Double Episode Review: Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes : Episode 22 & 23 : "Ultron 5" & "Ultron Imperative"

Ultron 5 & The Ultron Imperative back to back is the culmination of almost a season's worth of foreshadowing in Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Peppered throughout previous episodes of the series have been glimpses of Ant-Man's Ultron Synthezoid constructs, with the Avengers recently using them to defend against Kang the Conqueror's invasion in an earlier arc. To fans of the comics seeing that familiar robot around confirmed the show would soon be introducing one of the team's best villains into the cartoon's continuity. I've never had a chance to read the original Ultron saga in comic form, so the chance of seeing an animated retelling has been high on my want-to-see list since I first heard this series was starting. I'm not surprised they waited until the end towards the end of the first season to bring in Ultron either, as his cold, artificial intelligence brings just the right amount evil robot-cliche conflict to the show. Hey, I happen to love evil robot cliches!

First up, we have the episode Ultron 5 with a focus on size-changing Avenger Hank Pym (aka Giant-Man/Ant-Man). In the middle of a face off between a group of super-villains and the Avengers, Hank attempts to reason with the Serpent Society to avoid a physical confrontation as it appears he's been battling the dilemma of his own participation in - well, battles. Surprisingly, it doesn't go over too well with either the snake-thugs or the rest of the Avengers, who all want to bash each other senseless and get on with the show. The ensuing brawl is entertaining if only for getting to see Captain America awkwardly swallowed head-first by a guy dressed up as a cobra. After Wasp is hurt by one of the villains, Giant-Man finally step-ups in a suitably massive way managing a split-second, size-changing 'giant-punch' that flattens a Serpent member into a wall and actually looked pretty awesome. Why can't we get more giant-punches per episode huh?!

Certainly having the other Avengers come down so hard on Hank for only wishing to reason and reform criminals is surprising to see in your in typical super-hero cartoon, and really when faced with masked super-villains there's a lot of theoretical debate to be had about that subject (probably back at the mansion Hank), but it's refreshing the episode's writer sticks to his guns here - even if it is mainly skewed towards Ant-Man being in the wrong for his actions. Despite this, the conflict causes Pym to become the next Avenger to quit the team this series, and his understated 'I quit' as he shrinks away into nothingness adds an iconic weight to the scene, even if the circumstances surrounding it were less than solid.

This fundamental disagreement with his current way of life is observed by Hank's creepy lab robot, which promptly gains sentience as Ultron-5. It instantly comes to the same conclusion that all sentient machines do when they become self-aware: it's time to destroy all human life. Got to love the classics. Ultron begins by knocking out his creator, capturing the Wasp and hijacking the Avengers mansion with it's Stark-tech security system... which includes Iron Man.

Now when posed with a compromised Iron Man, Thor does what any Norse-God would do if his buddy started hitting on him - which is smack him repeatedly with his hammer, apparently. He eventually works out what's going on of course and frees Tony, but it's a perfect comic book moment of misunderstanding. Hulk's roar of frustration as he's flown around in circles by an Ultron-controlled Quinjet is also pretty hilarious, and later on again Hulk is heard roaring angrily away in space as he re-enters the atmosphere. Both Black Panther and Hawkeye take the backseat vocal-wise this episode, but there's some great action featuring the two in amongst all the chaos of a possessed Avengers Mansion. The team regroups just as Thor is disintegrated by Ultron - raising the stakes of the battle considerably. This loss leads to some heavy emotion from the team plus some great dialogue between Hank Pym and his rogue creation.

The episode then seems to stack up more evidence against Hank Pym and his initial reluctance towards violence highlighted earlier. Iron-Man takes on Ultron in a low-tech Iron suit of armour inspired by the prototype suit built by Tony in the first Iron Man film, one that can't be compromised and allows him to lay some smackdown. Cap also seems to be quite happy to be slinging away with his shield most of this episode (when he's not getting eaten by snake-guys). The Wasp also gets a fist-pump moment as she pulls a WASP SMASH out of nowhere, smashing Ultron with a size-changing 'mega-wasp-punch' of her own See? More giant-punches the better. Finally, Hulk is once again Hulkus ex machina for the team, falling from the sky at a key moment with a wild roar of 'GIVE ME SOMETHING TO SMASH' as he lands. Violence is the answer to everything apparently. Thanks Marvel.

