Scarlet Witch

"I used to think of myself one way. But, after this. I am something else. And still me, I think. But... that's not what everyone else sees."

- Wanda Maximoff to Vision

Wanda Maximoff was a native of the Eastern European country of Sokovia who grew up with her twin brother, Pietro. In an effort to help purge their country of strife, the twins agreed to undergo experiments with the Scepter under the supervision of Wolfgang von Strucker's HYDRA cell, and received superpowers as a result, with Wanda attaining various abilities including telekinesis, telepathy, and energy manipulation. When HYDRA fell, the twins joined the robot Ultron to get their revenge on Tony Stark, but eventually switched sides and joined the Avengers when they discovered Ultron's true intentions. Although Pietro was killed during the ensuing Ultron Offensive, Wanda survived and became a member of the Avengers. During the Avengers Civil War, she sided with Captain America and was briefly imprisoned in the Raft before Rogers freed her along with his teammates.

Over the next few years, Wanda reunited and reconciled with Vision, and together the two started living off the grid in Europe, forming a romantic relationship. However, the two soon came under threat from Thanos and the Black Order, who sought the Infinity Stone in Vision's head. After coming under attack by the Order, the two Avengers reunited with their teammates and sought refuge in Wakanda. Wanda partook in the city's defense when the Black Order launched a major assault against it, and during the battle, she managed to destroy the Mind Stone in attempt to stop Thanos, killing Vision in the process. However, using the Time Stone to reverse Vision's destruction, the Mad Titan seized the stone from Vision allowing him to complete the Infinity Gauntlet; Wanda was subsequently disintegrated in the aftermath alongside Bucky Barnes, Groot, Sam Wilson and T'Challa.

Hating Tony Stark
"Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. Twins. Orphaned at ten when a shell collapsed on their apartment building. Sokovia has had a... rough history, it's nowhere special but it's on the way to everywhere special."

- Maria Hill to Steve Rogers

Wanda Maximoff was born in the Eastern European country of Sokovia along with her brother, Pietro. At the age of ten, while having dinner with her family, a mortar shell hit their apartment building, killing Maximoff's parents and trapping her and her brother. A second shell hit the apartment near them but did not go off; the Maximoff twins were left trapped for two days staring at the nonexploding shell reading the name on it, Stark Industries.

This horrifically traumatic experience gave the twins a great hatred for America, especially Tony Stark and later, the Avengers. They often took part and led protests against the Avengers. They dedicated much of their lives to this hatred and began searching for ways to bring down the Avengers. This constant political activity put them on S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA's radar.

Joining HYDRA
"There's nothing more horrifying than a miracle!"

- Baron Wolfgang von Strucker about Wanda and Pietro Maximoff

When the twins reached adulthood, Sokovia had become a war zone, with foreign forces invading their streets frequently. Wanda and her brother took part in various riots to drive the foreign forces out of their streets. What the twins did not realize was that the riots were orchestrated by HYDRA, who had taken up residence in the country, using the riots to cover up their experiments. The Maximoffs were approached by List, a scientist at HYDRA, who offered them a way to achieve the power needed to drive war out of Sokovia. Although she was initially skeptical, Wanda was convinced by Pietro to agree to the experiments to gain new powers. Along with other volunteers from the town, Wanda and Pietro underwent a series of tests conducted by Doctor List, where they were exposed to energy from the Scepter, which had fatal effects on all the other volunteers. Wanda and Pietro, however, survived and experienced exceedingly different effects. The power of the scepter then unlocked latent supernatural powers within the pair. Pietro achieved superhuman speed, and Wanda attained a number of mental powers such as telekinesis, hypnosis, and energy projection.

Attack on the HYDRA Research Base
"Let's show them what we have accomplished. Send out the twins."

- Doctor List to Baron Wolfgang von Strucker

The Avengers arrived in Sokovia and raided Baron Wolfgang von Strucker's facility, stealing the scepter and arresting Strucker. In the confusion, Wanda and Pietro escaped from their holding cells and, though inexperienced, were able to use their powers to evade the Avengers and escape. While Pietro went outside and engaged Clint Barton, Wanda stayed inside and defended Baron Wolfgang von Strucker. When Strucker became cornered by Captain America, he attempted to surrender. However, Maximoff snuck up behind Captain America and used her powers to throw him down the stairs. In the confusion, Maximoff escaped through a doorway. Captain America reported to the rest of the Avengers of the second enhanced individual on HYDRA's side before knocking out von Strucker and taking him into custody. Wanda used her powers to briefly distract Iron Man, tricking him into believing that a dead Leviathan specimen that Strucker had been studying was still alive, and showing him a dark vision where the Avengers were dead and the Chitauri invaded Earth from a Wormhole. Upon seeing Stark's true fear of leading humanity down the path to global destruction, Wanda allowed Stark and the Avengers to make off with the Scepter, despite Pietro's protests, with hopes that Stark's tampering with the alien weapon would lead to his own self-destruction.

Joining the Ultron Offensive
"You're wondering why you can't look inside my head." "Sometimes it's hard, but sooner or later every man shows himself."

- Ultron and Wanda Maximoff

With the HYDRA Research Base and Baron Wolfgang von Strucker captured, the Maximoffs returned to Sokovia. Wanda found Pietro handing out items he had stolen, including an expensive dress to Zrinka. Wanda mocked Pietro's attempts to flirt with all the women in Sokovia and warned him he would get shot if he kept stealing. As Pietro began to question Wanda's decision to let Tony Stark go free, Costel approached the pair and told them that someone was waiting in a nearby church for them. The twins went to the church and found a man waiting for them wearing a red cloak who spoke about how much he enjoyed the church. When Wanda questioned why she could not read his mind, the man revealed himself to be Ultron, an artificial intelligence robot designed by Tony Stark using the technology within the Scepter, who subsequently went rogue and began a murderous vendetta against the Avengers. Ultron then led them from the church and back to Baron Strucker's HYDRA Research Base. Ultron revealed that he had taken over the base and was using it to create an army of Ultron Sentries. When they discussed the reasons for killing the Avengers, Pietro told Ultron the story of how they had lost their parents due to a Stark Industries' missile. Although they were initially unsure, Ultron assured them that they would use their powers to kill the Avengers, noting that while he and Pietro could hurt them, Wanda would be able to tear them apart from the inside.

