The Scarlet Witch is one half of a super pair. She has chaos magic running through her veins and her brother is the …amazing Spider-Man? In most universes Wanda Maximoff grows up as the twin of Pietro Maximoff, also known as Quicksilver. But what if she didn’t? What if instead of growing up in Latveria being fed a steady diet of anti-hero propaganda, she grew up in Queens with Peter Parker as a brother? Would she be a more clear-cut hero or does chaos demand she be seen as a possible villain? Find out in Seanan McGuire’s What if…Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings?
[Warning: My review contains some spoilers!]
What if… we start at the end?
Most books start at the beginning. I mean it makes sense, tell the story in chronological order so the reader does get confused. But most books aren’t about the Scarlet Witch, chaos personified. So McGuire starts her story at the end in What if…Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker were Siblings?
Wanda is nervous and excited as she enters Avenger Manor to meet with Captain America. He’s extended an invitation to her to join the Avengers. But when Wanda gets there she realizes something is wrong. Then she sees it, Captain America, the first Avenger, America’s Hero, is dead. His throat is shredded and it happened so fast that he didn’t even move to defend himself. Wanda is in shock and before she can react the rest of the Avengers pile into the room. When they see Wanda and Captain America they jump to the worst conclusion: Wanda killed cap. As they close in on her Wanda panics and reaches for her magic, disappearing in a haze of red light.
All this happens in the first few pages of the book. Then McGuire backs the story up and takes us all the way back to when Wanda was a little infant. Richard and Mary Parker are on a special mission in Latveria when they find Wanda abandoned. After a search is made for her family it’s determined that she has no living family and the Parkers decide to adopt her. They bring her home to her new family in Queens, including an infant brother Peter.
We watch the two grow up, gain powers, grow apart, come together, get ripped apart again, and finally find each other for good. We see Wanda struggle with finding her place in and come to terms with her powers. And then we see all of this blow up with the sudden appearance of an unexpected tie to her past. Ultimately this What if…? asks what would happen if Wanda had grown up in a home of love instead of hate. Who would she become? And how would Spider-Man be different if he had someone to hold him up?
McGuire pens a very different Scarlet Witch and Spider-Man
The What if…? series is all about making changes and seeing what happens, like ripples in a pond growing bigger and bigger. In What if…Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings? Wanda grows up with a different Peter for a brother. In the Parker house she’s raised with love and empathy instead of the fear and hatred that she usually grows up in. As a result she grows up with a strong desire to help others and be a hero. When her magic kicks in Wanda is terrified she’ll hurt someone so she seeks out help to learn to control her magic. Sometimes the magic still does unpredictable things and people get hurt. But Wanda is gutted when that happens and seeks to gain ever greater control. It’s a strong case for nurture over nature.
Interestingly enough, the changes to Peter are even more pronounced. Wanda may be less of a mixed character in this story, but she’s still guided by the same basic need to protect her family. Peter however is rather changed by having a sibling. Wanda’s presence makes him a little meaner and a little more selfish. I think it comes from having someone you know will always be there for you. Instead of looking for approval, Peter already has it, so he doesn’t work so hard to be a people-pleaser and the perfect guy. It makes him a little less likeable. But in the end his heart is in the right place too and he remembers what matters in time.
Pietro is the main casualty of What if…Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings?
Pietro Maximoff is usually half of a pair with Wanda. She still has a partner in Peter but Pietro is left with no one. Without Wanda to help support him he becomes even more callus. He also is incredibly fearful of his “father”. It’s obvious that he wasn’t raised with any love. Worse, he was constantly reminded that it was Wanda and not him that his “father” wanted. The terrible abuse he suffered pushes him to find Wanda. His hurt when he finds her and realizes that she doesn’t feel the same way about him as he does about her causes him to lash out in horrible ways.
McGuire clearly separates the twins with Wanda on a hero path and Pietro on a villian path. Sure there’s always hope for Quicksliver but it doesn’t look good. What if…Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker were Siblings?, like the other recent What if…? entries, is setting up a bigger overall story. I have a feeling that Wanda and Pietro will meet again, and the sibling fight will be epic.
What if…Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings? is an important Marvel story
What if…Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker were Siblings? felt like a very important story while I was reading it. It was a little odd that the majority of the book was a lead up to the events that started the story. I was starting to wonder if there was even going to be enough of the book left for a resolution (there was). But I really enjoyed all the backstory. And I loved seeing Wanda as a hero right from the beginning. Sure, there are still people who are put off by her magic and see her as a villain, but we as readers are privy to her thoughts and know that she’s not. McGuire does a great job with this character and also makes interesting changes to other characters, like Peter and Pietro, that fit perfectly with the changes of the What if…?
As much as I enjoyed Wanda’s journey, the framework around her story was interesting too. America Chavez is the watcher that can’t just watch. She tries her best to follow the rules, but they chafe something awful. And as she watches, she begins to put together clues. Something bigger is happening, and it threatens not just the universes but the watchers too. Something that dangerous has to be stopped. What is America to do? Follow the watcher rules, or follow her heart? This story is being fed to us in very small doses around each What if…? story. I’m looking forward to future books to find out just what the larger conspiracy is.
Made for Scarlet Witch fans
Fans of the Scarlet Witch will love this story. Getting to see Wanda flourish and have a happy childhood is wonderful. Yes, she still experiences tragedy, all heroes too, it’s what forges them. But she has so much love and support that it helps balance out the tragedy. I love the Scarlet Witch. She’s a complicated character, and that’s part of her appeal.
I like that McGuire gave her a happier life while still keeping things complicated. I feel like the Scarlet Witch has to have a little bit of that ambiguity. A little bit of danger. Her powers are rooted in chaos magic, after all, so there has to always be that little edge. Wanda is both light and dark. Fans will be happy to see her get a little more light in this variant.
Rating: 8/10
Marvel: What if… Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings? by Seanan McGuire is now available wherever books are sold. Are you planning to read it? What did you think? Let us know on social media @mycosmiccircus!
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