How 'Avenger's Quicksilver Compares To 'X-Men's

Avengers: Age of Ultron will debut in U.S. theaters this weekend and introduce the Marvel Cinematic Universe to a handful of new characters. But, the thing is, we've already met one of them last year: Evan Peters caused quite a stir when he played Quicksilver in X-Men: Days of Future Past, and many even considered him to be the best part of the movie. But, can Age of Ultron say the same thing about its version? And, furthermore, how does The Avengers: Age Of Ultron 's Quicksilver compare to X-Men 's Quicksilver?

If you're unfamiliar with the intricacies of superhero movies, you're probably wondering how the same Marvel character can justifiably pop up in two completely different films? Here's a quick breakdown: 20th Century Fox owns the X-Men movies, while Disney owns Marvel Studios, which includes The Avengers. In the comics, Quicksilver is a mutant and, at one point, was an Avenger, which makes this character a rarity — able to appear in films from either studio. However, the universe established in Days of Future Past is not the same as the one in Avengers. Semantics, I know!

Critics and fans alike have already praised Peters' performance in X-Men, but what about Aaron Taylor-Johnson's version of the character in Avengers? Let's settle this once and for all by pitting these two versions against each other in the ultimate showdown:

Their Origins

The Comics: Pietro Maximoff, aka Quicksilver, is the twin brother to Wanda Maximoff. They are the biological children of Erik Lehnsherr, aka Magneto, but they were orphaned at a young age and raised by a tribe of travelers. When their adoptive family came under attack by ignorant townspeople, the twins found themselves on the run for quite some time, constantly moving as more humans became fearful of their mutant abilities. Eventually, they reunited with their father, and joined his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. However, they would come to realize their evil ways and work alongside the X-Men and The Avengers.

X-Men: In Days of Future Past, Scarlet Witch was completely discarded for his origin story — Pietro was shown in one scene holding a young girl in a pink dress on his lap, but it was later confirmed that she wasn't Wanda. Another difference sees his adoptive parents replaced by a single birthmother. However, director Bryan Singer kept his original parentage: When Pietro encounters Magneto, neither mutant realizes who the other is, not until Pietro mentions that his mother used to know someone who could manipulate metal as Erik does.

Avengers: Thanks to the inclusion of Scarlet Witch, much of Pietro's origins are kept faithful to the comics with one crucial difference: he is not a mutant. (As I said, mutants are part of Fox territory.) The twins led a seemingly normal life before they were orphaned at a young age. A shell exploded their home, killing their parents and trapping them under rubble for a few days. They grew up to become rebels against the government, and volunteered for Hyrdra's secret experiments after they were promised superpowers to bolster their efforts. After exposure to the magic within Loki's scepter, revealed to contain an Infinity Stone, they emerge as the only survivors to the experiments. They begin the film battling the Avengers, but, in line with their comic book origins, they eventually switch sides.

Their Looks

The Comics: Pietro has a couple of different looks, depending on the comic series, but he's generally depicted as a tall, slim man with sharp facial features and silvery, short hair. Traditionally, his costume is a light blue with a jagged, white lightning bolt zigging down his chest.

X-Men: Fans didn't react well to Peters' look when the first image debuted on an Empire magazine cover, but the majority changed their tune after seeing him in action. Peters' version completely ditched the comic book costume, which was replaced with classic '80s street wear, typical of what you might see from a skater boy obsessed with Back to the Future and Pink Floyd. Though, he maintained his silverly locks.

Avengers: With his origins as a citizen of the fictionalized European nation of Sokovia, Johnson's Quicksilver begins looking the part: silver hair, pale skin and track suits on track suits on track suits. When he suits up alongside the Avengers to battle Ultron and his army, he dons a look more comparable to the comics.

Their Abilities

The Comics: While Quicksilver's super-speed sounds singular on paper, he grew to use it for a variety of different effects. Marvel.com states that he can surpass the speed of sound on foot, fly for short distances by flapping his arms, create cyclones, run up walls and across water, and even later on vibrate his molecules so fast that he could travel through time.

X-Men: On first meeting, his super-speed is easily mistaken for teleportation in that Quicksilver. According to the official X-Men movie website, he can move faster than the speed of sound, just like in the comics. And when he "goes to work" in helping Magneto escape from prison, time appears to halt. He's also able to vibrate his hands fast enough to shatter glass when he lays his hands on it.

Avengers: Director Joss Whedon said in a featurette for Age of Ultron that his Quicksilver moves "faster or as fast as a bullet" — slightly slower than what he's supposed to be capable of. The world does move slowly for him, like when he sees a bullet shoot through the glass floor beneath him in slow motion or when he's winding up to punch Captain America in the face. While he doesn't get all that creative with his speed, he's able to shatter metal robots to pieces by merely running into them at top speed. As an added effect, whenever he does move, he's trailed by blue streak.

Their Accents

The Comics: Quicksilver was born in the Balkan nation of Transia at Wundagore Mountain, which implies he has an Eastern European accent.

X-Men: If you hate Quicksilver's voice here, then you hate Peters' voice... and I know I don't.

Avengers: Johnson tried to harken back to his character's comic roots in flaunting an accent accurate to the Balkan region.

Their Big Moments

The Comics: It's difficult to pluck Quicksilver's big moment from the entire comic book canon, though, if I had to, it perhaps would be when he's exposed to the Terrigen Mist and gains the ability to vibrate his molecules so fast that he travels through time. But, this is more about how the on-screen versions compare to one another.

X-Men: Quicksilver stole the show in Days of Future Past in both offering the film's more enjoyable comedic relief and offering one of the visually inspiring action sequences of the entire film. Watch it above.

Avengers: Johnson's Quicksilver doesn't have one spotlight-stealing scene, which explains why he's one of the characters we're the least invested in. He has a few moments sprinkled here and there, but perhaps his "standout," if you can even call it that, comes at the end when he teams with Hawkeye and his sister in battling the army of robots. Watch snippets of him in action above.

The Avengers: Age Of Ultron will hit theaters on May 1.

Images: Marvel Comics (3) Giphy (2); 20th Century Fox; Marvel Studios; Mutant-101/Tumblr; Nick Romano/Bustle