Who is Butcherbird? ‘VisionQuest’ Episode 4 hints at Jocasta’s surprising connection to Ultron
With two new episodes, 'VisionQuest' has introduced another beloved comic character: Jocasta. But not as fans expected. In the comics, Ultron created Jocasta as a Robo-wife. He put Janet van Dyne's (The Wasp) entire consciousness into the synth. Ultron knew that if Jocasta was to survive, Janet needed to die. Jocasta immediately informed the Avengers, who took down Ultron. Jocasta was now at the Avengers' mercy. The team removed Janet's consciousness from her and left her in a deactivated state. Ultron returns, and though she remains loyal to him for a while, she eventually betrays him and aids the Avengers.
After news dropped that Jocasta (played by T'Nia Miller) would appear in 'VisionQuest,' many thought she would be Ultron's love interest like in the comics. But that was not the case. She is introduced as Butcherbird Killer, who hacks into Vision's mainframe. She threatens him to stay out of her way. Ultron, E.D.I.T.H., and F.R.I.D.A.Y. uncover that the synth is a serial killer dubbed by the media as Butcherbird Killer. She is killing all members of Markridge Tech, which created the first-ever AI with consciousness. Later, Stark Industries acquired the company.
The AIs figure out that the synth is based on the likeness of Dr. Josephine Carrington, who was also part of Markridge Tech. It is revealed that she is killing all members because she wants biological keys from them to unlock something. The last living member of the company is Katerina Wells. She is possibly the next target, and the team expects Butcherbird to go for the kill at the gala she is hosting. Tommy (Ruaridh Mollica) and Vision (Paul Bettany) go to the gala to confront Butcherbird. Tommy abandons the pursuit when he realizes that Vision lied about Ultron (James Spader). During the fight at the gala, Vision tries to take Butcherbird down by appealing to Josephine. "You were based on her," Vision says. "No," she says. "I am her."
Jocasta in the show is completely different from the comics. Not only does she have a different consciousness, but she also has no connection with Ultron. But that does not mean she will not share a close dynamic with Ultron. Two episodes are left, which is plenty of time to develop a new relationship. The show has not revealed too much about the character in the promotions. "We have purposely kept her character out of a lot of the promotion of the show because T'Nia's performance is revelatory," showrunner Terry Matalas told Collider. This suggests a lot more is in store.
Seeing he is losing the fight, Vision allows Ultron to take over his body. The decision proves to be disastrous, as Ultron intentionally baits Butcherbird into attacking and killing Katerina, betraying Vision. Butcherbird then flies away, and Ultron successfully takes full control of Vision's body. Episode 4, titled 'Malware', ends with Tommy and Vision (now Ultron) walking away from the wreckage. To see how Vision's saga unfolds, tune in to Disney+ every Tuesday.
