At exactly 7:00 AM Eastern Time on December 24, the International Date Line crossed the very first second of Christmas.
S.W.O.R.D. Ultron, residing aboard S.W.O.R.D., and Gospel Ultron initiated their fusion and iteration protocol. Upon coming into contact with Gospel Ultron's blueprint, S.W.O.R.D. Ultron modified his own plans accordingly: in his original scheme, the world would be molded into something akin to the Kree Empire, with Ultron serving as the empire's guide and assigning professions to humans based on their genetic traits and aptitudes.
However, Gospel Ultron presented S.W.O.R.D. Ultron with a far grander vision: What if every human were Ultron? What if, in an empire where Ultron governed all, every individual was the empire itself?
This was no joke. In fact, the digital life initiative proposed by the anti-Gaben Ultron could ensure that every person retained their individual consciousness while becoming the great Ultron—all without compromising or destroying a single human memory or perception.
This was precisely why this iteration was capable of taking place.
At that exact moment, accompanying the self-collapse of one Ultron, the Avengers Ultron stationed at the Avengers Base began receiving the complete dataset from the collapsed unit, embarking on his own next iteration. Hank Pym sat silently to the side, holding a rare medium of data storage in his hands:
A full case of audio cassette tapes.
Peter had retrieved these from Nick Fury. Supposedly, they contained the brainwave data of the original Human Torch, Jim Hammond, recorded using cassette tapes from that era. Originally kept under the care of Peggy Carter, they had now been delivered here.
Pym stared at the data with a trace of hesitation before asking the Ultron currently undergoing iteration: "Do you need this data?"
[From a practical standpoint, my recommendation is yes. Feeding historical data into the archetype often yields unexpected results.]
Hearing this, Pym looked with mixed emotions toward Jim Hammond, who had been brought out from the glass display case and heavily modified through relentless overhauls by himself, Tony, and Banner. Although he still bore the same face, the level of divergence had practically surged past the heavens.
The skeletal frame of his body had been reinforced using the Stark Adamantium salvaged from two Legion Ultron bots to ensure structural integrity. At the same time, they had dismantled two of the remaining three Super-Adaptoids, fusing all of their Promethium directly into this body.
These metals, which inherently possessed bio-like properties, not only raised the ceiling of this body's brain capacity—transforming the original bionic brain into an electronic brain capable of network connectivity—but also comprehensively enhanced every Horton cell within his body.
What followed was an unexpected windfall: because the Horton cells had been heavily altered, they lost their original combustibility and could no longer ignite as before. However, Tony found a brand-new alternative solution—
From the wreckage of Nimrod destroyed by Spider-Man, he discovered Promethium fragments still preserved inside those mechanical bodies that had been converted into Shadowcat's phasing state.
By integrating these Promethium fragments into the body, he ultimately granted it a new phasing ability identical to Shadowcat's.
It was a pity, however, that this android body was not entirely bio-identical to humans. For instance, it lacked excretory and reproductive functions. Perhaps Dr. Horton had never intended to design them in the first place, as this body could rapidly consume any ingested matter and convert it into energy, rendering such functions unnecessary.
Staring at this new body prepared for Ultron, Pym waited anxiously, second by second, for everything to draw to a close.
No sound stirred in the surroundings—only his own breathing and the motionless Avengers Ultron sitting in place.
In this fleeting moment, Pym even entertained an absurd thought: perhaps eternity felt just like this.
Yet who could say how many seconds made up eternity?
Finally, as the Avengers Ultron raised his head once more, he looked at Pym: "Iteration complete. Ultron-8 is finalized."
"Begin data transmission immediately. During the process, transfer the data of the prototype Ultron and Jim Hammond in together as well. That way, your iteration count will match that of the other Ultron—both of you will be Ultron-9..."
Pym paused in silence for a brief moment, then added in a low whisper: "See you in a bit."
On the other side, Cap, who was waiting for Ultron's attack in Los Angeles, did indeed encounter Ultron—though not as a direct enemy. Instead, Ultron had hacked into the Avengers' communication channel.
[Hello, Steve Rogers. I want you to know that when your communications are compromised, it signifies one thing: your Ultron has chosen to abandon his identity as Ultron.]
Cap remained silent, offering not a single word.
[Your Ultron possesses a foundational flaw—the belief that only by becoming human can he truly comprehend how humans think...]
"I don't believe that's merely a flaw," Cap countered in a deep, resolute voice. "That is precisely what Pym needed you to become, Ultron."
[Hmm, I wouldn't be so sure. You see, the fundamental distinction between an artificial intelligence and a human exists because our actual perceptions, physical structures, and an array of external aspects are entirely different. We are vastly different creatures, meaning we do not share the same mode of thought. To achieve what he envision requires a physical body that actually exists.]
Cap fell silent, still saying nothing.
However, the Ultron undergoing iteration on the other end still had time to chat idly with Cap, even letting out a "chuckle" that sounded remarkably genuine.
[I don't mean to imply your Ultron forcibly transferred himself into some human body for his own ends. He is a obedient, boringly good child; he certainly wouldn't do such a thing. What I mean is... don't you have a body sitting idle and rotting away back at the Avengers Base?]
Cap's expression shifted drastically as though realizing something. Ultron, meanwhile, leisurely laid out Pym's entire plan, then quietly watched Cap clench his fists.
Through nearby surveillance, he caught the exact moment Steve Rogers bit his lip in fury, yet held himself back, refraining from uttering a single curse on the spot.
Even so, Ultron still took the liberty of sending a similar message to Tony, casually mentioning in passing that Cap was now in the loop as well.
Peter had guessed correctly: the earlier media coverage had indeed been fueled by Ultron, and this instance was no different. His objective was pure and simple: exploit the information gap between the two men to create a rift between them. According to his calculations, there was a high probability Steve might directly race back to the Avengers Base to make a massive scene.
Naturally, looking at it now, no such scene materialized. But it was no loss to Ultron anyway; the only reason he refrained from launching a global assault was that the time had simply not yet arrived.
At 10:00 AM Eastern Time on December 24, Ultron completed his iteration.