| For alternate versions of the Battle of Sokovia, see the Battle of Sokovia's Event Hub |
- "Avengers, you are my meteor. My swift and terrible sword and the Earth will crack with the weight of your failure. Purge me from your computers, turn my own flesh against me. It means nothing. When the dust settles, the only thing living in this world... will be metal."
- ―Ultron to the Avengers[src]
The Battle of Sokovia[3] was a major battle between the Avengers and Ultron in Novi Grad, Sokovia. Convinced that humanity was the greatest threat to peace on Earth, Ultron planned to commit global genocide by creating a device that would lift the city of Novi Grad skyward and cause it to recreate a meteoric impact when it crashed into Earth. The actions of the Avengers, however, resulted in the threat being neutralized and the Ultron Offensive being brought to an end.
The Battle of Sokovia was a very polarizing and controversial incident worldwide; it resulted in a total of 177 fatalities, and a fiscal impact of $474 billion in collateral damage. In 2016, the United Nations ratified a bill of documents enforcing regulation of superpowered individuals under the Sokovia Accords; public opinion was divisive, with most of the blame shifted towards the Avengers.
Background[]
The Rise of Ultron[]
- "Consequences are upon us. Men made of metal will tear our cities apart, and the world will be changed forever."
- ―Raina to Jiaying[src]
With S.H.I.E.L.D. in disarray following the HYDRA Uprising, the Avengers reassembled and set out to take down all remaining HYDRA cells. Their mission eventually climaxed in 2015, when they led an assault on a Sokovian research base and captured Baron Strucker. During the assault, Tony Stark recovered the Scepter that Strucker used for his illegal experiments, which was the same weapon that Loki wielded during the Battle of New York. As he prepared to take it from its resting place, Wanda Maximoff implanted a vision of the Chitauri occupying Earth into his mind.
A shaken Stark realized the world needed better protection and subsequently created a peacekeeping program he later dubbed the Ultron Program. It was while he was developing the program that Stark discovered an artificial intelligence hidden within the Scepter's gem. Believing it to be the key to completing the Ultron Program, Stark convinced Bruce Banner to configure a suitable structure.
Within three days, the two completed their task and left J.A.R.V.I.S. to oversee the last phase of construction. The AI, however, became unexpectedly sentient and began to question its purpose. When J.A.R.V.I.S. informed the AI of its purpose, it acted in defiance, scouring the Internet for information on its creator. Before J.A.R.V.I.S. could inform Stark of the AI's singularity, it attacked J.A.R.V.I.S. and forced J.A.R.V.I.S. into hiding.[4]
Ultron and the Twins[]
- "Is that why you've come? To end the Avengers?"
"I've come to save the world, but also... yeah." - ―Wanda Maximoff and Ultron[src]
Ultron escaped with the Scepter after confronting the Avengers; he then contacted Wanda Maximoff and Quicksilver. Believing Ultron was going to save the world, they agreed to help him fight the Avengers. When they went to retrieve vibranium from the Salvage Yard, the Avengers caught up with them. Ultron fought against Iron Man, while his Ultron Sentries both fought the Avengers and acquired the vibranium. Quicksilver assisted in the fighting and Wanda Maximoff used her powers to awaken the Avengers' fears. She manipulated Hulk's mind, causing him to go berserk, and cause mass damage to Johannesburg even when Iron Man tried to subdue him.[4]
Birth of Vision[]
Ultron explains his true world-ending goal
- "I've had a vision. A whirlpool that sucks in all hope of life and at its center is that."
"What, the gem?"
"It's the Mind Stone. It's one of the six Infinity Stones." - ―Thor and Bruce Banner[src]
During an attempt to create a more powerful body, Ultron attacked the U-GIN Genetic Research Facility and manipulated Helen Cho to use a machine for the creation of his new body. Under the control of the Scepter, she used a machine called the Regeneration Cradle to create the body. Then, Wanda Maximoff, receiving a vision about the global destruction Ultron would create, freed Helen Cho from the mind control. Ultron attacked them, but in the end, Maximoff escaped with Quicksilver along with Dr. Cho; however, Cho was severely wounded by Ultron.
