Scarlet Witch in the MC2

 

Now that WandaVision has begun streaming on Disney+ it feels like a good time to take a look at the MC2 incarnations of the show’s protagonists. For this entry, we’ll be taking a look at the Avengers resident chaos witch, Wanda Maximoff aka The Scarlet Witch.

 

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The Scarlet Witch made her first appearance in the MC2 in the A-Next #7 in a flashback to the last days of the original Avengers team. We learn that not only did Scarlet Witch join the team on their final mission, she was among the few to return alive. After mourning their fallen comrades, Iron Man and the Scarlet Witch worked tirelessly for months to seal the portal permanently against future attacks. Unfortunately, to achieve this the Scarlet Witch was sealed within a stasis pod, holding the aperture shut (A-Next #7-8). 

 

It’s worth pointing out Wanda’s appearance was foreshadowed as early as A-Next #4, when Crimson Curse began to sense her presence and became more pronounced in A-Next #6. This culminated in Wanda being discovered within her stasis pod by Crimson Curse, American Dream and Thunderstrike. Notably, the unconscious Wanda (dubbing herself ‘Guardian of the Great Beyond, Protector of the Dark Barrier’) utilized various physical manifestations of the Avenger known as Wonder Man to protect herself and the portal (A-Next #8).

 

By freeing Wanda from her stasis pod, the new Avengers team inadvertently sever her connection to the portal, leaving the world vulnerable to the threat on the other side (A-Next #9). Wanda remains in her comatose state, having been moved to a hospital where she is watched over by Edwin Jarvis and later Tony Stark (A-Next #10).

 

It seems Wanda remained in this coma until kidnapped and magically restored by the villainous Asgardian Loki as part of his plot to end the Age of Heroes. Wanda along with many other heroes is corrupted by Loki’s spell until later freed. What’s most fascinating to me about the Scarlet Witch’s awakening are the reactions of Wanda’s former team mates such as Tony Stark and especially Vision. Sadly, it appears Wanda didn’t get the chance to speak to Captain America before he died (Last Hero Standing #1-5).

With so many members off with injuries or otherwise absent, the Scarlet Witch is recruited by Stark to fill out the Avengers roster. The Scarlet Witch, Ant-Man and Hawkeye are joined by Stark's 'personal bodyguard’ James Rhodes on a mission to investigate and apprehend Normie Osborn. Things go awry when Rhodes (now more machine than man) is inadvertently hit by Wanda’s hex bolt, triggering a violent rampage. After Rhodes is subdued, Wanda and the others conclude they would be better use as teachers and mentors to the new Avengers team (Spider-Girl #93-#95). 

 

Despite this, Wanda continues serves as an active member of the depleted Avengers team during the events of Last Planet Standing. During a conflict with the villainous Revengers team, Wanda is offended when she encounters Magneta, who modelled herself after Magneto, the Scarlet Witch’s father (Last Planet Standing #1). Upon learning of the coming threat, Wanda opposes Vision and objects to playing second fiddle to the Fantastic Five (Last Planet Standing #3) and, alongside the Silver Surfer, later proves instrumental in breaking through Galactus’ force field. While it’s not confirmed, the combination of the Scarlet Witch’s reality manipulation powers and the Silver Surfer’s power cosmic may have played a part in birthing the entity that forms in the wake of Galactus’ failed attempt at universal destruction (Last Planet Standing #5).

 

Not an active member of the Avengers this time around, the Scarlet Witch only appears briefly this time, as a magical energy duplicate created when Sylene attempts to recreate Asgard on Earth in Avengers Next #4-#5.

 

I think there’s a lot left unexplored with Wanda Maximoff in the MC2, with her strained relationship with the Vision, her connections to Tony Stark and her re-adjustment to life after awakening from her coma. That said, the Scarlet Witch remains one of the most powerful, present and willing members of the original Avengers. Maybe someday we’ll see more from Wanda in the future.

 

Until I cast a little hex to alter the very fabric of reality, I remain

 

frogoat

 

Kaine's Journey

 

Here’s a question for you: How well-travelled is the mercenary degenerating clone called Kaine? Today I’m going to look at just one of Kaine’s many trips abroad, albeit an important one; Chasing Baby May. Initially this was going to be more Mayday focused (and a future post may even use that approach) but I thought this might provide an interesting alternate perspective. We are going to be jumping around initially just to establish and compare certain events. Special thanks to arias-98105 and Spideydude for their help with this one!

 

First, some background. As I covered in History of the MC2: Mayday,  a grifter named Alison Mongrain is hired by Norman Osborn to carry out part of his plan to kidnap the newborn child of Peter and Mary Jane. Disguised as a member of the hospital staff, Alison swapped out baby May with a recent stillborn baby, leaving Mary Jane to believe her baby had died at birth. Shortly afterwards, Alison met with Norman Osborn who paid Alison a ‘sizeable bonus’ to take an ‘expensive vacation’ through Europe with the newborn May (Spider-Girl #48, Amazing Spider-Girl #25).

