5 Marvel Theories About The Client in VisionQuest, Who Hired The Paladin?

VisionQuest has arrived on Disney+, and while the first two episodes gave a lot of answers as to what the mysterious show is about, they also raised a ton of questions. We’ve learned the Vision is in hiding, and he, along with all of the other Stark artificial intelligences who are living in his Mindspace, hopes to learn how to connect with human emotions as well as Vision’s past.

However, he doesn’t stay in hiding long, as a bounty hunter named Paladin finds him at a remote European pub and attempts to kidnap him. Ultron reveals that an unknown Client put out a major bounty on Vision’s head, and the Paladin took up the offer. So, after escaping a trap in which Paladin used Vision’s son Tommy as bait, the former Avenger and his son must go on the run and find out who is after them. Luckily, we have some ideas.

5) Billy Maximoff & Agatha Harkness

VisionQuest is the conclusion of a trilogy of Disney+ shows, with the first being WandaVision, and the second being Agatha All Along. While there aren’t many clear connections between the second and third entries in this trilogy just yet, the identity of the Client may wind up being the biggest one. At the end of Agatha All Along, the titular witch has become a ghost. However, this hasn’t hindered her powers, with Agatha and Billy Maximoff setting off on a journey to find Billy’s brother, Tommy.

Tommy has already appeared in VisionQuest, and now that he and Vision are together, it would be the perfect time for Billy to show up. Billy and Agatha may have hoped to find Vision in order to get to Tommy, leading them to hire the Paladin. However, it is a bit odd that they would hire such a violent person to seek out Vision, putting him and Tommy at risk. While Billy and Agatha being the Client may raise more questions than answers, it wouldn’t be hard for VisionQuest to pull off this reveal.

4) Justin Hammer

Now, we have absolutely no indication that Sam Rockwell’s Justin Hammer will appear in VisionQuest. In fact, this could just be wishful thinking. However, when listing out suspects who would be interested in stealing Stark technology dead or alive, Hammer is at the top of that list. The villain was one of the main antagonists in 2010’s Iron Man 2, although he has only appeared in a One-Shot special and an episode of What If…? since.

Justin Hammer is still out there somewhere, and if he found out that Vision was flying around undetected, it would be nearly impossible for him to resist the temptation. Plus, almost every other Stark AI is living in Vision’s head, meaning that if Hammer gets his hands on Vision, he could have unparalleled access to Tony’s tech. It was heavily rumored that Justin Hammer would return in Armor Wars, and now that the project is seemingly stuck in development hell, the MCU could have easily pivoted and reworked Hammer’s story to fit into VisionQuest.

3) Jocasta

VisionQuest is set to introduce another artificial intelligence named Jocasta, and since we don’t know when and why she’ll be popping up, it is entirely possible that she could be the Client. In the comics, Ultron creates Jocasta as his android companion, with her personality being based on Janet van Dyne. Since this storyline didn’t occur in Avengers: Age of Ultron (partially due to the fact that Tony Stark creates Ultron in the MCU rather than Hank Pym), Jocasta could be repurposed to fit this villainous role in VisionQuest.

Jocasta could be hunting down Vision in order to get access to Ultron, who is currently trapped in Vision’s mind. We don’t know where she came from, but it is possible that Ultron could have created her for this purpose, with her then deciding to hire the Paladin. She could have also been created by a variety of other characters, such as Justin Hammer or an agent of S.W.O.R.D.

2) S.W.O.R.D.

Speaking of S.W.O.R.D., the intergalactic defense agency could easily be the ones behind the hunt for Vision. After all, they had the original Vision’s body after he was killed in Avengers: Infinity War, only for Wanda to steal it from them before the events of WandaVision. S.W.O.R.D. clearly wants Vision back, and they could have hired the Paladin and his goons to bring his body back, whether the hero is alive or not.

The possibility that S.W.O.R.D. is the Client is even brought up in VisionQuest, with the characters theorizing this exact thing. It is odd that one of the most powerful agencies in the MCU wouldn’t have the surveillance technology to find Vision himself, but a random bounty hunter would. However, S.W.O.R.D. and S.H.I.E.L.D. have always worked in mysterious ways, and they may be willing to do whatever it takes to get Vision back, even if it means killing a few civilians and a lot of mercenaries.

1) Ultron

An Avengers-level threat is currently living inside Vision’s brain and has already tipped off Paladin as to where Vision is. Thus, it is impossible for Ultron to not be the most likely suspect. The Client posted the contract online, and Ultron has proven that he can get around Vision’s defensive code. So, it is entirely possible that Ultron could have put out the hit as part of a larger plan to escape or to bring down the more virtuous Stark intelligences. Ultron did say that he wasn’t the Client in VisionQuest, but why should we believe a robot who literally tried to wipe out all of humanity?

Ultron may be too obvious a pick, but it would be an odd choice to have him come back after over a decade only to not be the villain of VisionQuest. Ultron poses a massive threat to Vision, and he is capable of pulling off incredibly complex schemes. We don’t know why he would want Vision dead, as the hero’s encounter with the Paladin almost killed everyone already. However, his willingness to sell Vision out and his encouragement of J.A.R.V.I.S. to delete himself implies that he is up to something sinister.

Who do you think the Client is? Let us know on the ComicBook Forum!

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