Her powers consistently escalated, making her one of the team's biggest powerhouses, and the ultimate deciding factor in many of their key adventures. This era of Avengers marks Wanda Maximoff's golden years, both in terms of her place in the Marvel Universe and her ongoing narrative. And when the synthezoid Vision joined the Avengers cast and began a relationship with Wanda, their romance became one of the title's core narratives. Wanda in particular found a place among Earth's Mightiest Heroes, quickly becoming the heart and soul of the team for a generation. Under Cap's guidance, the formerly villainous members of his so-called 'Kooky Quartet' not only reformed into heroes, but became staples of the Avengers even after some of the founders returned, and more new recruits were added. When many of the founding Avengers left the team in Avengers #16 (opens in new tab), Wanda and Pietro were among the new recruits (along with fellow ex-villain Hawkeye) brought in by Captain America to round out the team.

But Wanda and Pietro's story quickly became one of the early Marvel Universe's most complicated narratives, painting a picture of mutant outcasts taken in by a manipulative villain promising relief from the evils of a world that rejects them. Wanda Maximoff's Marvel Comics career began as a villain alongside her brother Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver, part of Magneto's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. So why is Wanda Maximoff often more relegated to the role of plot device than protagonist, even in stories that center on her growing power and importance in the Marvel Universe? And maybe more importantly, when will Wanda get to be the hero of her own story? Wanda Maximoff, born as Scarlet Witch Even WandaVision, which directly grapples with Wanda's trauma and her power to decide her own fate, did so with a storyline based on Agatha Harkness attempting to control Wanda and manipulate her magical abilities.Īnd of course - spoilers - she's the villain of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in a storyline that echoes her comic book journey to find her lost children, while under the magical influence of a larger evil force. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has followed the trend, with Wanda first gaining her powers as a result of volunteering for Hydra experimentation and debuting as a villain in Avengers: Age of Ultron (opens in new tab), while being manipulated by the titular evil android.

The scarlet witch