Battle at the Salvage Yard
"I’m going to kill him. I’ll be right back." "No, I’m over it. I want… I want to finish the plan. I want the big one."

- Pietro and Wanda Maximoff

Agreeing to the alliance, Wanda and Pietro accompanied Ultron in acquiring Ulysses Klaue's supply of Vibranium. The Maximoffs entered the Salvage Yard first and shut off the lights before disarming Klaue and confronting him. Klaue remained unimpressed by the Maximoffs. Having heard of them already, he noted that he was saddened to hear of Baron Wolfgang von Strucker's death then mocked the pair for their reaction to learning of their mentor's murder. Eventually, Klaue told the pair that he would have no respect for them if Wanda used her powers to make him see what he feared, a cuttlefish, and he wished to speak to the man in charge. In response Ultron threw Klaue through a window and introduced himself. Ultron forced Klaue to sell him his stockpile of Vibranium and paid him billions of dollars. However, when Klaue offended Ultron, the robot responded by cutting of Klaue's arm and kicking him down some stairs while Maximoff used her powers to keep Klaue's men from defending themselves. When the Avengers arrived in an attempt to stop the trio, Ultron and the Maximoffs mocked their efforts, ignoring Captain America's attempts to convince the Maximoffs that they still had a chance to walk away, Ultron responded by attacking the team and the Maximoffs joined the fight. During the chaos of the battle, Wanda managed to knock Captain America back with her powers and began "hexing" the minds of Thor, Black Widow, and Captain America. She attempted to "hex" Hawkeye, but was subdued when he pushed a taser arrow onto her forehead. Pietro saved her in the nick of time, throwing Hawkeye through a window and taking her outside Klaue's base to recover. Although she suffered great pain from the taser arrow, Maximoff wished to complete their plan. She caught sight of Bruce Banner and managed to "hex" him as well, forcing him to transform into the Hulk and go on a rampage through Johannesburg, resulting in Iron Man being forced to battle his friend. In the confusion, the twins managed to escape with Ultron and the vibranium, and made their way to Seoul.

Changing Sides
"You said we would destroy the Avengers. Make a better world." "It will be better." "When everyone is dead?"

- Wanda Maximoff and Ultron

When the trio arrived in Seoul, Ultron used the Scepter to indoctrinate scientist Helen Cho, forcing her to use the vibranium in synchrony with the Cradle to build a new, more powerful body for Ultron. As Ultron's consciousness was being uploaded into the body, Wanda curiously took the opportunity to explore Ultron's mind and was horrified to learn of Ultron's true plans, which involved the genocide of humanity in its entirety. With Pietro, Wanda abandoned Ultron and left the facility, much to the automaton's rage.

Battle of Seoul
"Ultron can't tell the difference between saving the world and destroying it. Where do you think he gets that from?"

- Wanda, about Ultron, referencing to Stark

The twins attempted to escape Seoul, but as they made their way through the city, they spotted a news report showing that the Avengers were battling Ultron and his army in the middle of the city, endangering thousands of lives. Refusing to allow the people of Seoul to be put in danger, the Maximoffs decided to join the Avengers. They eventually caught up and assisted Captain America in fighting off Ultron on a moving passenger train. Wanda used her powers to put a defensive barrier between Ultron and the Captain by twisting the metal bars inside the train while Pietro knocked him down. Upon seeing that he was betrayed and outnumbered by his former teammates, Ultron responded by destroying the controls of the train before flying out the side door and escaping, leaving the Maximoffs and Captain America on the train going full speed as it headed to the end of the tracks. With the train now completely out of control and heading to the middle of the city, Captain America ordered Wanda to stop it, while Pietro moved any civilians out of its path. Mustering up all of her power and strength, Maximoff lifted the train's wheels off the ground and applied the breaks as hard as she could. Although the train was slowing down, it still crashed through buildings. Pietro was able to save the lives of the people in the way until the train was finally stopped in its tracks. With the train now stopped, Wanda ran to her brother's aid, as he could barely stand after running so fast for so long. When Captain America revealed that the Cradle and Ultron's would-be body had been sent to Tony Stark for analysis, Wanda was disturbed, aware that Stark would attempt to utilize the body rather than destroy it in order to correct his own folly. Although the Captain was reluctant to accept this as a possibility, noting that Stark was not crazy, Wanda compared Stark and Ultron and made key comparisons with their mindsets.

The Birth of Vision
"I looked in your head and saw annihilation." "Look again."

- Wanda Maximoff and Vision

Wanda and Pietro then accompanied Captain America back to the Avengers Tower and found Wanda's fear to be accurate; Tony Stark and Bruce Banner were trying to upload the consciousness of Stark's more benevolent AI, J.A.R.V.I.S., into the body. After a brief scuffle, Wanda was held back by Banner but she managed to escape his hold, only to witness Thor bringing the body to life. Wanda watched in fear as the being initially attacked Thor before looking over the city of New York and calming down. The being introduced himself to them, calling itself Vision. The Maximoff and the Avengers continued to be wary of the Vision, with Wanda noting that she had seen the destruction of the world in its head. Eventually, the Vision convinced the team that he was on their side and proved his worthiness by picking up Mjølnir and handing it to Thor. She and Pietro then agreed to join the Avengers stopping Ultron and saving Sokovia, where the AI would be enacting his final plan. The Maximoffs took new uniforms and joined the Avengers on the Quinjet as Captain America gave a speech where he informed the team that their priority was getting the innocent people of Sokovia out of harm's way before Ultron could destroy their homes and lives. Wishing to save the lives of her friends from her home city, Maximoff sided with her former enemies, although she was unsure of trusting the Avengers in the long term.

Evacuating the City
"Get off the bridge! Run!"

- Scarlet Witch to the people of Sokovia

Upon arriving in Sokovia, Scarlet Witch played a significant part in evacuating civilians from the city, using her powers of mind control on dozens of innocents and leading them safely from the war zone. When the army of Ultron Sentries began their attack, Maximoff took up a defensive position on a bridge, shielding innocent civilians from enemy fire with her powers as they ran to safety, however, the firepower of the Sentries proved too strong and knocked her back. Eventually, Ultron, using a device forged from the remaining Vibranium samples, forced a large part of the city of Novi Grad to levitate so that once it reached a certain height, it would cause an extinction level event once it made impact with the Earth. As Ultron gave a speech to the people of Sokovia while flying outside the city, Scarlet Witch and the rest of the Avengers could only look on in fear as Ultron unleashed his seemingly unstoppable plan.

