Wanda Maximoff

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Wanda's origin began in Sokovia, Eastern Europe, during a war where she and Pietro were trapped for two days under debris after their parents Oleg and Iryna were killed by a Stark Industries missile. Wanda unknowingly cast a probability hex that turned a second missile into a dud, cementing her hatred of the Stark logo. Years later, as young adults protesting in their city, they joined Baron Wolfgang von Strucker's Hydra program. Exposed to the Mind Stone, Wanda gained psychic abilities and a glimpse of herself as the Scarlet Witch. After defecting from Ultron in 2015 during the battle for Sokovia, where Pietro was killed by an Ultron drone while she abandoned her post, she became one of the Avengers' most powerful members. Her romantic relationship with Vision developed at the Compound following the Civil War events in 2016.

In Their Own Story

In 2018, Wanda and Vision hid in Edinburgh before being ambushed by Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive. At the Wakandan compound, she reluctantly destroyed the Mind Stone to save the universe from Thanos, only for him to reverse time, kill Vision, and activate the Infinity Gauntlet. This caused Wanda to disintegrate during the Blip. Five years later, resurrected, she fought an alternate 2014 Thanos at the climactic battle but was blown away before Stark sacrificed himself. Devastated by Vision's death, she drove to Westview in New Jersey, where grief triggered chaos magic that created a sitcom-themed false reality known as the Hex. Inside, she married a memory-less Vision and bore twins Billy and Tommy. Conflict arose with S.W.O.R.D. and Agatha Harkness, culminating in Wanda manifesting as the Scarlet Witch. Corrupted by the Darkhold, she traveled the multiverse to reclaim her children from alternate realities, defeating Stephen Strange and the Earth-838 Illuminati. Confronted by that reality's Billy and Tommy, guilt overwhelmed her, leading her to sacrifice herself to destroy all copies of the Darkhold.

Reader's Guide

Wanda Maximoff has appeared in seven MCU films, starting with a mid-credits cameo in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), and starred in the Disney+ series WandaVision (2021). Alternate versions appear in What If...? (2021-2023). Her powers include harnessing chaos magic, telekinesis, and psionic abilities, often triggered by emotional trauma. Key turning points include the 2015 Sokovia battle where she joined the Avengers, the 2016 Lagos incident where her containment of an explosion accidentally killed Wakandan workers leading to the Sokovia Accords, and the 2018 death of Vision. Her performance by Elizabeth Olsen garnered nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. The character's arc is defined by her transition from seeking revenge on Tony Stark to becoming a multiversal entity who ultimately sacrifices herself to protect others from the Darkhold's corruption.

Did You Know?

• Wanda unknowingly cast a probability hex as a child that turned a second Stark Industries missile into a dud while she and Pietro were trapped in debris.
• During Hydra's experiments, Wanda was one of only two survivors alongside her brother Pietro to gain powers from the Mind Stone.
• In Westview, Wanda created a false reality where she married Vision and bore twins named Billy and Tommy Maximoff.
• Wanda defeated Stephen Strange and the Earth-838 Illuminati but ultimately sacrificed herself after being confronted by that reality's versions of her children.
• Elizabeth Olsen's performance earned her nominations for both a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.