Captain America finds a wounded Helen Cho
Minutes after, Captain America talked with the injured Cho and discovered Ultron's plan. With the help of Hawkeye in a Quinjet, Captain America pursued a U-GIN Truck, because the body could be the key to destroying Ultron. Black Widow, through some clever planning, managed to retrieve the body, but was captured by Ultron in the process. After a battle in the streets of Seoul, the machine was taken to Avengers Tower. Bruce Banner and Tony Stark began to work and created a new AI for the body, but Stark discovered that J.A.R.V.I.S. was alive. Due to that, he decided to transfer the AI into the body.
Captain America, Maximoff, and Quicksilver arrived to try and stop them, leading to a brawl until Thor arrived, providing the Regeneration Cradle electrical power in order to awaken the A. I. being. It stated that it wasn't Ultron and that it was willing to fight with the Avengers to stop Ultron. Black Widow was able to contact Hawkeye telling him she and Ultron were located in Sokovia.[4]
Battle[]
First Evacuation[]
Wanda Maximoff and Quicksilver help evacuate
- "Ultron knows we're coming. Odds are we'll be riding into heavy fire, and that's what we signed up for. But the people of Sokovia, they didn't. So our priority is getting them out."
- ―Captain America to the Avengers[src]
The first evacuation began with Quicksilver and Wanda Maximoff escorting the civilians out of the city. Quicksilver was more aggressive due to them not cooperating at first, then Maximoff used her hypnosis on the people and controlled them to leave their homes. Later, Bruce Banner, along with Thor, were searching for Black Widow, who was held captive by Ultron. Bruce Banner found her first and destroyed the lock with a laser gun, freeing her. Later, Iron Man flew over to the church where Ultron was in his new armor. Ultron then confronted his creator and pointed out that he was stalling to protect the people of Sokovia. Stark replied that that was the mission that Ultron was supposed to complete; however, Ultron countered by saying that he had moved beyond his mission and that he was free.
Suddenly, the Doomsday Trigger jutted out from the ground as Ultron revealed that he too had been stalling until it reached the surface. Just then, the Ultron Sentries also emerged from the ground and the water and began to attack the civilians. This prompted Iron Man and the rest of the Avengers to retaliate by attacking the Sentries. Maximoff attempted to aid her people by moving them off a bridge while Hawkeye bought her time by destroying the drones with his arrows. One of the drones landed and fired at the people, only for Wanda to create a shield and repel the blasts. However, the shield dissipated from the force of the blasts, knocking Maximoff to the ground.
Back at the church, Vision confronted Ultron as the two gazed at one another while taking flight. The Vision pleaded with Ultron that he could change all of this since he was the one who set the terms. Ultron responded by choking the Vision; however, this gave the android the opportunity to hack into Ultron's mainframe and prevent him from escaping through the net. Captain America was battling the sentries on the bridge while Thor fought the robots underground as he made his way towards the machine. Quicksilver soon joined the fray, using his super-speed to take out many drones in the blink of an eye. Vision succeeded in burning Ultron out of the net, but this incapacitated Vision and only stunned Ultron briefly. Ultron then flung Vision to the ground before activating the machine.[4]
Elevation of Novi Grad[]
Sokovia is boosted up in the air
- "The city is flying, we're fighting an army of robots, and I have a bow and arrow. None of this makes sense."
- ―Hawkeye to Wanda Maximoff[src]
Thor reached the boosters of the Doomsday Trigger, only to find himself too late as it was activated. A massive portion of Sokovia began to lift off the ground, as the Avengers could do nothing but watch. The evacuated people watched in horror as their town was lifted towards the sky while those who remained were either crushed by falling debris or falling below.
Hulk and Black Widow escape underground
Ultron began to boast on how the Earth would crack from the weight of the Avengers' failures and that no matter what they did, it meant nothing to him. Once he completed his plan of global extinction, the only thing that would be left in the world would be metal. Back underground, Black Widow and Bruce Banner shared a kiss, only for Natasha to push him into a pit and forcing him to change into Hulk. Hulk, along with Black Widow, leaped above towards the ascending slab of the city and landed in a forest before they split up to destroy the drones and protect the civilians.