Breakdown
"H-How could I let this happen?! This is all our fault!" "Hey, look at me. It’s your fault, it’s everyone’s fault, who cares. Are you up for this?"

- Scarlet Witch and Hawkeye

This, along with the carnage that was falling upon her home, overwhelmed Maximoff. Hawkeye managed to lead her to a vacant building for safety, where Maximoff, overwhelmed with fear and guilt for causing a disaster that she perceived as being her fault, began to lose morale. Hawkeye told her that she needed to make a choice, to stay hidden and wait for her brother to take her somewhere safe or continue the fight and become a true Avenger.

Becoming an Avenger
"Doesn't matter what you did, or what you were. If you go out there, you fight, and you fight to kill. Stay in here, you're good. I'll send your brother to come find you. But if you step out that door, you are an Avenger."

- Hawkeye speaks to Wanda Maximoff

Her confidence restored by Clint Barton's words, Scarlet Witch stepped outside and saved the overwhelmed Hawkeye from a small squad of Ultron Sentries, using her powers to pull them apart and throw them across the city. Once the Sentries were destroyed the pair reported to Captain America and prepared for their next mission, as they began to walk through the city, Quicksilver ran in and picked up his sister, running across the city with her while leaving Hawkeye to jog behind. Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver ran into the middle of the city and teamed up to assist in the battle by protecting civilians still trapped in the city, running ahead of a squad of Sokovia police officers who were pinned down by the Ultron Sentries. While Scarlet Witch fired energy blasts at the robots, Quicksilver ran into the battle but was accidentally grazed in the arm by a police officer despite the chief calling for the police to stop firing.

Captain America informed the Avengers that they are leading the civilians to the town hall. Captain America meets up with Scarlet Witch and Black Widow who asked why Scarlet Witch was wearing her jacket. Rogers told Black Widow that she was with them. Hawkeye met up with them and told them that if they got any higher, people would start dropping. Rogers told Scarlet Witch to get the people out from hiding, and for Hawkeye to watch her back. Soon after, a Helicarrier commanded by Nick Fury and Maria Hill came to the Avengers' aide, sending out transports to evacuate the civilians still trapped on Novi Grad. Once the transporters landed, Maximoff assisted in escorting civilians to the transporters that ferried them aboard the flying aircraft carrier, keeping the women and children back until it was safe and ushering them on board alongside Hawkeye while Fury sent War Machine to protect the transporters from any Ultron Sentries that attacked them mid-air.

Protecting the Key
"Get the people on the boats." "I’m not going to leave you here." "I can handle these. Come back for me when everyone else is off, not before."

- Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver

Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver and the rest of the Avengers regrouped at the church in the center of Novi Grad where Ultron had set up the key to the device that would cause the city to drop. Captain America explained that Ultron must not be allowed to activate the key as it would destroy the city and the planet. As they stood around the key, Ultron hovered outside the church. When Thor challenged him, Ultron showed off his army of hundreds of Ultron Sentries. When Ultron unleashed his army upon them, Scarlet Witch and the Avengers put all their might into battling the seemingly endless horde of Ultron Sentries, with Maximoff using her gifts to pull them out of the air and rip them apart from the inside. Eventually the team managed to wipe out the majority of Ultron's drones and Ultron himself was almost destroyed by the combined might of Vision, Thor, Iron Man, and the Hulk, who destroyed his armor and sent him across the city. With the battle almost won, Captain America ordered the team to evacuate the city before Iron Man and Thor destroyed the key and Novi Grad itself. As the key needed to be guarded against Ultron in the meantime, Scarlet Witch volunteered to stay behind, telling Hawkeye that it was her job to protect it. The team agreed but Quicksilver insisted that he would not leave her behind, but she ordered him to continue getting the people to the boats and only come back for her at the last minute, insisting she could handle the responsibility.

A Death in the Family
"Wanda, if you stay here, you'll die." "I just did. Do you know how it felt? It felt like that..."

- Ultron and Scarlet Witch

While keeping the Ultron Sentries away from the key, Scarlet Witch sensed a terrible thing, as her brother attempted to save Hawkeye and a young boy from Ultron, who had obtained a Quinjet, he was shot and killed by the robot. Sensing this, Maximoff dropped to her knees and cried out in pure anguish, obliterating the sentries she had been fighting with a single massive blast of energy. Overcome with rage and emotion, Maximoff left her post to avenge her brother, tracking down Ultron, who had been ripped out of the Quinjet by the Hulk and had crash-landed inside a bus. Maximoff knelt beside her former ally, who pleaded with her to escape before she was killed in the approaching explosion, Maximoff told the robot that she had already died due to heartbreak and to demonstrate this, she telekinetically ripped his core processor from his body. Her action inadvertently allowed a single Ultron drone to activate the device, sending Novi Grad plummeting towards Earth with her still trapped inside. Maximoff accepted her fate as she plummeted towards the ground, being the only person left in the city; however, she was rescued at the last minute by Vision. Seconds after their escape, Iron Man and Thor averted the cataclysm by combining their abilities to vaporize the city, saving billions of lives.

Joining the Team
"Avengers, A..."

- Captain America

The ordeal with Ultron having finally passed, Wanda was recruited into the Avengers' roster along with War Machine, Vision and Sam Wilson as a permanent member of the team. They arrived at the New Avengers Facility and began their training under the leadership of Captain America and Black Widow.

Attack of Ultimo
HYDRA collected many of the parts of the destroyed Ultron Sentries and took them to an undisclosed location in Eastern Europe, where they used the parts to create a giant robot called Ultimo. HYDRA then used the Ultimo to attack a small village. Maximoff joined the Avengers in an attack on the giant robot and together they managed to destroy Ultimo.

Lagos Catastrophe
"Wanda. Just like we practiced." "What about the gas?" "Get it out."