 

Presuming MC2 history is the same or similar to the Main Marvel Universe, Kaine at this point is imprisoned after having turned himself over to the authorities as seen in Spider-Man: Redemption #4. Following this, Kaine is only seen in brief cameos (rocking dreadlocks, no less) in the Main Marvel Universe including a flashback appearance in the Thunderbolts Annual ’97 where he is part of a failed attempted breakout orchestrated by the titular team to cover their true plans.

 

Apparently following this failed attempt Kaine successfully escaped prison as he was next seen in Amazing Spider-Man #434-#435 having tracked down Alison Mongrain a little too late to prevent Osborn’s treacherous strike using his Scriers. Kaine does however launch his own attack on the Scriers shortly after while they are still on the Greek island of Euboea in the Aegean Sea. Later, Alison meets up with Joe ‘Robbie’ Robertson and together they return to New York to warn Mary Jane ‘May’ is still alive, referring instead to Peter’s elderly and seemingly deceased aunt. Alison dies delivering this message (Amazing Spider-Man #441). But that’s how things played out in the Main Marvel Universe…

 

 In the MC2, things went differently. On an extended tour of the Mediterranean with the infant May, Alison (who always disliked children) initially had no love for the baby, but grew to love May through the months they spent together (Spider-Girl #49). Meanwhile, it seems Kaine was following leads from ‘a New York hospital to the Caribbean’ though the reason for this detour is not chronicled (Amazing Spider-Girl #25). Perhaps worthy of a closer look in another post someday.

 

The Brotherhood of Scriers arrive to collect the child for Norman Osborn. Alison asks if she can accompany them as she has grown attached to the child, but the Scriers remind her not to question Mr. Osborn. The Scriers leave Mongrain with Norman’s compliments and her ‘final payment’ which turns out to be counterfeit bills and knockout gas. Kaine, being familiar with Osborn and the Scriers methods, rescued Mongrain just as the yacht exploded, hoping to learn what role she had played for Norman Osborn. Upon learning that Alison had kidnapped May and helped convince Peter and Mary Jane she was dead, Kaine leaves Mongrain floundering in the bay with no care whether she lived or died (Spider-Girl #49).

 

Meanwhile, Mary Jane receives a phone call from the man called Kaine. Having located Mongrain’s yacht, Kaine begins by telling Mary Jane ‘Your baby’s alive!’ and then goes on to provide a longer explanation, but insists that Mary Jane not tell Peter until the child is safe in her arms. Mary Jane hated keeping secrets from Peter but did not wish for Peter to endanger their baby’s life by confronting Norman Osborn (Spider-Girl #48).

 

Unbeknownst to Kaine, Norman Osborn cloned the baby and ‘genetically tinkered’ with both to ensure they would eventually manifest spider-powers. Later, Norman placed one of the babies (May) into the care of his good friend Philippe DeJunae (Amazing Spider-Girl #29).

 

Kaine’s months-long mission across the globe leads him to La Maison DeJunae in the south of France where he comes into conflict with the Brotherhood of Scriers. After defeating the group of Scriers, Kaine makes short work of their leader before taking possession of baby May from Monsieur Philippe DeJunae. Unbeknownst to Kaine, Norman had orchestrated the encounter to ensure Kaine would return May to her parents and allow him to continue his Project:Changeling experiments on the second baby, which Osborn intended to put into effect within a year or two if his scheme proceeded as planned (Amazing Spider-Girl #25).

 

Back over in the Main Marvel Universe, Kaine’s efforts against Osborn’s forces were far less successful and he is apparently thwarted off-panel as revealed by a Scrier in Sensational Spider-Man #32.

 

Fortunately, MC2 Kaine returned May to Mary Jane and encouraged her to take the necessary DNA tests to prove the baby wasn’t part of some twisted trick. Kaine also vowed to avoid future confrontations with Peter, and admitted he was doing all of this as part of a debt he owed Ben Reilly. Mary Jane realized that Kaine hadn’t finished his mission and intended to find and punish the man responsible: Norman Osborn (Spider-Girl #48-#49).

 

It’s unclear why Kaine never succeeded in his mission to locate Norman Osborn and make him pay, especially as we know that here’s actually a large stretch of time that occurs between panels here that only becomes apparent later, as Spider-Man doesn’t immediately track down Norman Osborn for their fateful final battle. Kaine’s whereabouts shortly after returning young May are unclear as his next known appearance after this time period takes place several years later.

 

Hopefully this alternative look at some of the events surrounding May’s kidnapping has shed some light on things. I’m sure there are more facets to delve into in future articles, but we’ll leave it there for now.

 

Until I run out of angles to explore, I remain

 

frogoat