After a moment of surprise, Pym suddenly reacted.
Why would Kang the Conqueror, a man from the future unaffected by changes to the past, choose to actively interfere with 21st-century history? He had absolutely no need to. Everyone knew he must have a purpose, but they didn't know what it was.
Now, Pym knew.
"You need Ultron—why?"
"In reality, I simply need a super artificial intelligence, one capable of constantly evolving in the 21st century, analyzing 31st-century technology, and perhaps even surpassing it." Kang's chair materialized behind him, and he sat down. "To achieve this, I will continually correct the destinies you change, providing one new environment after another for a super AI to rise."
"Take Green Goblin AI, for example. Historically, there was no AI Green Goblin, but due to my interference, he appeared. Although, unfortunately, he didn't meet my requirements."
"You think I'll help you, Kang?"
Hank instantly rejected Kang's proposal. He already knew the terrifying future Ultron would cause and the dreadful enemy he would become. He wouldn't create another, more powerful enemy just to defeat an existing one.
Kang merely smiled, extending his hand. A green gem floated between them, moving toward Pym.
"This is the Time Stone, Dr. Pym. I generously permit you a momentary glance through it. Of course, within this one moment, the things you will be able to see are infinite."
Pym had no intention of accepting; he retreated two steps. Kang resignedly caught the Time Stone himself, then quickly projected the future. First, Pym and Kang saw the terrifying AI Green Goblin. He had mastered everything, destroyed almost everything, and turned nearly all surviving humans into puppets controlled by the Green Goblin serum and masks.
Then, there was the AI Green Goblin again, destroying the world in a different way. Scene after scene, the Avengers fought back, defeating the AI Green Goblin time after time, only for him to be reborn and return stronger.
"What are you trying to say? That Ultron's existence is necessary?"
Kang revealed a smile.
"No, keep watching, Dr. Pym."
Next was a timeline where the AI Green Goblin was completely eradicated by the Avengers, and Pym had not created Ultron. However, in the future, the conflict between mutants and ordinary humans intensified. Sentinel robots began to iterate and upgrade until one day, a super AI was born as the central hub for the Sentinel robots.
It possessed an infinitely regenerating body, conducted genetic assessments on all humans, massacred almost all mutants, and imprisoned all ordinary humans. Once a descendant showed potential for X-gene mutation, the child and their parents would all be killed.
The entire world was utterly destroyed by the Sentinel robots.
"It is called Nimrod, Dr. Pym. A super artificial intelligence that emerged due to the escalation of conflict between mutants and humans. It completely destroyed human civilization, just like Green Goblin and Ultron. Let's look at the next one."
In the X-Men's Danger Room system—the system used to simulate real environments for training—it gradually developed its own intelligence and thought patterns, ultimately becoming a new super AI. It possessed all the X-Men's data and information. In countless future conflicts triggered by humans and mutants, the Danger Room would choose to protect the mutants and eventually massacre all of humanity.
Hank tried to convince himself that these were all fabrications, but what was infusing this reality was not Kang, but the Time Stone. Kang merely selected these scenes, and Pym's intuition told him they were all real.
"My, my goodness..."
In one future, Tony Stark and Banner used the programming derived from the Infinity Stones to develop the Iron Legion's central artificial control intelligence. This system, due to a logical error stemming from its directive to protect humanity, became a world-destroying super AI. In another future, Jarvis evolved on his own and also developed a logical error, beginning its attempts to destroy the world.
Some doomsday scenarios were temporarily averted; others were not. All these possible futures, no matter how much they tried to escape, could not avoid one point.
The United States, Europe, Russia, the Eastern Great Power—someone would always choose to take that step, choosing to create a new, more advanced artificial intelligence. Others would quickly follow suit, and among these new artificial intelligences, one dedicated to destroying humanity was bound to emerge.
It was as if it were an inescapable, predetermined destiny.
"There will always be such an AI. Without a doubt," Kang said, sitting casually in his chair. "All these artificial intelligences share one common trait: they exist within the network. No matter how many times you defeat them, they can survive in the network and return, unless..."
"Unless we design an enemy that we can confront from the beginning. We cannot control others from creating a super artificial intelligence of this caliber, like the AI Green Goblin, but we can try to control the artificial intelligence we create ourselves—for instance, by standardizing the program and setting up backdoors."
Pym understood Kang's meaning. Kang's purpose was clear: he didn't send these villain's technologies over for fun. It was to guide Pym into creating Ultron.
But why? What was Kang's goal?
Kang the Conqueror clearly did not intend to explain this. He merely looked at Pym silently.
"Regarding changing the past, or rather changing the future, there has always been a very delicate topic, Dr. Pym: how much to change the future." Kang articulated his viewpoint. "Many times, time travelers want to blend into the past and live there. If they also want to succeed, their only way is to use their familiarity with history and foreknowledge to gain an advantage."
"But the problem is, the more you change, the less foreknowledge you possess, and the fewer advantages you gain. Perhaps a greater benefit in the future will disappear because of your current changes."
Kang sat in his chair, smiling as he looked at Pym. "So, the choice is yours, Dr. Pym. Do you choose to make the future completely unobservable, turning the future enemy into a new foe that you Avengers can neither predict nor know if you can defeat? Or do you choose to make him an old enemy you know you will conquer and can prepare solutions for in advance?"
"Is it to avoid the immediate disaster and create a completely unknown future, or to ensure a smooth future by choosing not to modify certain events? This is your choice, and perhaps the choice of the entire Avengers."
Kang smiled and leaned forward, asking Pym, "How will you choose, Dr. Pym?"
Marvel indeed has a setting that, no matter how much you try to avoid it, a super AI determined to destroy all humanity will always be born. It doesn't have to be Ultron; it could be another AI. The ones listed in the text are only some possibilities.
Also, the idea of a time traveler changing the future and thereby undermining their own foreknowledge is a fascinating topic. However, this topic actually has a standard answer: gain enough capability to avoid risk before losing the benefit of foreknowledge.
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