- Captain America and Scarlet Witch

Approximately a year after the Ultron Offensive, Scarlet Witch joined her fellow Avengers in tracking down Crossbones and his mercenaries to Lagos, Nigeria, where he was planning to attack the Institute for Infectious Diseases and steal a biochemical weapon. The Avengers immediately rushed towards the IFID, with Captain America arriving first on the scene, followed by Falcon and Scarlet Witch. Scarlet Witch lifted Captain America onto the third floor to subdue Crossbones and used her powers to vent the anesthetic gas out into the open air. Falcon and Black Widow managed to neutralize the mercenaries and secure the biochemical weapon that Crossbones and his mercenaries had obtained while they tried to escape through a busy marketplace. Captain America and Crossbones fought intensely before Captain America managed to disarm and subdue Crossbones. Rumlow taunted Captain America and claimed that the Winter Soldier had hired him to steal the biochemical weapon, once again under HYDRA mind control. Suddenly, Rumlow pulled the cord on his suicide vest in an effort to kill both him and Captain America. Scarlet Witch managed to contain the explosion around Rumlow and tried to move the blast away, but inadvertently destroyed a nearby building, killing many of its occupants, much to her horror.

Feeling the Guilt
"It's my fault." "That's not true." "Turn the TV back on. They were being very specific."

- Wanda Maximoff and Steve Rogers

The Avengers returned to the New Avengers Facility, where Maximoff struggled with guilt over the deaths caused by the explosion. Steve Rogers tried to convince the young woman that it was not her fault, saying that he should have been able to stop Crossbones' suicide vest before it went off.

Not totally convinced, she says that they were both at fault, and Rogers reminded her that despite the casualties, they were able to stop Crossbones from killing more. The two were interrupted by the Vision, who was scolded by Maximoff for phasing through the wall to get into a room instead of using the door. Vision apologized and informed Rogers that Tony Stark had arrived with Thaddeus Ross at the Facility.

Sokovia Accords
"You're saying they will come for me?" "We would protect you."

- Wanda Maximoff and Vision

Maximoff, along with the rest of the Avengers, met up with Thaddeus Ross and Tony Stark who introduced them to the Sokovia Accords, a set of internationally ratified legal documents that provides regulation and a framework for the military/law enforcement deployment of enhanced individuals which included Maximoff. Ross showed footage from battles that the Avengers fought in, showing the destruction and death that followed. When Ross showed them footage from the aftermath of their fight with Crossbones in Lagos, Nigeria, Maximoff felt the guilt seeing the damage that she blamed herself for.

As the Avengers privately discussed the Accords, Maximoff was unsure at the time whether she should sign or not but stayed mostly silent during the discussion. When Stark told them about Charlie Spencer, a victim from the Battle of Sokovia, Maximoff once again felt uneasy due to her tragic past with Sokovia. When she brought up the fact that she would be hunted if they didn't sign, Vision assured her that they would protect her. While the other Avengers left to deal with Winter Soldier and attend the meeting in Vienna, Maximoff stayed at the facility under the watch of Vision. The Vision tried to cook her something to lift her spirits, though his inexperience with food left it wanting. The two Avengers had a heart-to-heart about their powers and how they are feared by others, but when Maximoff tried to leave the facility, Vision stopped her, telling her that Stark had asked him to ensure she did not leave the compound until the debate with the Accords were over.

Rescue
"Clint, you can't overpower me." "I know I can't, but she can." "Vision, that's enough. Let him go, I'm leaving."

- Vision, Clint Barton and Wanda Maximoff

Later, Steve Rogers sent Clint Barton to retrieve Maximoff from the Avengers Facility where she was being supervised by Vision. Barton created an explosion outside to distract Vision. As Maximoff watched Vision, she sensed a presence behind her and launched a knife at the intruder, stopping her attack when she realized it was Barton. Barton told her that they need to go as Captain America needed their help to fight against the Sokovia Accords; as they were leaving, Vision returned and stopped them. Approaching the two, the trap that Barton had set up went off, paralyzing Vision with electricity. Barton began to leave again, but Maximoff hesitated because she believed that she had caused enough damage. Barton tries to convince her to leave when Vision breaks free and he and Barton begin to fight. Vision easily overpowers Barton, but Barton looks to Maximoff for help. Maximoff tells Vision to release Barton and that she is leaving; Vision tells her he can not allow her to. Using her powers to control the Mind Stone to force him to phase and release Barton. Vision warns Maximoff that if she leaves that she will be feared by everyone but Maximoff tells Vision that she can only control her own fear and then blasts Vision many meters beneath the facility. With Vision subdued, Maximoff finally left with Barton en route to Germany to retrieve Scott Lang.

Recruiting Scott Lang
"Thanks for having my back." "It was time to get off my ass."

- Steve Rogers and Wanda Maximoff

After incapacitating Vision, Maximoff and Clint Barton went to go retrieve Scott Lang who had been recommended by Sam Wilson. The three were waiting in a van in Berlin when Rogers arrived. He thanked Maximoff for having his back and Maximoff replied that she needed to get off her ass, reflecting what Barton told her earlier. When they introduced Lang to Rogers, Maximoff watched as Lang awkwardly talked with Rogers, then praised her as well. Later, an announcement was made saying the airport was being evacuated due to Tony Stark. The group all suited up and made their way to the Flughafen Leipzig-Halle Airport where they would depart to Siberia.

Clash of the Avengers
"Wanda, I think you hurt Vision's feelings." "You locked me in my room. "Okay first, that's an exaggeration. Second, I did it to protect you."

- Iron Man and Scarlet Witch

Captain America and his team headed to the Flughafen Leipzig-Halle Airport where a Quinjet was waiting to take them to Siberia. Anticipating an ambush, they split up--Scarlet Witch with Hawkeye. They were first pursued by Iron Man, who fired several missiles near them. Iron Man told Scarlet Witch that she hurt Vision's feelings, and they argued about why she had been locked up. While Hawkeye was distracting Iron Man, Scarlet Witch used her powers to launch several vehicles as projectiles in the parking garage behind him, finally burying him and buying them time to escape. Scarlet Witch and Hawkeye managed to make their way to Captain America and his team, so they could get to the Quinjet that would take them to Siberia. As they made their way, they were stopped by Vision who fired a laser beam in front of them. The two teams stood on opposite sides of each other as they prepared to fight.

Fighting Against Former Teammates
"You're pulling your punches."

