Scarlet Witch Powers Explained

When Wanda Maximoff debuted in Marvel Comics in 1964's X-Men #4, she was long thought to be a mutant, but she is actually a genetically altered human.Wanda MaximoffWanda Maximoff debuted in the pages of Marvel Comics in 1964’s X-Men #4.X-Men#4-alongside her twin brother Pietrotwin brother Pietro- She joined Magneto’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants as a member. Most readers assumed Scarlet Witch was a mutant then. She was considered one for most of her comic book career, even after she joined the Avengers.

In a storyline that begins inUncanny Avengers#1, however, the story reveals both Wanda and Pietro are mutated, not mutants. They are genetically altered humans given their powers by a mad geneticist, not born with them. Wanda's abilities gain more power from her witchy background and the trauma of her childhood.

The true nature of Wanda Maximoff’s powers remained hidden because the story about her and Pietro’s parentage changed several times during her publication history.

Initially, Wanda and Pietro thought their parents were Django and Marya Maximoff, the regular Romany people who raised them. Later, the siblings turned out to be the children of Golden Age heroesthe WhizzerandMiss America. This development later became a misdirection.

For most of their established history, Wanda and Pietro believed they were the children of Magneto.Magneto- their old boss from the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants—a truth revealed in X-Men #125.X-Men#125. However, in 2014’s Avengers/X-Men: Axis #7, Magneto learns he is not their father.Avengers/X-Men: Axis #7#7, Magneto learns he is not their father.

The full truth emerged in a 2016 Scarlet Witch solo series.Scarlet WitchIn this series, Wanda learns about Natalya Maximoff.Natalya Maximoff, a powerful sorceress and the original "Scarlet Witch." Natalya is Wanda and Pietro's true mother. She took them from her soon after birth and gave them to her brother and his wife to raise them.

Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the Scarlet Witch. They first introduced her as an X-Men antagonist. In these early issues, her powers were poorly defined. Wanda Maximoff causes her enemies "bad luck," though how this shows up on the page shifts between issues.

Wanda can make the X-Men collide or cause their getaway jets mechanical problems. She increases the chance of some negative, unlikely event for her opponents. This power is interesting but lacks visual excitement. So Lee changed it.

Despite starting as supervillains, both Wanda and Pietro Maximoff made a face turn in the historic Avengers #16.Avengers #16#16, in which they join Earth’s Mightiest Heroes alongside the similarly reformed Hawkeye. At first, Wanda’s bad luck powers follow her to the Avengers Mansion, but before long, her abilities become a tad more exciting.

A few missions into her team tenure, the Scarlet Witch started firing hex bolts. These were blasts of visible energy she compared to spell-casting. Initially, these hex bolts only caused bad luck. Wanda could only manage a few bolts before needing recovery. These limits made her seem like the weakest Avenger. Eventually, she became one of the most powerful.Marvel Comics charactersof all.

At first, the Scarlet Witch’s unclear and confusing powers severely limited her Avenger effectiveness. However, Stan Lee and later writers used that confusion to their benefit.

Over time, the Scarlet Witch's hex bolt abilities grew huge. The bolts caused spontaneous combustion, rapid decay, and molecular destabilization. They also functioned as force fields, vacuums, and energy sources.

Maximoff can pull off whatever the current plot demands.Avengersthe issue needs from her—an early hint her powers might go past simple hexes.

Long in her Avenger career, the Scarlet Witch began studying real magic. This magic exists in the Marvel Universe, shown by Doctors Strange and Doom. Maximoff started learning from Agatha Harkness.Agatha Harknessan actual witch with a long history of interactions with the Fantastic Four (and supposedly alive since 10,000 BC).

Harkness showed Maximoff’s powers surpass simple luck-changing hexes. She can manipulate reality itself. Maximoff previously limited her abilities to hex bolts, but this revelation opens many possibilities.

In a sad storyline ending inAvengers: West Coast#52Maximoff explores her reality-altering powers and the chaos magic fueling them. The results are bad.

The Scarlet Witch’s reality-altering powers come from her ability to manipulate chaos magic. Where this ability comes from remains unclear.

In anUncanny Avengersa storyline shortly after Wanda and Pietro find out Magneto is not their father.High Evolutionarythe mad geneticist who took them as infants claimed credit for implanting their superpowers.

Months later, however, aScarlet Witchsolo series shows the twins’ true mother is Natalya Maximoff, the original Scarlet Witch from a line of sorcerers. This suggests Wanda had hereditary magic before the High Evolutionary got her—though separating fact from fiction about chaos magic is hard.

Regardless of where Wanda Maximoff’s power starts, it is clear what amplified her chaos magic to near-omnipotent levels young: a close meeting with the demonChthon.

