Who is Jocasta in VisionQuest? The Butcherbird Killer has a twisted origin linked to Ultron

The latest episodes of VisionQuest have introduced a dangerous new villain, and she has a very unusual connection to Ultron and Stark Industries. Known as the Butcherbird Killer, this mysterious synthezoid has been targeting scientists linked to the early development of artificial intelligence, so who is Jocasta, and what does she actually want?

VisionQuest episodes 3 and 4 reveal that the killer is connected to Dr Josephine Carrington, a scientist who worked at Markridge Tech. The company helped develop the first AI with consciousness before it was acquired by Stark Industries.

So, here’s everything you need to know about the Butcherbird Killer, her real identity and her strange connection to Ultron.

Who is the Butcherbird Killer in VisionQuest?

The Butcherbird Killer is Jocasta, played by T’Nia Miller. However, her origin in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is quite different from the one in the comics.

In the series, the killer targets former members of a research group that worked on early AI technology. The victims are found with a carved shrike, also known as a butcherbird, as a calling card. The killer also removes biological components from their bodies.

Vision and the other AIs investigate the case and eventually discover a connection to Dr Josephine Carrington, a former Markridge Tech scientist who seemingly died in 2008. Initially, Vision believes the killer is a synthezoid based on Carrington. But when they finally confront each other, he tries to appeal to her humanity by calling her Josephine.

She corrects him, saying, “I am her.”

So, rather than simply being an artificial copy of a human scientist, Jocasta appears to contain Carrington’s actual consciousness. The show has yet to explain exactly how she transferred her mind into a robotic body or why she is now hunting down her former colleagues.

What is Jocasta’s connection to Ultron?

In VisionQuest, Jocasta and Ultron are both connected to the history of artificial intelligence, but their relationship is not quite what Marvel Comics fans might expect.

Markridge Tech developed the first AI with consciousness before Stark Industries acquired the company. Tony Stark later used research into AI to develop systems such as J.A.R.V.I.S. and Ultron. Jocasta’s robotic form is connected to this wider history of Stark technology. However, the series has not established that Ultron created her or that she was designed to be his companion.

In fact, Jocasta seems to have her own agenda. She is hunting the scientists connected to her past and appears to need specific biological components from them for a reason that has not yet been revealed.

During her confrontation with Vision, she threatens to destroy everything he loves if he gets in her way.

Ultron later manipulates her into incinerating Katerina Wells, the last surviving scientist she was pursuing. This creates a potentially dangerous situation, as both characters have their own motives and are willing to kill to achieve them.

Whether they will work together or turn against each other remains to be seen.

Who is Jocasta in Marvel Comics?

Jocasta first appeared in The Avengers #162 in 1977. She was created by writer Jim Shooter and artist George Pérez, and her original story is very different from the one in VisionQuest. In the comics, Jocasta was created by Ultron to be his robotic bride. Unable to be with Janet Van Dyne, also known as the Wasp, Ultron decided to create a companion of his own.

He used Janet’s brain patterns to give Jocasta sentience and built her body from titanium steel. Her abilities were similar to those of Ultron and Vision, including advanced computing capabilities and superhuman strength. But Jocasta eventually realised that completing her creation would require Janet to die. She rebelled against Ultron and helped the Avengers defeat him.

After Janet’s consciousness was removed, Jocasta developed her own identity. Although she had originally been programmed to serve Ultron, she eventually became an ally of the Avengers and appeared alongside them on several occasions.

In later comics, Jocasta also joined Hank Pym’s Mighty Avengers and became involved with the Avengers Academy.

Why is VisionQuest’s version of Jocasta so different?

The biggest difference is that the MCU version appears to be a human consciousness living inside a robotic body, rather than an android created using someone else’s brain patterns.

In the comics, Jocasta’s identity is closely tied to Janet Van Dyne and Ultron’s obsession with creating a robotic partner. In VisionQuest, her story instead revolves around Dr Josephine Carrington, her scientific past and her apparent desire for revenge. Her name is also presented differently in the series. The story connects Jocasta to Carrington’s identity and the Stark technology used to build her synthetic form.

Another major difference is her relationship with Ultron. In the comics, he is her creator and intended husband. In VisionQuest, their connection is much less straightforward, and the series has not established that he had anything to do with her original creation.

So far, Jocasta is presented as a dangerous antagonist rather than the reluctant hero comic book readers may know. But her next plans remain one of the show’s biggest mysteries. 

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