During the fourth episode of VisionQuest, titled “Malware,” the identity of the Butcherbird Killer is revealed. First mentioned in a news report Ultron (James Spader) was watching during episode 2 (“Theseus”), the Butcherbird is a serial killer who has been targeting the board members of Markridge Biotech, an AI technology company that was sold to Stark Industries in 2008, back when Stark was still developing weapons. Markridge Biotech would supply Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) with the necessary technology to create his AI system J.A.R.V.I.S. and would also be used in the creation of Ultron (which, of course, would backfire).
In episode 4 of VisionQuest, Vision (Paul Bettany) and the other AIs housed in his mind determine that the Butcherbird’s next victim will be Katerina Wells (Mary McDonnell), the last surviving board member of Markridge Biotech. To stop the killer, Vision, Tommy (Ruaridh Mollica), and Lisa Molinari (Lauren Morais) infiltrate a gala Wells will be speaking at, though their rescue does not go as planned. Warning: Spoilers ahead for VisionQuest episode 4 At the party, the Butcherbird Killer is revealed to be Jocasta, an AI based upon Josephine Carrington, a Markridge Biotech board member who died in 2008 due to illness, though not before uploading her consciousness into the Jocasta AI.
Carrington/Jocasta is enraged that her fellow board members sold off her company to Stark, and it seems that she is now getting her revenge as Jocasta. On top of that, she seems to be collecting biokeys from her victims for some yet-to-be-revealed larger plan. Based on Jocasta Pym from Marvel Comics, Jocasta is quite a bit different from her comic book inspiration, though the changes were necessary given the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s changes to Ultron.
While Ultron was created by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner in Avengers: Age of Ultron, in the original Marvel comics, Ultron was created by Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man (the one Michael Douglas plays in the movies). Soon after Pym created Ultron, Ultron turned on the Avengers, becoming one of their most formidable opponents. Pym used his own brainwaves to help create Ultron.
Because of this, Ultron retained Pym’s love for Janet Van Dyne (The Wasp). Ultron eventually transferred Janet’s mind into a robot form he’d built for her, creating himself the perfect mate. Ultron even named her Jocasta after the wife/mother of the legendary King Oedipus, as Janet had helped build him, but would also become his wife.
All of this, of course, is wildly different from what VisionQuest is doing with Jocasta. Even the source of the name is different, as Jocasta is a portmanteau of Josephine Carrington’s first and last name — “Jo” and “ca” — and Stark (“sta”). Despite all the changes, the robot form of Jocasta looks a great deal like the comic book character.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
