All throughout November and December, guest writers will be weighing in on fandom, specifically guest writers who identify strongly with characters, teams, or franchises online. Each piece will feature a personal look at why a writer gravitates to a character, what keeps their interest, and — most importantly — a set of reading recommendations for folks looking to better understand that character.

Today, Rebecca Kaplan has written a fantastic piece about her favorite character, Scarlet Witch, complete with an excellent set of reading recommendations for getting to know Wanda Maximoff…

The big two – Marvel Comics and DC Comics – were not my thing growing up. As the always rebellious child, there was no way people could see me reading the same comics as my father. As the son of Russian Jewish immigrants, he sold lemonade on street corners to support his family and his love of cape comics. Naturally, I was on a children's crusade against all things uncool and dad-like. Instead, I read Archie Comics and became obsessed with funny redheads—Cheryl Blossom and Lucille Ball.

Then, I grew up. I moved on to more serious and severe redheads, like Agent Dana Scully. My brain forgot about comics for a while. And my comics story goes dark, but not absent, for a good decade.

ENTER THE SCARLET WITCH. And pardon the sprinkle of paprikash to tell the story effectively.

I am both late-to-the-party and an earlier adopter of the Wanda Maximoff fandom. Avery Kaplan (Features Editor, Comics Beat) and I were in San Diego, California, for a vacation in 2016. Unfortunately, however, as an endometriosis survivor and chronic pain patient, my body did not believe in the reality of that vacation. While Avery explored the city, I spent a good portion of the day rolling around on the hotel bed in a pile of Thai leftovers and watching Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) for the first time. Well, first times. Elizabeth Olsen hooked me on hex magics.

I still remember the lines that hooked me on the character:

"He's got increased metabolism and improved thermal homeostasis. Her thing is neural electric interfacing, telekinesis, mental manipulation. He's fast, and she's weird."

"Sometimes it's hard, but sooner or later, every man shows himself."

And so, my life changed that day from the hotel bed in San Diego, and I came home to comics. I came home to the history of Jewish (and Roma) immigrants in the Big Apple. Weirdly, the Scarlet Witch was my miracle, and there’s nothing more horrifying than a miracle. The best part about this is that my comics counterpart – the Rebecca Kaplan of the 616 – gave birth to the spiritual reincarnation of one of the Witch's twin miracles, Wiccan.

Age of Ultron sent me on a quest that taught me androids really do cry – but they also laugh.

At the time, I was in law school and working as a criminal law clerk. You could say that I was preparing to be the next Manhunter (if she was a public defender, not a prosecutor). However, I was also obsessed with the “Spider-Man cases” thanks to Kimble v. Marvel Entertainment, LLC, 576 US 446 (2015). So, naturally, the logical next step was to apply to Marvel’s legal department with a simple wish: “No more lawyers.” I didn’t get the job but eventually earned my ears. As one of the thousands laid-off from the theme parks this year, I am distraught that I won’t be opening Avengers Campus. Unfortunately, the next generation of Super Heroes' parents won't be getting “happy” at Pym Test Kitchen by my hand.

Cheryl Blossom and Lucille Ball were my forerunners to Scarlet Witch. And with WandaVision scheduled to air on January 15, 2021, I am excited for the world to finally meet my Wanda. But for now, fans of the much-maligned and misunderstood character can get a chance to keep their mind cauldrons bubbling with these reading recommendations.

Scarlet Witch Reading Recommendations

Vision and the Scarlet Witch (1982) #1: This limited series is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand what to expect from the odd-couple sitcom WandaVision starring the Vision (Paul Bettany) and the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen). The comic takes place after the couple retires from the Avengers, and the Scarlet Witch and Vision move to an East Coast suburban haven for executives, doctors, and professional people. The ex-Avengers just want to fit into a "normal" suburban life.

However, from the first splash page, the reader knows that an easy suburban life is not in the tarot deck for the strangest wedded couple in the Marvel Universe. In the foreground, a little kid dressed as Spider-Man says, "Mommy, I thought only kids wore costumes on Halloween – but that man’s face is red!”

Each day I pray for an evening just to be with you, and into the Wanda-verse. In a similar scene on All Hallows Eve in the WandaVision trailer, Vision is walking in the suburbs in his retro costume with trick-or-treaters seen in the shot's background.

