With the expansion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, many fans have decided to give comic books a try. Considering that most comics and characters predate these fans by several decades, knowing where to start can seem rather daunting. Never fear! I am here and I have no life outside of reading and researching comic books. 

Where to start

We know exactly where and how to dive into comic books. We are starting with the Scarlet Witch. 

The Beginning

In addition to recommendations, we also wanted to give a little history to help fill in the gaps. 

Wanda started her comic book life as a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants with her brother Pietro. The team of “evil” X-Men was led by Magneto. Magneto was revealed to be Wanda and Pietro’s father long after they had joined the Avengers. This was later retconned. However, that rewrite was not well-received by many Marvel fans and those fans still consider Magneto their father. Before we go any further it’s very important to acknowledge that the comic book Wanda is both Jewish and Romani. Her MCU counterpart has not represented her cultural background at all. It is one of the very valid criticisms of her MCU character.

After Wanda joins the Avengers she falls in love with the Vision, and then they fall out of love. Then back in love and this happens a few times. The most noteworthy time being the time Vision’s memories were transferred to Wonder Man. Wonder Man, therefore, fell in love with Wanda, and Vision was emotionless. 

Wanda at one point also slept with Clint Barton. This was after she killed Agatha Harkness but before she saved the world from the very concept of magic being destroyed. 

Intro to the Kiddos

Around the release of Wanda Vision you might have also heard a lot of speculation regarding the hopeful appearance of Mephisto, an entirely unfounded and irrelevant theory considering that Wanda and Mephisto’s interactions in the comics are below minimal. Pieces of Mephisto’s soul resided in Wanda’s kids but there was really nothing beyond that and they really weren’t tied to him in any real way.

Billy and Tommy! Wanda’s children that she lost and then were reborn and went on a mission to find her. Both members of the Young Avengers and extremely powerful in their own right. 

Then of course we have the fact that not only was Wanda an original member of the West Coast Avengers but she was also their leader for quite a while. These are actually among my favorite appearances from Wanda as they show her leadership skills and allow her to have a family and be a part of a team. 

Unleashing Her Power

Of course, we can’t give a Scarlet Witch background without bringing up House of M in which she was manipulated and fear-driven into creating a world where Mutants were the dominant race. This storyline is a must-read if for no other reason than it truly shows the scope of Wanda’s power. Not only did she create an entire alternate reality in this storyline but she also resurrects the dead and wipes out most mutant kind with just a few words. 

Her other major feat storyline is Avengers v X-Men where with Hope Summers’ help she banishes the Phoenix Force. Now just very quickly because this is a common debate on the internet; Wanda can kill Dark Phoenix, Phoenix Force, and White Phoenix eat Wanda alive. 

That is pretty much all the important background on Wanda and the Scarlet Witch. A good general rule for jumping into comics is to start at the top of an arc. Just pick a random storyline and read that specific storyline and go from there but I do have specific storylines to start with.

Vision and The Scarlet Witch; Wanda’s first-time front and center. The Scarlet Witch; A great place to start to learn about how magic works in the Marvel Universe. House of M; Experience the true scope of Wanda’s powers. The Children’s Crusade; Though this story doesn’t center around Wanda it does bridge the gap between new Marvel and old Marvel.