WARNING: The following contains spoilers for WandaVision Episode 6, "All-New Halloween Spooktacular!" now streaming on Disney+.
Recent events in WandaVision have not been kind to the Avenging Android. Among other things, the Vision recently struggled to break free of the barrier surrounding Westview, an act that nearly killed him. Decades earlier, a similar force field in the comics almost destroyed the Vision in comics.
This moment has a strikingly similar precedent in a similar encounter with a dangerous force field in Avengers #233, by Roger Stern, John Byrne and Joe Sinnott. In this issue, Annihilus had captured the Baxter Building, while trapping the Fantastic Four in the Negative Zone. Annihilus extended his null-field from the Baxter Building out through the rest of New York, slowly taking over.
Some of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, like Thor, couldn't get through the barrier. When Thor hurled his hammer at the field, Mjolnir went through but became inert as it hit the ground. After all of the other Avengers tried, the Vision decided to phase his way through the force field.
The Vision made his way into the barrier, but he collapsed upon breaking through. Once the force field was brought down, the Vision was taken to Reed Richards. Mister Fantastic said the Vision would be fine, but he needed time to recover from the shock of breaking through the null-field.
The Vision's ordeal here holds many similarities to his recent experience in WandaVision. The most obvious connection between these two circumstances is the Vision's near-death experience, as he barely made it through both force fields. In WandaVision, the Vision seemed as if he was being pulled back into the force field and torn apart by the process. The comics also depicted how physically taxing breaking through the null-field was, since his systems failed completely.
In both the comics and the show, the impenetrable barrier was able to be penetrated by Monica Rambeau. Indeed, WandaVision saw Monica enter the barrier around Westview, while also exiting when the Scarlet Witch kicked her out.
The comics also depicted Monica penetrating the null-field. As Captain Marvel, Monica morphed into a gamma-ray laser, shooting from space into the Baxter Building to take out the null-field. There are certain differences between Monica's methods of penetrating these barriers, but she was still the only one able to get through.
Both of these instances also caused the Scarlet Witch a great deal of emotional turmoil. In the comics, however, Wanda couldn't do anything to stop her husband from experiencing such pain. WandaVision, on the other hand, allowed Scarlet Witch to change things and save Vision. Though there was nothing that anyone could do for Vision in the comics, WandaVision saw Wanda to take drastic action and extend the barrier beyond its previous limits.
The show made Vision's ordeal more about freedom from his prison, while the comics showed the Avenger acting to save others from within the null-field. Of course, in WandaVision, Vision was also trying to save the people inside of Westview, but he was also a victim himself.
The main question going forward is how this experience will change the Vision. In the Marvel Universe, Starfox saved Vision's mind by linking him to a super-computer on Titan named Isaac. With this new addition to his consciousness, Vision became corrupted and attempted to take over the world.
Hopefully, Vision on Wandavision won't suffer such drastic long-term consequences.
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