Kaplan Family Car Crash

Kaplan Family Car Crash
Previous	Battle of Westview
Next	Attack on Shang-Chi
War	Westview Anomaly
Date	November 11, 2023
Location	Eastview, New Jersey
Type	Car Crash
Result	William Kaplan is killed. Billy Maximoff's soul migrates into William Kaplan's body.
Participants	William Kaplan Jeff Kaplan Rebecca Kaplan
Casualties	William Kaplan

"The car accident. I never told you about it, but, uh... Eddie, I... I died that night. And when I came back, I was different. Something else. Something more."

―William Kaplan to Eddie^[src]

The Kaplan Family Car Crash was a car crash caused by distraction from the Westview Anomaly.

Background

"We've been informed there's something happening with the anomaly in Westview. Everybody needs to go home as quickly and as safely as possible."

―Jeff Kaplan^[src]

In November 2023, three weeks after the Blip, Wanda Maximoff entered the town of Westview, New Jersey and used her Chaos Magic to erect a giant red Hex around the town, which trapped the citizens inside. Maximoff then mind-controlled the townsfolk to help her live an idyllic sitcom life with her husband, Vision. Maximoff's sitcom scenario was broadcast outside of the Hex, with analog televisions able to receive the audio and footage while cars were able to pick up the dialogue through their radio antennas. Maximoff's actions caused both Agatha Harkness, a fellow witch, and the American agency S.W.O.R.D. to investigate the Hex, which had been dubbed the Westview Anomaly. During this time, Maximoff used her Chaos Magic to conceive two sons within herself which she swiftly birthed. The boys, named Tommy and Billy Maximoff, were rapidly aged to be around ten years. Tommy possessed the ability to run at superhuman speeds, while Billy received magical psionic abilities similar to his mother, as well as the ability to read minds.

The residents of the neighboring town of Eastview were aware of the situation in Westview but continued to live their lives. On November 11, 2023, the Kaplan family hosted a bar mitzvah ceremony for their thirteen-year-old son William. That day, S.W.O.R.D. had penetrated the barrier of the Hex while Maximoff fought with Harkness. An emergency alert was then sent out to the citizens of Eastview to return to their homes, which ended William's reception early.

Accident

The Kaplans crash their car

"So on the night of the accident, we were only a few miles from Westview. At the exact moment we crashed, that anomaly was collapsing."

―William Kaplan to Eddie^[src]

As Rebecca Kaplan drove the Kaplans back towards their home, they watched as the Hex around Westview began to recede. Just then, William Kaplan noticed a truck headed toward them and yelled at his mother. To avoid a collision, Rebecca veered the car to the left, driving down a small bank before the car turned sideways and slammed into a tree. William, who was sitting behind his mother, took the full impact of the crash. As he sat there bleeding profusely from his head, unconscious, his parents ran out of the car to seek assistance from the Eastview Police Department cars that were driving past. William, sitting alone in the car, experienced his final breath and heartbeat before he passed away.

Billy Maximoff awakens in William Kaplan's body

At that same moment, Billy Maximoff, who was being deleted alongside his brother Tommy as they were created by Chaos Magic within the Hex, transferred his soul and consciousness into the freshly deceased body of William Kaplan. Taking possession of the body, he yelled out Tommy's name. Rebecca, noticing "her son" was speaking, ran towards him as Jeff Kaplan returned with Officer Alice Wu-Gulliver. Wu-Gulliver made her way to the car and asked Rebecca if her son was breathing, and upon getting confirmation that he was, warned her not to move him as an ambulance was en route. Wu-Gulliver asked Kaplan what his son's name was, but was unable to hear what he was saying.

Aftermath

"My name is William Kaplan. I'm William Kaplan. I am William Kaplan."

―Billy Maximoff^[src]

Despite taking possession of William Kaplan's body, Billy Maximoff became amnesiac, and therefore had no recollection of either his own past memories nor any access to William Kaplan's memories. He was then put on a stretcher and brought to Eastview General Hospital, where the doctors informed Rebecca and Jeff Kaplan that their "son" was fine and that his original memories should return shortly. Unaware of who he was but realizing he was not truly William Kaplan, Maximoff was stunned when his mind-reading powers activated and he could read the Kaplans' thoughts. Maximoff was soon discharged from the hospital and brought to the Kaplan Residence, where he once again used his mind-reading powers to discern that the Kaplans were dissatisfied about having an amnesiac son. Maximoff then made his way to "his" room and noticed William's belongings. Maximoff then took stock of his new appearance in the mirror and told himself that his identity was now that of William Kaplan.

He then spent the next three years living as William Kaplan, with Rebecca and Jeff none the wiser that their son had died. During this time, William began to study witchcraft and magic, and analyzed YouTube videos that had been uploaded regarding the Westview Anomaly. This brought him into contact with Ralph Bohner, during which he realized that his true identity was that of Billy Maximoff. Upon being notified by Bohner of Harkness' existence within Westview, Maximoff researched Harkness and the Witches' Road before deciding to embark on it in order to find Tommy Maximoff.