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Vision is a humanoid of pure logic. Also, he wishes not for the destruction of humanity like Ultron and is worthy enough to hold Thor's hammer.

Why does such being enter the Iron Man's team to force Avengers to obey UN's orders?

Shouldn't it be with Cap's team? Or at least stay neutral and do his best to avoid civil war?

* Bonus: Should we consider his lack of instinct/soul/empathy a factor for his actions, as opposed to Captain America for example?

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    Commented Jun 29, 2017 at 6:35
  • Vision can move Thor's hammer the same way a Honda Civic could move Thor's hammer if Thor set it down in the front seat. Commented Apr 23, 2018 at 20:12

2 Answers 2

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TL;DR: It's specifically because he's a being of logic. Also, because of love.

First and foremost, it's important to remember Vision's original statement of loyalty from Age of Ultron. He is going to side with whichever group will protect life the best.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: Are you? On our side?

VISION: It's not that simple. (pause) I'm on the side of life. Ultron is not.

He explains that he sees logic in the oversight (all following quotes from the Civil War transcript):

Vision: In the 8 years since Mr. Stark announced himself as Iron Man, the number of known enhanced persons has grown exponentially. And during the same period, the number of potentially world-ending events has risen at a commensurate rate.

Steve Rogers: Are you saying it's our fault?

Vision: I'm saying there may be a causality. Our very strength invites challenge. Challenge incites conflict. And conflict... breeds catastrophe. Oversight... Oversight is not an idea that can be dismissed out of hand.

He loves Wanda. Actor Paul Bettany confirms this in an interview with EW. Speaking of why he accidentally blasted Rhodey out of the sky, he says

What happened there is that his judgment was clouded there by real love and affection,” says Bettany. “And he responded in a quick and thoughtless way.… I really love that the moral compass of the movie is this synthetic person who’s trying to figure out what it means to be human. It’s a neat idea, you know?”

Because he loves Wanda, he believes that this is the best way to protect her.

Tony Stark: If we don't do this now, it's gonna be done to us later. That's the fact. That won't be pretty.

Wanda Maximoff: You're saying they'll come for me.

Vision: We would protect you.

He truly believes that protecting Wanda from the public is also protecting the public.

Wanda Maximoff: Vision, are you not letting me leave?

Vision: [He blocks her way.] It is a question of safety.

Wanda Maximoff: I can protect myself.

Vision: [He holds her arm.] Not yours. Mr. Stark would like to avoid the possibility of another public incident. Until the Accords are on a... more secured foundation.

Wanda Maximoff: And what do you want?

Vision: For people to see you... as I do. [She looks at him gravely.]

and

Vision: [He faulters.] If you do this... they will never stop being afraid of you.

So, he decides to go the utilitarian route: the greatest good for the greatest number:

Vision: Captain Rogers. I know you believe what you're doing is right. But for the collective good you must surrender now. [Tony's team arrives.]

Of course, being that he is basing his allegiance on logic, he is willing to swap sides.

Actor Paul Bettany addressed this briefly in the interview mentioned earlier.

He has logic in abundance. And logic does not afford any room for loyalty. New information could come to light and he might flip to Captain America’s side. But love solidifies things and provides loyalty. So if he’s there to protect mankind – or frankly, the universe – he needs to figure out what’s good about these creatures, and I think that’s the quest that you find him on. And, of course, in the comics, the relationship becomes romantic. We’ll see moving forward what happens for Vision and Wanda.”

