Lately we've been looking at the developments from the current big Marvel Comics event: Axis. In the story, Red Skull, with the power of the deceased Charles Xavier, obtained the power of Onslaught. Basically, Scarlet Witch, with the help of Doctor Doom, unleashed an Inversion Spell, meant to bring forth the good part, Charles Xavier's essence, forward in order to stop Onslaught. This resulted in several villains being inverted to becoming good and some heroes turning bad.
One of the results was Scarlet Witch being a little angry at Doctor Doom for all the grief he's caused her. When Quicksilver and Magneto saved Doom from her wrath, she took it as an extreme betrayal.
She decided there was no forgiving their actions. She spoke out to the Lords of Chaos and lashed out with a spell that would "crush their bones, boil their blood dry in their veins, rupture their souls, and end the line." She wanted nothing to do with her family.
We then see Quicksilver collapse in extreme agony. Surprisingly, nothing happened to Magneto. Magneto goes to Quicksilver's side to see if he's alright. This is when Scarlet Witch discovers an apparent long hidden truth.
Because Magneto didn't suffer and wasn't struck down, that could only mean one thing...he's not related to Scarlet Witch. In other words, he must not be the father of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. Everything he thought he knew was wrong. His beloved wife, Magda, didn't give birth to these twin children.
How can this be? Why did this happen? There's two possible answers.
Magneto first came across the twins in their European village (told in 1964's THE X-MEN #4). Because the villagers were superstitious, they thought Wanda was an actual witch. Magneto kept the crowd away as they closed in on her. Feeling an obligation, she and her brother joined Magneto's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. They weren't completely sold on the idea that Homo Superiors were born to rule the Earth. This was further shown a little while later (in 1965's THE X-MEN #11) when the two felt their debt was paid and they returned to Europe.
That same month in THE AVENGERS #16, they saw the opportunity to try to join the Avengers and we saw how they felt about being Homo Superior.
Pietro wanted to forget they were Homo Superior. Could he possibly get his wish?
It wasn't until 1983's VISION AND THE SCARLET WITH #4 that Magneto discovered the truth about the twins. Magneto, wrapped in a white cloak, had traveled to Wundagore Mountain and found a little house to get some shelter from a snowstorm. The cabin belong to Bova, a midwife of Wundergore, who was evolved from a cow by the High Evolutionary. Magneto told Bova he was seeking answers from his past. Bova then told him that it was a night like this one, years ago, that a woman arrived, seeking shelter from the storm as well. She was pregnant and about to give birth.
Bova went on to tell this stranger how the woman loved her husband but was scared of the power he possessed. Magneto figured out it was Magda, his wife who fled from him when she became frightened of his powers and for the safety of their unborn children. Discovering the children had lived, he demanded to know their names.
Magneto discovered the children were the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. This was just as Quicksilver's wife, Crystal of the Inhumans, gave birth to their daughter Luna. It also marked Magneto's road to becoming less of a villain now that he had a granddaughter.
Why has Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver's origin changed?
It's possible there may be more to their story than we all thought. If Magneto truly is not their father, someone wanted him to believe he was. The entire story of Madga visiting Bova and giving birth to twins could have been a fabrication. Why would Bova lie?
The only logical explanation is the High Evolutionary commanded her to do so. This would require him knowing that Magneto would, someday, visit Bova, seeking answers. The High Evolutionary has gone through many stages over the years. It's almost difficult to figure out exactly what his motives are with anything. Why would he want Magneto to think these two were his kids?
What if they were something more than just mutants? It could be that the High Evolutionary wanted to hide their true nature. What better way to hide their true ancestry than to convince Magneto, a powerful mutant actively involved in seeking rights for mutantkind? Once he knew what he thought to be the truth, he would go out of his way to protect them, at least most of the time. Being labeled as "Magneto's kids" would turn away any suspicion of who, or what, they really are.
The other explanation could be this is done for Marvel's Cinematic Universe. We know mutants aren't allowed to be used because the Fox Studios has the rights. Marvel's seems to be pushing Inhumans on us. It could be revealed that Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are actually Inhumans. This could also fit in with the comic universe.
We'll either see the two are of different parentage or possibly aren't even mutants. Changing their status as mutants seems more in line to accommodate their big screen debut in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Does changing who their father is change the characters? Yes and no. They appeared for nineteen years before it was revealed (or decided) to make them Magneto's kids. That was plenty of time to develop their characters and they aren't necessarily defined by Magneto. If it turns out they are no longer mutants, that does change things a little.
If this is going to be explored, where will we see it? What comic title will focus on this newly developed twist?
Let us know what you think of the change and the possibilities. Do you think they're still mutants or might they be something else, like Inhumans? You can also take our poll which was created in this week's Best Stuff in Comics. The poll ends on 12/21.
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Poll: Thoughts on the Change to Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver
Poll: Thoughts on the Change to Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver
Here are the results