Let’s Talk About the Shocking Tony Stark Revelation on ‘VisionQuest’

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, no one is as beloved as Tony Stark. Not only was Tony a leader among heroes, but he was an inventor, a warrior, and, ultimately, a savior, giving his own life to save trillions. Yes, he could be overly confident and a little bit of an ass, but that’s why we loved him. When we first met Tony in 2008’s Iron Man, he was already neck-deep in artificial intelligence. His personal assistant, J.A.R.V.I.S., was installed in his home to help him perform tasks, calculations, and more. J.A.R.V.I.S. then became the AI inside the Iron Man suit, eventually evolving into Vision and Ultron. And all that time, fans have rightfully assumed that Tony created J.A.R.V.I.S. He created the Iron Man suit, right? Dozens of them, in fact? Nanotech ones that hide in a small piece on his chest? He also invented time travel, by the way, thanks to Scott Lang’s revelation of the Quantum Realm. Of course, Tony invented J.A.R.V.I.S. Who else could have? Well, that’s where this week’s VisionQuest comes in. A few episodes back, we learned that a company called Markridge sold its AI technology to Stark Industries. The revelation is mentioned and kind of moved past quickly as we learn that one of the founding members of the company, Jo Carrington (T’Nia Miller), has become a rogue AI android herself and is killing her fellow board members. This new version of Jo, Jocasta, ends up battling Ultron and has a very revealing conversation with him soon after. Ultron and Jocasta begin their alliance. © Marvel Studios In Jo and Ultron’s thematic and narrative dump (more on that in our recap here), Jo explains that she invented a revolutionary AI called Proto-One, which was sold to Stark Industries behind her back while she was sick. On the show, we watch as Proto-One’s code, Jo’s code, is branded with “Stark Industries” and renamed “J.A.R.V.I.S.” without any other changes. The implication, of course, is that J.A.R.V.I.S. is simply Jo Carrington’s AI that Tony Stark bought for himself. In relation to Tony Stark specifically, that’s where the throughline ends, at least so far. There are two more VisionQuest episodes coming, and we would not be surprised if further revelations are imminent. Also, it’s pretty clear that Jo/Jocasta may not have everyone’s best interests at heart, so it’s certainly possible she was lying and telling Ultron what he wants to hear. But for now, let’s take the moment at face value. Let’s say Tony Stark didn’t invent J.A.R.V.I.S., but instead purchased it. What does that mean? Well, the one thing it doesn’t mean is that Tony Stark is any less of a hero. Just because he may not have created the first spark of something doesn’t mean anything he did after that isn’t less important or genius. Using J.A.R.V.I.S. as a jumping-off point, Stark obviously continued to create and save lives as a result. He also helped the AI evolve by bringing F.R.I.D.A.Y., E.D.I.T.H., and more to reality. © Marvel Studios What it does mean, though, is that Tony Stark is human. That even the smartest, richest man alive can’t always do it all by himself. We saw that over the course of dozens of films, too. Tony realized that he might be a “genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist,” but he’s still better when he has people helping him. J.A.R.V.I.S., in that way, was Tony seeing something he could use for help, and doing just that. And yet, you can imagine some who’d see the revelation as undercutting the things he did, and that’s certainly a valid point of view. If Tony Stark didn’t create J.A.R.V.I.S., is he still the same brilliant genius we thought he was? Maybe not. Or maybe just a little less so. But, in our eyes, more than anything, it complicates Tony just enough to make us relate to him a little bit more. How do you read the revelation on the latest VisionQuest? Does it change your opinion of Tony Stark at all? Or do you even believe it? Let us know below. Want more io9 news? Check out the best movies and TV shows to stream this month and all the upcoming sci-fi, fantasy, and horror books that should be on your radar.