Disney+'s WandaVision is the first release for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in over a year, and it brings a lot of expectations. Coming to Disney+, it is the first television series featuring big-screen superheroes, as Vision and Scarlet Witch return after making their debut in the Avengers movies.
The two now get a chance to show their stuff on their own. However, while they were members of the Avengers, they were never front and center in the movie's casts, mostly side heroes along the way. Here is a good start to understanding what Vision is all about throughout the history of Marvel Comics.
Behold The Vision
The Vision made his first appearance in The Avengers 57 by Roy Thomas, John Buscema, George Klein & Sam Rosen. He arrived at the Avengers Mansion and attacked them. However, he tells them that Ultron has sent him to destroy them and leads them to where Ultron is. The Vision then turned on Ultron and saved the team, eventually being accepted as a team member. In the next issue, Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man put him through the wringer and finally accepted him for membership.
The Torch Is Passed
While The Vision made his first appearance in 1968, it wasn't until 1975 that his true origin story played out. The storyline is The Torch is Passed, and it showed how Ultron created Vision using the body of the Android Human Torch and the brainwaves of Wonder Man. The story played out in The Avengers #134-135 by Steve Englehart, Sal Buscema, Joe Staton, Phil Rachelson & Tom Orzechowski. The story was a big part of The Vision becoming as human as he ever was in the comics.
... Let All Men Bring Together
In 1975's Giant-Size Avengers #4 by Steve Englehart, Don Heck, John Tartaglione, Petra Goldberg & Charlotte Jetter, the unthinkable happened. In the story "... Let All Men Bring Together," the mutant Scarlet Witch married the synthezoid Vision. In the WandaVision TV series, the two appear as a married couple, although that seemed artificially created. In the comics, the wedding actually happened, and it was actually a double wedding with Mantis marrying her Cotati mate as well.
Absolute Vision
In The Avengers 242-254, The Vision becomes a supervillain in his attempt to save the planet. Remember, Ulton created Vision, and it was always Ultron's prime directive to save the world, and the greatest threat to the Earth is humans. In this story, The Vision takes over as the team leader and then develops a more authoritarian attitude. He decides to take control of all computer systems on Earth and seek world control. This story shows how powerful Vision is and how dangerous he becomes if he decides to break bad.
A Year In The Life
The Vision and Scarlet Witch had two series. The first came in 1982 and immediately followed their marriage. However, the superior series came in 1985, kicked off with The Vision and the Scarlet Witch #1 by Steve Englehart, Richard Howell, Andy Mushynsky, Janet Jackson, Adam Philips & L. Lois Buhalis.
Known as "A Year In The Life," Vision and Scarlet Witch quit The Avengers due to how Henry Peter Gyrich treated them. The two set out to live as private citizens but have lots of adventures along the way. This is also a great look at their marriage and relationship and might be a good starting point for fans of the WandaVision TV series.
The New Vision
While Vision was in charge of The Avengers, he created the West Coast Avengers to defend the other side of the country. In West Coast Avengers #45 by John Byrne, Mike Machlan, Paul Becton & Bill Oakley, Hank Pym successfully brought back The Vision, much to Scarlet Witch's excitement. This version was completely white and had now a stark difference from past versions. He had no personality at all, and that was because Wonder Man refused to allow Pym to use his brain patterns to bring him back.
Vision Quest
The biggest thing that happened with Vision as a member of the West Coast Avengers came when he learned his origin was not what most originally thought. In West Coast Avengers #47-50 by John Byrne, Mike Machlan, Bob Sharen & Bill Oakley, Vision learned that his body was not created from the Android Human Torch.
This new version of The Vision not only was stripped of Wonder Man's personality, but he learned his body was created from a prototype of the Android Human Torch and not the actual Golden Age hero. The Android Human Torch returned and joined the West Coast Avengers, fighting alongside Vision.
Yesterday & Tomorrow
In 2002, Vision got his own four-issue miniseries titled Avengers Icons: The Vision by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, Joe Pimental, Chris Sotomayor & Paul Tutrone. In this series, someone downloaded and stole his memories, so The Vision goes and looks for help through Phineas T. Horton's granddaughter. They then have to battle a man who wants to take over the world and regain Vision's humanity at the same time. This set up Vision for the future in Marvel Comics.
Little Worse Than A Man
In 2015, Vision got his own series, and it was amazing as he created his own family. In the first six issues of Vision by Tom King, Gabriel Hernandez Walta, Jordie Bellaire & Clayton Cowles, Vision builds his new family, including wife Virginia, son Vin, and daughter Viv. This series starts with a shocking death and shows how far Vision would go to save his family. For a hero that once tried to take over the world, he now had something to fight for.
Little Better Than A Beast
Vision 7-12 finishes off the solo Vision series and picks up where "Little Worse Than a Man" left off, with Agatha Harkness warning The Avengers that Vision will do anything to maintain his newfound humanity, including murder. The last arc starts with Vision realizing that he might have created a new family but then facing a great betrayal that destroyed everything he loves. This is heartbreaking and one of the greatest Vision stories ever told.