Vision and the Scarlet Witch (1985) #1: The lovers and zombies issue delivers on the undead. A zombie arm even phases through the Vision's head, destabilizing both for a moment before they can team-up (?) and save Wanda. Unfortunately, they don't get to her before another retelling of Scarlet Witch's origin story. Although the Maximoff family tree is complicated, the character is canonically Jewish and Roma in the comics, so there is inappropriate language in earlier depictions of the character – and then, there are also the claims of whitewashing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In the Earth-616 universe, Magneto – who is tortured in the concentration camps for his mutant abilities and Jewish heritage – saves a Roma woman named Magda in 1936. Significantly, Magda was persecuted and imprisoned in the Nazi camps because of her Roma ancestry. Although the couple's union has changed over time as Marvel Comics has changed and retrofitted Wanda and Pietro's family, some parts should stay the same. I had the honor of being a Research Assistant for the European Shoah Legacy Institute, and as someone who worked on the Terezin Declaration in law school, this story still needs to be told. The reality for victims of the Holocaust is ongoing, especially Roma victims who are still engaged in a legal battle for restitution of their immovable property in the European Union.

Giant-Size Avengers (1974) #1: This is issue sets up the false but essential premise that Wanda and Pietro’s parents were Miss America and the Whizzer. Robert Frank later comes back in Vision and the Scarlet Witch (1982) #1-4 to ask for the help of the two kids he abandoned to save the other kid he left. Then, there was that moment when Magneto impersonated Darth Vader with his "I am your father" monologue. However, in 2020, I’m not sure what it means to be the Maximoff’s father anymore. The comics once again retconned the twins’ parentage with a new narrative that Django and Marya Maximoff were their birth parents in 2015.

Exiles (2009) #1-6: This features the Scarlet Witch from Earth-8823. She attempts to raise the dead but is exiled before accidentally putting herself six feet underground. While most heroes struggle to contain isolated threats in one universe, the Exiles jump from universe to universe to protect the Omniverse's fate and future. Every world deserves a little Wanda!

Scarlet Witch (1994) #1-4: Marvel Comics describes this mini-series as “titular,” and as a comic of the 90s, it delivers. And with glamour magics, my girl and her friends can always look their best. It’s canon. If that dark design doesn’t interest you (and it’s ok if it doesn’t), then maybe you will be intrigued by the prospect of entering the horrifying nightmare world of Wanda Maximoff. As is usual with Scarlet Witch arcs, it is difficult to tell what is real and illusion and good and evil. To blur the lines of reality, even more, the diaspora might recognize another magical aid fighting by Wanda’s side – the Legion of Iron Golems.

However, this story is noteworthy because the Scarlet Witch is not blamed for her trauma. Instead, her mentor Agatha Harkness says, "My Dear. You have been manipulated by evil so often in your life; it is little wonder now you fear for your sanity and mistrust the strength of your own mind."

House of M (2005) #7: Obligatory add because this is the most infamous Scarlet Witch story arc in the Marvel Universe. However, it is also my least favorite unless it’s kvetching time. In the House of M event, the Avengers and the X-Men must decide the Scarlet Witch's fate – who the superhero teams wrongfully blame for Hawkeye's death and the Avengers’ fate. And because Spider-Man says it best – they choose to "put her down" like a dog Professor X failed to train. In response, the Scarlet Witch turns the world white in the act of self-preservation, and once again, she builds legions of golems to try and protect her friends. In House of M #7, you get a glimpse of the moment between Wanda and her twin brother, Quicksilver, right before Professor X and the Avengers land in Genosha for a witch hunt and stake burning.

Avengers: The Children’s Crusade (2012) #1-9: Wiccan and Speedster’s adventure in Young Avengers #1 is an essential backstory for the children's crusade. The Avengers, who are afraid of Wiccan's powers, once again turn into the evil they are fighting and take Wiccan prisoner for crimes he has not yet committed. And yes, the Avengers also want to run experiments. OK, Hydra Cap. Obviously, Captain America never read The Minority Report by Philip K. Dick, or he was already Hydra in this arc. Luckily, the Young Avengers rescue Wiccan, and they set out to find the one person who may be able to help him – the Scarlet Witch, the woman purported to be his mother. Industry great Allan Heinberg contributed to this super-powered coming-of-age tale.

Marvel Team-Up (1972) #41: I love the Bronze Age Marvel Team-Up comics – although I mostly love the zany cover art by the talents of Gil Kane, John Byrne, Frank Giacoia, and more. However, occasionally, there is also a story that catches my fancy. And for a girl obsessed with The Witchcraft of Salem Village by Shirley Jackson, my “afflicted” heart melted a little when the Scarlet Witch was transported back in time to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 by Cotton Mather.

Marvel Comics Presents (1988) #60-63: Wanda, the celebutant (and babe), arrives at Harvard College to study the history of magic. Instead, she is invited to dinner by a history and magics professor, Alder Revery, the Past Master. Alder considers himself a humanist – like so many people with anti-Semitic beliefs do. He loves the past and hates everything modern, like machines or mutants, which he sees as a perversion of humanity created by science. To fight the mutant threat, the Past Master learns old witchcraft to prevent the spread of the dangerous gene. Frankly, he is the perfect villain representing white supremacy #2020.

