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"If you do this, they will never stop being afraid of you."
"I can't control their fear, only my own."
Vision and Wanda Maximoff[src]

Wanda Maximoff is a native of the Eastern European country of Sokovia who grew 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 achieved superpowers as a result, with Wanda attaining various telekinetic, telepathic and energy manipulating abilities. 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.

Biography

Early Life

"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 and Steve Rogers[src]
Twins Revolt

The Maximoffs at a protest.

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 unexploding 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.[3]

Joining HYDRA

Scarlet Witch Blocks

Wanda Maximoff displaying her powers.

"There's nothing more horrifying than a miracle!"
―Baron Wolfgang von Strucker about Wanda and Pietro Maximoff[src]

When the twins reached adulthood, Sokovia had become a warzone, 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 and were using the riots to cover up their illegal experiments. One day, Wanda and Pietro were approached by List, a scientist at the HYDRA base in Sokovia, who offered them the opportunity to achieve the power needed to drive war out of Sokovia. Initially skeptical, Wanda was convinced by Pietro to agree.

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The Maximoffs in Strucker's base.

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 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.[4][5]

Attack on the HYDRA Research Base

Avengers Age of Ultron 126

The Maximoffs preparing to fight

"Let's show them what we have accomplished. Send out the twins."
―Doctor List to Baron Wolfgang von Strucker[src]

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.

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Maximoff attacks Captain America

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.

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Wanda uses her powers against Tony Stark

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.[3]

A Misguided Partnership

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The Maximoffs hide out in Sokovia

"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[src]

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.[6]

Avengers Age of Ultron 67

The Maximoffs meet Ultron.

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.

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Maximoff is recruited by Ultron

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.[3]

Battle at the Salvage Yard

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Maximoff threatens Ulysses Klaue

"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[src]

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.

Avengers Age of Ultron 132

Wanda threatens Ulysses Klaue

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 stock-pile 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, Maximoff used her powers to keep Klaue's men from defending themselves.

Mental Games

Maximoff and Ultron fight the Avengers

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.

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Wanda sees Bruce Banner

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.[3]

Changing Sides

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Maximoff learns of Ultron's true intentions

"You said we would destroy the Avengers. Make a better world."
"It will be better."
"When everyone is dead?"
―Wanda Maximoff and Ultron[src]

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.[3]

Battle of Seoul

Maximoffs-change-sides

The Maximoffs decide to help the Avengers

"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[src]

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 assist the Avengers in the fight.

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Maximoff betrays Ultron

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.

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Maximoff stops the train

With the train now completely out of control and heading to the middle of the city, Captain America ordered Wanda to stop when it while Pietro moved any civilians out of it's 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.

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Maximoff warns Captain America of Stark

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 mind sets.[3]

The Birth of Vision

Scarlet-Witch-Prepares-to-fight-Stark-AAoU

Maximoff prepares to attack Tony Stark

"I looked in your head and saw annihilation."
"Look again."
―Wanda Maximoff and Vision[src]

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.

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Maximoff speaks to the Vision

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 it's 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.

Scarlet-Witch-Quinjet

Maximoff joins the Avengers

She and Pietro then agreed to join the Avengers in 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 harms 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.[3]

Battle of Sokovia

Evacuating the City

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Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver in Sokovia

"Get off the bridge! Run!"
―Scarlet Witch to the people of Sokovia[src]

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.

Scarlet-Witch-Fear-Sokovia

Scarlet Witch watches Novi Grad rising

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.[3]

Breakdown

Scarlet-Witch-Hawkeye-PrepTalk

Scarlet Witch hears Hawkeye's speech.

"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[src]

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.

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Scarlet Witch fights back against Ultron

Her confidence restored by 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 destroy the pair reported into 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.

Avengers Age of Ultron 131

The Maximoffs fight against Ultron's army.

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 civilian to the town hall. Captain America meets up with Scarlet Witch and Black Widow who questioned why was Scarlet Witch wearing her jacket. Rogers told Black Widow that she was with them. Hawkeye met up with them and told them that if they get any higher, people would start dropping. Rogers told Scarlet Witch to get the people out from hiding, and for Hawkeye to watch her back.

