Warning: This post contains spoilers for the first six episodes of VisionQuest.
We're at a point in the Marvel Cinematic Universe where it feels like every single character could make an unexpected comeback at any moment. Since the ongoing Multiverse Saga is coming to an end, heroes and villains from different dimensions could suddenly be involved in the franchise's overarching narrative. Case in point: three iterations of Spider-Man appeared on the big screen, while the X-Men from the 20th Century Fox era will have a role to play in Avengers: Doomsday. Fortunately, the list of unexpected returns doesn't end there.
The latest Marvel Disney+ show, VisionQuest, feels like a celebration of the entire MCU. While only WandaVision and Agatha All Along are considered "must-watches" to understand Vision's adventure, fans who have seen most series and films to date will find a new reference or Easter egg every 15 minutes, from lines that are taken straight from Avengers: Age of Ultron all the way to Spider-Man's theme music playing in the background of a scene. To take things a step further, Marvel decided to bring back a character whose last appearance was 18 years ago, during the very first MCU project.
Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar returns in VisionQuest after his appearance in the MCU's first Iron Man film
VisionQuest references countless other MCU projects, characters, and companies, but two specific organizations have an "active" role in the story: S.W.O.R.D. and The Ten Rings. The former is brought up multiple times, since it was responsible for creating White Vision and trying to weaponize him during the events of WandaVision. Furthermore, we see characters tap into encrypted S.W.O.R.D. files to learn more about what's going on.
The Ten Rings organization, as expected, has more of an antagonistic role to play. They are the ones who gave Paladin Adamantium bullets to truly hurt Vision. Moreover, they also armored him with an Adamantium vest to be able to sustain a lot of damage. All of this was so Paladin could stand a chance fighting Vision and bringing him in to the Client—a mysterious figure whose true identity is still under wraps.
These efforts were ultimately in vain, as Paladin's employer grew frustrated with the bounty hunter's inability to complete the mission. Instead, the mysterious Client ended their contract with Paladin and looked for other assassins to do the dirty work. Wouldn't you know it? The Ten Rings were quick to answer.
During episode 6 of VisionQuest, members of the Ten Rings arrive in Madripoor to kill the Paladin—who failed to fulfill his part of the contract with The Client—and to bring the Vision in. Moreover, this hit squad is led by none other than Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar, the very same character who tried to force Tony Stark to build weapons for him during the events of the first Iron Man movie.
Raza's fate had been an unsolved mystery for 18 years. The last time we saw him, Obadiah Stane used a sonic taser to paralyze him. Raza had never been seen since that point, even when the Ten Rings returned in multiple other MCU projects. As such, many fans theorized that he died in his debut project, but VisionQuest has now proved that was far from the case.
Raza didn't have much screen time in episode 6 of VisionQuest, and it remains to be seen whether he returns in episodes 7 or 8. However, this is one of those callbacks that pay off if you've been watching the MCU from the start, and we can't wait to discover what other surprises the final two episodes hold.
New episodes of VisionQuest are released every Tuesday on Disney+.
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