VisionQuest Episodes 3 and 4, Explained
As we approach the halfway point of VisionQuest, things are heating up — and I’m not just talking about Vision’s core processors.
Since WandaVision, Vision had been hiding out in Edinburgh along with his internal AI ‘family’ consisting of J.A.R.V.I.S. (rest in peace), E.D.I.T.H., F.R.I.D.A.Y., DUM-E, DUM-U, and er, Ultron. But since then, he has been chased by brutal bounty hunter Paladin, and collided with street-smart grifter Thomas Shepherd who may or may not be his (kind-of) son. Who ever said family had to be simple?
We last left Vision and Thomas Shepherd in the messy aftermath of a battle with sinister bounty hunter Paladin, with Vision barely surviving the encounter. In these subsequent two VisionQuest episodes, we find out what’s next for the unlikely duo, but I must warn you — it isn’t pretty.
How Does Vision Survive His Injuries?
While Vision survived the second episode by the skin of his teeth, things aren’t looking too good for him. Although J.A.R.V.I.S.’s sacrifice helped to stabilise him, he is still in grave danger. In order to cauterise his wound, he uses sulfuric acid from a battery. Later, at the motel, Thomas opens up about the moment he ‘drowned’ in a pool.
He felt himself dying, with something else filling the space, and then found himself vibrating and moving so fast, the water around him boiled. Watchers of Agatha All Along will know that this is the moment Tommy Maximoff’s disembodied consciousness entered his body, but unlike Billy, Tommy kept his host's memories and feelings, too, living alongside them rather than replacing them.
Vision seems to finally accept that Thomas is actually Tommy Maximoff, and along with the emotions that come with that, tells Thomas a way that he can stop him from dying. Like all computers, Vision needs to be turned off and on again in order to function properly, but the rub is that he can’t do this on his own. He needs Thomas to go into the hotel pool and super-charge him with his speed so that he can power back on.
This ends up working, but the happiness is short-lived when Vision and his AI fam discover that another synthezoid was able to hack into him…
Who Is The Butcherbird?
Through an exorcism-like process. E.D.I.T.H. is able to kick out the synthezoid — but after, Vision reveals that the synthezoid that hacked him and the Butcherbird are one and the same. The Butcherbird is a serial killer introduced in the series who has violently killed three people, leaving wing-like etchings behind.
However, when Paladin tries to track Vision following his earlier escape, he is actually led to Butcherbird, discovering the killer’s robotic origins. After a bit of psychological torture from Butcherbird and a violent confrontation, Paladin is fired by his mysterious Client.
Anyway, back to Butcherbird. After a bit of detective work and hacking into police systems, Vision and his AI allies discover that the Butcherbird is targeting people who sat on the board of Markridge Biotech. These were the pioneers of the technology that made all these AIs we see in the MCU possible — and they sold their technology to Stark Industries, which explains how AIs like E.D.I.T.H. and J.A.R.V.I.S. and even Ultron came to be.
There were five of these scientists in total, but four are dead — three by Butcherbird, and one who died in other circumstances. Team Vision also note that the Butcherbird is stealing biomarkers from all their victims, for some reason. They also rightfully predict that the final survivor of this group, Katerina Wells, is next to be targeted. Luckily, she is hosting a Sokovia Remembrance Day gala, and Thomas enlists his friend and partner in crime, Lisa Molinari, to grift his and Vision’s way in, which she does.
Tensions flare during the gala, with Thomas sniping at Lisa over being an orphan when she asks if he is setting himself up to get hurt with Vision. Thomas also discovers that Vision had lied to him before — he previously confessed to ‘living’ with these other AIs in his mind palace, but conveniently didn’t mention Ultron.
Meanwhile, the other AIs discover that Butcherbird is actually the avatar of deceased Markridge Biotech scientist Dr Josephine Carrington. Using this as leverage, Vision tries to appeal to her better nature as she goes in for the kill. She responds that she isn’t just an avatar, she is Josephine Carrington, so we can only assume that somehow, her consciousness got uploaded to the machine.
How Does VisionQuest Episode 4 End?
Despite his best efforts, Vision is losing the fight against Josephine, who is based on Jocasta from the Marvel comics. Ultron encourages him to let him take control, but predictably, when Vision does this, Ultron proves precisely why he isn’t to be trusted. He ‘locks’ Vision and the other AIs out and takes complete control of the synthezoid’s body.
Ultron then gets Jocasta to kill Wells unexpectedly, and as she flies off, he takes Thomas aside, saying that ‘Pop Pop’ wants a chat with him… With everyone in peril, we’re left with another thrilling cliffhanger, and we can hardly wait until next week.
