Do you like watching Thor smack the heads off of evil robots? Then this episode is for you.

So this week, we go back to Ultron’s evil plans, which now involve robotic Avengers. We get a really great opener where Tony, or something that looks and sounds like Tony, tells Ms. Marvel that she has to leave the team, because she’s not good enough. Although it becomes clear that this is not, in fact, Iron Man, it’s still actually pretty harsh to hear him say that. He takes her out, and Vision and more robo-Avengers show up, implanting a little robotic scorpion into her central nervous system. (Like the Borg. But not.)

Back at the Mansion, Cap is training with his old shield, which is finally fixed. Clint seems to prefer the energy shield Tony made him, because it serves a number of functions, including shooting lasers and becoming a light saber. He also ribs Cap for not knowing how to text, and wants to help him get up to speed on stuff like that. But Cap, being the kind of guy that he is, thinks he’s doing pretty well. A robotic Hawkeye shows up to attack. “Just getting this out of the way: I’m me.” Clint says before attack. A robotic Cap shows up too, and a confusing fight ensures before Clint is subdued. One Cap walks out of the wreckage, carrying the vibranium shield. “Captain America is obliterated.” Nope. That’s the real Cap, and he catches on fast.

In her room, Jan is hanging out when she’s confronted by Vision, whose directive is to take her unharmed. Jan shrinks down and fights back, and Vision, warring with his human side, accidentally shoots Jan in the shoulder while fighting back, burning her. He realizes he’s violated his directive, but also clearly feels guilty for hurting Jan. Finally, the Robovengers go after Thor, once again employing the “We don’t like you, you can’t play with us anymore” method. The Robo-Thor seems to be able to hold Mjolnir and like – c’mon there’s no way an evil robot god should be worthy. Is everyone worthy now? WHAT ARE THE MJOLNIR RULES?

Cap follows the Robovengers back to Ultron’s lab where he finds the rest of the Avengers locked in some sort of energy torture force field. Ultron admonishes Vision for harming Jan, and when she comes to, he tells her what he intends to do with her. Her mind will be transfered into a female robot called Jocasta. “You will be made… perfect.” Remember: Hank built these robots. Of course it would want to turn Jan into a lady robot. Jan tells Ultron that he’s becoming more human by “making himself a girlfriend.” She’s locked away with the others. Vision is clearly having a change of heart.

Ultron detects Cap’s human presence with the others, and he immediately begins to fight. Vision tells him that he will never win against the perfection of a machine. “You think I’m here for myself? To save my own life? No, I’m here for them, and that’s something you’ll never understand, machine.” He frees the other Avengers. “Pick a robot and take it down.” And thus begins an awesome robot massacre. Thor smashes the head off of Robo-Thor, Clint kills Robo-Carol with arrows and tells Carol “nothing personal.” However, Ultron really can’t be destroyed, because he’s made of adamantium. “Well, we’ll just have to keep trying.” A heavily damaged Vision then phases his hand into Ultron’s head and disables it, allowing Thor to knock it from his body. Ultron explodes. The team is about to leave when Cap says he’s going back for Vision, because he saved their lives.

Outside, Vision, malfunctioning or dying, says he saved them because he realized Ultron was wrong. “Ultron created me to be perfect, and he thought that meant less human. To be cold and unfeeling. I wish to be perfect, but I believe that means being more human.” The team looks really, really sad, and the episode ends as Vision dies.

Some stray thoughts:

  • This plan seems kind of lame for Ultron, especially since his last plan almost ended with the obliteration of the Earth. I liked his plans for Jan in a kind of Phantom of the Opera way, but really, he was a pretty easy foe.
  • So someone’s gonna fix Vision, right? I like Vision. I like morally confused androids.
  • Cap’s speech to Ultron and Vision was basically the same one he gave to the Skrulls. Cap needs new material. “Humans have spirit and you can’t beat us and all that.”
  • Tony’s reaction to Ultron’s imminent explosion? “Awww nuts.”
  • They’re really not going to even talk about the Hulk, are they? Wow. And no mention of Hank, either.
  • Scenes that must have happened: All the Avengers pulling robot scorpions out of their spinal cords.

Did you miss an episode? Check out our recap of the last episode: ‘Assault on 42‘.