Wiccan

Billy Kaplan

Origin

Billy Kaplan never had a problem being different then other people. It was other people that had a problem with him.

Being raised in a normal home in New York with his loving mother ( Rebecca Kaplan), father ( Jeff Kaplan) and two brothers, Billy had the average problems for a gay teenager. In school, he met a tremendous amount of hate and fear because he was different. Billy's issues escalated as he grew older and entered high school where his differences became the source of endless torment and violence.

Once Scarlet Witch had heard the full story of his troubles at school, she told him that next time he was threatened the best thing to do would be to stand up to Kessler. Billy scoffed at her advice and told her maybe if he had powers like her he could. She reassured him that "Everyone has some gift," advised him that next time he encounter Kessler, not to back down.

Billy did not take Scarlet Witch's advice. He avoided Kessler at all costs until one day he saw Kessler had found a new victim. Unable to allow another to suffer Kessler's abuse in his place, he confronted Kessler. While being attacked, Billy's powers manifested for the first time. Unable to control them, he electrocuted Kessler, nearly killing him.

Young Avengers

Original Young Avengers

Billy met Iron Lad at the Avengers Mansion while seeking Scarlet Witch. Iron Lad explained he needed help protecting himself from his future self ( Kang). Iron Lad had used a system he found in the remains of the Vision which helped locate alternative members for the Avengers for the next generation. Iron Lad had found Teddy Altman ( Hulkling), Elijah Bradley ( Patriot) and now Billy Kaplan (as "Asgardian") who all three agreed to help him, despite their lack of experience.

They started off by helping out the community, such as saving people from a burning building. However, the act only attracted unwanted press.

The Young Avengers later encountered both Kate Bishop and the daughter of the late Ant Man (Scott Lang), Cassie Lang. Billy and the other Young Avengers were then confronted by Iron Man, Captain America, and Jessica Jones who disapproved of their unsanctioned vigilantism. It was during this time that Iron Lad's future self, Kang the Conqueror arrived to bring Iron Lad back to the future and convince him to accept his destiny.

The confrontation led to a battle between Kang and the Young Avengers. During this battle, Billy revealed his ability to cast spells where he had previously limited himself to lightning projection and flight due to his inexperience. The battle culminated with Iron Lad killing Kang which altered the past and present. The Young Avengers agreed that in order for reality to stabilize , Iron Lad must return to his own time. Understanding that there was no choice, Iron lad returned to the future, bidding his teammates farewell.

Current Young Avengers

After these events, Captain America ordered the Young Avengers to disband. Instead, the Young Avengers continued to function as a team, now using Kate Bishop's resources to support them. Kate had new costumes designed for the team, who now operated out of an old abandoned warehouse owned by her family. She and Cassie also convinced Billy to change his alias from "Asgardian" to "Wiccan" in acknowledgment of his new powers (and due to "Asgardian" being exploitable by the media in relation to Billy's sexuality and relationship with Hulkling).

The team continued to fight crime on the streets, including busting dealers of Mutant Growth Hormone, which granted superpowers to ordinary humans. During this time, Billy attempted to tell his parents that he was a superhero, only to accidentally come out to them. His parents openly accepted his sexuality and welcomed Teddy as a member of their family.

A confrontation with the villain Mr. Hyde led to Wiccan's discovery that Patriot had been abusing Mutant Growth Hormone. After defeating Mr. Hyde, Patriot admitted that he had not inherited his grandfather's Super Soldier abilities and promptly quit the Young Avengers. While still trying to decide how to continue their activities while staying under the radar of the New Avengers, Hulkling was kidnapped by the Super-Skrull.

The Young Avengers managed to escape to Billy's household. However, the Super-Skrull tracked them down, revealing Hulkling's mother to be a Skrull (who was charged to raise him on Earth by Hulkling's birth mother, the deceased Skrull Empress Anelle). The Super-Skrull killed Hulkling's foster mother and captured Hulkling to his ship to take him back to the Skrull Empire.

The team arrived at the Avenger's Tower and with the help of the newly reformed Vision, located additional assistance to rescue Hulkling. Wiccan discovered that he and the newest recruit, a youth with super speed by the name of Tommy Shepard, were identical in appearance. The team confronted the Super-Skrull and freed Hulkling. The Super-Skrull revealed to Teddy that he was "Dorrek VIII" the rightful heir to the Skrull Empire. They were interrupted by a troupe of Kree soldiers who revealed Hulkling to be half-Kree as well and the son of their greatest warrior, Captain Marvel. As a Kree, Hulkling was to be enlisted in the Kree army, by force if necessary. The Young Avengers and the Super-Skrull fled the Kree. During this time, the Super-Skrull stated his belief that Billy and Tommy's similarities in appearance and powers indicated that they were the twin sons of the Scarlet Witch and the Vision. The Super-Skrull noted that Wiccan seemed to have inherited the Scarlet Witch's magical and reality-warping abilities while Tommy has those of her twin brother, Quicksilver.

