As we approach the December 18, 2026, premiere of Avengers: Doomsday, whispers regarding the return of the Scarlet Witch continue to dominate fan discourse. Although Wanda Maximoff was presumed lost following the cataclysmic events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, her history proves she is rarely truly gone.
Wanda has always been a figure of immense complexity—wielding unrivaled power and an iconic aesthetic—yet she has endured profound tragedy since her 1964 debut in X-Men #4. Originally introduced as a reluctant member of Magneto’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants alongside her brother Quicksilver, Wanda was defined early on by the crushing guilt of their activities. Her transition from a misguided antagonist to an Avenger set a precedent for a character who has spent decades desperately seeking penance.
Image: Brian Michael Bendis, Olivier Coipel/Marvel Comics
Her narrative reached a harrowing nadir in 2005’s M-Day. Following the psychological breakdown depicted in Avengers: Disassembled—which saw her inadvertently cause the deaths of several heroes—Wanda was pushed to her absolute limit. Facing the prospect of execution by her former allies, she uttered the three words that altered the Marvel landscape forever: “No more mutants.”
While later stories framed these tragic outbursts as the influence of the malevolent entity Chthon, the scars of M-Day remain visible in the current comic canon. Wanda’s long road to recovery gained significant momentum in the 2010 event The Children’s Crusade, but it was James Robinson’s 2016 Scarlet Witch series that finally provided a blueprint for her true restoration. After years of teetering between instability and villainy, this series allowed Wanda to step into a definitive, proactive role of heroism.
A highlight of this evolution is Scarlet Witch #5 (2016), which sees Wanda visiting Spain to liberate souls trapped by the dark legacy of the Spanish Inquisition. The issue’s minimalist, near-silent approach to storytelling allowed her noble actions to speak louder than any exposition, marking a pivotal moment where her past trauma was finally replaced by selfless intent.
This experimental issue felt like a breath of fresh air; it showcased that while heroes like Captain America and Iron Man focus on physical combat, Wanda operates on a level of emotional and spiritual restoration they often miss. She was able to provide grace to the damned, a feat few others in the Avengers roster could manage.
Whatever path the MCU chooses for her next, her lingering guilt will undoubtedly remain a catalyst for her character. Sometimes that weight leads to chaos, but occasionally, it leads to moments of profound, quiet clarity—proving that for the Scarlet Witch, peace is often found in the act of healing others.
Source: Polygon
