The appeal of superhero movies goes far beyond just comic fans. If people who actually went out and bought comic books every week were the only ones who paid to see The Avengers, it wouldn’t have made over a billion dollars. Still, with decades of history behind these characters, even the neophytes can stand to learn a thing or two! With Avengers: Age of Ultron officially one month away, it’s time to dive into the strange history of the robotic menace that gives the sequel its title. You up for some Ultron knowledge?

The video comes to us courtesy of our friends over at Comics Alliance, who know more about comic books than everyone you know combined.

Created in the pages of the Avengers comic book in 1968, Ultron has been menacing the Avengers (and trying to destroy the world) for decades, across hundreds of issues. Initially a pretty standard evil robot, he quickly evolved into a far more complex villain with a history that has very deep connection to key members of the Avengers line-up. But one thing remains consistent throughout it all: he’s a total jerk who wants to kill everyone. In other words, James Spader has been perfectly cast.

But that’s just the basic outline of a character who has gone through countless incarnations. If you want to know more, check out the video above. Yes, this is your chance to be the guy who wows his friends with cool trivia while waiting in line at the theater.

Avengers: Age of Ultron opens in theaters on May 1.

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