#visionsofusasks

[visionsofus]

Hello. I am the anon struggling with Visions creation in the show. Thanks for such a thoughtful, supportive and analytical response. It’s made me reflect and heal (sounds lame but true). What you said about autonomy is absolutely fascinating. HexVision’s autonomy was actually a massive risk to Wanda - he not only questioned the reality but HER and at one point went off without her knowledge or control and investigated. If he was entirely a ‘flat’ creation she wouldn’t have allowed that - heck it wouldn’t have even been possible. He would have been a puppet. Wanda doesn’t KNOW what he is. She told him what she assumed - taking responsibility for the origin of the Westview Hex but he was much more than just something she made. He had more autonomy than anyone in town. Plus what ‘IS’ real? One could argue he was never real to start with! Made by Ultron, Banner and Tony (plus Thor). Their connection via the mindstone is so important - it bonded them before he emerged from the Cradle. Now. I would say IF HexVision had been put in White Visions body that would be the real vision - mindstone creation in the body Ultron/Tony/Banner made. No? Therefore - as the Ship of Thesus story goes - they are BOTH real: one of body and one of mindstone. What do you think? X

Ooh anon such interesting points! You can bet I spent the day thinking about this instead of focusing on my internship oops.

HexVision’s autonomy being a risk to Wanda is a really interesting way to look at things and I think it changes slightly depending on how you view the show. If you look at it from the lens of Wanda at the beginning, wanting to live in peaceful denial with her lover in Westview, then yes HexVision’s autonomy is a risk. But looking back now that the show is over I don’t think Wanda would have reached the acceptance of her grief in episode 9 without HexVision’s ability to make his own decisions, and to encourage her to take the right path. Just an interesting thought!

(sidenote: I love your point about their connection via the mindstone! I really want to do a more extensive unpacking about that at some point because I feel like there’s still so much we don’t know about the infinity stones even though that arc of marvel has come to an end).

I agree that a combination of HexVision and WhiteVision might be the closest thing we’d have (at present) to getting OurVision back – and we sort of see that in the final episode as the Visions take a break from fighting to debate philosophy. I really like the scene but particularly when HexVision retrieved WhiteVision’s memories from whatever wall they were hidden behind (due to whatever bs Hayward pulled on our boy’s mind) and we see his eyes get more human. Even the way that WhiteVision speaks before this sounds more robotic without the humanity that came with his years of experience post being created. I loved it!

I guess this depends on how we define the ‘real Vision’? Is the personality of HexVision really ‘real’ if he is based on Wanda’s memories (subject to her own perceptions?) or do we use the basis of OurVision (Vision from creation in AoU to death in IW) to define future versions of him? I don’t have the answer but it’s really interesting to think about. I think the best we could get from this in the show was that WhiteVision realised he both was, and was not, the Vision he had been programmed to eliminate (one of the reasons he ran off, I think).

It’s a paradox and I can’t put it any better than WhiteVision does when he simply says: “neither is the true ship, both are the true ship” – Both are real, neither are real.

I’ll go in circles if I keep writing about this so I’ll sign off here. Thanks so much for your interesting ideas and for sharing them with me!

follow up post with this anon is here 

[visionsofus]

Can you help me get my head around things? Long long long time Wanda/vision shipper (since AOU). Was always so sad we didn’t get much of them in the films but loved every scene they had. Watching WandaVision was incredible for me just to see their domestic interactions. I was always hoping that Hex Vision was somehow real. Now we know him to be a ‘memory’ and Wanda’s own creation I don’t know how to rewatch the show and enjoy the romance in it. Like their kisses and softness and his pet names ... it was all her. Wasn’t it? So it’s like her calling herself darling? Or am I missing something? How do you get your head around it? I’m fully optimistic that Wanda/vision will become a thing again with white vision in the future - 100000% so I’m not upset at all - I’m just now sure how to approach the Tv show as a shipper and wanting him to be in love with her truly when ... it’s just her (?) Any help/chat would be so cool.

I totally agree with you anon, been there since the beginning with ScarletVision and was so looking forward to WandaVision showing us those wholesome domestic scenes that the movies weren’t equip to address. 

I can understand it being hard to reconcile OurVision with the new HexVision we saw in WandaVision, particularly given that last scene where Wanda explains how he came into being. I saw someone make a really good point somewhere on Tumblr (forgive me I can’t find the link yet) but it seems like this part was more for casual viewers or Marvel fans who weren’t invested in scarletvision before this series. It was a way to explain precisely how she created him, but I don’t think it was as necessary for us SV fans. 

If we think back to episode 8, Hayward was already hinting at what Wanda had done: 

“Not everyone has the kind of power that could bring their soulmate back online. Forgive me. Back to life.”

(Mystery is how the heck he knew of this power before Wanda had even created the hex… Perhaps he assumed that Wanda could somehow restore Vision’s power etc. but moving on)

And of course for their final goodbye she heartbreakingly explains how he really came to be:

“You, Vision, are of the piece of the mind stone that lives in me. You are a body of wires and blood and bone that I created. You are my sadness and my hope. But mostly, you’re my love.” 

