*Spoiler Ahead*

The Armchair Association will take a dive into the past and present of 616 Wanda Maximoff and identify the path that pave way to the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Scarlet Witch.

Before we start the history of 616 Wanda Maximoff in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I will do a brief introduction to Kubler-Ross Stages of Grief and Loss. Connection you ask, read further to know.

Denial: The first reaction is denial. In this stage, individuals believe the diagnosis is somehow mistaken, and cling to a false, preferable reality. Some may also isolate themselves, avoiding others who may have accepted what is happening. This stage is usually a temporary defense, so long as the person has adequate time to move amongst the stages as they contemplate death. In her book, Kübler-Ross states that technological advancements have caused people to become fearful of violent, painful deaths; therefore, in order to protect the psychological mind, they deny the reality of their own inevitable death. (Wikipedia)

Anger: When the individual recognizes that denial cannot continue, they become frustrated, especially at proximate individuals. Certain psychological responses of a person undergoing this phase would be: "Why me? It's not fair!"; "How can this happen to me?"; "Who is to blame?"; "Why would this happen?". Some may lash out at loved ones, medical staff, and other family. Kubler-Ross emphasizes the need for people to do their best to let those who are in this stage feel their feelings and try not to take the anger personally. (Wikipedia)

Bargaining: The third stage involves the hope that the individual can avoid a cause of grief. Usually, the negotiation for an extended life is made in exchange for a reformed lifestyle. People facing less serious trauma can bargain or seek compromise. Examples include the terminally ill person who "negotiates with God" to attend a daughter's wedding, an attempt to bargain for more time to live in exchange for a reformed lifestyle or a phrase such as "If I could trade their life for mine". (Wikipedia)

Depression: "I'm so sad, why bother with anything?"; "I'm going to die soon, so what's the point?"; "I miss my loved one; why go on?" During the fourth stage, the individual despairs at the recognition of their mortality. In this state, the individual may become silent, refuse visitors and spend much of the time mournful and sullen. (Wikipedia)

Acceptance: In this last stage, individuals embrace mortality or inevitable future, or that of a loved one, or other tragic event. People dying may precede the survivors in this state, which typically comes with a calm, retrospective view for the individual, and a stable condition of emotions. (Wikipedia)

Wanda Maximoff of the 616 Universe have suffered losses of loved ones from her parents, her twin brother Pietro, and her love interest Vision. All happening while she was young and the tragedies happened after she is about to complete the Five Stages of Grief, in which, Acceptance, is the last stage.

The parents of twins Wanda and Pietro Maximoff died when a rocket that was manufactured by Stark Industries, the company of Tony Stark, hit their home in Sokovia and killed them while the twins survived. Orphan at a young age, the twins survived as best as they can and met Hydra, an organization that wanted to take over the world and enslaved it. Having given help from Hydra, the twins also learned that they are against the Avengers where Tony Stark is a member. With vengeance in their mind the twins submitted to an experimentation that somehow unlocked hidden powers and become an enhanced individual. The weird one and the fast one according to S.H.I.E.L.D.

Age of Ultron Arc

As they grew old from their parents’ death to meeting Hydra, as much they are so young, the twins had felt the denial and anger stage of grief. Taking advantage of this is Hydra and had the twins take part of the science experiments, and by the twins agreeing with it they are in the bargaining stage in which they want revenge against Tony Stark. With still in their vengeance path, the twins stayed in the bargaining stage until they went against the Avengers. They finished the bargaining stage after learning Ultron’s devastating plan for mass extinction in which they decided to side with the Avengers to stop Ultron. A depressing part for the twins but will be able to prevent this by helping the Avengers. They accepted what needed to be done, may it cost their lives, they just did not sign up for this villainous plot. And in this battle, one of them lose their life after saving an Avenger. Pietro Maximoff took bullets for Hawkeye and a kid. This started Wanda Maximoff’s grief cycle once again.

Civil War Arc

Embraced to be part of the Avengers, Wanda starts her bargaining stage of her grief after losing her twin brother, Peter Maximoff, in Sokovia’s incident. Here she met the new Avengers that is overlooked by Captain America, Steve Rogers, and Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff. The new recruits were Wanda herself, Sam Wilson (Falcon), James “Rhodey” Rhodes (War Machine), and Vision, Ultron’s creation that sided with the Avengers and keeper of the Mind Stone). Wanda became close to Vision due to the connection they had with the Mind Stone. Being Wanda unlocking her powers by the Mind Stone and being Vision as its carrier. Wanda is recovering well into her grief with the help of Vision, until another incident arose, the Lagos Incident. The Lagos Incident killed representatives of Wakanda that were there for a charitable mission that the World Government along with Wakanda asked to have the Avengers be put on a watch on their actions. This incident traumatizes Wanda and gets depressed but the Avengers and especially Vision was there for her. She was put on lockdown with Vision without her knowledge that subsequently got mad at Vision for agreeing on doing this. Tony Stark and Steve Rogers also had different views on this and the brewing conflict they were having escalated and have the Avengers divided into the point of them actually disbanding. Wanda sided with Captain America and fought against Tony Stark’s team which also comprise of other Avengers due to misinformation and misunderstanding. Wanda and a couple of Avengers were briefly jailed and was freed by Steve Rogers, who is now running from the law. The life of a criminal now separated Wanda from Vision, who was helping her get back in life and help her with her grief.