- Scarlet Witch to Hawkeye

The battle between the Avengers began with the two teams charging at each other. Scarlet Witch launched herself into the air towards Iron Man's team where she targeted Spider-Man by hurtling dust from the ground and nearby objects directly towards him, which Parker was able to evade. Due to her abilities, not being a physical fighter, Scarlet Witch focused on protecting her allies whenever they would be subdued. As Black Widow and Hawkeye fought, Scarlet Witch interfered with Widow's blow by pinioning her limb and then throwing her away from Hawkeye, knocking her out. Before moving on, she told Hawkeye to stop pulling his punches and proceeded to her next fight. During Black Panther and the Winter Soldier's fight, Scarlet Witch narrowly stops Black Panther from killing the Winter Soldier by blocking his claws from tearing out his throat and then tossing him away from Barnes.

Winning a Losing Battle
"I'm sorry." "Me too." "It is as I said: catastrophe."

- Vision and Scarlet Witch

As team Iron Man pressed on, Falcon realized they could not win the battle and get everyone to Siberia. So team Captain America planned that Rogers and Barnes get to Siberia while the rest of the team stayed behind. To distract team Iron Man, Ant-Man transformed into "Giant-Man" so Iron Man's team focused on defeating him rather than stopping Rogers and Barnes from reaching the Quinjet. However, War Machine managed to evade Giant-Man and pursued the two until Scarlet Witch started hurling large objects at him, keeping him from reaching the hangar. Vision destroyed a traffic control tower so Rogers and Barnes couldn't escape but Scarlet Witch used her powers to hold back the debris for them to pass. Seeing this, War Machine used a Stark Sonic Cannon to knock her out, causing the tower to fall. After the battle, Vision went to check on Scarlet Witch, and they apologized to each other. As Vision comforted Scarlet Witch, War Machine requested Vision's back up in disabling Falcon's wing thrusters. Distracted, Vision accidentally grazed War Machine's arc reactor, disabling the suit and causing him to fall from the sky--paralyzing him upon impact, therefore letting Rogers and Barnes fly away to Siberia.

The Raft
"Criminals? Criminals, Tony. Think that's the word you're looking for. Right? That didn't use to mean me. Or Sam, or Wanda. But here we are."

- Clint Barton to Tony Stark After their defeat, Maximoff, Barton, Wilson and Lang were arrested and imprisoned in the Raft, where she was the only one outfitted with a shock collar and put in a strait-jacket to prevent her using her powers. Tony Stark visited the prison to find out where Rogers went and was disturbed to see Maximoff's condition.

Escape from the Raft
"My faith is in people, I guess. Individuals. And I’m happy to say, for the most part, they haven’t let me down. Which is why I can’t let them down either. Locks can be replaced, but – maybe they shouldn’t."

- Captain America's letter to Iron Man

Rogers eventually infiltrated the Raft and freed Maximoff, Clint Barton, Sam Wilson and Scott Lang from their cells. Despite being wanted fugitives, Rogers told Stark that should he ever need their help, all he would have to do is ask. Following her liberation, Maximoff moved to Scotland, where she would be frequently visited by Vision, who would take a human form and turn off any trackers, so the two could live a secret life together.

Attack on Vision
"What does it say?" "I don't... I don't know. But something... Tell me what you feel." "I just feel you."

- Wanda Maximoff and Vision

One night, Vision began to feel an alert from the Mind Stone in his forehead, so he asked Maximoff to use her powers to feel it. She claimed that all she felt was him and the two embraced each other. They then went outside where Maximoff informed Vision of train times so that he could return to the Avengers Compound. Vision began suggesting that they form their own life together, which she was unsure about due to the promises they had made to their respective teams. Before she can give her official answer, however, she then noticed a news report about an alien attack in New York City and Tony Stark being missing. Vision prepared to leave, intending to join the fight, but Maximoff was reluctant to let him leave because she knew his life would be put at significant risk. Moments before he was about to reply to her, Vision was attacked by Corvus Glaive and Maximoff was thrown away by an energy blast from Proxima Midnight before she could strike back at Glaive. They then began to forcefully remove the stone from Vision's forehead, but Maximoff was able to fight them off. Maximoff attempted to escape with Vision and temporarily hid from Midnight and Glaive before they were found. Maximoff faced Midnight and barely managed to hold her own while Vision unsuccessfully fought Glaive on top of a church. When Vision again became subdued, Maximoff rescued him from Glaive and attempted to escape with Vision again by flight, but the two were blasted out of the air by Proxima Midnight and cornered in an empty train station. Maximoff prepared to be the final line of defense for Vision, until Steve Rogers arrived along with Black Widow and Falcon, who, with relative ease, managed to defeat the Black Order, but they escaped before they could be captured or killed by the reunited Avengers. The group decided that they had to return to the Avengers Compound in hopes of developing a plan to help Vision and gaining more information about their extraterrestrial attackers.

Trying to Save Vision
"I think if it were exposed to a sufficiently powerful energy source, something very similar to its own signature, perhaps...its molecular integrity will fail." "Yeah, and you with it. I'm not having this conversation." "Eliminating the stone is the only way to be certain Thanos can't get it."

- Vision and Scarlet Witch

Following the battle at Scotland, Maximoff, Captain America, the Vision, Black Widow, and the Falcon visit the New Avengers Facility. There they meet James Rhodes, who rebelled against Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross. They then made plans to save Vision. Vision came to the conclusion, that Maximoff would have to destroy the Mind Stone, which would kill Vision in the process. Maximoff refuses to do so, so Bruce Banner came up with the idea that they could save his consciousness by preserving his artificial intelligence. The group traveled to Wakanda to seek aid. Shuri, the sister of Black Panther, had the idea to place Vision's AI into a new body, which would not depend on the Mind Stone as a power source. Once the Stone was removed, Maximoff would be able to destroy it. Maximoff saw that her teammates were about to be killed on the battlefield and left her post, leaving Shuri defenseless to a sneak attack from Corvus Glaive, who incapacitated her before Vision charged him, sending both hurtling out a window into the jungle. This prevented Shuri from constructing Vision's new body and completing the AI transfer.

Battle of Wakanda
"Why was she up there all this time?"