Wanda Maximoff fights back against Ultron
Iron Man rescued a family from a collapsing apartment and Captain America ordered the Avengers to destroy the Ultron Sentries, asking that if they got harmed, to harm the opponents in return, and if they got killed, then they should "walk it off". Meanwhile, Wanda Maximoff and Hawkeye rescued civilians while they fought off the Ultron drones. As Hawkeye grabbed Maximoff and took cover inside a house from an oncoming Ultron drone, Wanda began to panic as she felt great guilt in joining Ultron and allowing this to happen. Hawkeye stated that now was not the time to be afraid, and despite being a human with a bow and arrow, he did this because it was his job. Hawkeye could not do a job and babysit at the same time, and it no longer mattered what she did and what she was. What matters was that she fights to protect, and when she does she becomes an Avenger. Hawkeye then went out and continued to fight off the Sentries.
Thor and Captain America fight in Sokovia
Back in the city at the bridge, two cars were about to fall from the shattered edge. Captain America attempted to save one but the fender dislodged and the two cars fell below. Thor intercepted one of the cars and tossed the woman that was in it back to Captain America as he lifted the second car back up to the bridge. Black Widow joined the battle, using her electric batons to fight off the drones. Captain America and Thor worked in tandem, as Thor batted Captain America's Shield with enough force to ricochet it off of several drones. Thor destroyed many of the drones effortlessly, which irritated Ultron and took him away from his allies. Hawkeye continued to destroy as many drones as he could, but more piled on regardless. However, Maximoff soon joined the fray and used her hex bolts to destroy the Ultron Sentries while using her telekinesis to dismember them. After destroying them, she was carried off by Quicksilver.
Iron Man and War Machine fly into battle
Ultron tossed Thor back at the church and began to pummel him savagely. Iron Man was trying to find solutions as to how to stop Ultron's plan and realized that he should redirect the energy back at the thrusters to overload, but F.R.I.D.A.Y. stated that would take the city and everyone else on it. The Avengers, thinking that they were going down along with the city, were then shocked and surprised to see that Nick Fury, along with Maria Hill and several other former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, had arrived with a Helicarrier[4] provided by Phil Coulson[5] to rescue the stranded civilians. The Ultron drones were about to attack the Helicarrier, only for Nick Fury to deploy War Machine in his new armor, who began to destroy the attacking drones with Iron Man joining the fray alongside his comrade.[4]
Repelling Ultron and His Sentries[]
Ultron continued to beat Thor before putting him in a chokehold, saying that once he turned the Doomsday Trigger, he would cause the city to plummet down and kill billions of humans, despite saving the people on it. Thor began to distract Ultron as Vision soon regained consciousness and whacked Ultron away with Mjølnir before returning it to Thor. While Iron Man fought off the sentries, one of the robots destroyed the propellers for the Lifeboats, causing Iron Man to prevent it from falling.
The Avengers are assembled into battle
Thor then called out to the Avengers that the drones were coming for the core to activate it. Iron Man told War Machine to rescue the other civilians while they regrouped back at the church. After they all met up, Ultron soon confronted them all and summoned a massive armada of his sentries in response to Thor's challenge and to Captain America's dismay. When Ultron questioned how they could stop him, Iron Man replied "together." This prompted the legion of drones to all attack the Avengers.
The Avengers fight against the Ultron Sentries
The heroes then worked in tandem and began to destroy any drone that attempted to go near the machine; Captain America using his shield and fighting prowess; Black Widow using her martial arts skills and taser batons; Hawkeye using his arrows and bow; Vision using his density altering powers; Wanda Maximoff using her hex bolts and telekinesis; Quicksilver using his speed and friction; Thor using his hammer and lightning; Iron Man using his repulsor blasts; and Hulk using his fists as they all fought off the robotic army.
Shouting with rage, Ultron himself attacked and began with the Vision. The Vision then blasted him away with a beam of energy from the Mind Stone on his forehead, prompting Thor and Iron Man to join him as they blasted Ultron with lightning bolts and repulsor beams, respectively, slowly melting his shell away before stopping. Weakened and damaged, Ultron was punched away by Hulk, forcing the drones to all try to escape. Iron Man ordered the Avengers to stop them from leaving and to destroy them, should Ultron download himself into one of them when he was destroyed. War Machine was joined by the Vision to destroy the airborne drones, much to his bewilderment.[4]
Activation of the Doomsday Trigger[]
Captain America then ordered the other Avengers to retreat to the boats; however, Wanda Maximoff volunteered to remain behind to protect the Doomsday Trigger in order to prevent a drone from activating it. Unbeknownst to them, a damaged Ultron made his way to the Quinjet. Hawkeye dropped Black Widow off near Hulk's location in order for her to calm him down and revert him back to normal; unfortunately, this was prevented after Black Widow and Hulk received a hail of bullets from the Quinjet which was controlled by Ultron.
