Scarlet Witch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Scarlet Witch |
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Art by Russell Dauterman.
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | The X-Men #4 (March 1964) |
| Created by | Stan Lee (writer) Jack Kirby (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Wanda Django Maximoff |
| Species | Human mutant (originally) Human mutate (retconned) |
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| Notable aliases | Wanda Frank Queen of Chaos Empress of Magic |
| Abilities |
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The Scarlet Witch, whose real name is Wanda Maximoff, is a famous character from American comic books. She is published by Marvel Comics. Stan Lee created her story and Jack Kirby drew her. She first appeared in The X-Men #4 in March 1964.
When she first appeared, Scarlet Witch could change how likely things were to happen. This was called "altering probability." Later, in the 1980s, she became a powerful sorceress. Sometimes, she could even change reality itself by using strong energy sources.
Scarlet Witch first appeared as a reluctant supervillain. She was with her twin brother, Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver. They were both founding members of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. One year after her first appearance, she joined the Avengers superhero team. Since then, she has often been a regular member of the Avengers or related teams. These teams include the West Coast Avengers and Force Works.
In 1975, Wanda married her android teammate, Vision. They had twin sons named William ("Billy") and Thomas ("Tommy"). Later stories removed Tommy and Billy from existence. They would later return as the heroes Wiccan and Speed. Vision also lost his emotions, which led to his and Wanda's marriage ending.
For most of her comic book history, Scarlet Witch was thought to be a mutant. Mutants are a special group of humans born with an "X-gene." This gene gives them superhuman abilities. However, a 2015 storyline changed Wanda's origin. It said her powers came from experiments by the High Evolutionary and inherited magic. Her genetics made X-gene tests seem positive, but she was not actually born a mutant.
The Scarlet Witch is known as one of Marvel's most important and powerful heroes. Since 2014, Elizabeth Olsen has played Wanda Maximoff in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies.
Contents
Who is Scarlet Witch?
Wanda Maximoff's background and parents have changed several times in the comics.
Early Stories and Family
- In the 1960s, Wanda and Quicksilver were said to be mutant twins. Their parents were not named.
- Later, it was said that the geneticist called the High Evolutionary took the children. This made their true parents a mystery.
- In 1974, their parents were said to be Golden Age heroes Bob Frank / Whizzer and Madeline Joyce Frank / Miss America. Wanda even called herself Wanda Frank for a while.
- In 1979, it was revealed they were raised by Romani parents, Django and Marya Maximoff.
- In 1982, Magneto believed he was Wanda and Pietro's father.
- In 2014, the AXIS comic event showed that Pietro and Wanda were not related to Magneto.
A New Origin Story
- In 2015, the twins found out they were not mutants. Their powers came from the High Evolutionary's experiments. Wanda also had natural magical abilities because she was born a Witch.
- The 2015–2017 Scarlet Witch comic series confirmed that Django and Marya Maximoff were actually Wanda and Pietro's aunt and uncle.
- Their real mother was Natalya Maximoff, who was the previous Scarlet Witch. She was a Romani sorceress. Her father was the Scarlet Warlock.
What are Scarlet Witch's Powers?
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When Scarlet Witch was first created, her main power was called "hex power." This power could cause random, unlikely things to happen to her enemies. It often brought "bad luck." These effects were hard to predict and not always helpful. Her power's unpredictable nature meant she could use it in many ways for the story. But it also meant she couldn't easily solve all her problems.
From Probability to Magic
Even though her name was Scarlet Witch, her powers first came from being a mutant. She could affect probability, not witchcraft. Later stories gave her more control. She could send "hex-bolts" that made enemy weapons fail or cause damage to the area. She also learned to cast energy blasts to stun opponents. She later realized her hex-bolts were a basic form of chaos magic.
Writer Steve Englehart decided Wanda should become more powerful. He wanted her to truly live up to her name. His stories showed that Wanda had a strong talent for magic. This talent might have come from the demon Chthon, who gave her magic abilities as a child. Under Englehart, Wanda learned spell casting and how to control magical forces. Her teacher was Agatha Harkness. This helped her control her hexes better. It also allowed her to block and deflect magical attacks.
Chaos Magic and Reality Warping
Writer Kurt Busiek changed how Scarlet Witch's powers were understood. He explained that her mutant ability let her use a specific type of energy. Busiek suggested that if Chthon had not interfered when she was a baby, Wanda might have used energy related to the electromagnetic spectrum. But Chthon's influence made her genetics connect to magical energy instead.
Busiek showed that Wanda's ability to change probability, combined with her magic talent, made her a powerful tool. Others could use her to control many strong energies at once. This meant she could be used to warp reality. After meeting Morgan le Fey, Wanda learned that her hex powers were a form of chaos magic. This was the same magic Chthon used. By trusting herself more, Wanda learned to use chaos magic directly. This made her one of Earth's most powerful magic users. She also learned to control other types of energy, though it took more focus.
During Busiek's stories and later ones by Geoff Johns, Wanda could cast large spells. These spells needed a lot of focus and time. She could even create a hurricane. Wanda's chaos magic also allowed her to bring Wonder Man back to life. He was an energy being, and she could gather his energy to make him physical again. However, she could not bring normal humans back to life. The comic series Avengers vs X-Men confirmed that Wanda now mostly uses chaos magic.
A New Understanding of Her Powers
A 2015 Uncanny Avengers story revealed Wanda was never a mutant. Her and Quicksilver's powers came from the High Evolutionary experimenting on them as babies. This fit Busiek's explanation of her powers, but changed her classification from "mutant."
The 2016–2017 Scarlet Witch comic series confirmed Wanda was born with witchcraft abilities. She inherited this from her family. The High Evolutionary's genetic changes made her more powerful. But they were not the only reason for her magic.
Can Scarlet Witch Change Reality?
Wanda has unique genetics. This makes her a "nexus of magical energy." She can easily use different magic sources, even more easily than trained sorcerers. Because of this, Wanda has sometimes gained the power to change reality. She does this by taking energy from another person or outside force.
Scarlet Witch in Movies and TV
The character has appeared in many types of media. These include TV shows, action figures, and video games. American actress Elizabeth Olsen plays Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Her appearances include:
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) in a post-credits scene
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
- Captain America: Civil War (2016)
- Avengers; Infinity War (2018)
- Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
- The Disney+ miniseries WandaVision (2021)
See also
In Spanish: Bruja Escarlata para niños