- Okoye

Seeing that their forces were struggling against the Outrider onslaught, Wanda joined the fray and used her powers to halt several oncoming Threshers (giant bladed wheel-shaped machines) that were about to kill Black Widow and Okoye. Maximoff then threw them back onto the Outriders charging towards them from behind, quickly eliminating a massive portion of Thanos' army. She was later taken by surprise by Proxima Midnight, who was about to kill her before Widow and Okoye appeared as reinforcements. Ultimately, Wanda stopped Midnight from killing Widow by throwing her into the path of a Thresher passing overhead, killing her instantly. Following this, she quickly returned to Vision's side to protect him. When Thanos arrived, Vision told Wanda that she must kill him to destroy the Mind Stone. However, she still refused to do so. Vision reasoned with her, stressing that they had run out of time and that destroying the Mind Stone was the only way to thwart Thanos' plan. He reassured her, stating that she could never hurt him and repeating her earlier words, "I just feel you." In tears, Wanda reluctantly unleashed a stream of psionic energy into the Stone while the other Avengers made futile attempts to stop Thanos. After easily defeating the Avengers, Thanos began to approach Wanda and Vision. She then struck him with a separate stream of energy to stall him further, slowing him down significantly, before managing to destroy the Stone just as he was about to reach them. The Mind Stone shattered, releasing a huge blast of energy that knocked Wanda to the ground and destroyed Vision's body. As she lay on the ground, heartbroken, Thanos empathized with her pain, understanding the sacrifice of what she most loved. She bitterly stated that he knew nothing. She then watched in horror as Thanos used the Time Stone to restore Vision with the clear intent to rip the Mind Stone from his head. Wanda attempted to stop him, but Thanos swatted her aside with little effort and ripped the Stone from Vision's head, killing him a second time. Now equipped with the final Infinity Stone, the Gauntlet was complete.

Thanos' Victory
"I understand, my child, better than anyone." "You could never."

- Thanos and Scarlet Witch

With Thanos finally succeeding in his plan of collecting all of the Infinity Stones, he unleashed the full extent of his new power. With a mere snap of his fingers, Thanos began to exterminate half of all lives in the universe in random succession. As a countless number of beings began to fade from existence, Maximoff knelt over Vision's lifeless body in mourning before joining the multitudes of lost souls and disintegrating.

Personality
"What about the core?" "I'll protect it. It's my job."

- Hawkeye and Scarlet Witch

Due to childhood trauma from seeing her parents killed right in front of her, and the constant war-like state of her home, Wanda Maximoff had developed a very aggressive personality. From being involved in protests to volunteering for Wolfgang von Strucker's experiments, and joining the Avengers, Wanda has shown that she prefers to fight directly for what she believes in. Her passionate nature and willingness to engage in violence to achieve her goals led her to mistakenly side with Ultron, which deeply influenced much of her future actions.

Her passion was partly fueled by her hatred of the United States of America and Tony Stark, and was strong enough to have her side with a clearly murderous robot for what she believed to be the greater good. She was therefore unfazed when Ultron killed Wolfgang von Strucker and was willing to send the Hulk on a rampage in Johannesburg, costing the lives of both soldiers and civilians. Fortunately, she was not blinded by passion and was capable of reason, clearly being appalled by the level of destruction Ultron was trying to achieve, and promptly sided with the Avengers to make amends. After getting to know the Avengers, she has since let go of any grudge or hatred she previously held against the team as well as the United States.

Due to her past affiliation with Ultron and her role in the destruction of Sokovia, Wanda carried a deep fear of making mistakes and was frequently wracked with guilt and remorse. Her self-doubt and guilt over the mistakes she has made have at times led her to inaction, even though she is generally action-oriented. Despite this, Hawkeye was able to talk her into action, affirming her desire to fight for what she feels is right, despite what others may think of her.

In contrast with her brother, Scarlet Witch displays a more serious attitude and direct anger, not only against Tony Stark but against anyone that she perceives as her enemy, such as Klaue and Thanos. Her anger leads her to be vengeful, as demonstrated when she volunteered for experiments to become a weapon against the United States and Tony Stark, seeking out Ultron's primary body in order to destroy him after he caused the death of her brother, and angrily telling Thanos that he could not understand her pain after she was forced to kill Vision in the attempt to stop him. In the past she had no qualms about manipulating others mentally in order to achieve what she wanted, though she later regretted doing this.

Wanda became considerably more mellow after joining the team, as she is seen to be more compassionate, level-headed, and less inclined to use the manipulative aspects of her abilities, such as fear projection and mind control. Driven by a desire to fight in the front lines rather than as a passive support, Wanda honed her powers to become more combat-oriented, focusing on energy blasts, throws, and barrier projection, relying less on her telepathic abilities. Having become less aggressive and more reluctant to do harm, she has not been seen using her mental manipulation powers since joining the Avengers. Additionally, she rarely uses her powers to deal out lethal force unless completely necessary, using her powers more often to incapacitate her opponents. However, she also is less inclined to hold back in a fight, even against fellow Avengers, as shown when she hurled Black Widow several feet when she attempted to overpower Hawkeye. She has shown a willingness to kill her enemies in extreme circumstances, as shown when she telekinetically threw a carving knife at a perceived assailant before realizing it was Hawkeye, and when she purposefully lifted Proxima Midnight into a Thresher and shredded her to stop the latter from killing Black Widow.

Wanda grew to care for Vision during their time together. She was, however, disappointed that he was more loyal to Stark and the people of Earth than to her. However, in the aftermath of Avengers Civil War, she has put the grudge aside and developed strong romantic feelings for him to the point that after she escaped from the Raft she went off the grid with him to Europe and was in the beginning stages of starting a new life with him. Her feelings grew strong to the point that she tried her best to protect him Thanos and the Black Order despite being at a great disadvantage, and refused to kill him until there was no alternative, resisting even when he himself agreed that his death was for the greater good of the universe. When forced to kill him, Wanda openly wept as she was killing the being she loved more than anything else. Wanda was horrified when Vision was briefly resurrected and emotionally devastated when he was killed a second time by Thanos, sitting at his side in mourning minutes before her death.

Powers
"Her thing is neuro-electric interfacing, telekinesis, mental manipulation."

