The Vision - Existential Philosophy and Family Drama
What is a man? What does it mean to be part of family, to unconditionally love something, to be a parent, a sibling? What does it mean to be all these roles and know that it is illogical? These are the questions the new comic series Vision contemplates. Tom King is a revelatory writer in the modern comic’s scene. He has recently become the major writer of the new Batman rebirth series and Sheriff of Babylon for DC Comics imprint Vertigo. While both of these series are good in their own right, its King’s previous DC story The Omega Men and his current Marvel series Vision that have transcended the comic boundary. The Omega Men is a brilliant series that lasted for 12 spectacular issues, using a bizarre cast of characters and the mythos of the DC Universe. Omega Men told a story that pondered issues such as terrorism, revolution, propaganda, and corrupt governments. It told a story filled with nuanced and unique characters that would do anything necessary to destroy a dictatorship, even if it meant destroying public opinion of themselves in the process. It was dramatic, heartbreaking and fantastic. Yet, its King’s newest series Vision that deals with smaller themes, and shows how a man can break if his family is threatened. Although this family we speak of is a very special case study.
Vision is a well-known character by now. He’s been in Marvel comics since the late 60s and has been an influential player in several noticeable Marvel events. He has even appeared in two Marvel Cinematic Universe films, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War. He’s a synthezoid, a very special type of android, created by the rogue, artificial intelligence Ultron. Vision was created with the express purpose of being the ultimate weapon to combat the Avengers, this plan failed and Vision joined the team instead. According to Vision in King’s story, he has saved the world 37 times during his tenure. Our story begins after Vision is picked to serve as the Avenger’s liaison in the White House, when he moves to Virginia he creates a family of fellow synthezoids. His wife Virginia, and their children Vin and Viv. The family itself gets into trouble when an accident occurs at their house that draws suspicion to them and the family must navigate the horrors of their life and attempt to achieve normalcy.
The Visions are a complex family, they are filled with love for each other and an intense appreciation for the world they are in. Vision has always had a passion for humans despite his knowledge that their very existence is a threat to themselves and to their world. Even still, the inherent good in them has always made him love the human race. This series puts Vision in a place his mind has never been before, he desires to make himself as human as possible. He gives himself a family and enrolls his children in school, he interacts with neighbors, and he is emotional. The moments of anger, pain, sadness, joy that the Visions go through are its most powerful. They are weak to the emotions they find in themselves because their unparalleled knowledge of the weakness of emotions means experiencing them is illogical.
This emotion, these beautiful and heart-crushing moments are captured perfectly in the series, and bring humanity to characters who are early established as computers. Computers attempting to feel that gradually can’t escape the gravitational pull of the emotion that is inevitably thrust upon them. It is this balance of logic and human expression that puts the Visions on a tightrope walk. In the first issue, Vision and Virginia have a discussion based on the correct way to say a phrase, but Virginia locates the underlying paradox of that phrase and suggests that saying it is illogical. Vision responds, “To assert as truth that which has no meaning is the core mission of humanity … The pursuit of a set purpose by logical means is the way of tyranny; this is the vision of my creator. Of Ultron. The pursuit of an unobtainable purpose by absurd means is the way of freedom; this is my vision of the future. Of our future.” It is this one quote that cements the philosophy and inherent conflict of the series.
The Visions are logical machines, imperfect artificial intelligence meant to convincingly copy humanity, and yet they are not without true emotion. For the Visions this life they are attempting to create, this faux family is illogical. Not because they are not real people, but because love and family must be illogical. They are bound to it though. To the love they share for each other, because of that they are children. Stumbling through the darkness as they try and understand that which they do not know. Vision is bound by duty to serve his planet faithfully and yet when he chooses his family over the Earth he begins to chip away, his duty to his family frictions with his duty to the Avengers. Especially after the team begins to suspect he is going to dramatically hurt people. This is an emotional center we haven’t seen from Vision before. He threatens innocents, he pushes friends away, he almost commits suicide, and he lies. This lie is central to the story because it’s the beginning of Vision’s path. Lying as a general concept is illogical, and yet he does it. He lies to protect his family from justice. From a terrible crime. This struggle of logical and emotional doesn’t even begin to explain how the story explores themes of racism, surveillance, and morality complexes.
The newest issue, released last Wednesday, August 10, is the tenth in the series. It explores the grieving process of the family after a great tragedy occurs. It is quite possibly the most heartbreaking, well-written, and honest look at humanity the series has had yet. At this point the Visions have already been established as emotionally conflicted characters, but after this tragedy their sorrow is almost poignant. They want nothing more than to grieve, but they can’t. They sit solemnly and want to release their emotion, but their programming knows that would be wrong, and they can’t physically grieve as well. The most startling image in the issue is the knowledge that none of them can cry. It’s devastating. Vision sits on the edge of a bed, rewinds a memory to remind him of who he has lost, and he regrets his actions in the memory. He leaves to enact his revenge, risking his life in the process. This moment and many more just scratch the surface of King’s brilliant additions to the comic scene.
What is undeniable is that Tom King’s work transcends the normal comic book storytelling we see these days. He’s a masterful writer, and one whose short bibliography has already shown exactly the kind of stories modern comics can tell. If you’re tired of the usual fluff from comics please do not hesitate and explore King’s amazing works.