Hank Pym's guilt at creating something that hurt his teammates is a nice parallel to similar events the character went through in the comics, and is built upon more directly in the next episode, Ultron Imperative. Thankfully, there's virtually no chance the cartoon will introduce Pym's darker and much maligned comic arcs which include domestic violence, something the character is still saddled with today. I have to say I much prefer the G-rated version the writer sidesteps with here.

Still it's hard not to see the moral of this episode after watching Hank deal with his own internal conflict manifested in creepy robot form: that violence seems to be answer to most issues, or if at first that violence fails to succeed... get a Hulk? Don't get me wrong I'm not complaining about this lack of a moral focus in an unflinching superhero fantasy, and I'm definitely not surprised this show is a hit with kids.

Now with Ultron Imperative, the show ups the version to Ultron-6 and takes the threat worldwide, wasting no time as it begins with Ultron doing his Ultron-thing all over the world's computer networks, broadcasting across the planet 'The extinction of humanity, begins now.' Not even two minutes in we have a Skynet-analogue taking over the world, with the Avengers assembling to avoid Judgement Day? Hell yes!

Tony Stark admits here that he had a part to play in pushing Pym to design Ultron with weapon systems, and we also discover that Pym used his own brain waves as a template for Ultron's programming. Cool to know, since that programming then hacks into Iron Man's armory, activating all of his suits at once, including the awesome Hulkbuster suit and all Stark's various Space/Stealth/Original suits of armour.

It's also an ante up on the 'rogue Mark IV armour'-schtick of last episode, and likewise the hijacked suits immediately attack the Avengers upon the discovery of Ultron's survival. Yes, that's a lot of evil Iron Mans, and yes, it's actually pretty cool even if the cheap animation of the series knocks it down a peg or two. Hulk of course takes on the Hulkbuster, we get the obligatory Iron Man vs Iron Man match-up, while the other Avengers take the rest (there's a noticeable lack of Cap this episode though - he's in the hospital). Black Panther in particular has a great take-down, using his own suit's tracking ability to tag the Stealth armour and destroy it.

Ultron meanwhile takes the S.H.I.E.L.D Helicarrier head on, wiping out everyone on the bridge save for current S.H.I.E.L.D director Maria Hill - defiantly trying to stop Ultron gaining access to nuclear launch codes. The unstoppable machine intones coldly 'your compliance is unnecessary, scanning and replicating the human mind was the first thing I ever learned,' overcoming Hill and hacking her brain. You have to admit there is something really chilling about the cold metal thinking of twisted machines and this episode pushes every evil robot cliche you can name, however it all works surprisingly well in the over the top world of the Avengers.

I love that the show tapped voice actor Tom Kane to reprise his role as Ultron for the series, as the work he provided as Ultron for the animated Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow feature was already perfect the first time around, plus the casting now makes for a nice cross-over between the two properties. I still find it funny Ultron's first major animated appearance was in that small DTV release, and hope kids (and adults) who watch this story arc of the Avengers can go back and discover how cool his inclusion in that feature really was.

Ultron's measured, monotone speechifying as he launches every nuke on the planet is delivered perfectly by Kane in Ultron Imperative, and I won't spoil here how it all goes down. What I will say is that I was definitely pleased to hear the line "Ultron! We would have words with thee!" along with the show going for the literal deus ex this time around (sorry Hulk, you got last go).

Overall it was Hank Pym's roller coaster with the rest of the team along for the ride, but it was fun one and I'm hoping there's more Pym-specific episodes to come in the new season - in either Ant-Man or Giant-Man getup - and that he's not as guilt-laden as his comic counterpart going forward. So kudos to the writers for delivering in that regard. Sure, the animation for both episodes could be uneven at times - but there's also some shining moments along the way. This two-parter really spotlights just how effective a foe Ultron can be to a super-hero team like the Avengers. Terminator cliches aside - yes there's a T1000-style regeneration too - he's more than a match for the entire team, immensely overpowered plus there's that personal link to both Ant-Man and Wasp, making this Ultron arc one of the more memorable of the show.