Marvel is doubling down on its favorite power couple this May with a new one-shot titled Wiccan & Hulkling: Raid of Ultron #1. The special arrives just in time for Pride Month on May 27. It’s a massive celebration of the family tree that started back in the original Young Avengers run by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung. This isn’t just a solo adventure for Billy Kaplan and Teddy Altman. The story pulls in the heavy hitters of their extended family, including the Scarlet Witch, Vision, Speed, and Viv Vision. It’s a Marvel’s Voices production that features a mix of veteran creators and some very high-profile newcomers.
The Plot Behind the Anniversary Party
The main framing story comes from writer Wyatt Kennedy and artist Stephen Byrne. It picks up right after the events of the Wiccan: Witches’ Road series. Billy and Teddy are finally settling into their new home and decide to host a high-stakes anniversary party. You can’t have a superhero gathering without a disaster, though. Ultron decides to crash the festivities with a full army of drones.
WICCAN & HULKLING: RAID OF ULTRON #1
Written by WYATT KENNEDY, JOSH TRUJILLO, ZOE TUNNELL & TEGAN QUIN
Art by STEPHEN BYRNE, BRADLEY CLAYTON, RACHAEL STOTT & LUCIANO VECCHIO
Cover by RUSSELL DAUTERMAN
On Sale 5/27
The mechanical menace has a specific grudge against the Vision family line, and he’s looking to “reclaim” his progeny. It’s a direct collision between the magical chaos of the Maximoff line and the cold logic of Marvel’s most dangerous AI.
Tegan Quin and the Maximoff Twins
One of the biggest draws for this issue is the Marvel debut of Tegan Quin. As one half of the pop duo Tegan and Sara, Quin brings a unique perspective to the relationship between Wiccan and his twin brother, Speed. She’s teaming up with Stormbreaker artist Luciano Vecchio for a story that focuses on the twins’ differing viewpoints. They’re fighting off Ultron bots while hashing out their separate journeys as heroes.
It sounds like exactly the kind of character-driven drama that made the original Young Avengers such a hit. Quin mentioned that crushing Ultrons felt cathartic compared to her experiences in the music industry, which adds a fun layer of meta-commentary to the action.
Expanding the Kree and Synthezoid Legacies
The anthology format allows the book to explore corners of the Marvel Universe that don’t always get the spotlight. Zoe Tunnell and Rachael Stott are pairing Hulkling with his alternate-universe half-sister, Phyla-Vell. Since Teddy is the Emperor of the Kree-Skrull alliance following the events of Empyre, his connection to the Kree legacy is a vital part of his character. Seeing him bond with Phyla-Vell while smashing robots should satisfy long-time cosmic fans.
On the other side of the family tree, Josh Trujillo and Bradley Clayton are handling a Vision and Viv Vision story. They’re focusing on the complexities of being a synthezoid and how that identity shapes their bond as father and daughter. It’s a heavy lineup of talent for a single issue, topped off with a stunning main cover by Russell Dauterman.
WICCAN & HULKLING: RAID OF ULTRON #1 On Sale 5/27.
