Recap: Vision Tries to Connect with Humanity in Opening Episode of Marvel's "VisionQuest"
The Marvel Cinematic Universe will conclude their first television trilogy with VisionQuest on Disney+, wrapping the story that began with WandaVision. As the formerly heroic synthezoid known as Vision tries to come to terms with the realities of human existence, the ghosts of his past life come back to haunt him.
The first episode opens with a bit of a recap of Vision’s life. We are reminded that Vision was created by Ultron, Tony Stark and Bruce Banner, fell in love with Wanda Maximoff, killed by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and rebuilt by SWORD while Wanda created an alternate version of him in WandaVision. He explains that he is now in the same body but with a different mind.
After the recap, we see that Vision, disguised as a human, is working in a pub in Edinburgh, Scotland. He has a brief interaction with his coworker, Fiona, during which she calls him odd. She also brings up when he used to come into the same pub with Wanda, though she doesn’t mention her by name. Vision, who is operating under the alias of Sherwood Ellis, says she was “crushed under the weight of a mountain,” which Fiona takes as a metaphor. Of course, we know Vision actually means that literally after the events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Before leaving, Fiona invites him to her Sunday dinner.
Vision continues to clean up the pub before he comes to a table where Wanda and his old self carved their initials in a heart. Eventually, he retreats to a freezer, where he shuts down and enters an artificial world within his mind. We soon see that his world, and more specifically a house, is populated with other AIs, including JARVIS, FRIDAY, DUM-E and U. Each of these AIs has a role in helping Vision adapt to life in the human world
After a slew of Marvel and technology jokes in the form of groceries - like Infinidairy milk, microchips, GeoFence vegetables, firewall roasted tomatoes and vibranium foil - JARVIS notices a leak in the ceiling. Vision reads a paper with the headline that mentions “Butcherbird,” an apparent serial killer. Another headline mentions stolen adamantium, which is the precious metal introduced into the MCU in Captain America: Brave New World and the same one infused in Wolverine’s skeleton. Finally, a third headline is mostly obstructed but begins with the word “Hammer.” This could be a reference to former Tony Stark rival Justin Hammer.
JARVIS alerts Vision of the “data leak” but Vision shrugs him off, assuring him no one is trying to find him. He pauses though when he realizes not even the Avengers are looking for the Vision. He brushes it off though and meets with FRIDAY to go over his human interactions from the day. They are interrupted when EDITH crashes through the ceiling and we learn that she is in charge of fun. She argues briefly with JARVIS before turning to Vision and telling him, in order to learn how to be human, he has to learn fun.
That conversation is also interrupted though when they all hear a commotion coming from upstairs. They don’t mention the perpetrator by name, but we know from the voice (and the trailers) that it is Ultron. The AIs all try to convince Vision that keeping Ultron around is dangerous, but he brushes them off and leaves for his simulated movie theater in his mind.
Vision sits in the theater and watches memories of his former self’s adventures with the Avengers. The vibe changes though when Wanda appears on the screen and Vision shows some more interest. Meanwhile, back in the house, the lights start to flicker and one bulb bursts. JARVIS and FRIDAY discuss his desires to watch these memories, crediting it to his desire to understand humanity.
In the projection booth, DUM-E and U, take a mysterious phone call and put on another reel. Memories from WandaVision begin to play and Vision is immediately enraged. Vision asks who told them to play the real and they simply point up. By the way, DUM-E and U are the AIs behind Tony Stark’s comically inept mechanical arm helpers from the Iron Man films. This explains why they don’t speak.
Vision heads up to the attic, where he finds Ultron, in his vibranium form, shouting at a delivery person from a balcony. Vision yells at him to take on a human appearance, and he does. He also happens to be standing on a balcony interestingly reminiscent of both an arc reactor and the mind stone as it was placed in Vision’s head. Vision an Ultron argue over the significance of Westview and the events of WandaVision, with the latter arguing the former is just avoiding processing the emotions that come with facing those events. Curiously, Ultron seems to understand humans and humanity far more than Vision does. However, he makes it clear he is still dangerous and can’t be trusted. Before he leaves, Ultron warns Vision that the world is eventually going to notice him and wonders aloud what he will do then. When Vision is gone, Ultron whispers to a pigeon and releases it out his window. Clearly, the villain is making a play to escape.
