Scarlet Witch #2
The Clutch of Madness!
Haunted by nightmares and attacked by demons, the Scarlet Witch has ventured to the town of Unity, New England for answers. Searching an abandoned occult library, Wanda stumbles upon her old foe Master Pandemonium, who has been transformed into a demonic form. When he mentions her children, this enrages Wanda as she will never forgive him for destroying them.[1] However, Wanda is forced to retreat when Master Pandemonium summons a large horde of demons to outnumber her.
Meanwhile, back at Avengers Compound, a mysterious woman resembling Wanda appears in the evening sky. Floating down to the compound below, she catches each member of the Avengers West Coast off guard capturing and transforming them with her magic.
While back in New England, Master Pandemonium manage to catch up with the Scarlet Witch. Breaking free from the swarm of demons, she topples a bookshelf on her foe so she can get more distance between them. Trying to flee into another room, she ends up breaking through the rotten wooden stairs and falls down deeper into the bowels of the abandoned church. Creating a hex sphere to light the way she discovers that she is in an ancient charnel pit where soldier fought to the death among massive stone monoliths. Following the path to a nearby chamber she discovers that it is the resting place of the magic book that she seeks. Reading its pages, she learns about the nature of Nexus Beings, herself counted among their number.[2] She learns that only one can exist per reality in the multiverse to maintain balance. However, the book speaks of a rogue Nexus Being that is traveling from universe to universe killing her counterparts and stealing their power, the book identifies this evil Nexus Being as a woman named Lore.[3]
When Wanda is finished reading a sudden draft blows out the candles, revealing a means of getting out of the church. Once outside, she goes searching the town for any sign of Agatha Harkness. She is surprised to find a house with lights on and knocks at the door but nobody answers. Peering into the window she is surprised to see a Romani man reading a fairy tale to two children. The man bares a striking resemblance to her adoptive father Django Maximoff and the children resembling her younger self and her brother Pietro. Before she can make sense of this scene she is attacked by Spider-Woman, who has been transformed into a massive spider-creature.
Breaking free and fleeing into the forest, Wanda is shocked once again when she comes upon a Romani caravan that is being attacked by demonically transformed versions of US Agent and War Machine. Watching the carnage is Master Pandemonium who taunts Wanda by grabbing two young boys who resemble her dead children and absorb them into his body. Trying to flee once more, Wanda comes to a cliff and realizes that she is now on a floating mass suspended high over the ocean. As she turns around she witnesses her transformed teammates all bearing down on her for the kill.
Recurring Characters
Scarlet Witch, Master Pandemonium, Lore, Avengers West Coast (US Agent, Spider-Woman, Living Lightning, War Machine)
Continuity Notes
Master Pandimonium was responsible for the destruction of Wanda’s children in Avengers West Coast #51-52. Although her children were seemingly destroyed, as explained in Avengers: The Children’s Crusade #6, they will be reincarnated into new lives. They’ll turn up again in Young Avengers #1. How Pandimonium survived that encounter and how he was transformed into a demon is explained next issue.
Immortus identified Wanda as a Nexus Being in Avengers West Coast #61-62.
As of this writing (January, 2023) this reality that Lore comes from has yet to be officially indexed.
Topical References
The Scarlet Witch refers to her people as gypsies here. This should be considered a topical reference as this is a dated term to describe the nomadic Romani people. To some, the term is now considered offensive.
