This article contains spoilers for A.X.E: Judgment Day #4
Marvel’s Vision may not have a soul, and oddly enough, another machine proves it. The famous android is an old creation with over 50 years of history as an Avenger and a superhero, and Vision’s inclusion in Avenger: Age of Ultron in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has only increased his popularity over time. But the events of A.X.E: Judgment Day #4 reveal Vision’s true nature: he may be self-aware, but he lacks a soul.
Vision is far from an unfeeling computer; he has famously fallen in love with the Scarlet Witch (and even raised children of his own, most famously his daughter Viv Vision, who has become a hero in her own right). The character has been destroyed and rebuilt numerous times, but that has never dulled his passion for life and saving others. Unfortunately, this does not mean Vision possesses a soul, and none other than a colossal machine God proves it.
In A.X.E: Judgment Day #4, written by Keiron Gillen with art by Valerio Schiti, the Progenitor Celestial continues to judge the humans, mutants and Eternals of Earth in the wake of the incredibly destructive war between X-Men and Eternals. It issues judgments for Daredevil (thumbs down), Ms. Marvel (thumbs up) Cersei, Professor X, and many more, even including the villain Doctor Doom. But throughout the event, the Celestial has notably left out artificial life – including mechanical creations like Ultron and Vision.
The absence of any artificial life, especially Vision’s, is notable because of the importance of artificial life in 2019’s X-Men Krakoa reboot. The X-Men fought Nimrod and readers realized that the narrative was not just a simple story between humans and mutants, but included created life as well. Perhaps the Celestial, being partially mechanical in nature, excluded judging its own kind, Vision included. Or, perhaps more discouragingly, the Celestial can differentiate between beings who have souls and beings who do not. How exactly the Celestial can determine this is unknown – but it is one of the most powerful beings on the planet and can outright ignore most attacks (similarly to Galactus), so perhaps it has power of perception that humans simply do not understand.
If the Progenitor Celestial can determine who has souls and who does not, it can also determine a person’s moral center. This is likely how it “judges” people during the event, be they mutants, Eternals, or humans. Perhaps a Celestial can only judge a person by judging their soul to begin with, and if that is truly the case, then Vision is safe – unless the Celestial determines the entire world should be destroyed.
