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I've learned not to set too many expectations or get too invested in speculating about comics that aren't out yet. I feel like that's where a lot of the outrage in comic book fandom comes from these days, and I just don't want to play into that.

We don't know much about the series yet. There are black doors appearing around the world which seem to mirror Wanda's Last Door; Vision is going to be mortally wounded in the first issue; and the Grim Reaper is there. In a recent interview, Orlando specificaly refers to the doors as "Death's Door," and the solicit for #3 states that Wanda and Vision will travel to someplace called the "Graverealm," which, as far as I can tell, is a new setting.

The Grim Reaper is apparently connected to Death's Door, but I doubt that he's the mastermind here. I expect that his role will be similar to the Wizard's-- some kind of herald or pawn for a much greater antagonist. In the preview pages, he seems to be wielding some kind of dark magical power against Vision. I'm guessing that Vision will be critically injured in this fight, and Wanda will heal him, which is when he'll turn white. I assume that there will be some other side-effect, but I doubt that it will be the same as last time.

I'm very curious about this "Graverealm." There are already counltess afterlife realms in the Marvel universe, and I feel like it would be redundant to add another one so shortly after re-vamping the Land of the Dead/Witches' Underworld. All I can say is that I hope it's something a little more unique. I do wonder if this exploration of life and death create new avenues for Vision to examine how he defines his own humanity and state of living. The interview also mentions that we'll see how Vision feels about his relationship with Billy and Tommy, or lack thereof. I don't know if we can expect them to actually show up, but I do hope so.

Beyond that... altogether, this series has been running for over two years now. Orlando's done a great job of bringing new characters and concepts into Wanda's world, but I'm ready for him to start doing more with what's already there-- like how the Last Door has changed and revealed new functions over time. I want to pick up some the loose threads with characters like Lore, Nicholas, and Hexfinder; I want to spend more time in settings like New Salem, the Witches' Road, and Planet Amanna. Wanda's world would feel much richer and more immersive if some of this stuff could just sit and marinate for a while.

Vision & Scarlet Witch (2025) textless preview pages, courtesy of Steve Orlando's recent interview with CBR.

Content warning for two white demons in the header image, not to mention CBR's usual journalistic rigor. It's not clear if these pages are all from #1-- although I would assume so, since Vision has not yet been turned white. The article is vague and also included solicits for the first three issues.

Vision is seen confronting Grim Reaper, who appears to be wielding some kind of dark power. If I had to guess, I'd say that this is probably how Vision gets critically injured and/or killed, to be later revived with his white appearance.

Meanwhile, Wanda is conversing with the Powers-That-Be, an abstract entity who represents the fundamental principle of magic, opposite the Natural-Order-Of-Things, which represents science. These characters introduced in last year's G.O.D.S., which Wanda was notably absent from. I'm excited to see where Wanda stands with this entity, since she's become such an important player in the magical world. The intersection of magic and science has always been integral to Wanda's origins, and Scarlet Witch (2024) stressed that this is part of what makes her and Pietro unique Nexus Beings. And in case anyone's confused, the Powers-That-Be is not the same character as Witchcraft, who has yet to make a direct appearance in Orlando's run despite several mentions.

Here's a better look at the next Scarlet Witch costume, "Chaos Gown," coming to Marvel Rivals. Wanda is one of several characters receiving new skins for the games next season, which is inspired by the Hellfire Gala.

We've seen leaked images of this costume before, but until now, there was no official word on the design's inspiration. Wanda's "Emporium Matron" costume is based on the Dauterman design she wears in Scarlet Witch, and it seems like this one is based on the same design, which Dauterman drew with a beaded headpiece for the 2023 Gala special.

It seems like an odd choice to give Wanda two different skins based on the same thing. I like both of them, but I feel like the effort to differentiate them mean that neither design is faithful to the original. It also just feels like a wasted opportunity-- Wanda has a lot of costumes that never get represented in adaptations. I would have loved to see one of her short-lived 90s costumes, and either her Darker Than Scarlet costume or her Chthon-possessed form would have been a good fit for the Blood Hunt season.

