We are just a week away from the premiere of the new Disney+ original series and next installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, WandaVision. With the ever-increasing enormity of the MCU and the vast history of Marvel Comics, a refresher might be helpful to those looking forward to the new series.
With that in mind, let’s take a look back at just what Wanda and Vision have gone through to this point, as well as some Marvel Comics titles that just might be worth taking a look at before diving into the new series.
The Road So Far
Both Wanda and Vision were introduced to the MCU in Avengers: Age of Ultron (although Wanda technically made her first appearance in the post-credits scene of Captain America: The Winter Soldier). Wanda and her brother Pietro were subjects of experiments at the hands of Hydra – resulting in him receiving increased metabolism and improved thermal homeostasis and giving her neuro-electric interfacing, telekinesis and mental manipulation. Or as Maria Hill so eloquently put it, “he’s fast and she’s weird.”
They were orphaned at the age of 10 when a shell bearing the Stark Industries logo collapsed their apartment. For that, they held a grudge against Tony Stark, which eventually led to them assisting Ultron in his mission to destroy the Avengers. That was short lived however, once they discovered that the murder-bot was really planning to eliminate human life as a whole.
Vision is created, initially as an improvement by Ultron before the Avengers hijack the cradle in which he is being fabricated. The plan was simply to destroy Ultron’s creation but Tony and Bruce have other ideas and, with a little help from Thor, finish the project. With the Mind Stone (which was taken from Loki’s scepter by Ultron) powering his android body, the Vision is brought to life. He explains that he is not Ultron, the stone or anything else. He just is. After convincing the Avengers he wants to stop Ultron, he joins them in their mission.
Wanda and Pietro also joined forces with the Avengers in the fight in Sokovia to stop Ultron. When Wanda is overwhelmed by all the action and overcome with guilt, she receives a pep talk from Hawkeye that eventually motivates her to employ her powers in the fight. Unfortunately, that fight results in Ultron killing her brother – a major, character-defining moment for Wanda. The film ends with both Wanda and Vision being revealed as new members of the Avengers.
We next see both Wanda and Vision in Captain America: Civil War. Wanda is in Lagos with several other Avengers on a mission that ends in disaster. Her inability to fully control her powers results in the deaths of many due to an explosion. That incident leads to the creation of the Sokovia Accords, which requires all super-powered individuals to register with the government to continue their practices.
As the heroes split, Vision is tasked with guarding Wanda at the Avengers facility. As he makes her dinner, we see the first seeds of their romantic relationship being planted. However, Wanda quickly uncovers that Vision has actually been tasked with making sure she doesn’t leave the facility, for the safety of others. She is eventually spring from the facility by Hawkeye, which results in an altercation that sees Wanda overpower Vision en route to her escape.
They cross paths again during the battle of the heroes in an airport in Germany. During the fight, despite being on opposing sides, Vision tends to a downed Wanda. His apparent feelings for her result in him becoming “distracted” and firing a beam that leads to the injury of War Machine. The film ends with the prospective couple parting ways, with Wanda being sprung from the Raft by Captain America and Vision being a member of Iron Man’s remaining Avengers.
In Avengers: Infinity War, we see that things have progressed for Wanda and Vision, who now appear to be a full-blown couple. They have both snuck away from their respective sides to spend time together before being attacked by Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight, who attempt to take the Mind Stone from Vision. They survive the attack and escape thanks to Cap and his Secret Avengers.
Unfortunately for Vision, the team realizes Thanos is coming for the stone in his head and he pitches the idea of destroying it to keep him from getting it. That of course would also kill Vision, which Wanda and ultimately Cap decide not to allow.
When Thanos does come for the stone, the team fails to safely extract the stone from Vision and Wanda is forced to destroy it before Thanos can get his hands on it. In other words, she is forced to kill the “man” she loves. She reluctantly goes through with it, only to see Thanos reverse time, bringing Vision back to life before he kills him himself and takes the stone. The Snap then results in the vanishing of Wanda, as well as half of all life in the universe.
Wanda is absent for most of Avengers: Endgame, but she does return after Hulk brings everyone back with a snap of his own. She is present for the final battle against Thanos and his forces and at one point completely overpowers the Mad Titan, finally showcasing her real power. Unfortunately, because he wasn’t killed as a result of the snap, Vision does not return.
Where Are They Now
Last we saw Wanda, she was talking to Hawkeye after Tony Stark’s funeral. Barton explains to her that he wishes he had a way to tell Black Widow, who died earlier in the film, that they succeeded in their fight against Thanos. Wanda assures him that “she knows,” and heartbreakingly follows that up with “they both do.” Vision has not been seen since his death in Infinity War and clearly Wanda is in pain.
In The Comics
Given everything we know about the history of these two characters and what we’ve seen so far in the MCU, it’s likely safe to assume that WandaVision will place a heavy focus on Wanda’s reality-warping abilities. Despite his name being in the title, Vision will likely take a backseat to the Scarlet Witch in terms of the characters’ importance to and/or impact on the story. With that in mind, here are a few comics to check out before watching the new series.
The Vision & The Scarlet Witch (1982)
In a lot of ways, this series is the obvious choice for an adaptation from comic to series. It is, after all, Wanda and Vision living on their own in their post-Avengers days. However, there is likely to be much more at play in the series, and maybe not so much superheroing for the “happy” couple. Still, this is a great comic to pick up to see the blossoming relationship between Vision and Wanda.
Check out this comic here.
Avengers #10 (1998)
Wanda has been an Avenger for a long time at this point, but she has never known the full range of her power. Enter: Agatha Harkness. The witch arrives to explain Wanda’s powers and show her just how much she can really do, including brining people back from the dead. Sounds like a useful ability for the MCU version of the character.
Check out this comic here.
Avengers Disassembled (2004)
As Spider-Man would tell you, with great power, comes great responsibility. But what happens when you are no longer mentally capable of living up to those responsibilities? Wanda has lost her grip on reality and has begun giving into her desires. With her ability to warp the world around her, the things she wants start becoming real. But her abilities have gotten beyond her control and the results are catastrophic.
Check out this comic here.
House of M (2005)
Speaking of catastrophic, “House of M” goes far beyond what we’ll see in WandaVision, but it is also perhaps the greatest display of her uncontrollable power. Reality is altered on a scale previously undreamt of and with three simple words, Wanda changes the course of the Marvel Universe as a whole. Plus, the idea of her children plays a big role in the story.
Check out this comic here.
All of these comics can also be found on Marvel Unlimited.