Back in the real world, Vision closes down the pub with Fiona gain. As they make their usual small talk, a bullet pierces Fiona and she dies on the floor. Vision watches as armed men surround the building. They break in and Vision makes short work of the unknown goons. A man watches from outside, making it clear he is the one in charge of this attack. Another truck approaches and begins firing some heavy artillery into the pub before Vision decides to make an escape, taking his synthezoid form as he flies away.
The mystery man enters what’s left of the pub and kills one of his soldiers for killing Fiona. He hears a call from his assistant who informs him that his client wants to speak with him. Despite his objections, the client hacks into their comms and tells the man, in a very intimidating voice, he has failed but he assures them he will catch Vision. After they hang up, the man informs his assistant that the client is the organization that rebuilt Vision. However, based on that brief interaction, it certainly didn’t sound like SWORD to me. As he leaves, we see that Vision’s locker has the name Sherwood Elis on it.
Back in Vision’s mind, the AIs discuss what they should do about being hunted. Vision eventually comes up with the idea to bring Ultron into the conversation and they do. Ultron tells him he needs to find who is hunting him rather than what he knows Vision plans to do, which is hide. Vision admits he does plan to go offline, an idea to which EDITH and JARVIS object.
Ultron explains there could be an upside to being hunted because it forces Vision to get out into the real world and have a life. This makes Vision realize Ultron played a role in this attack, which the villain admits. However, he merely leaked Vision’s location. He does not know the identity of the party that put a bounty on Vision, but he does know that the hired hunter goes by the name of Paladin.
In the comics, Paladin is the name of an enhanced mercenary who has crossed paths with the likes of Daredevil, the Wasp and many other heroes. He himself is actually more often a hero than a villain, though his methods clash with many of those who would claim that title. He did briefly work for Norman Osborn’s Thunderbolts, though he eventually turned away from that. Either this version of Paladin will differ from the comic version, or we could see a turn for this character down the road.
Vision returns Ultron to his attic prison and hints at the idea that he thought of him as a sort of father. Now though, he seems ready to delete Ultron altogether. Ultron tries to goat him into doing exactly that, but instead, Vision leaves him trapped in the attic, removing all forms of entertainment and comfort.
In the real world, Paladin has his assistant, whom the credits refer to as Handler, look into the Sherwood Ellis alias. She finds a file from Westview and together they watch some of WandaVision… quite literally. They learn of Vision’s family, and that Westview was under the control of Wanda’s magic. They specifically take interest in Billy and Tommy, Vision’s twin boys, and Handler soon finds one of them in London.
In a pub, Tommy and his friend Lisa run a scam on an unsuspecting victim. They discuss their job but are interrupted by a news report that Vision has been found. The sight of him appears to be traumatic for Tommy, as he sees flashbacks to Westview. He snaps out of it though when the victim of their scam tracks them down and chases them.
Tommy and Lisa escape though and Tommy appears to be slipping into a panic attack. Lisa talks him out of it, letting us know that his name is Thomas Shepherd, a name adopted by the character in the comics. He calms down just in time for Paladin and some goons to grab him and throw him in a truck, leaving Lisa behind.
Paladin has Handler open a line of communication to Vision in his mind. Vision’s lights begin to flicker and he orders JARVIS to bypass security protocols to receive the message. Vision looks outside to see that his world is closing in on him. He heads upstairs and joins Ultron on the balcony to see the words “Incoming transmission” appear in the sky. They hear the voice of Paladin, who informs him that he has his son. Vision questions how it is possible that Tommy actually exists when he was magically created by Wanda and disappeared when she released her control of Westview. The episode comes to a close with Vision in disbelief and Ultron mockingly congratulating him on having a son.
This is a very interesting start to this series as it introduces a lot of questions. Perhaps the first should be, who is Paladin working for? Who put the bounty on Vision’s head? We also need to learn more about Tommy and what kind of abilities he may still possess. There also appears to be a serial killer out there who may just have a role to play in the future. And of course, what role will Ultron play in all of this as well? These next seven episodes should be a lot of fun.
The first two episodes of VisionQuest are streaming now on Disney+.