Hello and welcome back t0 another great week in Ye Olde School Café! This week, we’ll conclude our look at the trade paperback Avengers: Vision and the Scarlet Witch! So far, we’ve seen a scary trick or treat night in the newly wedded couples’ home, now we’ll see some of the ghosts of the past that will haunt Wanda and her brother Pietro for a long time! Written by Bill Mantlo and drawn by Rick Leonardi (1982).
The day following the Halloween incident, Robert Frank, A.K.A. The Whizzer, came to Wanda and Vision’s home asking for help in gaining custody of his son, the villain Nuklo. Wanda then contacts her brother, Quicksilver, on the moon. He has taken up residency there with the birth of his daughter, Luna. Wanda explains that Robert still believes that he’s their father, and that she doesn’t have the heart to tell him that recently they’ve found out that their father is Magneto. Quicksilver agrees to come and help, and they set out to find Nuklo. They head to the hospital where the “Nursery” (a lead shielded room that houses Nuklo) is located. They find that the doctors there have been experimenting on Nuklo, and Robert wants to take him home. The doctors try to explain to him that they’ve found a way to siphon off Nuklo’s dangerous power, so he can’t leave just yet. One of the doctors is not who he says he is, and reveals that not only has he been siphoning off Nuklo’s power, but he’s learned a way to use a suit to harness these energies, and is now going to use them to get revenge on the Whizzer from past atrocities, or so he claims. The man is called Isbisa, and he beats the Whizzer badly before Vision and the Scarlet Witch get to the room. The two of them, along with Nuklo, begin to battle the mad doctor. He melts the Vision’s hand, and that puts him out of action for a bit, then he smacks Wanda and she lands by a dying Robert Frank. She tells him the truth about his past and that he really isn’t the father of her and Pietro. The Whizzer then makes one final attempt to stop Isbisa, but gets blasted right in the chest, suffers a major heart attack, and dies. Nuklo is enraged and takes out Isbisa with little difficulty. The Vision and Scarlet Witch leave, as Nuklo is trying to fathom losing his father.
The next issue brings a tale that begins with Wonder Man on a subway, heading to the hospital where Vision is being attended to after his fight with Isbisa. Wanda explains to Simon what happened, then the doctor explains that he needs to transfer some of the energies in Wonder Man to save Vision’s arm, and maybe his life as well. Meanwhile, inside the Vision’s mind, he’s experiencing all of the traumatic episodes of his existence, and it’s making things much more difficult in the operating room. Outside the room, Wanda is in tears over the procedure, but then she’s startled by a shadow from behind. This shadow is the brother of Simon Williams, The Grim Reaper! He knocks out Wanda, then makes his way into the operating room. He takes time to deliberate on how he’ll kill both of them, which is what is his downfall. Vision wakes up and takes him down by materializing his arm in the Reaper’s chest. He wakes up Simon and tells him not to worry, that he’ll take care of him.
In the final issue, we see the snow covered mountains of Wundagore. The mid-wife Bova opens the door for a weary traveler who comes in and sits down by the fire. Bova tells the traveler that once before a woman came to her home in the night who was very tired, as well. The woman’s name was Magda. This sparks an interest in the man’s eyes, and we see that it is the face of Magneto. Sitting in a corner is the former evil sorcerer Modred the Mystic. He was rendered helpless by the Avengers’ battle with Chthon. Magneto then reveals himself, and threatens to kill Bova and Modred unless she tells him who his children really are. She tells him, but after he leaves she begs Modred to send a spell to Wanda and Pietro to warn them. Wanda and her husband Vision have traveled to the lair of the Inhumans, to visit and to see Luna.
After a day of visiting, the siblings are startled by a visit from Magneto. He crept into the city, and then erected a magnetic force bubble around the room, and now he’ll have his say with his children. Vision and Pietro attack him without cause, and Wanda even joins in before he can even state his purpose. The heroes show no mercy and try to incapacitate him by any means. He retaliates, but seems to be pulling punches when it comes to Wanda and Pietro. He then announces that he is their father, and the two are in shock. Crystal then enters the room holding Luna, and tells the others to stop this madness, and let him see his granddaughter. They are very suspicious, but allow him to hold her. The story ends peacefully enough, but then Pietro and Wanda are left wondering what this means for their future, and also the past!
Well, that’s it, pretty good, huh? The death of an iconic WWII character, Wanda and Pietro learning of their true father’s identity. Magneto learning of his childrens’ names and then confronting them! Lots to digest in this little mini-series, so get out and grab it! See you next week!
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net
