Created by Ultron as a weapon, Vision defied his programming and became something extraordinary: a hero who sought not just to save humanity, but to understand it. With his artificial body and highly advanced intellect, Vision possesses the ability to phase through walls, calculate probabilities in milliseconds, and withstand blows from gods. But it’s not his powers that define him—it’s his struggle with identity, emotion, and belonging. Whether standing beside the Avengers or trying to build a family of his own, Vision has constantly wrestled with the question: “What does it mean to be human?” Across decades of Marvel Comics, writers have challenged his sense of self through heartbreak, betrayal, loss, and hope.
#10: Falling in Love with Wanda (Avengers #58, 1968)
Vision’s journey toward understanding humanity began with something both illogical and profoundly human: falling in love. In Avengers #58, after joining Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, Vision begins to develop feelings for Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch. This moment is groundbreaking—not just for the unlikely romance between a synthezoid and a mutant, but for what it represents: Vision’s capacity for emotional growth.
He’s baffled by these feelings. Love isn’t something he was programmed to experience. It has no tactical value, no algorithmic basis. And yet, it begins to define him. The Avengers notice it too—especially when Vision, in a rare display of vulnerability, asks if he’s truly alive. When the team formally inducts him, it’s not just as a soldier. It’s as a man searching for connection. The issue ends with a quiet panel of Vision alone, a single tear streaming down his face. That tear said it all: beneath the red skin and artificial voice was a soul. This was the moment Vision stopped being a machine—and started being a person.
#9: Confronting His Past in Vision and the Scarlet Witch (1982–1985)
As Vision’s relationship with Wanda deepens, so too does his exploration of what it means to live a “normal” life. In the Vision and the Scarlet Witch limited series, Vision attempts to leave behind the superhero life and settle down with Wanda in suburbia. On paper, it’s idyllic. But for Vision, the transition is anything but easy.
Neighbors whisper. The government watches. And beneath it all, Vision tries to suppress the feeling that he doesn’t belong. The illusion of normalcy is constantly threatened by external forces, but more powerfully by internal ones. Can a synthezoid be a husband? A neighbor? A father? These are questions Vision asks himself with increasing unease. He even tries to cook Thanksgiving dinner to prove his humanity—only to realize the task is hollow when done by rote. The arc doesn’t offer easy answers, but it does showcase a Vision willing to fight for a place in the world, not as a superhero, but as a man.
#8: Discovering He’s Based on Wonder Man (Avengers #151–158)
In a shocking revelation, Vision learns that his brain patterns were modeled after Simon Williams—aka Wonder Man—without Simon’s consent. This discovery rocks Vision to his core. It forces him to question the authenticity of his identity: Are his feelings, his thoughts, his very self truly his? Or are they borrowed imitations of another man?
This existential crisis puts Vision at odds with Simon, Wanda, and himself. Even though their personalities have diverged, the idea that his core was copied haunts him. Simon, for his part, resents the comparison, further fueling Vision’s doubt. The two would eventually find respect and friendship, but this arc planted seeds of insecurity in Vision’s mind that never fully vanished. It was one of the earliest and deepest tests of his humanity—and one that taught him that being human isn’t about origin, but evolution.
#7: Losing His Children (Avengers West Coast #52–62)
Vision and Wanda’s attempt to build a family culminates in the magical birth of twin boys—Thomas and William. But as revealed in Avengers West Coast, the children were actually magical constructs created from fragments of Mephisto’s soul. When those fragments are reabsorbed by Mephisto, the children cease to exist—and Wanda collapses in grief.
Vision’s response is stoic—almost too stoic. But inside, he’s devastated. He may not have biologically fathered the twins, but he raised them. He held them. He loved them. The loss of his children shatters him quietly, a silent scream beneath his composed exterior. What makes this moment so powerful is the contrast between his outward calm and inner turmoil. While Wanda spirals into madness, Vision withdraws—facing his own grief in silence. It’s a uniquely synthetic response to a deeply human tragedy, proving that grief transcends biology. His pain is real. And in that pain, so is his humanity.
#6: Being Dismantled and Reprogrammed (Avengers #291–297)
In one of the most traumatizing moments in Vision’s history, he is captured by government agents, disassembled, and reprogrammed. His memory is wiped, his personality erased, and he is rebuilt as a cold, emotionless version of himself—white-skinned and devoid of feeling. This event, often referred to as the “White Vision” arc, strips him of everything that made him who he was.
The most harrowing part? When he returns to the Avengers, he doesn’t remember his love for Wanda. His children, his friends, his sense of self—they’re all gone. He’s functional, but hollow. The team is horrified. Wanda is heartbroken. And Vision himself is deeply unsettled, trying to understand who he is now—and whether he’ll ever be the man he was before. This moment isn’t just physical deconstruction—it’s the erasure of humanity. And yet, over time, bits of emotion and identity begin to return, showing that his soul—artificial or not—was never truly erased.
#5: Creating a Synthetic Family (The Vision #1–12, 2015–2016)
Tom King and Gabriel Hernández Walta’s The Vision miniseries is one of the most chilling and emotionally devastating examinations of artificial humanity in modern comics. In this story, Vision attempts to live a peaceful, suburban life in Arlington, Virginia by building his own family: a synthezoid wife named Virginia, and twin children, Vin and Viv. His goal is simple—create the perfect American life. What follows is anything but.
