West Coast Avengers (2024 run) # 1

 By Mark Rodriguez

I swear superhero teams are like sports line ups. Ever so often the teams get new lineups and a lot of times these line ups include characters that could really use some extra limelight. The West Coast Avengers return with Iron Man, War Machine, Spider-Woman and Firestar forming the team. This time they want to try rehabilitating former villains... and they're start off with Ultron. What could possibly go wrong?

The story opens in Mid-Wilshire, LA California, as Tony narrates that he started a new Avengers team with his friend Rhodey. He says it's not the usual roster and if it works there will be fewer villains to fight. There were some fire bombs detonated across the city by terrorists. Two people couldn't evacuate in time so Iron Man sent in his new recruit. Ultron comes in to rescue the woman and her child. 

Ultron flies out of the building, rescuing the two survivors. The woman says she thought this was Iron Man but she recognizes Ultron as 'that robot that fights with the Avengers all the time'. Ultron acknowledges this and says he has changed his ways. Once the woman and child are safe, Ultron finds and ties up the two people that were behind the bombings.

Tony congratulates Ultron on a job well done and tells him to meet up with War Machine. Tony will then meet up with them both as he suits up. Tony narrates that he's having armor trouble lately. He dives out of his car as several members of the Sovereign Sons shoot at him. 

Tony makes it to a storage unit. He narrates that several groups like Roxxon and AIM are angry at him since he managed to get his hands on some of their money to bankroll the new Avengers team. This storage unit was used the last time he worked with the West Coast Avengers. He finds the Silver Centurion variant of his armor and mentions he might be a bit heavier now than when he first wore it. Tony suits up just as the member of the Sovereign Sons arrive and tell him to come out. A blast shoots out of the warehouse knocking one of the men back.

Tony steps out in his Iron Man armor that has two car batteries strapped around its waist. He says they're using state of the art weaponry while he's using an antique armor, and that's as fair as a fight as they're going to get with Iron Man.

Iron Man blocks some gunfire and kicks a car towards one of the men. He dives in to fire a blast at one of the men but his gauntlet fizzles out. The man remarks that Iron Man is out of juice. Iron Man says he is never out of fists, and socks him out.

Iron Man is informed that the Sovereign Sons have captured hostages at the old railroad. Iron Man tells the team to start without him, since he's having technical difficulties. We see Tony riding on a scooter since the armor doesn't have enough power to fly.

At the railroad station, the Sovereign Sons are giving their demands which are for the American government to recognize them as an independent nation, and for California to give up the water it drinks from Colorado.

Blue Bolt, War Machine, Ultron and Spider-Woman are on the scene. Blue Bolt asks why they're wasting time listening to their demands. War Machine says they are there to de-escalate. Spider-Woman comments that the team has been doing a poor job at that.

Ultron tells the men to surrender and no harm will fall upon them and they will get a fair trial. The men say they don't trust a genocidal robot that was last seen running around with Hank Pym's fac. Ultron tells his teammates that they have a point. War Machine says he will give negotiations a try as Iron Man arrives in his little scooter.

Iron Man says it's a long story and asks Blue Bolt to give him a jump. Blue Bolt says this is embarrassing and he'd rather be back in jail. Iron Man offers to pay him and Blue Bolt asks how much. Iron Man says he will pay him by not kicking him out of the Avengers New Prison Work Release Program. Blue Bolt says the rich guys are such tightwads. He zaps Iron Man and he is now fully powered up. 

Iron Man asks Ultron for the best plan. Ultron suggests a coordinated nonlethal attack, and for Blue Bolt to sit this one out. Iron Man agrees. Blue Bolt won't sit this one out and he says if they don't defend their city with force, they'll get more of these terrorists. He says they have to scare them back into the desert.

Blue Bolt fires a blast at the old elevator in the area. Ultron warns that there are underground gas lines. A fire ensues followed by an explosion which sends Blue Bolt flying back. Iron Man narrates that the hostages were rattled and the Sovereign Sons got away, but there weren't any fatalities this time.

Iron Man explains that he had the idea to reform villains with Rhodey. They never expected Ultron to save them. Iron Man wants Ultron to score a few more wins before he can show him to the world, but he's still not sure about Blue Bolt.

Later on, Blue Bolt is at the hospital with several casts on as he gives an interview. In his version of what happened, Iron Man begged him to recharge the armor, which led to him saving the day. He also says it was the Sovereign Sons that blew up the gas lines. The reporter clarifies that things wouldn't gotten worse if Blue Bolt wasn't there to help.