- Maria Hill

Psionics: As a result of exposure to the cosmic energies from the Scepter, which contained the Mind Stone, Wanda Maximoff acquired an array of psionic powers, which manifest in the form of reddish, glowing energy currents and mist-like shapes. Maria Hill described her powers as a "neuro-electric interface" and called her "weird" because of them. When using her power, her irises sometimes glow a dark, reddish color, especially when using her telepathic abilities. Wanda is one of the strongest members of the Avengers, capable of holding back the Mad Titan Thanos. The signature of her power is similar to that of the Mind Stone due to its origin. However, her power is reliant on movement and focus, as War Machine was able to incapacitate her using a sonic cannon and her powers were restricted by using a strait-jacket during her time on the Raft.
 * Psionic Energy Manipulation: Maximoff can project energy blasts, streams, waves and bolts of her own psionic and telekinetic energy, allowing her to hit, push/pull or blow away her targets, potentially exerting enough force to destroy them. This energy manifests in any shape or form, outlining her telekinetic spheres of influence, as the energy is visible in a reddish color. When her energy hits a target, she can use her telekinesis to inflict further damage. Maximoff unleashed a wave of red psionic force that tore apart and disintegrated surrounding Ultron Sentries when she sensed her brother Pietro Maximoff's death, letting out a scream of anguish. She may have healing capabilities, as she was shown beginning to mend Vision's wound from Corvus Glaive before being interrupted, however she may have simply been repairing the damage at a molecular level since Vision is made from non-biological material. She proved herself capable of destroying the Mind Stone, due to her powers having a similar energy signature. She also showed the capability of multitasking while using her abilities, as she simultaneously held back Thanos with a second stream of psionic energy while destroying the Stone.
 * Telekinesis: Maximoff has the ability to move, levitate and otherwise manipulate objects using her psionic energy. She uses this energy to affect and control molecules and particles, allowing her to fully control matter and energy, as well as physical forces (such as kinetic energy, friction, pressure, etc). She started training this power by moving wooden blocks around while imprisoned in Wolfgang von Strucker's secret facility. She pulled them apart with her power, and suspended them in the air, removing all motion and gravity from the pieces. Maximoff used this power to create a shield to protect innocents from enemy fire, stop an off-rail train in Seoul, knock back Captain America, tear apart Ultron Sentries and rip out the central processor of Ultron's primary body. Her emotions are linked to her powers as she unleashed a wave of reddish energy that disintegrated attacking Ultron Sentries when she sensed Pietro's death. Maximoff's telekinesis allowed her to stop an enemy soldier's gunfire and throw him away, lift Captain America into the air to enter a building, hurl aside Black Widow and Black Panther, hurl entire cars at Iron Man and Spider-Man, extract and dissipate an enormous amount of gas, temporarily contain an exploding Crossbones before raising him several stories into the air, and even hold up a collapsed watchtower for several minutes to allow Captain America and Bucky to escape. She was even able to bring the immensely powerful Vision to his knees and blast him vertically down through a building's many floors. It appeared that her energy was able to take control over the stone's energies, allowing her to manipulate his density shifting abilities, as the Mind Stone on Vision's forehead turned red, causing him to become heavy enough to break through several stories. Wanda's telekinesis is powerful enough to bend vibranium, as she managed to rip open the chest of Ultron's damaged primary body to summon his central processor to her hand, and was even strong enough to shatter the Mind Stone. She was also able to stop a massive line of Threshers and redirect them at Thanos' Outriders.
 * Levitation/Flight: Scarlet Witch.pngoff was able to use this power to move through the air and simulate flight, in order to hover and safely float back to the ground. The use of this power manifests as a blast of psionic energy expelled from her hands onto the ground to propel herself up in the air, with a second blast used to slow her momentum as she approaches ground allowing her to land safely. It operates more like an enhanced leap similarly to Hulk, thanks to the force of gravity pushing her down. Wanda’s power over time grew from an enhanced leap to full-fledged flight soaring through the air.
 * Psionic Force-Field Generation: Scarlet.pngoff was able to create a highly durable barrier of energy that she could shape and conform as needed. She used it to grab and break apart targets, protect others from enemy fire, contain a target or to cover and deflect attacks from enemies, such as Ultron's Sentries. Like any physical barriers, the barrier could be broken with extreme brute force, as the Sentries were able to eventually break it. During her time as an Avenger, Maximoff learned to project her energy around herself, essentially constructing a close-to-the-body psionic armor to protect herself from extreme impacts, such as falls from great heights or blows from superhumanly strong, increasing her durability to a significant degree. This allowed her to land safely whenever she crash lands, as well as defending her against the might of superhuman combatants, such as Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive who sent her flying through a window when attacking her, from which she emerged unscathed. She may also use this ability subconsciously, as she was unexpectedly struck in the head by Proxima Midnight in the Battle of Wakanda and was only incapacitated for a few minutes when the blow likely would have killed her if unshielded.
 * Telepathy: Maximoff can read minds, communicate telepathically, and experience the memories and thoughts of others. She can also project her own thoughts through the neuro-electric interface that is the basis for her telepathy. This power can be hypnotic in nature as shown when she used it against the Avengers in South Africa, placing them in a sort of trance while she viewed the Avengers' memories. When using her power, her irises sometimes glow a dark reddish color, especially when she concentrates it on specific targets. She also used this ability to temporarily merge her consciousness with Ultron's, and it was thanks to this that she was able to discover his genocidal intentions and rebel against him. Maximoff can also sense the minds and emotions of those around her as she could see Stark's fear in their first encounter and sensed Quicksilver's death, knowing exactly what happened to him as if she had been there in person. She also has a connection to the Mind Stone, as she was able to read its energy and state that she felt Vision's consciousness.
 * Mental Manipulation: Avengers Age of Ultron 92.pngoff was able to deploy a form of mental manipulation, often as a type of illusory hypnosis, using the same neuro-electric interface that is the basis of her telepathic powers. She was able to use this ability to cripple the Avengers, forcing them each to recall the darker events of their pasts and placing them inside daydream-like visions that rendered them nearly helpless. When this ability is in use, Maximoff's reddish energy takes a more mist-like form, floating into the head of the victim in the form of neurons. The effects also distort the victim's iris coloration, causing them to shine a dark reddish color. This also allows her to control other people's actions, as she did with a considerable number of civilians in Sokovia to aid in their evacuation, causing them to experience a form of sleepwalking and making them all get up and leave the city. Maximoff's mental power is even strong enough to reverse the effects of the Mind Stone, one of the most powerful objects in existence, as shown when she freed Helen Cho from the stone's control. She can also manipulate the memory, thoughts, actions, emotions, and senses of others at will, as well as to induce sleep or pain and create illusions without any difficulty. After her change of allegiance, she is no longer shown using this area of her powers.
 * Fear Manipulation: With her power to manipulate the mind, Maximoff often used it in order to elicit fear or emotional pain in a person in the form of nightmarish hallucinations that could stun and weaken even an individual as powerful as Thor. These visions can depict things that a person fears, regrets, or general disturbances, though the nature of it is not up to Wanda. She does seem to be able to know what her victim is seeing and be inside the vision with them without them being aware of her presence.

