It’s the week of the Witch..the Scarlet Witch! Wanda graces the cover of two variants for upcoming issues of Uncanny Avengers this October. Wanda will join Captain America, Thor, Wolverine, Rogue and Havok on a new team of Avengers and X-Men united against the threat of the Red Skull reborn.
Marvel revealed this variant by Adi Granov (Iron Man Extremis.) I have this on the beautiful illustration on the cover of Granov’s sketchbook that I got at Emerald City Comicon earlier this year. Earlier this week Marvel shared this cover by Milo Manara.
I’m loving the Scarlet Witch comeback but I suspect we’ll see some Rogue variants soon.
I can forgive anything when it comes to Wanda. Even the Decimation of the mutant race. To borrow a Kelly Clarkson song she is a “Beautiful Disaster.”
The Scarlet Witch is on a path to redemption in Rick Remender and John Cassaday’s Uncanny Avengers this September. The team of Avengers and X-Men will take on a reborn Red Skull.
Legendary Italian artist Milo Manara created this volumptous variant to Uncanny Avengers #2 featuring the bewitching mutant with hex power courtesy Marvel.com.
I feel hopelessly in love with Scarlet Witch in the Avengers era by David Micheline and John Byrne. Remember when she was possessed by Chthon on Wundagore Mountain? Hope Wanda holds it together for a while.
Given how Rick Remender writes Psylocke I’m excited to see how he will write Wanda.
Uncanny Avengers is the first of 20 new titles in the Marvel NOW! relaunch. New books, new creators, new costumes and a new start for one of Marvel’s most controversial characters: Scarlet Witch.
The mutant Avenger who decimated the Children of the Atom is on the path to redemption in Uncanny Avengers by Rick Remender and John Cassaday. Wanda Maximoff is back in Avengers vs X-Men but the new book will see her back on a team after a long absence. How will the woman with hex power fit in the team dynamic which includes Avengers and mutants like Havok and Rogue?
“She’s in a unique situation. She and her brother were the first mutants that Cap ever tapped for the Avengers, and they were on the second Avengers team. So she is a long-time Avenger who caused a lot of heartbreak and death, and depowered a whole lot of mutants. Obviously the events that led to that, she was not entirely in her right mind. Doctor Doom had helped confuse her with an energy source that had driven her quite crazy. And she had lost her kids. There’s redemption potential there, but I want to make sure that I’m careful with it.
Avengers Children’s Crusade #7 by Jim Cheung courtesy Marvel.com
She’s a great character and she’s sort of torn between these two worlds. She’s always really been an Avenger when it comes down to it, but her community should be the mutant community. But they don’t necessarily dig her. She’s the daughter of Magneto former Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, an Avenger—she’s never really fit in with the X-Men. But at the same time, it’s kind of her people. Or should be. So she’s in a situation now where she’s reviled by most mutants for what she did, at least those who know what she did. And then you’ve got the Avengers, who she also played a big whammy on. It’s still not necessarily very easy to go “Oh, well if charged up you can alter reality—that’s a bad thing and we might maybe not want to go down that road with you.”
But, conversely, you’ve got somebody who’s a friend and a long-time Avenger, and somebody who really wants to make a difference. Wanda is very motivated to never be used as a weapon again, to never be a tool, to never be a thing that somebody can grab and misuse. She wants to stand up and she wants to be the face for mutants and sort of promote peace between the people—but she can’t. That’s not really a thing she can do. So she has to sit in the sidelines and sort of earn her redemption here—if that’s even possible—but in the meantime it’s kind of a case of “You’re going to be out there and doing the good work, but we should keep your public profile to a minimum. Keep you out of people’s eyes, probably.” And that continues to drive a knife in her belly.”
The way Rick Remender writes Psylocke in Uncanny X-Force makes me very excited with him handling the return of Scarlet Witch. For a real Scarlet Witch flashback – check out Avengers: Nights of Wundagore in which the Witch is possessed by the Elder God Chthon in a classic tale by David Micheline and John Byrne.
Astonishing X-Men #51 The wedding of Northstar and Kyle Jinadu will make comic book history this week. The first openly gay X-Man is getting hitched but he’s also a target. Who is the mystery woman behind the recent attack by a new team of Marauders? Northstar’s nightmare of the X-Men out to kill him is coming true. Could the wedding be just a dream too?