I have a post about this queued for later! Sometimes if I'm writing in the evening I schedule the post to go up the next day :)

Some the variant covers have felt overtly romantic, but this is the first main cover that's actually played into the romance angle. But as you said, Orlando states multiple times that they're not actually going there in the the story.

I'm definitely excited to see Wanda's interaction with the Powers-That-Be. I felt like her abscence from G.O.D.S. was a glaring oversight-- after everything with Krakoa, it made me wonder if Hickman just, like, personally dislikes Wanda. I don't think she was even mentioned! Wanda's more prominent than ever, and she's really close to a lot of the themes and worldbuilding in G.O.D.S. In my mind, there's no way she wouldn't be in the same rooms as Stephen and Jericho when it comes to Big Important Magic Discussions.

Any visual similarities and common motifs between these characters is incidental, but I definitely agree that the Powers-That-Be and Order-Of-Things would make for very cool patrons or counterparts to Wanda and Vision. Wanda herself has often been described as sort of embodying the intersection of magic and science-- this came back in a big way in SW&Q as part of her Nexus lore, which was also expanded to include Pietro. I'm very curious to see if any of this comes up in Wanda's conversation with the Powers-That-Be-- on top of, of course, learning why and how Wanda is meeting with her in the first place.

I got a post queued for tomorrow :) I don't really know what the thought process was, but yes, the next Scarlet Witch costume, which is called "Chaos Gown", is based on her appearance at the second Hellfire Gala.

The Russell Dauterman design debuted in the 2022 Hellfire Gala special with an elaborate beaded headpiece. In Scarlet Witch (2023), Wanda began wearing the same design, but with a more traditional version of her headpiece, as her primary costume. Both the "Chaos Gown" and "Emporium Matron" skins in Marvel Rivals are apparently based on the same design, with "Chaos Gown" specifically incorporating the beaded headpiece. I've seen some speculation that "Chaos Gown" is actually a combination of the Dauterman design with the dress she wore in the 2023 Gala special, mostly due to the shape of the skirt. To be honest, I'm not sure I see it.

Rivals Emma design lowkey ugly....

Hi! I'm glad you enjoy my blog, and hopefully find it useful.

Couple things-- first, I do ask that people try to keep their messages short and concise. It helps me keep my archive organized, and my followers' dashboards a little less cluttered, which, selfishly, means that people are more likely to read and reblog my posts.

Second, I've already stated that I'm really not interested in discussing the actual content of M C U projects, unless it is to examine issues of racism, whitewashing, and so forth. I talked a little about the story and characterization in Agatha when it was airing, but I really don't have much else to add. I am not going to entertain speculation about these characters and their future storylines, and I think I've made it pretty clear that there is no "fixing" or "redeeming"them. I will never support or engage in good faith with Olsen's Wanda, Locke's Billy, or any of the other whitewashed Maximoff characters.

I wrote about the divisive way this fandom responds to Billy and Wanda's relationship here, and again, I really don't have anything new to add.

Strikeforce Billy bitching and moaning about the time Doom tried to marry his mom and Bucky just chimes in w/ "I had my first kiss with your great aunt 80 years ago"

uh huh! I'm not super active but sometimes I write threads. And get into fights, unfortunately, as that space is a lot more volatile than tumblr these days.

I'm even worse at Bluesky-- I've literally never posted, but you can follow me there, too, if you'd like, and maybe we can build some community.

Hey everybody! I want to get back in the practice of sharing fundraisers every Wednesday. I assume that most folks reading my blog either buy comics or pay for some kind of subscription-- I know that navigating ethical consumption is tricky when it comes to companies like Marvel or DC, but given how the industry is structured, I believe it's important to support artists, writers, and local comic shops. I also believe that it's even more important to help families in need. So many of us are facing hard times and making hard choices right now, but if you're in the position, I'd really appreciate if you'd be willing to match what you're spending on comics this week with a donation to one of these fundraisers:

the Al-Qazzaz family @habob-family (1.5%)

Ola's family @olasir-1 (19%)

Rehab's family @rehab0-2 (17%)

Zelma Stanton, Verity Willis, and Darcy Lewis walk into a bar