Monica Chang

Origin

Monica Chang is the chief of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Artificial Intelligence Division. She was tasked with interrogating Hank Pym after a virus he created to destroyed Ultron, evolved into a highly volatile artificial intelligence known as Dimitrios. Along with Pym, she gathered a team to hunt down Dimitrios after he committed several cyber-attacks across the world.

Creation

Monica Chang was created by Carlos Pacheco and Mark Millar. She debuted in Ultimate Avengers #3, a comic book from an alternate line of Marvel comics (separate from their main continuity), known as the Ultimates.

During Marvel NOW!, Monica Chang was revealed to exist in Marvel’s main line of comics. Her main continuity debut was in Avengers A.I. #1, by writer Sam Humphries and artist André Araújo.

Major Story Arcs

Avengers A.I.

Chronicling the events of Age of Ultron, a self-replicating virus that Hank Pym created to destroy Ultron evolved into billions of artificial life, living within a virtual realm called “The Diamond.” Many of the artificial intelligence (A.I.) that inhabit the Diamond fostered hostility towards humans due to their improper use of machines. One particular A.I. calling himself “Dimitrios,” managed to download himself into an abandoned Iron Man armor. He is hellbent on starting a human/machine war.

As chief of S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s A.I. Division, Monica is tasked with finding a way to destroy Dimitrios, after he committed several attacks against secure military and intelligence targets. She interrogates Hank Pym and later enlists him to help her destroy Dimitiros. They form an ad hoc Avengers team robots/cyborgs consisting of The Vision, Doombot, Victor Mancha and Alexis.

Alternate Realities

Ultimate Avengers

Little is known about Monica’s early life, but it is known that prior to joining the Ultimates, she was a member of SHIELD. She met Nick Fury after being rescued by him during a botched mission in Eastern Europe, and the two eventually married. The marriage was unpleasant and came to an end after Monica discovered that Nick had cheated on her with multiple female relatives, including her own sister and mother. Monica divorced Nick and received custody of their infant son, Julius. Monica’s mother takes care of the baby while she is away.

Following the Ultimatum event, Monica is chosen as part of Gregory Stark’s Ultimate Avengers line-up, partially as a way to keep tabs on her ex-husband Nick Fury. When it is brought up that the previous Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff, had betrayed her teammates and killed Hawkeye’s family, Monica shrugs off the concerns by saying that Black Widow is a “badass” name and that it’d be a shame to let it go to waste after Romanoff’s death.

Monica remains with the team until she is scheduled to join the Ultimates, marking her public debut. However, a massive conspiracy masterminded by Stark leads to Black Widow and the Ultimates battling the Avengers, resulting in the accidental death of Spider-Man. Monica is shaken by the loss of Peter Parker, whom she considered to be a kind-hearted and sweet young boy. Following the fiasco (which leads to SHIELD director Carol Danvers being fired), Monica is installed as the new leader of the Ultimates’ black-ops division.

This position proves to be short-lived, as Monica rejoins the Ultimates in order to fight off an invasion from a crazed Reed Richards and the Children of Tomorrow. During this time, she works closely with Hawkeye, Fury, and the Falcon.