Infinity War Arc

Living a life as a worldwide criminal, Wanda was still able to play hooky with Vision. They met up in certain places with a little bit of time to catch up and enjoy each other’s presence. The Avengers were defunct or if not only consist of Tony Stark, James Rhodes, and Vision. This was also the same time their unknown for at the time, Thanos, is having his conquest on retrieving the Infinity Stones. Bruce Banner became the messenger of bad news to Doctor Strange and contacted Tony Stark without knowing the Avengers are not as prepared and missing other members due to what happened months ago. This in turn in one of Wanda and Visions get together, Vision was attacked and having the Mind Stone taken from him that would cause him to die. An incident that could have been prevented if Tony Stark made a call before getting into an alien ship trying to save the Bleeker Street magician. The attack to Vision traumatized Wanda once again due to the possibility of losing someone close to her. This does not help Wanda as when they had a meeting on how to neutralize the threat, Vision is going to be a sacrifice for the greater good. To put a salt on the wound, Wanda has to destroy the Mind Stone, in which what keeps Vision alive. Wanda and Steve Rogers would not allow this to happen and are bargaining for another way. As the threat looms, Wanda’s nightmare is closing in and the only way to prevent Thanos of his plans, she destroyed the Mind Stone, thus killing Vision. As depression comes through Wanda’s emotion, Thanos further traumatized her when he brought back Vision with the Time Stone and personally take out the Mind Stone in front of Wanda. In a span of several minutes, Wanda seen Vision died, at first by her own doing, and next by someone else. All this life changing, traumatizing moments as someone as young as Wanda would do a number to you. Remember what Steve Rogers said, “She’s just a kid.”

wandavision

Just for context, I watched Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness before WandaVision. Finished the series recently and its great.

Now let’s talk about Wanda in her own show WandaVision.

The show picks up which appears a few weeks after the Endgame battle and Tony Stark’s funeral. Though not shown chronologically, Wanda Maximoff visited the headquarters of the Sentient World Observation and Response Department or known as S.W.O.R.D. She demanded to see Vision’s corpse where in her mind paying respect to the late-Avenger with a burial. The head of S.W.O.R.D, allowed Wanda to see Vision but would not allow her to take Vision’s body. A small skirmish happens, and Wanda realized she do not have any more connection with this Vision. Wanda left the headquarters with no one getting hurt. Wanda then drives to a town in Westview, New Jersey where she unleashes a large portion of her power and mind controlled and created the town according to her mind. She created what makes her happy that she longed for her life, a family and a normal life.

Here is a great insight on how Wanda created her own ideal reality:

Wanda’s journey in the WandaVision series showed her going through the stages of grief. Controlling the minds of the Westview resident, creating to what she wants the town would look like and creating her ideal family, represents her denial of the reality she wanted to run away from. Monica Rambeau, Jimmy Woo, and Darcy Lewis tried to reach out to her and help her out and show the terrible things she is currently doing. She refused their help. While S.W.O.R.D and Agatha Harkness tried to use her as a weapon. A cycle that somehow Wanda can’t get out of along with her loved ones dying. Most likely not in Agatha’s intention, but she actually helped Wanda a lot when she let Wanda try to confront her traumatic pass and share it where she was already reluctant to do.

Throughout the series, Wanda fluctuates on the denial, anger, bargaining, and depression stages. And, from what I see she was not able to get to her acceptance stage, even if she had let go of Vision and her kids. She accepted the fact that she cannot be with her created family and affected the lives of the Westview residents that in turn hated her. She went on to thank Monica Rambeau with her help and when asked if she is going to be ok. She told Monica that she will figure out these powers of her, a sign that she is once again not accepting help and closing herself to others. Sometimes you just cannot take all these feelings and trauma by yourself as it can slowly break you down. Agatha sees Wanda broken, but it appears that Wanda wanted to do everything herself, where we saw that she was looking for happiness. Looking for happiness is subjected to an individual and sometimes attaining that happiness can tunnel your vision.

Here is a great read about Wanda Maximoff’s grief in WandaVision:

'WandaVision': Let's talk about Wanda's grief (because no one else is) (hypable.com)

Conclusion

People always needed guidance beginning from their birth. Guidance is there to steer people out of trouble and helps them develop the foundation to their character. Wanda Maximoff lacks this guidance. Parents died before becoming a teenager. Sure, there was her twin brother, who is actually her little brother, Pietro Maximoff. The Avengers in Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, and Natasha Romanov, who were not actually there for her. Vision, who has the Mind Stone, making him a beyond genius level intellect but lacks emotion. Pretty much, Vision is still in his infancy as he claimed, he was just a day old. Maturing at a young age is actually a good trait to have but it could also provide a negative impact. Having to adapt to what life has given to you, the challenges and the environment, sometimes will take a toll on to you and you just want a break from it. Burnouts is prevalent in the workforce, but that same feeling can also be said to the heavy work that life Wanda had to gone through in her 616 MCU life. When dealing with burnouts, a person will stay away from that life and try to find what will make them happy. Wanda did that by herself in Wandavision, where no one in the remaining Avengers even reached out to her. And when a helping hand reach out, she just turns it away. Her happiness was created through her vision of a perfect life and was once again taken advantage by somebody and was shown the harsh reality she is in. She never had a conclusion, an acceptance to what she had been through.

Behavior is not a product of birthright or a birth trait, but a product of the environment an individual is exposed to. Wanda grew up and try to cope with grief that somehow involve violence and continually occurring trauma -joining Hydra and Avengers. The girl just cannot get a break. When push comes to shove, she just has to create her own happiness. This with the combination of the influence of the Darkhold in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and clouded judgement because of continues grief and trauma, unlocked the sinister force that is the Scarlet Witch

Thank you for reading!

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