Avengers vs X-Men #6 Five of the most powerful X-Men are now possessed by the Phoenix Force. Earth is being radically changed. The Scarlet Witch enters the war but on whose side?
Nightwing #10 Dick Grayson is recovering from the shocking revelation from Night of the Owls when he checks out a double murder in Old Gotham. The evidence points the finger right back at….him? DC introduces a new threat to Batman’s battered ally. Who is Paragon and his Republic of Tomorrow?
Saga #4 An against all odds love story amid a galactic war. Two soldiers from enemy races fell in love, had a child and are now running for their lives. This issue introduces a distant planet where darkest fantasies can come true. Will this the runaway family’s safe haven or hell?
True Blood #2 A new comic book will help satisfy your craving for Sookie, Bill, Eric and all the other sexy scary characters from Bon Temps. Alan Ball, Ann Nocenti (Daredevil, Longshot) and Michael McMillan create a perfect companion to the HBO series.
After seeing Prometheus a second time I went back to a casting dream for a possible Avengers sequel. Seeing Michael Fassbender and Noomi Rapace together a second time made be think how perfect they would be as the Vision and the Scarlet Witch. This is just the musing of a geek – I have no knowledge and assume Fassbender would not want to play another android.
Avengers Origins: Vision from Marvel.com. Cover by Marko Djurdjevic
Prometheus still of Noomi Rapace courtesy 20th Century Fox
I posted before how both actresses who played The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo could play Wanda on-screen in an X-Men: First Class (Rooney Mara)sequel or Avengers (Rapace) sequel.
Avengers Vs X-Men #6 variant courtesy Marvel
Again – I have no power or knowledge and will probably enjoy what Marvel decides but it’s fun to dream and play casting director!
Astonishing X-Men #48 New creative team. New adventure. The first chapter of what Marvel is calling “the most controversial story of the year.” Wolverine, Gambit, Iceman, and Warbird are joined by fan favorite GLBT characters, Northstar and Karma, on a mission in New York City. Marjorie Liu and Mike Perkins take over the team and have you saved the date? A June X-Men wedding has been promised so stay tuned to see the rocky road to the altar.
Avengers Vs. X-Men #0 The return of the Scarlet Witch and her connection to Hope, the mutant messiah. Can the fallen Avenger redeem herself? This is the book the kicks off the war between two of Marvel’s biggest teams as the Phoenix Force speeds on a collision course with Earth.
courtesy Terry Moore
Rachel Rising, Shadow of Death A young girl digs herself out of a grave with no memory of how she got there. This horror mystery is by legendary independent writer/artist Terry Moore. A preview of Rachel Rising will appear in this week’s The Walking Dead #95. Rachel Rising was the Zanadu Comics Book Reading Club Book of the Month.
Dark Shadows Volume One If you’re excited by the upcoming Tim Burton/Johnny Depp movie based on gothic soap opera then sink your fangs into this collection by Dynamite starring Barnabas Collins, the reluctant vampire tortured by a witchy woman.
Archie #631 Betty and Veronica watch out! Riverdale’s triangle is about to get cattier! Valerie of Josie and the Pussycats is moving into town and into Archie’s heart.
Marvel revealed a variant cover to Avengers Vs X-Men #6 by Nick Bradshaw showing an angry Scarlet Witch at full power with the Phoenix claws ready to grab the mutant.
This week in Avengers The Children’s Crusade #9Scarlet Witch was redeemed and ready to make up for M-Day. Looks like Wanda may be on the edge of losing control of her powers again or losing her life to the Phoenix Force.
Avengers The Children’s Crusade comes to an end with a powerful story about identity, responsibility and what it means to be a hero. The Young Avengers deal with an ironic loss after their showdown with Doctor Doom only to experience another shocker. The young heroes proved themselves to the Avengers and X-Men but the impact of their actions drives the team apart.
This issue is an extended epilogue giving Wanda and the Young Avengers time to rethink their actions and future. I don’t think we get a complete answer about the Scarlet Witch/Doom romance and the final word on M-Day but I did enjoy how Wanda is set up for her new mission and place in the Marvel Universe.
This series is an artistic showpiece. Jim Cheung delivered with action packed panels filled with Marvel’s greatest heroes and ultimate bad guy. This issue gives Cheung the opportunity to equally show emotion and key relationship moments for these two generations of heroes. I look forward to his AvX covers.