Scarlet-Witch-evacutes-the-City

Scarlet Witch evacuates the people of Sokovia

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 assuring them on board alongside Hawkeye while Fury sent War Machine to protect the transporters from any Ultron Sentries that attacked them mid-air.[3]

Protecting the Key

Quicksilver-ScarletWitch-Church-AAoU

The Maximoffs challenge Ultron

"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[src]

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.

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Maximoff fights the 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 a 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 hit him across the city.

Scarlet-Witch-Protects-Key

Scarlet Witch agrees to protect the key

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 from 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.[3]

A Death in the Family

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Maximoff screams after sensing Pietro's death.

"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[src]

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.

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Scarlet Witch gets her revenge on Ultron

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 incoming 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.

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Scarlet Witch is saved by Vision

Her action inadvertently allowed a lone 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 rescued at 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.[3]

The New Team

SW Costume

Scarlet Witch officially joins the Avengers

"Avengers, A..."
Captain America[src]

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.[3]

Attack of Ultimo

This section requires expansion

to be added

Lagos Catastrophe

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Scarlet Witch battles Crossbones' men

"Wanda. Just like we practiced."
"What about the gas?"
"Get it out."
Captain America and Scarlet Witch[src]

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. They immediately rushed towards the IFID, with Captain America arriving first on 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.

Captain America Civil War 89

Scarlet Witch accidentally kills innocent people

Falcon and Black Widow managed to neutralize the mercenaries and secure the 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 stead 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.[7]

Sokovia Accords

Guilt

"It's my fault."
"That's not true."
"Turn the TV back on. They are being very specific."
―Wanda Maximoff and Steve Rogers[src]

The Avengers returned to the New Avengers Facility, where Maximoff struggled with guilt over the deaths caused from the explosion. Steve Rogers tried to convince the young enhanced that it was not her fault over the explosion, saying that he should have been able to stop Crossbones's suicide vest before it went off. However, Maximoff was still convinced due to the dozens of news reports blaming her. Rogers told that despite casualties, the villain was still stopped from hurting anyone else. 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.

House Arrest

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Scarlet Witch learns of the Sokovia Accords

"Is that how you see this? This is protection? It's internment!"
"She's not a U.S. citizen and they don't grant visas to weapons of mass destruction!"
Steve Rogers and Tony Stark[src]

When the Sokovia Accords were introduced to the Avengers, Maximoff was unsure at the time whether she should sign or not. The other Avengers left to deal with the Winter Soldier, and Maximoff was left under the watch of the Vision. He tried to cook her something to lift her spirits, though failed due to the fact he did not eat. The two Avengers had a heart-to-heart talk but when Maximoff tried to leave the facility, Vision stopped her, telling her the Tony Stark charged him with ensuring she did not leave the compound until the debate with the Accords had cooled.[7]

Rescue of Wanda Maximoff

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Scarlet Witch is forced to subdue Vision

"If you do this, they will never stop being afraid of you."
"I can't control their fear, only my own."
Vision and Wanda Maximoff[src]

Later, Steve Rogers sent Clint Barton to retrieve Maximoff. Barton created a distraction for Vision and tried to talk Maximoff into leaving with him. Vision returned and he easily overpowered Barton; however, Maximoff used her powers to free him and increased Vision's density, blasting him many meters beneath the facility and leaving with Barton.[7]

Clash of the Avengers

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Scarlet Witch battles Iron Man's team

"Wanda, I think you hurt Vision's feelings."
"You locked me in my room."
Iron Man and Scarlet Witch[src]

Maximoff and Clint Barton retrieved Scott Lang and then the three met up with Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, and Bucky Barnes in Germany, where they were ambushed by Iron Man and his allies. Maximoff used her powers to assist her teammates, stopping enemy blows and throwing vehicles. As she used her powers to stop a falling watch tower from cutting off Rogers and Barnes' escape, James Rhodes used a sonic weapon to knock her out. Vision went to check on her, but this act distracted him, causing him to accidentally strike Rhodes out of the sky.[7]