Vision confirmed the story of the twins. Wiccan was greatly convinced that their connection to the Scarlet Witch was evident, though Tommy was more skeptical. Before the Vision could reveal the identity of the father, a battle erupted between Kree and Skrull forces over the fate of Hulkling. Wiccan and the Young Avengers fought alongside the New Avengers to end the conflict. The battle was negotiated when the Super-Skrull disguised himself as Hulkling and agreed to spend time with each empire before deciding which to join. Thus the real Hulkling (disguised as the Super-Skrull) was able to stay on Earth.

Hulkling

Wiccan continued as a member of the Young Avengers (now including Tommy as " Speed") until the events of Civil War and the Superhero Registration Act forced the team to go underground as part of Captain America's anti-registration team of superheroes. Recognizing the Runaways under attack by registration agents on a monitoring screen, the Young Avengers set out to assist them and convince them to join the anti-registration side. The Runaways rebuked their offer, but joined together when Karolina Dean, the Skrull Xavin, Hulkling and Wiccan were captured by agents of a secret alien-observation base called The Cube. Wiccan and the others were eventually rescued by their teammates and continued avoiding registration.

During a trap laid by Iron Man and the pro-registration heroes, Wiccan was captured and sent to the N-Zone prison for his involvement with the underground Avengers. Stature later defected to the pro-registration side, stating that she did not want to go to prison like Wiccan had. Wiccan and the other imprisoned anti-registration heroes were later freed by Hulkling who disguised himself as Hank Pym to infiltrate the N-Zone prison. The two sides clashed until the battle was ended by Captain America's realization that their position was being fought in a manner that only endangered more citizens.

Like many other heroes, Wiccan and the Young Avengers were granted amnesty following the conclusion of Civil War. Wiccan and the rest of the Young Avengers (excluding Stature) decided not to register, Hawkeye and Patriot serving with the underground resistance team known as the Secret Avengers. Billy gave up his superhero career, being mostly grounded by his parents who urged him to register.

Secret Invasion: Runaways & Young Avengers

DARK REIGN

Powers and Abilities

Billy's powers appear to be magic based, although because of his mother's ( Scarlet Witch) reality altering powers it is also possible to conjecture that his powers are instead based on reality manipulation. To activate his power Billy must focus on a desire or idea and vocalize, repeating quickly what he wants in order for a spell to be cast. It has been demonstrated that without the ability to hear his own words, the spell cannot be cast, though other uses of his powers have been done seemingly effortlessly and without words. His powers thus far have manifested on a localized scale in a variety of ways though the upper limit of his powers has yet to be seen.

As "Asgardian" he limited his abilities to that of flight and lightning projection. As "Wiccan" he now uses his powers in more varied ways. By focusing on his intent and stating his desire (much like a mantra) he is able to perform feats such as, but not limited to, tracking, teleportation, healing, tearing down force fields, concussive blasts, astral projection, and illusions.

Alternate Realities

Earth-721 
Wiccan and Hulkling from this reality, also known as Earth A, came to Earth-616 as tourists, and for some reason they registered in the Initiative. The Wiccan and Hulkling of Earth-616 didn't approve of this, and later Wiccan and Hulkling from Earth-721 was sent home.

On Earth-91172, a world ravaged by the Hulk, Wiccan is a member of the Next Wave of Heroes - the last heroes of earth. The members are Quentin Quire, Patriot, Wiccan, Lightspeed, Speedball and Sophie, Mindee and Esme Cuckoo.

The Last Avengers Story 
In this one-shot about the final adventure of the Avengers, Billy Maximoff chose to be a villain, calling himself the Grim Reaper. He joined Ultron in attacking the Avengers. His brother Tommy, who was a trained sorcerer, assisted the Avengers and the two fought each other until their father the Vision intercepted and destroyed Ultron, ending the battle.

Avengers: The Crossing 
Some readers believed the twins Malachi and Tobias to have been the kidnapped children of the Scarlet Witch and Vision. William was believed to be Malachi, who attacked the Avengers during the Crossing story arc.

Avengers Forever
In one of the many dark possible futures shown to Immortus by The Time Keepers; William and Thomas had become tyrannical God-like superhumans who were seen launching a devastating assault on Eternity in an attempt to overthrow him.