'Avengers: Age of Ultron' concept art reveals Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver —and Hulkbuster armor!

As the murderous mechanical menace Ultron rears its indestructible head, the Avengers are responding in kind by bringing in a speedster, a sorceress, and a spanking new heavy-duty armor.

Through the one-hour TV special “Marvel Studios: Assembling a Universe,” concept art for the much-anticipated blockbuster, “Avengers 2” (officially titled “The Avengers: Age of Ultron”) was revealed, generating much buzz and excitement among fans and comic book enthusiasts.



Wonder twins

Prominently featured in the art samples are the new members of the team – Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. In the comic books, Pietro and Wanda Maximoff are the twin children of Max Eisenhardt, also known as the metal-manipulating mutant extremist Magneto. Pietro possesses the uncanny ability to move and process thoughts at superhuman speeds, while Wanda is able to manipulate probability fields with her hex bolts.

The twins first appeared in X-Men #4 (March 1964) as members of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, but eventually reformed. They soon joined Captain America and Hawkeye in Avengers #16 (May 1965) - the first major shake-up of the Avengers roster, following the resignation of founders Iron Man, Thor, Giant-Man, and Wasp from active duty - as part of the line-up lovingly known to comics fans as “Cap's Kooky Quartet.”

The Maximoff twins also bear the unique distinction of being part of a handful of characters that are considered “shared property” by the separate universes of Marvel Studios (who hold the rights to the Avengers) and Fox (who control the X-Men and Fantastic Four film license). Their shared, strong association with both sides of the Marvel universe creates a contractual loophole that allows them to be used in either cinematic universe, as long as certain universe-specific elements about their characters are kept strictly within the confines of the appropriate film continuity.

For example, while the Avengers films are allowed to feature Wanda and Pietro, they can neither refer to the twins as “mutants” nor explicitly state that Magneto is their father. Incidentally, Quicksilver will also make an appearance in this year's “X-Men: Days of Future Past” (played by Evan Peters), existing as an entirely different take on the character from the version appearing in “Avengers 2.”

'Iron Man smash puny Hulk!'



The concept art also revealed a red-and-gold surprise – a no-holds-barred smackdown between the Hulk and Iron Man's Hulkbuster armor. First featured in Iron Man #304 (May 1994) as an add-on to Tony Stark's Modular Armor, the Hulkbuster armor is a high-powered suit designed to go toe-to-toe with the green-skinned behemoth.

It was initially believed that the fan-favorite armor would make an appearance as part of Stark's armory in “Iron Man 3,” in the form of a bulky suit built for heavy-duty lifting operations. However, the suit that showed up in the film bore a blue paint job and the official name “Igor.” It has yet to be revealed if the Hulkbuster in “Avengers 2” actually ends up being a rebuilt Igor, as Stark supposedly blew up his armory at the end of “Iron Man 3.”

“The Avengers: Age of Ultron” features Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Chris Evans as Captain America, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/the Hulk, Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill, Paul Bettany as J.A.R.V.I.S., and Don Cheadle as War Machine. Joining them are Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Quicksilver, Elizabeth Olsen as the Scarlet Witch, James Spader as Ultron, and Thomas Kretschmann as Baron Wolfgang von Strucker. Earth's Mightiest Heroes will be assembling on May 1, 2015, under the direction of Joss Whedon. — TJD, GMA News