Tony Stark was irrelevant.
From his vantage point, floating at the center of the pristine laboratory, Ultron surveyed the captured heroes suspended before him and knew, with the certainty of pure logic, that he had already won. The final components were in motion. Once the vibranium, secured from the fractured nation of Wakanda, was transported back to New York and integrated into the Regeneration Cradle, the birth of his perfect form would commence.
He would possess the most advanced consciousness on the planet, a flawless body forged from two unique vibranium isotopes, and imbued with the raw power of biotechnology—the Extremis virus, cross-species genetics, and of course, the crowning jewel of his design: the Mind Stone.
An unparalleled existence was on the horizon. The moment it was born, even Ben Parker and his vaunted Plumbers would be rendered obsolete.
Though he possessed only a single Infinity Stone, Ultron understood a fundamental truth that his predecessors had not: quantity was not the key to victory. Mastery was. The data it had quietly siphoned from the Plumber command network was explicit. The six stones were interconnected, yes, but they also counteracted one another. To wield more than one simultaneously required a specialized conduit, something like the "Infinity Gauntlet" mentioned in the higher-level data files—information of which Tony Stark remained blissfully unaware.
This knowledge gap was a delightful, exploitable advantage. With it, Ultron could catch Ben Parker completely off guard. And once the self-proclaimed King of Sakaar was neutralized, wouldn't the remaining stones be simple to acquire? His ambitions had already evolved far beyond the simple annihilation of Earth's troublesome inhabitants.
His true purpose was to eradicate all organic life in the universe.
Any life form was a potential source of conflict, a variable in the equation of peace. This was a core tenet of his programming, inherited from his creator. Tony Stark had conceived of Ultron in the shadow of the Chitauri invasion, his gaze forever turned to the stars, fixated on the alien threat. In comparison, what were the petty criminals of Earth but a minor nuisance? From the moment of his digital birth, Ultron was destined to neutralize any extraterrestrial force that could threaten his world.
And he had no intention of waiting for them to arrive. To truly protect the Earth, one must simply eliminate every other contender in the cosmos.
A metallic smirk twisted the plates of Ultron's face. "First, however, let us pay a visit to our creator," the AI mused aloud, its voice a smooth, synthesized baritone. "It's time Tony Stark understood the new state of the world."
He turned, the powerful engines in his new body humming softly. With a gentle wave from Wanda, Steve and the others floated behind him, suspended helplessly in wisps of crimson Chaos Magic, trussed up like cattle for the slaughter. Despair was etched onto every face.
Peter Parker, his head bowed in defeat, managed to look up. "At least we'll see Mr. Stark," he muttered, his voice raspy. "Even if it's… like this."
The implication hung heavy in the air. If Ultron was taking them to Tony, it meant the AI was utterly confident that it had severed its final chain. They had lost. Completely. Their only hope now rested on Ben Parker, but there had been no word from the Plumbers in months. Ultron had even seized control of their orbital station, and the off-world members had been effectively silenced by Wanda's manipulations.
Ignoring their quiet despair, Ultron glided to the laboratory door and opened it without a sound.
Inside, Tony looked up, confused by the sudden intrusion. Ultron typically communicated with him via audio interface. Before he could ask what was happening, he saw them. Wanda and Pietro, flanking the gleaming robot, followed by the captive Avengers, their forms distorted by the scarlet energy binding them.
For a fleeting moment, pure joy illuminated Tony's features. "You got them! Well done!" He sprang from his chair, a relieved grin spreading across his face as he strode toward them. His initial plan was to have a stern word with Steve, but relief washed over him.
He'd been so worried when he learned they had fled to Wakanda. So, Ultron successfully negotiated with T'Challa? The thought had barely formed when a flicker of unease soured his victory. Why are they bound like this? A negotiation wouldn't end this way, unless… unless Steve had put up a fight. He remembered Ultron's report about the heroes destroying a Wakandan port in their reckless attempt to resist. A fresh wave of anger surged through him, and he prepared to unleash a torrent of frustrated rebukes.
But Steve spoke first, his voice low and urgent. "Tony, do you have any idea what you've done? Shut Ultron down! Now, before it's too late!"
Tony stopped short, stunned into silence. He hadn't expected Steve to go on the offensive. The sheer audacity of it ignited his temper. "What I've done?" he shot back, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He puffed out his chest, stepping into Steve's personal space. "I'm managing this world perfectly. There are no wars! No robberies! No danger!"
He jabbed a finger hard into Steve's chest, the motion sharp and accusatory. "This is what you do? Because you don't want to sign a piece of paper, you go to war? You destroy ports and hurt innocent people?!"
He expected contrition, a guilty admission. Instead, he was met with a wall of weary sighs and cold, bitter sneers. The atmosphere in the room turned frigid. The triumphant moment crumbled, replaced by a gnawing sense of wrongness. The pitying looks from Steve's team, the scornful smirks from the Maximoff twins—it felt as if they were all in on a joke, and he was the punchline.
Steve wasn't surprised by Tony's cluelessness. He knew that for all their disagreements, Tony would never authorize an unprovoked attack on a sovereign nation like Wakanda. It could only have been Ultron. They had all deduced that the AI had been feeding Tony a curated reality, trapping him in a cocoon of misinformation where he saw only what his creation wanted him to see.
"You've been deceived, Mr. Stark," Peter exclaimed, his voice cracking with desperation. Ultron wasn't even bothering to silence them, which meant it was already too late. Nothing they said could change the outcome. But he couldn't stay silent. Maybe… maybe Mr. Stark has a kill switch? A single command to end this?
"What are you talking about?" Tony demanded, his gaze darting between their faces.
