VisionQuest Theory Predicts That The Client Has Been Hiding In Plain Sight All Along

VisionQuest has saved its biggest mystery for its final episodes: the identity of the mysterious “Client” (or “Benefactor”) who hired the Paladin to hunt down White Vision. Though never seen, the Client has made their presence known through regular check-ins with Paladin (Todd Stashwick), as well as independent machinations like hiring Iron Man (2008) villain Raza al-Wazar (Faran Tahir) to take up the contract. However, in Episode 6, “Deadlock,” the Client makes their presence known by shutting down the entire power grid of Madripoor to deliver a digital monologue to Vision (Paul Bettany).

The Client’s speech included quotes like “I am the one hunting you. I’m also the one who can end your suffering. You died for love. But rebuilt, reborn without that love. I can give you that heart—it’s the soul you came back to life without.” It also came with the ominous promise: “Surrender yourself, or I will take you, okay? There is no life I will spare for this to be.”

The Client actually making an appearance (even in digital disguise) was all some fans needed to pull loose clues together into a very compelling working theory; one that says the Client is actually the character we’ve been looking at (one way or another) all along.

VisionQuest Theory: The Client’s Identity Revealed

During this week’s episode of the ComicBook Nation podcast, we did a deep dive into VisionQuest episodes 5 & 6. During that segment, one of the regulars in our YouTube chat, “@NinDiego_64,” dropped an interesting theory: “I have a theory that the Benefactor (Client) is OG Vision.”

That’s a pretty compelling theory to incorporate into the show – but there are plenty of breadcrumbs that support it. Firstly, the reveal of Ultron’s return (Vision absorbing a piece of him using the Mind Stone) opens the door for OG Vision to have made a similar move himself: in the instant that Thanos was pulling the Mind Stone out of his head, Vision clearly had the capability to store a backup of his consciousness somewhere, using the stone. S.W.O.R.D.’s intervention would’ve prevented OG Vision from downloading into a repaired body, and White Vision’s firewalls would’ve kept him out permanently, lost and formless in digital space. VisionQuest has already pulled the twist of revealing some key characters (like Paladin’s assistant) are actually AI – the Client being one too fits, especially after seeing Episode 6.

OG Vision would never have experienced “WandaVision” and the family bond it created – memories that are now stored in White Vision’s head. He would be a “soul” desperately looking for his body; the opposite of White Vision, who is the body missing the heart and soul of OG Vision. By now we know these MCU Disney+ shows love to play with mirror images of their lead characters, and since the Vision who battled White Vision in WandaVision was a conjuring, an actual OG Vision vs. White Vision fight is a spectacle fans would certainly want to see, before their inevitable merging.

Theory #2: The Human Torch* vs. White Vision

As for how that fight will go down: NinDiego also posited the theory that J.I.M. (Jewel Individual Machine), aka the original synthezoid (and Marvel’s original “Human Torch” character), has been popping up in VisionQuest because his synthezoid body will be what OG Vision inhabits to fight White Vision for their body.

Some fans may look at this theory and object to the idea that OG Vision would ever do the things the Client has set in motion (Paladin’s many kills, employing the Ten Rings). But again, Marvel Studios loves a certain amount of synergy in these Disney+ series character arcs. Wanda went down a dark spiral after WandaVision, becoming a full-fledged villain and killer out of the obsession to get her family life back; OG Vision could have been bodiless for so long that it warped him: watching all the events in the Hex and VisionQuest play out, unable to save Wanda from losing herself to grief, desperately wanting to get back to his life as a thinking, feeling, machine man while so many organizations have stood in his way.

The second plotline of Episodes 5 and 6 made an entire teleplay out of showing how valuable Vision’s evolution is to synths like Ultron (James Spader) and Jocasta (T’Nia Miller). So is it really that hard to believe that OG Vision would go to extreme lengths to get his body back?

What do you think of this theory? Would it provide the exciting (and thought-provoking) ending to VisionQuest you want? Let us know in the comments!

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