Tony leaves the room, having enough of Blue Bolt, and he finds Spider-Woman. she is currently with Blue Bolt's hospital neighbor. She's a cancer patient named Meredith Love, and she will be leaving the room soon. Tony asks if there's anything else he can do for her. She turns down a chance to fly around with Iron Man and says she will head for the church. Spider-Woman takes Tony up on his offer.

Later on Iron Man flies as he carries Spider-Woman. Spider- Woman is concerned about how the world will react to Ultron, and also says that Blue Bolt is going to end up having someone killed. She also asks if she was asked to join the team since she had a rap sheet. Tony says he wanted her to help lead by example. She asks if Iron Man has a plan in case Ultron goes bad again, and he says he does.

Iron Man and Spider-Woman land at an airport that they now own. Spider-Woman says there's a story floating around regarding Tony's recent marriage with Emma Frost. Rumors from Iron Man's friends and colleagues are saying that maybe Emma flipped some switches in his brain. Tony says if she did anything, it was done the old fashioned way. He thought what they had was real. However Tony says he's still the same person he's always been. Spider-Woman asks about the airport and Iron Man says Santa Monica closed it and he won the bidding war for it. It will be an Avengers stronghold for the next century and they can avenge anything on the west coast from there.

Iron Man invites her to join Rhodey and Ultron for some tacos, as he hired a taco truck. Spider-Woman heads off as she's working another case in San Francisco. Ultron studies the contents of the taco and waits for the others to tell him about the flavor and texture. Rhodey asks if Jessica is quitting. Tony assures him that she's not but the team does need some work.

Tony calls up Firestar, saying he needs a straight arrow like her to join the team and serve as a good example for the people they're trying to reform. Firestar is currently drinking her sorrows away at a bar due to the guilt she feels working undercover with Orchis, a group that recently tried to wipe out all of mutantkind. The bar is full of such characters like Sandman, the Rhino, Taskmaster and Bullseye. 

Tony asks her if she wants to join the West Coast. She agrees and says she will fly over tomorrow. She then asks the bartender for another drink.

Elsewhere at an abandoned power station, downtown LA, a car arrives. Some men help Meredith get out of the car and she is asked if she has heard 'his' voice. She says she has, and it has given her hope. She is taken to see another version of Ultron. He is glad she has arrived before it was too late and asks if she will give herself to him freely. She does, but she says he mentioned the process will be painful. Ultron says it will be for a moment, but it will be the last physical pain she will feel.

Ultron offers Meredith salvation, she just needs to say the words. She asks if he will save her, as metal robes wrap themselves around her. Ultron says he will, as he snaps her neck. The metal wraps burn the rest of her body, and Ultron keeps her head. He says when he was separated from his creator, he thought he would go mad, but he learned her needed to grow beyond Hank Pym. He says if he can find redemption and save himself, he can save everyone else.

Ultron heads over to a headless robot body and attaches Meredith's head to it. Ultron asks if she can hear him. Meredith gasps as she wakes up and says she does. Ultron tells her to rest and heal. Ultron welcomes her to the family, as we see the room is full of countless robot bodies. He says that soon the entire world will hear the Gospel of Ultron.

My Thoughts-

What a way to start a story. It turns out there are now two Ultrons? One of them is somehow a good guy... while another is leading a religious cult??? It's a tough enough sell for Tony to convince the world that Ultron is now reformed, it'll be impossible to tell everyone there's two of them.

While the solicits mentioned Iron Man, War Machine, Ultron, Spider-Woman and Firestar, one character I didn't expect was the debut of Blue Bolt. Billed as 'The Biggest Jerk in the Marvel Universe', he is definitely reckless and full of himself. I guess he's going to be Marvel's Guy Gardner, at least when it comes to the jerk department. With the way he's being advertised, I'm guessing the expectation is he will become popular enough to get his own book down the line.

I like the general premise, though I wonder how Tony finds the time to create this new team when he's also a member of the regular Avengers. Comic book logic somehow allows these character to have several adventures happening at the same time across several books and team ups.

I liked the story so far, and so far the good guy Ultron is my favorite. I like how overly helpful and heroic he is, while people still bring up his previous life of villainy. There's also the funny bit with Iron Man running around on a scooter.

Now that I think about it, we'll have to see what will happen when both Ultrons meet, seeing as the Gospel Ultron also seems to have the same memories.

I'll keep checking out this series. The team still needs more fine-tuning, and it seems that Firestar is going to be bringing her own personal baggage to make things even more complicated.

One thing I like to add is, seeing that bar scene with the other villains there, I do wonder how things would have worked if Tony decided to enlist and reform characters like Sandman and the Rhino since they aren't completely evil. That would have been something.