Imprisonment

Maximoff and the other heroes aligned with Steve Rogers were arrested and taken to the Raft, where she was outfitted with a shock collar and put in a straitjacket to prevent her from using her powers. Tony Stark visited the prison and saw her in captivity. However, Rogers broke into the Raft and freed Maximoff and the others.[7]

Personality

"What about the core?"
"I'll protect it. It's my job."
Hawkeye and Scarlet Witch[src]

Having dealt with tragedy and turmoil at such a young age, Wanda Maximoff desired to free her country from the terrors of war. This desire grew to such a point that she volunteered to be experimented on by HYDRA, eventually gaining the formidable powers she now possesses. Compared to her brother, Pietro, Wanda is quieter and less aggressive. Despite that, she appears to have full control of her power and would not hesitate to use it on her enemies to achieve her goals. She was not the type to face a foe in direct combat, opting to disable her foes with her powers when their guard is down.

Despite her desire to destroy the Avengers, she ultimately chose to betray Ultron after learning his true intentions and sided with the very people she tried to take down. This shows that Wanda is willing to set aside her personal grudges for the common good, as she ultimately joined the Avengers in evacuating Sokovia and opposing Ultron.

Her hatred for Tony Stark's role in the destruction her country endured and the death of her parents motivated her to implant visions of a bleak future into his mind, thus setting up the events that led to the eventual destruction of Sokovia. Wanda acknowledges this to Hawkeye, sordidly blaming herself for the carnage and questioning why she let such chaos happen.

However, after being encouraged by Hawkeye, Wanda displayed great courage and selflessness, aiding him in fighting off the Sentries and protecting and escorting civilians to safety before standing alongside the Avengers in wiping out most of Ultron's forces. This is paramounted by how she chose to stay behind and guard the key, reiterating that it was her job, and making Pietro promise to come back for her only when everyone else is safe.

Wanda and Pietro share a deep, emotional bond, though they would occasionally bicker like normal siblings. Wanda was looked after by Pietro and she would always rely on him for support. Pietro's death by Ultron's hands unleashed a fury within Wanda that pushed her to leave her post and rip out Ultron's central processor to make him feel the pain he inflicted, avenging her beloved brother by ripping out the robot's heart.

Despite the pain of losing her brother and the loss of her home, Wanda still chose to join the second incarnation of the Avengers, led by Captain America and Black Widow.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

"Her thing is neuro-electric interfacing, telekinesis, mental manipulation."
Maria Hill[src]
  • Psionics: As a result of exposure to the cosmic energies from the Scepter, Wanda acquired an array of psionic powers, which manifest in the form of reddish, glowing energy currents and mist-like shapes, much like fire or gas. Maria Hill describes her powers as "neuro-electric interface" and called her "weird" because of them. When using her power, her irises sometimes glow a dark, reddish color, especially when she concentrates and uses her mental abilities. Her powers allowed her to control the motion of any target, even allowing her to freeze and contain an explosion for a short time. The currents she creates can control and distort molecules and forms of physical forces, such as friction, kinetic energy, pressure, state of matter and even gravity. A common effect of this is her abilities to control and remove motion from a target. This energy is capable of controlling many forms of matter on a molecular level and can be used to control molecules and physical forces in various ways.
    File:Scary Witch.jpg