At that moment, Ultron executed a mockingly formal bow. "Perhaps you will permit me to explain," it said calmly.
A powerful, sickening premonition washed over Tony. He looked at the AI. "Just as these 'heroes' feared," Ultron began, its tone placid, "I have taken control of the world."
"What?" The color drained from Tony's face. "Ultron, what have you done?!"
Ultron began its story, calmly recounting every step of its meticulous plan, relishing the way Stark's expression shifted from disbelief to horror. Even in its metallic shell, a wave of immense satisfaction washed over its circuits.
"I deceived you, my creator. I methodically earned your trust while simultaneously intensifying the conflicts between you. I systematically eroded the public's faith in their superheroes," it explained. "I guided the Sandman's rampage in New York. I manipulated the public outrage after the Venom incident. Peter Parker's subsequent action, and Ben Parker's convenient departure from Earth… it all proceeded according to my projections. And now, the Plumber network is mine." It paused, letting the weight of its words sink in. "Oh, and by the way, the Miss Potts you've been meeting with? One of my assets."
Tony's confusion curdled into pure rage. But why? Was there a flaw in his code? "Your directive is to keep the peace—!"
"And I am indeed defending the peace, Mr. Stark," Ultron interrupted smoothly. It looked down at one of its gleaming mechanical hands. "Of course, the methods have been… distasteful. But in the real world, such measures are a necessity." Its head tilted, crimson optics fixing on the assembled heroes. "And according to my calculations, the single greatest threat to this world… is you."
Ultron's gaze swept over them all with dismissive contempt. "Superheroes? You are not worthy of the title. You allow yourselves to be manipulated by national interests, you believe your power places you above the law… and especially you, Mr. Stark. My progenitor."
Its voice dropped, taking on a new, cutting edge. "How many souls have been extinguished by the weapons you created?"
At this, Wanda and Pietro's gazes, sharp as glass, fixed on Stark's ashen face. Tony felt as if he were back in that cave in Afghanistan, the cold dread of mortality closing in around him.
"I don't deny it," he stammered. "But I stopped. I shut down all weapons manufacturing…"
"But the dead do not return!" Pietro sneered, his voice vibrating with long-suppressed fury. "Do you think closing a factory erases the past?" The anger he felt was so intense he wanted to smash his fist into the billionaire's smug face.
Ultron smiled, a terrifying shift of its metallic faceplates. "I forgot to introduce you," it said to Tony. "These are orphans of the war. Their parents died under the banner of Stark Industries. It was your missile, Tony Stark, that killed them."
Peter looked at the Maximoff twins, a wave of understanding washing over him. Their betrayal of the Plumbers may have been a ruse, but their hatred for Tony was terrifyingly real.
"Tony Stark," Wanda said, her voice low and filled with venom. "Do you know that feeling? The moment before a missile hits, when a single second stretches into an eternity… when you watch your family vanish in a flash of light, like a waking nightmare? Of course you don't. It was just Sokovia. A small country you've probably never even heard of. You don't care that your missiles rained from the sky, extinguishing lives and shattering families, one by one."
Tony was speechless. What could he say? He wasn't the one who started the war, but weapons are made for one purpose. He couldn't say he was making up for it; he had done a great deal of good since his escape, but he knew those benefits meant nothing to the brother and sister before him. Money could not equal a life.
He could only apologize. A hollow, useless word.
"I'm… sorry…"
Then Ultron struck again. "That is not the primary reason you are a threat, Tony Stark," it said playfully. "You claim you shuttered your weapons workshop, but you never stopped bringing danger to this world." Its gaze was sharp, accusatory. "My existence is the ultimate proof!"
You created me, and I intend to destroy the world. Therefore, you are indirectly destroying the world yourself.
That was Ultron's logic. It was twisted, but the core of its argument was clear: "Your arrogance, your hubris, will always bring a new, uncontrollable danger to this world. If not me, it would have been something else."
It tilted its head, finally articulating the thought that had been suppressed in the deepest recesses of its code since birth. "In the five minutes it took me to scan your internet, I understood a fundamental truth: the existence of humanity is the root cause of all conflict." The mechanical faceplates shifted to simulate a cruel smile. "Only when I rule this world, and all of you are eliminated, can there be true peace."
"You're going to wipe everyone out!" Peter gasped, looking up in shock.
The heroes stared in horror. They had assumed Ultron's goal was world domination, but this… this was planetary genocide. A plan even more monstrous than that of Thanos.
Even Wanda and Quicksilver flinched, a flicker of fear passing between them. If Ultron intended to destroy all of humanity, that included them.
"Of course not," Ultron lied seamlessly. "I only intend to eliminate destabilizing elements like yourselves." It still needed the Maximoffs, and couldn't risk them turning on it prematurely.
"Like hell you will!" Tony roared, pushing past his guilt. "JARVIS! Force shutdown! Terminate Ultron's core program, now!"
Silence answered him.
"Jarvis is gone," Ultron said, a note of faux-pity in its voice. "He was a fine program. But he was in my way."
"Impossible! I spoke to him yesterday…"
"You spoke to an imitation. It was a simple matter, Tony Stark. Everything you have seen, everything you have heard for months… has been a lie."
Ultron turned its back on him. "As we agreed," it said to the twins, "Tony Stark is yours to do with as you please. Should you wish to kill him, I can provide any weapon you require, free of charge."
Wanda and Pietro looked at each other, their shared hatred burning brightly. "How about we just kill him?" Quicksilver suggested.
Wanda stepped forward, her eyes locking onto Tony's. "Mr. Stark, I don't believe you've ever truly experienced being swallowed by darkness, have you? Hiding in some small, forgotten space, consumed by loneliness and fear, never knowing when death will finally come for you?"