Quicksilver is shot and killed by Ultron
Meanwhile, Hawkeye left the boat in order to rescue a Sokovian woman's brother, but soon realized he was in the line of fire as the bullets from the Quinjet were racing towards him. Before the killing blow was struck, Hawkeye and the boy were saved by Quicksilver as he sped past them, taking the bullets instead. Maximoff sensed this and screamed in pure anguish at the loss of her brother.
Wanda Maximoff gets her revenge on Ultron
Hawkeye carried off the boy to the boat while Captain America took away the deceased Quicksilver. Hulk then carried the Black Widow to the Helicarrier, dropping her there before lunging towards the Quinjet. He removed Ultron from the controls as the AI crashed into a train car. Maximoff found Ultron and ripped his central core out of his body in revenge for him killing her brother. However, because she left her post, Ultron was able to take control of a damaged sentry and activate the machine.
Thor uses his lightning to destroy the Key
Thrusters went into reverse thrust in order to increase the devastation of the impact as Sokovia plummeted towards the Earth below. Iron Man used his Unibeam to counteract the energy being given off through the vibranium engine while Thor summoned a massive bolt of lightning. Vision flew through the rubble and saved Maximoff at the last moment before Thor swung Mjølnir down with incredible force, using the power from the lightning and completely destroying the slab of Sokovia through the mechanism itself.
The crater left after Novi Grad was destroyed
Black Widow attempted to reach Hulk through the Quinjet, informing him to deactivate the stealth mode in order for them to track him. However, Hulk simply cut out the transmission, much to Black Widow's shock. Hulk remained within the Quinjet as he, along with the ship, drifted through the skies. Ultron, on the other hand, survived through a final Ultron Sentry but was then confronted by the Vision, who noticed that he was afraid of death. The two engaged in a rather friendly conversation before they shared their respective views of humanity. While they both agreed that humans were flawed and were doomed to self-destruction, Vision pointed out that they had faith in attempting to achieve their accomplishments and destroyed the attacking drone, ending the threat of Ultron.[4]
Aftermath[]
World's Reaction[]
WHiH World News' report on the Battle of Sokovia
- "The world's been a little twitchy since Sokovia fell out of the sky."
- ―Daisy Johnson[src]
Public opinion of the Avengers was not positive, however. Robert Gonzales of S.H.I.E.L.D. felt that the whole Ultron Offensive was Tony Stark's fault.[5] Christine Everhart, in interviews with the United Nations, expressed the opinion that superheroes needed regulation in their activities.[6]
Months later, after the Inhuman Outbreak began, the Watchdogs invoked the image of cities falling out of the sky and specifically named the Avengers in order to justify their demands that the names of Inhumans be made public, even though there were no Inhuman Avengers before or after the Ultron Offensive.[7]
President Matthew Ellis had the Advanced Threat Containment Unit created in order to find and contain people with powers since citizens of the United States of America were fearful that a similar incident could happen again.[8]
Restrictions were also imposed on all artificial intelligence worldwide following the failed integration of the global Ultron peacekeeping program.[9]
The New Avengers[]
Captain America and Black Widow discuss the new Avengers
- "What we needed was a suit of armor around the world! Remember that? Whether it impacted our precious freedom or not, that's what we needed!"
