Who is Paladin? ‘VisionQuest’ finally introduces Marvel’s next assassin
Vision (Paul Bettany) is back in the MCU after five long years. 'VisionQuest' arrived one day early on Disney+ and no one is complaining. The back-to-back episodes introduced an established comic antihero and left many fans terrified. The character in question is Paladin (Todd Stashwick), who appeared after Ultron leaked White Vision's location. Paladin is a bounty hunter pursuing Vision in Edinburgh. He works for a client whose identity remains a mystery throughout the two episodes. Vision's A.I. confidants believe someone from the S.W.O.R.D. wants their creation back. Paladin sends several of his men to capture Vision at the pub where the humanoid now works. The pub owner, Fiona, loses her life in the scuffle, but Vision easily destroys them all. Fiona's death bothers Paladin, since he takes his "no civilians" rule very seriously.
F.R.I.D.A.Y. (Orla Brady) looks into Paladin and finds out that he is the "last in a centuries-long line of hunters." The bounty hunter is "trained in every art and every weapon" and works diligently for the highest bidder. Paladin cooks up another plan to capture Vision. After investigating, he discovers that one of Vision's sons lives in London. He plans to use this son to achieve his goal. Tommy Maximoff, now Thomas (Ruaridh Mollica), inhabits the body of a man in his 20s and lives alongside Lisa, a pickpocket. A year ago, Thomas underwent a psych evaluation. Paladin uses the evaluation footage to track him down. He eventually captures Thomas and later informs Vision about the same through a transmission.
In the second episode, Paladin locks Thomas alone in Saint Mabyn's and threatens to leave him to rot unless Vision shows up. Initially, Vision didn't believe his sons survived beyond Wanda's made-up world. But when he hears Thomas saying, "Grief is merely love persevering," he decides to rescue Thomas. Paladin successfully lures Vision to Saint Mabyn's, where he renders the humanoid powerless through sonic pulses. Thomas and Vision run into Paladin inside the facility, and he fires adamantium rounds at the humanoid. The attack damages Vision's vibranium shell. To save Thomas, Vision musters enough strength to push Paladin out. Realizing that Paladin's men are only after him, a weakened Vision urges Thomas to run away. After much hesitation, Thomas does so. However, when Paladin's men close in to collect Vision, Thomas returns. He shoves Vision into his stolen car and dashes out of sight.
Paladin is a known entity in comics. He first appeared in a 1978 'Daredevil' issue. As a mercenary, he often comes in contact with street-level superheroes. Throughout his run, he has been part of teams like Heroes for Hire and the Thunderbolts. Much like his 'VisionQuest' counterpart, the comic antihero also adheres to a strict moral code. To find out what happens to Paladin next, tune in to Disney+ every Tuesday.
