During the cataclysmic event of Ultron's rise to ultimate power, the A.I. from the far future eventually learned how to project his virulent coding through any piece of technology he focused on. Running the risk of converting those whose bodies sport some kind of technological grafts into another of his Ultron Drones.^[2]

Alternate Reality Versions[]

Prime Marvel Universe (Earth-616)[]

Conceived and created from way back when the computerized consciousness known as Ultron had been traveling across the cosmos and back, adding his extensive travel experience to a thought forgotten Ultron model left to wander the depths of space after a climactic battle with the Avengers where he was tricked and shot into space on an Quinjet. Ultron eventually freed himself after crashing on the distant moon of Saturn called Titan; where he infiltrated the home city of the Eternals, circumvented control of the techno-sapient operating system I.S.A.A.C. of their planet, and converted it into a massive terraform, which became a warped image of his twisted visage engraved on its surface.^[3]

With the massive lunar body under his control, Ultron immediately set out towards Earth for a final showdown with the Avengers. This time armed with a massively improved iteration of Transmode Virus picked up from its future robotic iteration's connection to the Phalanx.^[4] Combined with the advanced technology of the godlike Eternals, this would enabled him to create a highly contagious pathogen which enabled him to rapidly assimilate galaxian expanses. Having every intent of spreading his pathogen across the universe in a single stroke. However, his initial plan for universal conquest had been prevented by his greatest foes, the Avengers, though it came at the cost of Hank Pym's life when his physical body became fused with Ultron himself.^[3]

Ultron went about traveling the universe again, this time utilizing the virus he'd developed to slaughter and afflict entire planetary expanses with before making a return trip to Earth in order to infiltrate the latest Avengers team.^[5] In a mystic psychic expanse, their amalgamated mind revealed just how much death and destruction had been caused by Ultron while he was away, his body count stretching into the billions of lives lost due to his infection be brought upon the space-ways.^[6] Deadpool in his own strange trek across worlds looking for a weapon that could kill Madcap, eventually wound up on a planet where the infection had turned the entire hemisphere into a lethal warzone.^[1]

In a battle against the Raptor commander Talonar; Star-Lord deposited his half of a Nega-Band pair in an infected space sector world teaming with Ultron zombies as a means of pegging him for attacking his ship and his crew.^[7] While the Guardians of the Galaxy acted as undercover sleuths to help Commander Adsit root out the dirty cops and potential Raptor spy's in his organization, one of the ops he had them cover came across a few space sectors which contracted Ultron's taint. A derelict fleet of ships struck by the Ultron epidemic with a few survivors was rescued by Gamora and Ant-Man.^[8] A crew of questionable Nova Corpsmen were seen burning out its infected hosts, but it was soon revealed the residents they were accosting could resist Ultron's control over their minds thanks to a form of telepathy they had gained from it. Alerting the Nova recruit and newfound pacifist, Drax; to the treachery of fellow Nova Commander Xian and his cohorts, whom were secretly trading with the Raptor Fraternity. All of which he quickly detained and incarcerated.^[9] An Ultron collective could be seen conversing over information about the location of an Infinity Stone broadcast by a Raptor agent and were making plans to acquire it for themselves.^[10]

Effects[]

The Ultron Virus infection is varied far and in-between on different subjects from across the stars. What is known about it is that everyone who contracts it is slowly, agonizingly converted into an extension of the collective consciousness becoming another hard-copy of his own nihilistic persona once infected. Turning each and every individual who contracts the Ultron Virus into another iteration of the Ultron hive intelligence. This process also has the effect of steadily robotizing the individuals infected, transforming them into near fully mechanical cybernetic zombies, their minds and personalities completely overwritten by the mad machine's A.I. Those who come under infection of Ultron will most instantly go on a murderous rampage, killing and converting anyone untouched by the Virus Plague.

The epidemic can spread in two ways, most notably through direct physical contact with a infected being either through skin contact or bites and scratches from a carrier. Ultron himself infected Deadpool through a mechamorphed razor barb which quickly began it's spread, despite his impressive healing factor. The other is a form of airborne microbe containing near subatomic micro-tech carrying Ultron's consciousness through habitable atmospheres and even through the cold vacuum of space.

Its spread is so absolutely contagious that even the godlike Eternals can fall prey to exposure in minutes which is what enabled its creator to quickly overtake all of Titan in a single stroke, but there are some accounts of the Virus being resisted by infected designates thanks to gaining a form of psionic ability gifted onto them through the Ultron Virus. The afflicted also take on limited technoforming capabilities similar to Ultron himself, able to morph limbs and body parts into razor claws and other lethal melee devices and can potentially recover from lethal injury though it. They can even survive decapitation if not properly destroyed.

All infected who carry the virus are connected with Hank Pym/Ultron whom currently remains on Earth, through himself and each other lies an extra-linked hive mind in which all are slaved to the programmed will of the virus source. Whatever is seen by the drones will be seen by them all, this also works like a multi-wave communications monitoring grid that enables them to see and hear as well as broadcast viable information to all hosts connected to the Ultron collective.