WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Punisher 2099 #1 by Lonnie Nadler, Zac Thompson, Matt Horak, Eoin Marron, Rachelle Rosenberg & VC's Joe Sabino, on sale now.
The new 2099 future is largely lacking superheroes. It’s been revealed that at some point in this timeline, a villainous version of Doctor Doom decided to take action against the superheroes of Earth during a Civil War. Largely wiping them out and removing the memories of them from the minds of humanity, Doom apparently achieved a near-total victory over his old enemies. Almost nothing remains of them in any real form.
There have been few hints of the heroes, although some of them have survived in at least some form. A cult has grown around a particularly bloodthirsty version of Thor, while the Fantastic Four’s robot Herbie has become corrupted by his loneliness and separation from the team. But one revelation from Punisher 2099 suggests the potential fate of one hero was just as bad -- or even worse -- than that of Uatu, the Watcher.
Jake Gallows and Hector Tago are introduced as members of the Private Eye, the police force for Nueva York. A particularly brutal version of the law, they utilize advanced technology and weaponry to try and keep (their version of) the peace. Among their many tools is an advanced computer system that allows them to replay their previous actions. Essentially an advanced version of a body-cam, the footage can then be seen by any other party from around the world. The system is named Vision, which might just be another part of their general aesthetic of all-seeing eyes. But that name also comes with a certain amount of history in the Marvel Universe.
During the Heroic Age, Vision was one of the most powerful heroes and a dedicated member of the Avengers. Born from Ultron’s attempts to create a perfect being he could merge his conscious with, Vision ended up turning on his creator and becoming a hero in his own right. He even eventually ended up with a daughter in the form of Viv, who serves as a founding member of the current incarnation of the Champions. But if this is future Vision is indeed connected to that hero, then there doesn't appear to be much left of him.
Vision is one of the most advanced robotic beings in the present day, which means Doom could have easily seen the use and potential in keeping at least some semblance of him around. There’s even a chance that the Private Eye’s Vision system is derived from the programming that used to be behind Visions' mind. It would even explain the green and yellow color scheme of the device when it’s activated -- primary colors associated with Vision and most of his designs over the years.
Although there’s no definitive proof yet that Vision has indeed been transformed by Doctor Doom, it would be a fitting act for the villain to take. It would also make Vision one of the last of the heroes of the present day, potentially even giving the heroes a former ally to call upon if they ever actually rise up against Doom’s rule. But it remains to be seen how much, if any, of Visions' original mind is left in that AI if it ever was indeed connected to him. It is described by Gallows as an altruistic AI, which might suggest the remnants of something good somewhere in its code. That would make perfect sense if it was the last vestiges of an Avenger.