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    I think it's worth adding the caveat clearly somewhere that Vision being in love with Wanda is only a comic universe thing and the question is about (and tagged) the cinematic universe.
    – TylerH
    Commented Jun 27, 2017 at 15:30
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    If you read the interview I linked, Paul Bettany - the actor who plays The Vision has said that The Vision loves Wanda in the MCU.
    – phantom42
    Commented Jun 27, 2017 at 15:40
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    Never understood how Vision could be in love.
    – camden_kid
    Commented Jun 27, 2017 at 18:38
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    @TylerH it's pretty clear from the film that he has feelings for Wanda
    – OrangeDog
    Commented Jun 28, 2017 at 8:59
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    @OrangeDog I disagree, at least to the extent of romance. It's clear he cares for her but it only comes off as paternal or familiar care, especially considering this is an android in mid-life adult form and what appears to be a teenage girl.
    – TylerH
    Commented Jun 28, 2017 at 14:19
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  • You describe Vision as a being of pure logic. Logic is built on (unbreakable) rules. Exceptions to rules are, by definition, illogical to the rule. If Vision is placed based on his logical aptitude, I think he's in the right team already.
  • Tony, while very flamboyant and extraverted, is a highly logical person. He is considerably more pragmatic than Cap; who goes with his gut more than Tony. It makes sense for Vision to agree with Tony, because they approach things the same way (analytically).
  • Cap goes with his gut, and focuses more on "the human element". His stance is based on his tendency to do good more than being right or effective. This is an emotional stance, it is based on empathy more than logic. Almost in all media (even surpassing the MCU) that addresses differences between humans and machines, empathy is THE skill that machines (and logical beings) archetypically lack.

Three very good reasons why Vision picks the UN side of the debate, if we assume he chooses logic above all else.

However, it's not impossible that Vision is capable of making a "human" decision rather than a logical one; and that it is simply his opinion which causes him to pick Tony's side (just like how Tony's stance is an opinion).
Vision has shown to be able to have deep emotional talks; so it's not impossible for him to understand, acknowledge and even experience human emotions.


Edit - Another remark about what you say:

[Vision] is worthy enough to hold Thor's hammer.

Take a step back, and look at who Thor is. Thor is the son of a monarch, which has ruled with an iron fist and very much controls the ins and outs of Asgard.

Thor is not someone who would fight for personal freedom over a controlling hand; as he is heir to the throne that controls Asgard.

Wielding Mjölnir does not in any way reflect on Vision's suggested stance in Civil War. And if it does, it would argue in favor of UN control; not against it.

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  • Plus, he seems to "like" Wanda. Which add a lot to his emotional side.
    – LeonX
    Commented Jun 27, 2017 at 13:59
  • @LeonFreire: Maybe you hadn't seen the edit yet, but I'm referring to Wanda when I say he's able to have deep emotional talks and understands (and possibly experiences) human emotion. That scene with Wanda is a very good indication that we should not consider Vision as a living machine, but rather a living creature in his own right. Not only was he capable of connecting with her; but he also understood why she betrayed him. That requires a considerable amount of empathy.
    – Flater
    Commented Jun 27, 2017 at 14:01
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    I think Vision is worthy of lifting Mjolnir in the same way an elevator is worthy. He is a machine performing some functions. He's not a living being so Odin's magic does not affect him.
    – Jacques
    Commented Jun 28, 2017 at 12:09
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    @JaccoAmersfoort: What about Iron Man? His suit moves via servomotors. The act of picking up Mjölnir is thererfore done by a machine (the suit). Therefore, Iron Man should be able to pick it up as well. What if Falcon is flying around and has a hook attached to the wings (which are robotic/mechanical)? Since Sam Wilson (the human) is not part of the "lifting" process (Mjölnir-hook-wingsuit), should Mjölnir allow itself to be picked up by a flying robot? Given that Mjölnir chooses who can pick it up, it stands to reason that Mjölnir decides (on the spot) what is appropriate and what is not.
    – Flater
    Commented Jun 28, 2017 at 12:16
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    @JaccoAmersfoort: If you check the comment thread under the question itself, you will see a long discussion between me and LeonFreire on this topic. Following LeonFreire (and things I've looked up in the meanwhile), it is established that Mjölnir can be transported by robotic movement: elevators, vehicles, the Avengers' ship, ... All of these are under control of a (non-worthy) human, but they are still capable of transporting Mjölnir. So thererfore human control or intention does not preclude the moving of Mjölnir.
    – Flater
    Commented Jun 28, 2017 at 12:28

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