Warning: Contains potential spoilers for West Coast Avengers #4!

Marvel bringing Ultron to the West Coast Iron Man is officially going to explain what led to the villain’s recruitment into the major hero team. Tony and Rhodey’s decision has been teased in the first few issues of the new series, and readers will finally get to discover how the iconic supervillain actually earned their trust.

Marvel's preview for West Coast Avengers #4 – written by Gerry Duggan, with art by Danny Kim – begins with Firestar once again questioning Ultron’s place on the team. With the Gospel of Ultron complicating things, Tony and Rhodey begin to offer some more transparency about the events that led to this version of Ultron’s heroic redemption.

Iron Man and War Machine send a distress call during battle with a member of the Technarch named Shradram the Breaker, and Ultron comes to the world’s rescue when a black-hole bomb is about to go off, officially ing the ranks of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

Ultron Is An Avenger? Iron Man Finally Reveals Why He Believes The Villain Is Worthy Of hip

West Coast Avengers #4 – Written By Gerry Duggan; Art By Danny Kim; Color By Arthur Hesli; Lettering By VC’s Joe Caramagna

Though the preview is just the first tease showing how Iron Man and War Machine started to trust their former enemy, Marvel is finally revealing Ultron’s origin story as an Avengers-level superhero. The series’ first three issues dropped hints here and there about what caused the formation of the Avengers’ most unexpected roster, but it’s now been confirmed that the usually villainous artificial intelligence had a hand in saving the world from a technology-based cosmic threat. Tony and Rhodey were hesitant to accept his help, but Ultron opened “all systems” to the heroes to prove that he wasn’t being deceptive.

Unfortunately for both Iron Man and War Machine, since the reveal of the Gospel of Ultron, their decision to bring the supposedly reformed villain onto the team is still being challenged. When the Avengers’ own Ultron spotted the winged version of the robot that has started his own cult, he claimed that he didn’t know him. However, that claim has been called into question since West Coast Avengers #3 showed various versions of Ultron being birthed after Rage of Ultron, seemingly revealing that both unique copies of the villain were together before the series began.

Ultron’s Heroic Turn Is Starting Strong, But How Long Can It Really Last?

For Now, The Villain Has Earned Tony Stark’s Trust

The preview teases Ultron making Tony and Rhodey believe that he is an ally to humanity, but the West Coast Avengers’ Ultron still has to prove himself to the rest of the world’s heroes, including some of his fellow teammates. Especially with villainous duplicates running amok in the universe, Ultron will have to do more to make both readers and the characters in-universe believe that he’s firmly on the side of good. Ultron may have exposed his systems to Iron Man and War Machine to confirm his good intentions, but it seems naive to not maintain some doubt moving forward.

This version of Ultron has the potential to be one of Marvel’s greatest Avengers – if Tony isn’t wrong about his heroic awakening.

There may still be more to the black-hole bomb situation than the preview shows, as both Rhodey and Tony have said that the story behind Ultron’s recruitment is “complicated”, but all details should be revealed once West Coast Avengers #4 is released. However, until the rest of the world officially knows the truth, Ultron will still be seen as one of the universe’s most terrifying threats. After shockingly going from all-powerful supervillain to trusted ally of Iron Man, this version of Ultron has the potential to be one of Marvel’s greatest Avengers – if Tony isn’t wrong about his heroic awakening.

West Coast Avengers #4 will be available February 26, 2025, from Marvel Comics!