Cyborg Asgardians, Loki-led Avengers and more as we examine what if Ultron's mind was based on Loki's instead of Tony Stark's?
Marvel’s ‘What if…?’ is based on a long-running comic series that reimagines classic storylines from the comics. The movies, however, are about to receive their own ‘What if…?’ treatment as well in the upcoming animated Disney+ series. MEA WorldWide has been subjecting the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the ‘What If…?’ treatment, from ‘Captain America’ to ‘Avengers,’ and now, we cover the 2015 sequel, ‘Age of Ultron.’
In the movie, Ultron is a defensive program that gains self-awareness due to the Mind Stone located in Loki’s scepter. Ultron’s personality is based largely on his creator Tony Stark's. But considering how long Loki commanded the scepter, Loki’s own personality could have easily suffused the Mind Stone within. What if Ultron’s personality was based on Loki’s, instead of Tony Stark’s?
Loki is a significantly craftier person than Tony. Tony’s a genius, yes, but Loki’s talent for deceptiveness is second to none. Where a Tony-based Ultron made a grand entrance by taking control of Iron Man’s spare Iron Man suits, a Loki-based Ultron would likely have done his best to keep his existence a secret until he could best strike.
Keep in mind, Ultron is part machine, and thus bound to his programming, which requires him to defend the earth. With Loki’s knowledge, Ultron would know that the biggest threats to Earth - and potentially its biggest assets - could be found in realms beyond Midgard. Hidden, unknown, it wouldn’t be difficult for Ultron to sneak himself into Asgard via Loki’s scepter, or some other means.
In the MCU, Asgard runs on just as much technology as it does magic - in fact, its science is so advanced that the two are virtually indistinguishable. An invasive technology with a mind of its own would have a field day with all that Asgard has to offer. Ultron would conquer Asgard in days, if not minutes, and from there? Assimilation.
Comics Ultron has a history of infusing people with technology and bringing them under his control. Once his control of Asgard was complete, it wouldn’t take long for Ultron to be able to technologically infect the Asgardians, giving him a literal race of gods under his control, instead of a swarm of easily smashed robots.
The Avengers already had their hands full with an Ultron who seeded himself in Earth’s technology. An Asgardian Ultron would be the ultimate threat. For the Avengers to stand a fighting chance, they would need to free the one mind in all the world who would know Loki best - Loki himself.
It would be the fight of the Avengers' lives, with Loki joining the team. The team would be pushed to their limits, both physically and intellectually. The Avengers might win the day - but would it be at the cost of the Asgardians' lives? We’ll never know, but ultimately, it’s a good thing that Tony, with all his hubris, was the mind Ultron based his own on.