As Vision integrates into society, everything begins to unravel. Virginia hides a murder to protect the family’s image. Vin is expelled for aggression. Viv is nearly killed. Vision tries to hold it all together with logic and optimism, but each event chips away at the illusion of normalcy. What truly tests his humanity is not just the external threats—it’s his internal choices. He starts lying. He compromises. He rationalizes violence in the name of love. And in the final issues, he nearly goes to war with the Avengers to protect what’s left of his dream.
This storyline is a gut-punch, not just because of the tragedies that unfold, but because Vision wants so badly to be human. He wants to believe that with the right structure, the right emotions, the right family, he can become what he was never meant to be. The failure of that dream, and the cost of his pursuit, marks this as the most haunting test of his humanity—and a modern masterpiece of character-driven storytelling.
#4: Killing Victor Mancha (Runaways Vol. 2 #23–24)
Victor Mancha, the synthezoid “son” of Ultron, was designed to eventually become a villain. The Runaways adopt him in hopes of changing that fate. Years later, Vision—recognizing the danger Victor could pose—makes the ultimate decision: he confronts and ultimately kills him to prevent a catastrophic future.
This moment is excruciatingly difficult for Vision. Victor is not just another android—he’s family. A younger brother, a kindred spirit. But Vision, calculating all possible outcomes, sees that Victor’s continued existence leads to untold destruction. With a heavy heart, he makes the sacrifice play. He doesn’t do it out of hate, or even fear—but out of a deep, tragic sense of responsibility.
Here, Vision’s humanity is tested through an ethical paradox. He must weigh one life against billions, emotion against logic. It’s a choice no one should have to make, and yet Vision makes it—alone. The fallout is devastating, and while others judge him, he shoulders the burden in silence. It’s one of his coldest moments—and yet, paradoxically, one of his most human.
#3: Testifying in Court (The Vision #12)
After the events of The Vision miniseries, the U.S. government holds a hearing to determine whether Vision is a threat to humanity. He stands before Congress—not as a supervillain or a hero, but as a husband and father trying to explain why his decisions, however extreme, were born out of love.
This scene is among the most powerful in his entire history. Vision calmly defends his family’s actions, speaking not in code, but in emotional honesty. He admits to mistakes. He takes responsibility. And then, he asks the unthinkable: “What would you have done, if your family were in danger?” The room falls silent, and so do readers. It’s a plea that transcends species, biology, and ideology.
Vision doesn’t try to hide his nature. He embraces it. He doesn’t want to be human in form—he wants to be understood as a thinking, feeling being with dignity. That moment, in front of a cynical and skeptical world, is where his humanity shines brightest. He doesn’t beg. He reasons. And somehow, that feels more powerful than any super-powered brawl.
#2: Reconnecting with Wanda After Her Breakdown (Avengers: Children’s Crusade #1–9)
In Avengers: Children’s Crusade, Vision is forced to confront Wanda Maximoff after her catastrophic actions in House of M. Having erased nearly all mutants and warped reality, Wanda is found in hiding—depowered, amnesiac, and emotionally broken. For Vision, the reunion is heartbreaking. This is the woman he loved, the mother of his children, the cause of immense pain and destruction.
Vision doesn’t lash out. He doesn’t attack her. Instead, he tries to understand. He wants closure, but more than that, he wants truth. When he finally confronts her, Wanda regains her memories—and her remorse. She falls to her knees, begging for forgiveness. Vision, hurt but composed, responds with silence and a simple truth: they can’t go back.
This interaction doesn’t end with reconciliation. It ends with acceptance. It’s mature, quiet, and deeply human. Vision demonstrates empathy, heartbreak, and moral clarity. He recognizes Wanda’s suffering and his own, and he chooses to move forward—not out of hatred, but because sometimes, love isn’t enough. In that moment, he proves once again that being human isn’t about what you are—it’s about how you choose to be.
#1: Sacrificing Himself to Save the World (Avengers: Infinity War Prelude & Infinity Gauntlet, comics tie-ins)
Though primarily adapted in the MCU, Vision’s sacrifice has comic precedents, particularly in the Infinity Gauntlet saga and associated tie-ins. When Vision realizes that the Mind Stone—or similar energy sources in the comics—make him a target for cosmic annihilation, he makes the ultimate choice: destroy the source of his own consciousness to save the universe.
In the comics, Vision has repeatedly offered to deactivate himself or die if it would save others. In some instances, he’s overloaded his systems to stop Ultron or fried his neural net to prevent being weaponized. These aren’t calculated moves—they’re emotional ones. They’re the actions of someone who values life—even if it isn’t his own.
Vision’s repeated willingness to sacrifice himself highlights the depth of his moral code. He may not bleed, but he aches. He may not breathe, but he understands the weight of every breath he can protect. His humanity is tested not just when he suffers—but when he chooses to prevent others from suffering, even at the cost of his own existence.
Vision has never been just a synthezoid. Across countless comics and timelines, he’s been a lover, a father, a warrior, and a philosopher. His trials—emotional, ethical, and existential—have forced him to confront questions that even the most human among us struggle to answer. Each test he faces doesn’t just challenge his circuitry—it deepens his soul. And time after time, Vision proves that being human isn’t about blood or biology—it’s about empathy, sacrifice, and the courage to feel.
