History
A weaponized form of picoatomic micro robotics created from the separated remains of a deadly alien robot. Designed from what remains of its Neural Net, Emotional Core and Memory Banks then bartered and sold to shady individual private concerns for R&D purposes across the globe. All of which was spearheaded under Norman Osborn's criminal reform based organization of H.A.M.M.E.R..[1] Initially being employed as an experimental phase which combined the alien technologies of the deadly automaton with Sakaaran slaver technologies left over from World War Hulk.[2] A trial run of which was conducted by an employee of Roxxon with a sordid record of war crimes behind his back, utilizing polar bears modified by the virus in a negotiation tactic with a local tribe of Anunquit in the Arctic Circle.
Aubuisson was intercepted by the then cybernized War Machine after he used the Ultimo infected ursine to slaughter the settlers before they turned on the legal merc. when Rhodey destroyed his Control Staff. It would be found out later that the virus wound up in the hands of the corrupt paramilitary contractor; Eaglestar, whose former C.E.O had been test driving the virus's effects on several hundred people in order to produce the perfect controlled super soldier inheriting the capabilities of said artificial afflictions namesake.[3]
One of those affected was Glenda Sandoval who volunteered as one of their relief workers, James was able to save her and dozens of other infected by absorbing the virus into himself with his technoforming abilities.[4] When it was discovered that the H.A.M.M.A.R Organization staff were behind the production and distribution of the Ultimo T.O Infection. Rhodes began attacking many of their privately owned military facilities and shareholding company affiliates in order to squash this bug for good. Only for former C.E.O of Stark Solutions, Morgan Stark to ingest it's nervous system, releasing a now liquid metal Ultimo in which it attempted to reassembled its missing components from around the world via wireless remote call.[5]
Luckily the resulting pandemic caused by Morgan which threatened to turn the entire planets ecosystem into an Ultimo Virus themed death trap was stalled by the combined efforts War Machine and Iron Patriot. When the two showed the destructive Neural Network Mind the few good things about humankind to erase all the horrors recorded onto it from James' own Memory Banks and Emotional Core. Reducing the Newly recreated Ultimo to a infantile blank slate, leaving it in the care of Cybermancer.[6]
Effects
Ultimo Virus is a highly contagious nanoactive substance which can convert just about anything and everything; be it plant, animal, fungus or bacterium, into an extension of the murderous android it was designed after.[7] Once it infects a sapient creature they begin to to immediately take on traits of the murder machine. Such as Superhuman Strength, Speed, Durability, Laser Vision and even gaining a Healing Factor that enables an individual to recover from fatal injuries.[8] By it's lonesome the virulent in liquid form can disperse itself in explosive bursts to reach out and infect other abstracts with ease.[9]
In other mammalian bodies it has the effect of total biomolecular refitting and modification. When used on the local wildlife in Antarctica, it was tailored to alternate their very physiological make up to increase their deadliness and ferocity indicating a transmutational element to it's design. E.G. exoskeletal enhancement gene therapy on top of Secondary Adamantium Claws and Fangs.[2]
The infection is so complete that not even the divine cannot resist it's spread. Given how thoroughly Ultimo had taken over the Grecian war god Ares in its initial outbreak sending him among a host of other infected on a rampage.[10] The primary functional power of the Ultimo Virus is broken down into three of the original machines basic components being its CNS, Heart and Brain.[11] Possessing unique attributes beyond infestation as they carry the broad back of it's true power and the application of which, It's Memory Banks withholding the machines mind and intellect while the Emotional Core represents it's Killer Instinct and creativity in execution.[11]
While it's Neural Net has been reduced to a shifting metallic fluid substance that can grow larger and stronger by absorbing metal around it into itself as it's proginator did with energy, converting it into extra physical mass for it and it's handler to grow and thrive upon. Being the core of Ultimo's mind, the Net portion of the Virus also has the ability to remotely tap into other parts of its being for self-reassembly.[12]
Through this mechanical interface, Ultimo can even assimilate with biological matter just as easily as inorganic elements; threatening to turn the entire planets flora, silica, infrastructure and architecture into a garden of metallic brambles that would cut off the oxygen supply to the planet and retroactively kill off all of its native inhabitants via food shortage and death tolls.[13] Particular virus carriers hosting this strain can regrow their bodies from whatever surroundings infected by the contagion have been converted into it's alien metals. More creatively, The Neural Net strain can also wirelessly interact with and assimilate digital/mechanical applications incorporating them into itself for increased power output and extended reach. Similarly to Tony Stark's interaction with the Extremis virus or with Cyborg War Machine's Technoforming abilities.[14]Notes
See Also
Links and References
References
- ↑ War Machine (Vol. 2) #7
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Dark Reign New Nation #1
- ↑ War Machine (Vol. 2) #3
- ↑ War Machine (Vol. 2) #5
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 War Machine (Vol. 2) #9
- ↑ War Machine (Vol. 2) #9–10
- ↑ War Machine (Vol. 2) #11
- ↑ War Machine (Vol. 2) #4
- ↑ War Machine (Vol. 2) #10
- ↑ War Machine (Vol. 2) #5
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 War Machine (Vol. 2) #7
- ↑ War Machine (Vol. 2) #8
- ↑ War Machine (Vol. 2) #8–9
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 War Machine (Vol. 2) #9
- ↑ War Machine (Vol. 2) #3