"I've often heard the spells I cast referred to as chaos magic... but in actual fact they're far from "chaotic" — their power and intensity are linked to the energy of the Earth and womankind, revered by ancient pagan faiths, feared by men. Its name is witchcraft. In my past, I have ill-used that power, and I am feared because of it. But I am more than the sum of those mistakes. I am better than that. And I resolve to put things right... to right the wrongs when magic is involved. And not part of a team. Me alone."
— Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch is a 2015 Marvel Comics comic book, published as part of the All-New, All-Different Marvel initiative that followed in the wake of Secret Wars earlier that year.
Written by James Robinson with rotating artists, covers by David Aja, and a new costume design by Kevin Wada, this title focuses on Wanda Maximoff — the Scarlet Witch — as she investigates the curious case of broken witchcraft in the Marvel Universe. While she has headlined two limited series in the past — one of which she shared with The Vision and the other being a four-issue mini-series in 1994 — this is her first ongoing title as a solo character.
The past few years have weighed on Wanda quite a bit: she depowered most of the world's mutants, married Doctor Doom while suffering from memory loss, and discovered that Magneto wasn't her biological father after all — thusly meaning she wasn't a mutant, either. Oh, and longtime lover The Vision purged his memories and left her for a new family. Deciding she needs some time for herself, a tour of do-gooding witchcraft was probably in order eventually...
While not exactly an anthology comic, every issue is said to be self-contained story that fits within the larger narrative of Wanda taking it upon herself to fix witchcraft in the world, each drawn by a different artist. Some of Robinson's confirmed collaborators include Steve Dillon, Annie Wu, Javier Pulido, and Marguerite Sauvage.
Scarlet Witch provides examples of:
- Action Fashionista: Wanda's new, fashion-forward costume definitely qualifies her as this.
- Affably Evil: Declan Dane, the Emerald Warlock, strolls the line between this and Faux Affably Evil - he's not particularly malicious, with a pleasant demeanour at almost all times, even taking the time to semi-apologetically explain to someone just why he has to kill him and how it's Nothing Personal, even giving him his dream of flying... before dropping him from a very great height. He also tends to kill people on a whim. On the other hand, when he fights Wanda on the Witch's Road, something approximating his true colours emerges - though he ultimately bows out as a relatively Graceful Loser.
- Alternate Company Equivalent: The premise of this series is comparatively similar to Constantine: The Hellblazer, which DC launched after their own major crossover event the same year as Secret Wars.
- Archenemy: Declan Dane has decided that he's Wanda's.
- The Atoner: Stated in the narration above; Wanda wants to atone for any wrongdoing she's committed through using her power for good.
- Badass Cape: Her new costume's new cape is less gaudy and more fashionable, much like the rest of its overhaul.
- Card-Carrying Villain: Declan Dane, to the point where he rather cheerfully claims he's now her new archenemy.
- Continuity Nod: Issue 9 has Quicksilver try to recruit Wanda to Tony's side for the second Civil War (which she almost mistakes as the first). Wanda declines and sides with Carol, citing that she used to work with Tony in a similarly proactive group called Force Works which ended in failure.
- Color Character: The comic has Wanda meet various color-themed magicians from different lands: the Emerald Warlock of Ireland, the Aoi Master in Japan ("aoi" means "blue"), the Cuban magician Senor Violetta ("violet"), and the August Wu of the Coral Shore in China ("wu" is Chinese for "sorcerer", though Wanda notes the title of "Pink Witch" wouldn't be so grand). Wanda discusses in issue 12 the tendency for magic users to have such titles.
- Cool Crown: The headpiece from Wanda's old costume is replaced by a sleeker, beaded & bejeweled tiara.
- Deadpan Snarker: Wanda, just a bit.
- Distaff Counterpart: Compare both this comic and the current run of Doctor Strange and you'll find that both characters are on similar paths.
- Evil Counterpart: The Emerald Warlock.
- Exact Words: Marya Maximoff was set on fire. Nobody said anything about her dying from it...
- Foil: Declan Dane to Wanda; She's a good witch pushed to betray her team by circumstance seeking to atone for her mistakes and setting out to restore magic. She uses spells sparingly because she takes the cost of them into herself. Declan used to be on a hero team but he betrayed them consciously and willingly, because he's evil to the core. Wanda is unknowingly opposing his attempts to take revenge on every slight he's felt in his long life, using many powerful spells to sow mass deaths leaving the cost to be taken from the world around him. He's the Emerald Warlock to boot.
- Friendly Ghost: Agatha Harkness — well, she's a friendly as possible to somebody who technically killed her (though she mostly just seems to remind Wanda of that to annoy her).
- Gender-Restricted Ability: The distinction being emphasized between magic and witchcraft is that the latter specifically leans feminine. Wanda manages to gain the upper hand on Declan by luring him into the realm of a goddess trinity that empowers feminine magic but dampen masculine magic.
- Graceful Loser: Declan Dane, surprisingly, doesn't seem to mind losing to Wanda - probably because she's a Worthy Opponent, and as he ruefully remarks to himself, he enjoys fighting her far more than he should.
- Hot Witch: Wanda, as ever - though not in the mirror, apparently.
- I Work Alone: Also stated in the narration above; Wanda is clear about not serving on a team with her personal mission.
- Insistent Terminology: Wanda makes sure to outline the difference between witchcraft and magic.
- Legacy Character: Turns out Wanda unknowingly inherited the Scarlet Witch title from her mother as she did from hers.
- The Mirror Shows Your True Self: When Wanda looks in the mirror, she sees gray hair and a more haggard appearance.
- New Powers as the Plot Demands: As usual, Wanda's powers change Depending on the Writer. In the first issue, her narration tells us that her abilities include "levitation [and] transformation," which were powers the old Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe explicitly stated she didn't have, and teleportation, which she was only able to do during a trip to the DC universe.
- Of Corsets Sexy: Much like the rest of her costume, this element of her classic look has been updated and fashionized.
- Recap Episode: Issue 8 acts as one big example of the trope, examining Wanda's origins, relationship histories and failures, issues surrounding the parentage of her children and parental involvement, and various personal issues. Interestingly this is all done as a therapy session with a villain disguised as a psychiatrist.
- Sins of Our Fathers: Declan Dane, the Emerald Warlock, who's shaping up to be the Arc Villain of the series, is killing all the descendants of a woman who crossed him in 600 B.C.. That adds up to a lot of innocent people slaughtered, and he's dismissive of their pleas for mercy - though he is at least semi-apologetic to the last one, taking the time to explain why he's killing him, and giving his dream of flying... though since this is followed by dropping him from a very great height, that's not much comfort. It later comes out that this was because said ancestor cast a blood spell to banish his family from Ireland and that killing them all had the practical affect of breaking said spell. Now he can return to Ireland and take his revenge on the last as well.
- Sociopathic Hero: Wanda is fed up with Pietro's arrogance and domineering attitude in issue 9. She claims after concluding she has depression from personal research that her research into his behavior points to him being a sociopath.
- Solitary Sorceress: Her current status quo in the series seems to position her as this, especially since the only person she seems to be in regular contact with lately is an apparition.
- This Is Gonna Suck: In the first issue, she warns a detective that an impending exorcism she's going to perform on him will hurt a bit.
- Uncanny Family Resemblance: Natalya looks very similar to Wanda which easily keys in her and Pietro to her identity.
- Vain Sorceress: Implied when Wanda looks into the mirror and doesn't quite look the way she appears to the outside world. Apparently her reflection is showing what her soul looks like from prolonged magic use.
