John looks at the photos and remarks that the Scarlet Witch is easily one of the most powerful members of the team so he does not understand her reaction to all of this. ‘Yeah, I know, Ma. It’s like you and Pa always said…there’s no real understanding the human heart…or the human mind…’.