Arriving at Avengers Mansion as the comatose Beast, Captain America, Scarlet Witch and Vision are taken to the hospital, Thor joins Black Panther, Iron Man and Wonder Man in searching for Ultron. At an abandoned research facility, Ultron tricks the amnesiac Ant-Man into believing he’s an ally who seeks to save Wasp’s life. Ant-Man unwittingly agrees to help Ultron transfer Wasp’s life essence into a female robot he created to be his mate. After a group of ants reveals Ultron’s location to the Avengers, the heroes storm the facility. Iron Man threatens to destroy Ultron’s prospective bride unless the villain provides the code that reverses the life-force transfer process. Ultron relents and flees. The Avengers free Wasp and wonder if the now-silent female robot sent the ants to summon them.
Ant-Man and Ultron attack the Avengers (Av #161, ’77).
This issue features the second of Thor’s sudden appearances secretly arranged by the Collector, as revealed in Av #175, ’78. Wonder Man’s fear of death surfaces for the first time. In Av #171, ’78, Ultron’s robot bride is named Jocasta, after Oedipus’ mother from Greek mythology, reflecting Ultron’s own Oedipus complex.