Abilities

 * Spy: Given that she was on the run from the government like her teammates, Maximoff was taught strategies to hide in plain sight by Black Widow, such as masking her thick Eastern European accent with an American one.
 * Skilled Combatant: Maximoff was originally a poor fighter, having no combat skills or formal training. After becoming an Avenger, Wanda received extensive training in hand-to-hand combat from Captain America and Black Widow so that she could handle herself without having to always rely on her powers. She developed a fighting style in which she would infuse her psionic energy into her hands to greatly enhance her hand-to-hand combat skills and allow her to parry attacks from bladed weapons without suffering any harm due to her psionic energy protecting her hands from damage. By the time of the Infinity War, Wanda had become skilled enough that she was able to engage Proxima Midnight, a combatant deadly enough to overpower Okoye and Black Widow, in close-quarters combat and defend herself adequately, although she was nearly killed several times.
 * Bilingualism: Maximoff is fluent in Sokovian and English (initially having a heavy Sokovian accent, which soon faded away).

Facilities

 * HYDRA Research Base: To be added
 * Avengers Tower: To be added
 * New Avengers Facility: To be added
 * Raft: To be added

Family

 * Father †
 * Mother †
 * Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver † - Twin Brother

Allies

 * Avengers - Former Enemies, Teammates and Friends
 * Steve Rogers/Captain America - Former Thrall and Team Leader
 * Thor - Former Thrall
 * Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow - Former Thrall and Former Situational Enemy
 * Clint Barton/Hawkeye - Attempted Thrall turned Former Teammate and Father Figure
 * Bruce Banner/Hulk - Former Thrall
 * Vision † - Love Interest and Consensual Victim
 * James Rhodes/War Machine - Former Situational Enemy
 * Sam Wilson/Falcon †
 * Helen Cho
 * Nick Fury †
 * Maria Hill †
 * Scott Lang/Ant-Man
 * Bucky Barnes †
 * Golden Tribe
 * T'Challa/Black Panther † - Former Situational Enemy
 * Shuri
 * Dora Milaje
 * Okoye
 * Ayo
 * Wakandan Royal Guard
 * Jabari Tribe
 * M'Baku
 * Border Tribe
 * Guardians of the Galaxy
 * Rocket Raccoon
 * Groot †

Enemies

 * HYDRA - Former Employers
 * Wolfgang von Strucker †
 * List †
 * Ultimo †
 * Ultron † - Former Ally and Victim
 * Ultron Sentries †
 * Ulysses Klaue †
 * Klaue's Mercenary
 * Brock Rumlow/Crossbones †
 * Thaddeus Ross
 * Tony Stark/Iron Man - Former Thrall and Situational Enemy
 * Peter Parker/Spider-Man † - Situational Enemy
 * Black Order
 * Corvus Glaive † - Attempted Killer
 * Proxima Midnight † - Attempted Killer and Victim
 * Cull Obsidian †
 * Thanos - Killer
 * Outriders

Trivia

 * In the comics, Scarlet Witch was a founding member of the Brotherhood of Mutants, being initially identified as a mutant and the biological child of Golden Age superheroes The Whizzer and Miss America. Later it was discovered that she was, in fact, the daughter of Magneto and his wife Magda Lehnsherr in Vision and the Scarlet Witch #4 (1983), 19 years after Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver's first appearance. In Avengers & X-Men: AXIS #7 (2014) and then Uncanny Avengers #4 (2015), it is confirmed not only are they not related to Magneto but they are also not mutants, as the High Evolutionary was the one that genetically altered them as infants, giving them their powers, before returning them to their parents, the Maximoffs, whom they briefly believed to be their real parents again. Later on, it was revealed in Scarlet Witch #4 (2016) that Wanda and Pietro were actually the children of Natalya Maximoff, the sister of Django, who was also a witch who went by the moniker of Scarlet Witch. Natalya and Django, in turn, are the children of a man called the Scarlet Warlock, and Django and Marya took in Natalya's twins after the deaths of their own, Ana and Mateo.
 * Although Wanda's comic book moniker was never spoken by anyone during the course of the film, Iron Man did disparagingly refer to her as a "witch", alluding to her Scarlet Witch moniker.
 * In the comics, Wanda married Vision, and had two sons with him before their marriage dissolved.
 * Wanda plays guitar, as evidenced by the presence of one in her room in Captain America: Civil War.
 * Due to her connection with the Mind Stone, Wanda is the only known being powerful enough to destroy an Infinity Stone.

Behind the Scenes

 * Elizabeth Olsen was uncredited for her appearance in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
 * Both Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch were originally going to appear in the post-credits scene for Guardians of the Galaxy.
 * , and  were considered for the role of Scarlet Witch before Elizabeth Olsen was cast.
 * Despite the rights to Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch being shared between and Marvel Studios, the former owned all rights to Marvel Comics mutants, hence why the MCU incarnations could not legally be identified as mutants. However, with the announced acquisition of 20th Century Fox by  in December 2017, Marvel Studios is in the process to regain the sole cinematic rights to all Marvel properties previously owned by Fox, including the rights to mutants.
 * Wanda Maximoff speaks with a thick Eastern European accent in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War, but an American accent in Avengers: Infinity War. Joe and Anthony Russo explained that this was a deliberate decision made by the character in-universe to make herself less recognizable and that she learned the skill from Natasha Romanoff.
 * Olivia Jackson, Sarah Molasky, Jennifer White and C.C. Ice were stunt doubles for Elizabeth Olsen in the role of Scarlet Witch.
 * Evie Wray, Ashley Lyn Blair and Delly Allen were stand-ins for Elizabeth Olsen in the role of Scarlet Witch.
 * Laura Waggott was a double for Elizabeth Olsen in the role of Scarlet Witch.
 * In a Behind the Scenes featurette of Captain America: Civil War that showcased Vision and Scarlet Witch's relationship, Vision stated that Wanda's powers were "to manipulate molecular polarity, allowing her to alter reality." This is a reference to Scarlet Witch's powers in the comics.
 * Elizabeth Olsen has stated that she does not like her corset due to it revealing too much cleavage, compared to other female characters being covered up.