I think HexVision’s following comment about being ‘a memory made real’  best describes what he was in my eyes. He was the version that Wanda had within her head that she gave a form and a consciousness to. It is kind of weird trying to look at their relationship in WandaVision through this new lens of HexVision being something she created. But I think it’s important to remember how much of the narrative the show lent to exploring HexVision’s autonomy - particularly in episode 6 as he discovered more of Westview and actually goes beyond the Hex’s boundaries. Not to mention how he negotiated with WhiteVision in Ep 9, which was handled exactly how OurVision would have. We can see throughout the show that a part of Wanda wasn’t conscious of what she was doing to Westview and I wholeheartedly believe she was never ‘in control’ of HexVision as an individual, no matter how much she wanted their perfect suburban life. (evidenced by Vision not believing her in Ep 5 for example, if it was all her then she could have made him believe) 

All in all, HexVision may have been created from Wanda’s memories but he was more than just a memory. He was half of her soul given life again. He was a real person synthezoid and was able to make his own decisions throughout the story, independent from Wanda. Therefore, it stands to reason that the love he has for her and the life they made together, all their kisses and the softness and pet names was just as real. 

I really hope this helps a bit and that you’re able to go back to WandaVision when you’re ready and take joy in their wholesome domesticity again. Appreciate you reaching out with such an interesting question (it gave me the chance to unpack some of my thoughts too!)

[visionsofus]

White Vision theory - if you don’t mind! Same chatty autonomy anon. (Sorry you replied to me once and now I’m living here lol). If HexVision is the mindstone and White Vision the body then the perfect most realist vision is a merge? So how do we get ScarletVision again? Theories: 1. Wanda pours the same power into White Vision she did to create the Hex - I rewatched the scene and the power coming out of her is red but becomes yellow like the stone it IS mindstone energy 2. White Vision goes to / is helped by Wakanda science - they had a downloaded Vision pretty much! 3. Banner said removing the mindstone would still leave Vision behind so he could just fall in love again with Wanda. In all theories I imagine the moment he FEELS again he will become colour. What do you think? Why do you think he fled the Hex? I assumed at the time it was one of four reasons (if not all) 1. He was thrown for a loop like when Vision was born and rushed Thor - so he left to gather himself 2. He saw Wanda had a Vision and a family so she didn’t need or want him and god knows she doesn’t need help - so he left (probably to gather himself). 3. He was programmed to kill her and the memories confounded that programming so he either left to protect her or left because the conflict was so confusing 4. He has headed to Wakanda or Tony for help wirh his programming / mind. I am 1000% sure Wanda and vision will reunite and be a couple again - it’s just a matter of when and how. I would love love love to hear your insights.

Anon, seriously thank you for feeding the little theory-demon in my head! And no need to apologise for dropping by my inbox again – I feel like you’ve given me permission to discuss my thoughts and theories ☺️ Now onto your theories, I’ll start with how we might be able to get SV back in the MCU

1: Putting the mind stone energy back in WhiteVision

I think this is possible, but I also know it’s unlikely that Marvel would pull the same thing twice. So, I don’t think it would be as simple as Wanda depositing her memories of OurVision in him or anything. And I suppose it’s not guaranteed she could actually do it again – creating the Hex and the wave of power it took was owing to her grief at losing Vision and then being faced with the potential future they could have had.

2: Wakanda helps WhiteVision

This is the theory I’m most inclined to go with. While HexVision did retrieve WhiteVision’s memories in Ep9, this doesn’t automatically restore him to being the old Vision. It reminds me of Ep5 when Vision gets upset at Wanda for lying to him and there’s the whole “I don’t know who I am” argument (I feel like this scene is so overlooked in light of recent episodes but it actually makes me sob every time). I can imagine WhiteVision probably goes through a similar thing –HexVision has the feeling and love, while WhiteVision has all of the memories of his past self, neither is whole.  

So yes I think having recalled his last few hours in IW and knowing that Shuri got so close to removing the mind stone this would be his first stop (after he’s processed everything). Building on theories from literal years ago (I can’t remember which theory vids but I remember it was all that was keeping SV shippers going for Endgame) it seems like Shuri had some kind of tech backup of Vision separated from the mind stone:

Maybe having the core of his being restored will help contextualise those memories but who knows.

3: Falling back in love with Wanda

Banner said he thought that there would be enough of Vision left behind once the mindstone was removed but we haven’t really seen evidence of this yet until WhiteVision. And now that he has his memories back, I think we’re one step closer. I’d say it’s clear that Wanda hasn’t given up on getting him back but the post-cred scene of her and the Darkhold seems to indicate she’s more focused on finding the souls of her kids. Either way I don’t doubt we’ll get them back together – if WandaVision has done anything it has created a larger audience more invested than ever in seeing a ScarletVision reunion, so my heart is holding onto hope.

And yes! I love the idea of his colour returning once/if he is fully restored and sees Wanda again – I even saw this post which had photos of the Vision2 negotiation scene that showed a little of his colour returning! (though this could have something to do with the poster’s screen because it’s not that clear on my laptop…)

Regarding WhiteVision’s very abrupt departure in Ep9:

1) WhiteVision left to collect himself 2) HexVision and Wanda had things covered and didn’t need him 3) conflict with WV programming from Hayward 4) Going to Wakanda to restore his core being

I agree it could very well have been a combination of all 4 (other than the fact that Tony is dead sorry to remind you anon) but I think I’m mostly leaning towards 1 and 3. 

My bet is that he got the memories back and needed more time to absorb it all (plus it would have been fairly complicated to have both Visions in the end of that episode, we don’t wanna create any more paradoxes!). His ‘I am Vision’ realisation was epic but it also would have totally contradicted the ‘orders’ he’d been given from Hayward. Obviously keeping in mind we don’t know what kind of control SWORD really had over WhiteVision, so he may have been able to veto the whole ‘destroy Vision’ directive but would he still have to report to Hayward? Who knows. 

Anyway! I know we’ll get them back at some point, I just hope it’s in one piece and without too much more trauma (please just let them be happy Marvel). Thanks again for stopping by and sharing your theories with me, I loved reading them! Anyone reading this feel free to drop by my inbox with your ideas too, I actually love this stuff.