He even lies in wait to kidnap the Scarlet Witch! Alder studies the whole day near the Scarlet Witch in Houghton's Rare Book Reading Room before bumping into her and inviting her to dinner. After drugging her the traditional way and with magic, he sends the spirit of Scarlet Witch twisting and turning through the decades via the astral plane. Luckily, the spirit of Scarlet Witch merges with one of her ancestors – Dreaded Red Lucy Keough, Pirate Queen.

So with one fierce thrust, Wanda’s spirit is released from its bondage of sleep, and two women’s spirits co-exist in Lucy’s body!

That line is a pirate's treasure. Thank you, Richard Howell (and his partner Carol Kalish), for some great stories inside and outside the Marvel Universe.

Uncanny X-Men (1963) #4: This issue introduces the original Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, including Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. And, True Believers, Flo’s fun fact of the day is that the Scarlet Witch wasn’t so scarlet on the first two covers she appeared on! At this point in the Scarlet Witch’s history, a common refrain is: “Wanda! Don’t point your finger at him!! You know that always causes a disaster to occur!’’ In my love/hate relationship with early depictions of the character, Wanda (the only woman on the team) literally can’t lift a finger because she is so powerful, yet the story focuses on the men who saved her from abuse.

I kind of love that male writers are obviously afraid of Wanda's powers and abilities. But, that also means the character repeatedly gets retconned and de-powered. Nowadays, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch are best known as Avengers' mainstays, and later comics reveal that they are Magneto's children (though this connection is retconned substantially).

Avengers West Coast - Darker than Scarlet: This is a trade paperback collecting Avengers West Coast #51-57 and #60-62. The Witch is back, and so is a demon fire breathing Master Pandemonium! The shocking truth about the Scarlet Witch’s children is revealed in this heart-wrenching tale of ultimate tragedy. And, upon learning the truth of her children, the Scarlet Witch and the Avengers battle for the nature of their souls...only to be saved by Agatha Harkness' familiar, Ebony the Black Cat.

However, her children's loss is too much to bear, and the Scarlet Witch suffers a nervous breakdown. Despite this, her father, the “mutant terrorist” Magneto, manipulates her to do his bidding, and Wanda must face her teammates – and her brother, Quicksilver. As someone who had an ectopic pregnancy, I can tell that men wrote this story about child loss, but it still speaks to me.

Vision (2016) #7: Everyone and Tom King won’t stop writing and tweeting about the possible influence of the Vision comics written by the hydra operative himself – Tom King. King frequented the local comic book shop I worked at after law school, so I'll give this comic a shout out. Plus, the Shakespeare-loving Bettany is probably heavily influenced by King's version of the character. In Vision #7, King re-writes the Vision and the Scarlet Witch's greatest hits: (1) the odd couples first night as suburban newlyweds, (2) stolen kisses (and lots of PDA) during great battles, (3) the twins, (4) the events of Avengers West Coast #42-75, and (5) the Grim Reaper.

These are the days of wonder. Oh, excuse me, the days of wondering why the Scarlet Witch and Wonder Man needed to get back together. It is creepy because the Vision and Wonder Man were brothers, but things change, and I am behind on that piece of the story. This issue disappointed me at the time; it signaled the return of a long series of annoying relationships for Wanda on Earth-616. When will Wanda start fending for herself again? Men and androids always save her, but she has so much power in her little finger. Let her fend for herself!

Scarlet Witch (2016) #9: First off, this whole series is fantastic with beautiful red, black, and white cover art by Spanish comic book illustrator David Aja. In 2016, the apparel company formerly known as WeLoveFine released tees featuring the comic series' monochromatic covers. As a collector of nerd tees and all things scarlet, these are some of my favorite clothing items! In this series, my favorite Nexus Being starts to build a life for herself and explore the extent of her magical abilities.

However, Scarlet Witch (2016) #9 deserves special recognition because of sun salutations and goodbyes. Not only did I learn the Scarlet Witch greets each morning with a sun salutation, but in this issue, she says Boker Tov and fuck you to Quicksilver while doing it. I have waited for Wanda to tell her twin brother that he is an abusive ass since their introduction in the Uncanny X-Men #4 (1963). And this issue finally delivered!

Pietro: Wanda, will you shut up and do as I tell you?!

Wanda: No. I’m not going anywhere.

Pietro: I confess I’m at a loss. I mean, how much more clearly do I need to explain this? I know you’re slow to grasp things sometimes, but I would have thought my urgency alone.

Wanda: “Slow to grasp?” You arrogant ass! I swear sometimes...the way you talk to me – if you weren't my brother, I'd kick you off the balcony. I've let you treat me like an idiot for too long now…but that was long ago. I'm a woman now. All grown up. And more than capable of making my own decisions.

Shalom Quicksilver!

Check out the rest of the Fandom Files Reading List!