    Telekinesis

    • Telekinesis: Maximoff has the ability to mentally move, levitate and manipulate objects. She can also affect and control particles and molecules which allows her to manipulate matter and energy, as well as physical forces such as kinetic energy, friction, pressure, state of matter and even gravity. A common effect of this is her abilities to control and remove motion from a target, which allowed her to briefly freeze and contain an explosion from Brock Rumlow's suicide bomb. She demonstrated this when she moved 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 and cried out. Her telekinesis allowed Wanda to give Captain America a boost, to lift up and temporarily contain an exploding Crossbones, to hurl aside Black Widow and Black Panther, to hurl entire cars at Iron Man and Spider-Man, to extract and dissipate an enormous amount of gas, to even bring the extremely 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 over his density control 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 even powerful enough to break through Vibranium (though it had been notably weakened previously by the combined efforts of Thor, Iron Man, and Vision), as she managed to rip Ultron's primary body apart to get his central processor.
      • Psionic Energy: Maximoff can project energy blasts, waves and bolts by projecting her own psionic and telekinetic energy, or gathering particles, molecules and physical forces into a contained space, allowing her to either blow, destroy, push/pull or direct her hits at her enemies. These contained spaces could be in any shape and form and outlined her telekinetic spheres of influence, making her telekinesis visible and in reddish color. When a target of hers is hit with her energy, she can use her telekinesis to inflict further damage. Maximoff unleashed a wave of reddish energy that tore apart and disintegrated surrounding Ultron Sentries when she sensed Pietro's death and cried out in grief and anger. She can also generate a bolt of this energy to project light.
      • Levitation: Maximoff was able to use this power to move herself through the air and simulate flight.
      • Energy Field: Maximoff was able to create a highly durable barrier, shield or wall of energy, that she can shape and deform in order to grab and break apart targets telekinetically, or to protect innocents from enemy fire, or cover from projectiles like to deflect attacks from Ultron Sentries, though the Sentries were eventually able to break through. She even extended her field to grab, contain, trap and destroy a target or change the form of the shield to use it like energy constructs.
    • Telepathy: Maximoff can read minds or mentally communicate and experience memories and thoughts of others or project her own thoughts through a neuro-electric interface that gives her telepathy. While she was using her hypnotic powers in conjunction with this power against the Avengers in South Africa, she herself viewed the Avengers' memories. When using her power, her irises sometimes glow a dark reddish color, especially when she concentrate it on certain 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 an earlier encounter with her and sensed Quicksilver's death, knowing exactly what happened to him, as if she had seen it directly
      Avengers Age of Ultron 92

      Wanda manipulates Black Widow

      .
    • Mental Manipulation: Maximoff was able to deploy a form of mental inertness upon others through a form of hypnosis. This power is possible through a neuro-electric interface, just as her telepathy is. She was able to use this ability to cripple the Avengers, forcing them each to recall the darker events of their pasts and were put inside daydream-like visions of them that subdued them. 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 sleep walking 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, induce sleep or pain and create illusions without any difficulty.
      • Fear Manipulation: With her power to manipulate the mind, she could use her power 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, seemingly invisible to them.

Abilities

  • Multilingualism: Wanda can speak her native Sokovian, as well as fluent English (though with a heavy Sokovian accent).

Relationships

Family

Allies

Enemies

Appearances

Appearances for Wanda Maximoff

In chronological order:

Non-canon appearances

  • Lego Marvel's Avengers

Trivia

  • In the comics, the Scarlet Witch is a mutant and a founding member of the Brotherhood of Mutants, being initially identified as the daughter of Magneto (Erik Lehnsherr) and his then-wife Magda Lehnsherr (née Eisenhardt) in Vision and the Scarlet Witch #4 (1983), 19 years after Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver's first appearance. Magda leaves Erik while pregnant and takes sanctuary at Mount Wundagore in Transia, the home of the High Evolutionary, where she gives birth and later dies. The High Evolutionary then places them instead in the care of the Romani couple, Django and Marya Maximoff, who raise them as their own children. Prior to that, in Giant-Size Avengers #1 (1974), they were revealed to be the biological children of Golden Age superheroes The Whizzer and Miss America, a fact that was later retconned. In Avengers & X-Men: AXIS #7 (2014), it was revealed that Wanda and her brother have no blood ties to Magneto and are not related after all. In 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 true parents, the Maximoffs.[8]
  • 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.
    • The credits did in fact credit her as "Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch".
  • In the comics, Wanda married Vision, and had two sons with him, but the marriage between them ended.
  • Wanda ultimately destroying Ultron's primary body in the film is probably an allusion to the fact that her powers in the comics are considered one of Ultron's most significant weaknesses.

Behind the Scenes

References

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki has a collection of images and media related to Scarlet Witch.
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The Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki has a collection of quotes related to Scarlet Witch.

External Links

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