Scarlet Witch

The Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics' American comic books. Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby conceived of the character. Her first appearance was in the Silver Age of Comic Books in The X-Men #4 (March 1964). The Scarlet Witch is first portrayed as a reluctant supervillain alongside her twin brother, Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver, who are both founding members of the Brotherhood of Mutants. She joined the Avengers superhero team a year after her debut and has since been frequently depicted as a regular member of that or related teams (such as the West Coast Avengers and Force Works).

Despite her name, the Scarlet Witch's powers came not from witchcraft or magic, but from being a mutant with the ability to affect probability. Later stories gave her more power, allowing her to unleash targeted "hex-bolts" that could cause enemy weapons to backfire, abilities to fail, or the area around them to suffer sudden damage and instability. She eventually mastered the ability to cast energy blasts that directly stunned opponents. She later realizes that her hex-bolts are the most basic form of chaos magic. Wanda studies spell casting and the manipulation of magical forces under Englehart and Agatha Harkness. Along with increasing her control over the effects of her hexes, this allows her to counter, deflect, and block a variety of magical attacks.