By [ad_1]
Elizabeth Olsen’s portrayal of Wanda Maximoff in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has seen Scarlet Witch’s popularity skyrocket. Like other heroes in the Marvel Universe, she has particularly unique skills and anatomy, all of which have factored into her progression as a character.
Scarlet Witch was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appeared in 1964’s X-Men #4. Wanda has always been an incredibly complex character full of rich storylines that delve deep into her personal relationships with her twin brother, husband and children, but her notable appearances in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame didn’t have nearly enough time to do anything but paraphrase her odd family bonds; however, more was revealed about her and her powers come Wandavision, setting her up to be a major player in the future of the MCU. With more of this character to be explored in the future on screen, as well as the litany of changes she’s gone through in the comics, here are some of the strangest things about and associated with Wanda’s powers.
Wanda Maximoff and Pietro Maximoff’s Powers Are Not Just Mutant Abilities
Wanda and her twin brother Pietro are commonly referred to as mutants, but their powers and abilities have a much more complicated origin. Their powers come from the demon Chthon and were manipulated by the High Evolutionary.
The High Evolutionary played an instrumental role in Wanda’s path to becoming the Scarlet Witch. High Evolutionary’s claim to fame is the serum that allows him to manipulate and unlock the human genetic code. He decided to build a futuristic citadel in Transia on the Wundagore Mountain to conduct his experiments. While he was trying to cure his lycanthropy with dark magic, he summoned an ancient demon known as Chthon.
Herbery banished the demon but he found traces of its power remaining in a pair of twin infants that were born on the mountain — Wanda and Pietro. The High Evolutionary experimented on the twins. Their Chthon influence offered him a window into its world ,and he wanted to tap into its raw power. However, his experiments were unsuccessful and he left the children with a Romani couple who had lost their own children.
Wanda Maximoff and Vision’s Kids: Wiccan and Speed
Wanda eventually fell in love with Vision in the seminal story Vision and the Scarlet Witch by Bill Mantlo, Rick Leonardi, Ian Akin, Brian Garvey, George Roussos and Janice Chiang. Billy and Tommy are referred to as Vision and Scarlet Witch’s children, but they were in no way conceived in a conventional way.
Tommy and Billy are missing shards of Mephisto brought to life with Wanda’s magic. At one point, the children are reabsorbed by the demon they come from, but are reincarnated into their current forms of Wiccan and Speed. Wiccan shares his mother’s powers, while Speed has identical powers to his uncle Quicksilver. While their conception in Wandavision differs slightly, as Mephisto is not present, they do vanish at the end of the show, but Wanda is still looking for them as the end credits allude to.
Scarlet Witch’s Chaos Magic Is Unlike Other Mystical Powers
Wanda unleashed the full of extent of her chaos magic, and it created a reality-altering event known as the House of M, by Brian Michael Bendis, Olivier Coipel, Tim Townsend and Frank D’Armata. Wanda has a mental breakdown and uses her massive power to change reality so she can get her children back.
This alternate reality sees Magneto and the mutants rise to take control of the world. The X-Men and Avengers join forces to reverse the reality-altering Chaos magic. These events were incredibly impactful and led directly into the Secret Wars events. Meanwhile, in the MCU, Wanda’s powers would be revealed in Wandavision to be Chaos magic, something Agatha Harkness fears in the Scarlet Witch’s hands.
Chthon Possessed the Scarlet Witch
Chthon actually came back and possessed Wanda a couple of times. The most recent possession happened during Secret Empire, by Nick Spencer, Rod Reis, Joshua Cassara, Leinil Francis Yu, Gerry Alanguilan, Rachelle Rosenberg, Sunny Gho and Travis Lanham. Hydra uses Chthon to possess Wanda and turn her against the Avengers. It’s actually Wanda’s former fiancé, Doctor Doom, who frees her from Chthon’s grip so she can rejoin the Avengers.
The Mind Stone Impacted Wanda Maximoff’s Powers in the MCU
Wanda Maximoff’s MCU origin shares important similarities to her comic book beginnings, but it has one major difference. Both versions of Wanda’s character were heavily influenced and involved in the political turmoil sweeping her country. After her parents were killed by Stark weapons, she and her twin brother swore to get their revenge, which eventually led to her involvement with the Avengers.
However, Wanda’s powers in the MCU weren’t created by a demon’s magic. Instead an Infinity Stone, specifically the Mind Stone, enhanced her dormant magic abilities during Hydra’s experiments on her. Her brother, Pietro, also unlocked his own powers thanks to this. While he doesn’t make it out of Avengers: Age of Ultron, the Scarlet Witch becomes a staple member of the franchise.
About The Author
[ad_2]
