Writer Rick Remender and artist Jerome Opena sat down with Marvel.com at the San Diego Comic Con to discuss their new original graphic novel that is due in April of 2015.
The book will be titled "Avengers: Rage of Ultron" and will no doubt capitalize on the buzz that will be building around that time for the new film "Avengers: Age of Ultron." Longtime Marvel writer Remender explains this graphic novel exists partially to redefine the Hank Pym and Ultron relationship for new readers. The creative team of Remender and artist Jerome Opena will give fans a new tale from the early days of Ultron before catching up to modern times as a new Avengers squad deals with the fallout of the the artificial consciousness that has him take control of Saturn's moon, Titan.
"This continuity goes back so far at this point that we're expecting people to understand things that we as fanatical industry folk have known because we read comics for 20 or 30 years," Remender told Marvel. "That context and the heart of that relationship between Hank and his son Ultron has not been reformed and shone a light upon in quite some time. So the opening of the story takes place in the past, during the [Roger] Stern/[John] Byrne era of AVENGERS in a snippet where they deal with an Ultron and the choices that Hank has to make are unique to the history of Ultron while damning them in the future. So what we see is an untold story of Ultron that basically redefines who he is and his relationship with Hank and the father/son dynamic as well [as] the grand question: Is artificial intelligence life?"
It is a slippery slope when Hank Pym is trying to see his "son" flourish in this new world. Fans will realize that with the "Avengers" film sequel on its heels, it is important to establish some new stories to boost Ultron's popularity before the big sequel hits the screen in May of 2015.
"So we open up the story with those Avengers and how they deal with that version of Ultron in the past then comes around to haunt the Avengers of today," Remender explains. "The [present team] will be a cast comprised of many of the new Avengers we recently revealed as well as a number who will be coming out of AXIS. It's a very unique and cool looking team who are suddenly forced to deal with the sins of their proverbial parents, the Avengers of the past, as well as Hank being brought back to face something that happened with an Ultron who has taken over Titan, the home of Thanos, and has a devious plan to come and not only pay back his father, but to completely soil his legacy forever."
However, Hank feels a great sense of responsibility for the actions of his "child" making the narrative that much more interesting for old readers and new alike. The pangs of fatherhood still hit Hank despite that the "child" in question is a homicidal murderous robot set on world domination.
"Avengers: Rage of Ultron" will hit stores in April 2015.