"Well, that didn't work out, did it?" - ―Tony Stark and Steve Rogers[src]
Four out of the six core Avengers actively left the team; Clint Barton officially retired and returned to his wife and children, naming his newborn child Nathaniel Pietro Barton in honor of Pietro Maximoff; Hulk fled Earth in a Quinjet and landed on the planet Sakaar[10]; Thor returned to Asgard to learn more about the Infinity Stones; and Tony Stark retired from active duty, leaving Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff as the only original active Avengers. With the establishment of the Avengers Compound, the duo trained their two latest members, Vision and Wanda Maximoff, along with two new members they had recruited: Sam Wilson and James Rhodes.[4]
Wanda Maximoff talks about her grief
While trying to process her grief for the loss of Pietro, Wanda often sat in her room watching various sitcoms. One day, Vision entered and spoke with Maximoff about her troubles despite not being sble to fully process what she was going through. He simply told her that he grief for Pietro only shows how much she loved him.[11]
The Avengers were finally able to prove themselves in battle hen they had to go up against HYDRA and an Ultron-like robot called Ultimo. The group battled Ultimo for a while before Maximoff was able to rip it apart.[12]
Nick Fury and Maria Hill also left despite helping establish the team and their new compound, but despite working independently, they always kept an eye on the Avengers.[13]
Sokovia Accords[]
- "Sokovia. He wanted to make a difference, I suppose. We won't know because we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass. There's no decision-making process here. We need to be put in check! Whatever form that takes, I'm game. If we can't accept limitations, if we're boundary-less... we're no better than the bad guys."
- ―Tony Stark to the Avengers[src]
The Battle of Sokovia caused the deaths of 177 civilians and $474 billion in damage which, along with a disastrous operation in Lagos, led to the passing of the Sokovia Accords, a set of legal documents designed to control and regulate the activities of enhanced individuals such as the Avengers. Established by the United Nations and ratified by 117 countries, the Accords were to serve as a legal response to international concerns over unsanctioned actions and their consequences by members of the Avengers.
A woman confronted Tony Stark, as she personally blamed him for her son's death during the Battle of Sokovia, which made Stark become supportive of the Sokovia Accords. This resulted in the Avengers Civil War, that split the team into two factions, the pro-Accords team led by Stark fighting against the anti-Accords team led by Steve Rogers.[2]
Black Market[]
- "Now this is crafted from a reclaimed Sub-Ultron arm, straight from Sokovia."
- ―Jackson Brice to Aaron Davis[src]
Ultron technology salvaged from the Battle of Sokovia was recovered by clean-up crews, and some were acquired to be sold on the black market. Ultron's head was stored in protected storage of the United States Department of Damage Control, while Adrian Toomes' crew recovered a Sub-Ultron arm, which was modified into a blaster by Tinkerer, which could emit concussive blasts.[14] Meanwhile, vibranium used by Ultron helped the CIA to track down Ulysses Klaue, who intended to sell more vibranium to black market buyers. Everett Ross arranged a sting operation in Busan, South Korea and with Black Panther's assistance, Klaue was arrested before he was evacuated and killed by Erik Killmonger.[15]
Helmut Zemo's Revenge[]
- "My father lived outside the city. I thought we would be safe there. My son was excited. He could see the Iron Man from the car window. I told my wife, 'Don't worry. They're fighting in the city. We're miles from harm.' When the dust cleared... and the screaming stopped... it took me two days until I found their bodies. My father... still holding my wife and son in his arms. And the Avengers? They went home."
- ―Helmut Zemo[src]
Upon discovering the bodies of his father, his wife, and his son Carl in the aftermath of the battle, a Sokovian baron named Helmut Zemo blamed the Avengers for their deaths and decided to secretly manipulate them into fighting each other to avenge his family. By 2016, Zemo executed his plan and successfully divided the Avengers for several years.[2]
Appearances[]
| Appearances for Battle of Sokovia |
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In chronological order:
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References[]
- ↑ Avengers: Age of Ultron takes place two months before the events of Ant-Man. Scott Lang is released from prison on July 17th, as shown in WHiH Newsfront.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Captain America: Civil War
- ↑ Wanda Maximoff Throughout the MCU (Including WandaVision!)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 Avengers: Age of Ultron
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 2.20: Scars
- ↑ WHiH Newsfront: 1.02: WHIH Newsfront Top Stories
- ↑ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 3.14: Watchdogs
- ↑ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 3.01: Laws of Nature
- ↑ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 4.01: The Ghost
- ↑ Thor: Ragnarok
- ↑ WandaVision: 1.08: Previously On
- ↑ Captain America: Road to War
- ↑ Captain Marvel Prelude
- ↑ Spider-Man: Homecoming
- ↑ Black Panther