Chthon latches onto infant Maximoff when the High Evolutionary brings her to Wundagore Mountain for testing. Chthon’s power boosts Maximoff’s abilities but causes future villainous outbursts.

In theAvengersIn the storyline “Nights of Wundagore,” the Scarlet Witch and her Avengers teammates fight and defeat Chthon, yet they do not hear about the demonic entity again.

One early sign Wanda Maximoff might warp reality appears duringVision and the Scarlet Witch#12 shows her giving birth to two bouncing baby boys. Her husband, the Vision, is a synthezoid, which should not reproduce. People treat it as a miracle then, but something darker exists.

The Scarlet Witch and her West Coast Avengers teammates later find the children are not real. Master Pandemonium absorbs the twins out of existence, making this painfully clear.

Maximoff's friends and allies erase the incident from her memory to shield her from the emotional pain of losing her imaginary children. This action leads to a mental breakdown years later.

The traumatic beginnings of Wanda Maximoff’s powers—abduction, genetic testing, demonic possession, and losing her real parents and fake children—finally affect the Avenger.

In the storyline "Avengers: Disassembled" (Avengers #500-503), Wanda's mental pain peaks. She uses her reality-altering powers to attack her teammates. Wanda creates illusions, causing several Earth's Mightiest Heroes to die. She-Hulk rips Vision in half. Ant-Man detonates. Hawkeye dies in an imaginary alien incursion.

Maximoff's fierce attack leaves the Avengers—along with Charles Xavier, Magneto, and the X-Men—no choice but to face her before she destroys reality.

After disassembling the Avengers, many Marvel heroes, including her father, decide Wanda Maximoff must be sidelined. Her brother Pietro disagrees and warns her of the coming fight. He convinces Wanda, whose mind is still scarred by her conflict with the Avengers, to use her powers to rewrite all reality into a perfect world. This creates the “House of M” story. The storyline shows the alternate reality Wanda creates.

In this new timeline, Wanda's family rules the world. Mutants face no discrimination. Everyone, including the Avengers, X-Men, and Spider-Man, lives different lives with changed backstories. Wanda tries hard to give her former friends and allies a happy life in the House of M.Wanda makes a fatal error trying to give her friends and allies the life they wanted in the House of M reality. Her reality-bending restores Wolverine's memories, which the Weapon X organization had previously altered. Wolverine remembers the world before Wanda changed everything, and he starts a rebellion against her and her family.Still, some people cannot shake the feeling that something is wrong.

When the House of M collapses, Wanda sees the cost of her actions. She breaks down knowing her father and brother’s mutant zealotry poisoned her mind. Wanda resets reality to its original state, except for one thing: "No more mutants."

Maximoff wipes Hawkeye from existence during the storyline. The Scarlet Witch's subconscious will resets reality, bringing him back. Her imaginary children with the Vision are reborn and join the Young Avengers. This shows Maximoff can resurrect anyone she chooses, real or not.

This simple line has huge effects. It erases the powers of 98% of the planet’s mutants. It makes the Scarlet Witch an enemy of all mutants for years. This is especially true when she later reveals she is a mutant "pretender."

The Scarlet Witch’s powers grew so strong she can defy death. In the House of M reality she made, Wanda Maximoff brings several people back to life. This includes Gwen Stacy and Clint Barton, whom she had killed.

WandaVision

This ability could be a main theme in the Avengers: Infinity War The Disney+ series WandaVision shows the Vision returning to life after dying in

Wanda Maximoff once seemed like a victim because she didn't know the full extent of her powers. Now, she is rebuilding her image with the superhero community. The fact that Doctor Doom influenced her madness helps. The Avengers now welcome her back.

The Scarlet Witch learns her true origins during this time. She learns about her mother, Natalya Maximoff's witchy heritage. This lets her master her powers. She spends most time with other magical Marvel Universe beings, like Doctor Strange and Brother Voodoo. She fully accepts her destiny as one of the most powerful magic users to ever exist.The Scarlet Witch learns her true origins during this time. She learns about her mother, Natalya Maximoff's witchy heritage. This lets her master her powers. She spends most time with other magical Marvel Universe beings, like Doctor Strange and Brother Voodoo. She fully accepts her destiny as one of the most powerful magic users to ever exist.The Scarlet Witch learns her true origins during this time. She learns about her mother, Natalya Maximoff's witchy heritage. This lets her master her powers. She spends most time with other magical Marvel Universe beings, like Doctor Strange and Brother Voodoo. She fully accepts her destiny as one of the most powerful magic users to ever exist.

Maximoff also regains full control of her mind. This ends her status as a major Marvel threat. She re-establishes her reputation as one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.