In defence of Wanda Maximoff
There are so many Scarlet Witch antis out there, it seems like half the fandom just hates this poor character. So, this is my response to the most common reasons people have for hating this character.
She was ten years old when she lost her parents and was trapped for 2 days. Just imagine that, ten years old eating dinner and suddenly the world just explodes in fire and pain and your parents are now dead. Then two days past curled up against the twin, the last member of her family still alive, looking at an unexploded shell. That is a long time to go without food, and theyâd be insanely hungry by the end of it. Not only that, any movement could have possibly caused their deaths. Ten years old, with dead parents and trapped under rubble with no guarantee of survival.Â
There is one word on the shell, and itâs Stark, the name of an infamous American weapons manufacturer. Sokovia was a former Soviet nation and throughout the second Avengers movie its pretty explicit about how Sokovians generally view Americans. See exhibit A:
So after the traumatic of being trapped under rubble for days as a child in a very anti-American country, can Wanda (and Pietro) really be blamed for hating the Avengers? To them, they are the root of their suffering.Â
Then growing up in a war-torn country seeing their people suffering at the hands of weapons manufacturers they become radicalised. Wanda and Pietro join protests, they become violent themselves. But their primary concern is for the people. Suddenly, at age approximately 17/18, an organisation posing as aid comes and offers them a chance to gain powers, to help their people. It will be dangerous, they may not survive it, but it is a chance to help. As Steve Rogers sarcastically said âWhat kind of monster would allow a German scientist to experiment on them to protect their country?â
Once they survive the torturous experiments, they finally come face to face with the Avengers at age 19. And Wanda tears them apart. Causing Tony, Steve, and Nat to see their worst fears was deeply wrong, and what she did to Bruce Banner was nothing short of abhorrent. But they were her enemies, and she was at war.Â
But once she and Pietro realised they were being manipulated they left their ally, joining forces with the people they blamed for their parents death and countryâs suffering. Wanda admits that Ultron was her fault, and takes the step out the door, into her new life.Â
And the last member of her family was dead.Â
She was willing to die after ripping out Ultronâs heart, and would have unless Vision saved her. But she didnât, and she got over her grief and started life as an Avenger. She forgave Tony and realised America wasnât as horrible as she thought, and she grew ever closer to Vision. She had freedom, she had a chance to start again.
Then the accords happened, and she was, in Tonyâs words âa weapon of mass destruction,â and she realised that people would, in Visionâs words ânever stop being afraidâ of her power. So she went âscrew thatâ and joined Steveâs side of the argument. For that she was locked in prison with a shock collar and a straight jacket before Steve freed her and the rest of Team Cap.Â
She spent the next two years on the run, her freedom and chance to start again taken from her. But she had Vision, and yes heâs a robot, but she loved him and with all the weird crap people are into, who are we to judge? They fell in love, and despite everything she had lost she was happy with him.
Fast forward to Infinity War, and the 22 year old who had lost her parents, brother, country, freedom, and second chance was asked to murder the love of her life.Â
Of course she refused. They had other options, and they chose them. And Steve was the one that made the call to use Shuri. But Shuri couldnât save him in time, so Wanda made up her mind after listening to Vision beg and murdered him.Â
She destroyed the mind stone
Sometimes I think people forget that happened. Antis also say it was too late, but once Thanos had the time stone it wouldnât have mattered when she did it, he could just rewind time and kill Vision again. Which he did.
And she died over his lifeless body, with a relieved look on her face.Â
When she lost Pietro, and when she lost Vision, she was willing let herself die. She did not mourn her own passing, because it would be an escape from the grief.
When she told Thanos âyou could never [understand],â she was speaking as someone who lost her parents, brother, country, freedom, second chance, and love. By the time she was 22. Most 22 year olds are in college or having the time of their lives, not dying over the corpse of their boyfriend.
I am not asking anyone to like her, Iâm just saying that she has been through a hell of a lot and she does not deserve the hate she receives. She is not a perfect character, but she tries.
Oh yeah, she also saved thousands of lives when she destroyed those nightmare wheelie things after going in front of them without a second thought for her own safety.
