Quicksilver #13
Beginnings
The Siege of Wundagore Mountain is now over. The High Evolutionary and the Knights of Wundagore have reclaimed the Citadel of Science. However, in order to achieve this victory, Quicksilver had to face his destiny and assume leadership of his father’s follower, the Acolytes.[1] Now he stands outside his former home reflecting on everything that happened while making a diary recording addressed to his estranged wife, Crystal.[2]
That’s when Quicksilver is once again visited by the mysterious cloaked figure that has appeared before him twice before.[3] When Quicksilver asks who this man is, speaks in riddles, saying that names don’t truly have any meaning. He suggests that, for the time being, Pietro call him Nestor as it will do as well as any other name.
Pietro is then led to the ruins of Bova’s old cottage.[4] When asked why they have come here. Pietro says that this is where he was born. He imagines what it might have been like for his mother, Magda, to come here fleeing her husband to give birth to her twin children, Pietro and his sister Wanda. He recounts how Bova helped Magda give birth and that, shortly thereafter, Magdra fled into the wintery mountains where she certainly died. She did so to protect her children from ever being found by their father, the man who would become Magneto.[5] When Nestor asked who Pietro was at that time, he admits that he was just an infant and has no memory of these events, just what was told to him by Bova.
Continuing his history, Quicksilver then discusses how Bova had insisted that he and Wanda be raised by human parents. The High Evolutionary agreed and brought the newborns down the mountain and found a Romani caravan. There he gave the children to Django and Marya Maximoff, a husband and wife that had just recently lost their own children. The couple welcomed the babies into their lives and raised them as if they were their own.[6] When the twins were in their adolescents they discovered their mutant powers for the first time. When Wanda used her powers publicly to save a child, they were chased out of the village, denounced as witches. The two lived on the run, stealing to survive, until the day they were found by Magneto who provided them with sanctuary and purpose.[7]
Intrigued by this part of the story, Nestor asks Quicksilver to show him where Magneto gave them a home. Pietro then races to the castle which is located on an island in the Atlantic. With he enhanced speed, Pietro is able to run across the water’s surface. When he arrives, he discovers that Nestor beat him there and has been waiting impatiently. Cryptically, Nestor tells Pietro that he is faster than he used to but not quite as fast as he can be. Here, Quicksilver recalls how Magneto had him and his sister join his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. This is not a proud period of his life, and Pietro admits that he is grateful of the kindness shown to him by Charles Xavier and his X-Men, as it helped him break free from Magneto’s tyranny.
Growing impatient, Pietro asks why Nestor is having him relive his past. The mystery man explains that in order for Maximoff to understand who he presently is, he needs to understand who he has been in the past. Nestor then has Quicksilver talk about when he and his sister first joined the Avengers.[8] When thinking about why he joined the Avengers, Pietro says that it was done so out of obligation to make up for the wrongs they committed as part of Magneto’s Brotherhood. Nestor points out that all of these changes in his life: From infant, to adopted child, to his sister’s protector, evil mutant, and Avenger were all thrust upon him by circumstance.
When he asks what Quicksilver has ever done for himself, the answer is simple: Marrying Crystal. He recalls that she saved his life when he was injured on a mission and while she cared for him he fell in love with her.[9] Nestor asks why Pietro would marry a woman he hardly knew, and he explains that she was the first person who truly accepted him for who he was. Nestor retorts by asking how could Crystal have known who he was when he doesn’t know who he really is. Quicksilver reiterates that he does know who he is.
This leads to a debate between the two men over who Pietro is. When Quicksilver states that he is an Avenger, Nestor points out that he is not currently part of its current roster.[10] When Pietro states that he is a hero, Nestor reminds him how he left X-Factor and frequently neglected his duties to care for the Knights of Wundagore.[11] He calls himself a husband, but Nestor points out the couple’s frequent marital problems.[12] Lastly, Pietro says he is a father. Nestor titters that he isn’t a good one, recounting the time he tried to expose Luna to the Terrigen Mists over the fact that he didn’t like the fact she was an ordinary human.[13] Having had enough of these interrogations, Quicksilver admits that he has made mistakes in the past but won’t let anyone question his devotion to his daughter.
Quicksilver no longer wants to hear anymore from this strange and races off but admits he doesn’t know where to go. He returns to Haven, the castle where he used to live with the Knights of Wundagore where he gathers his personal belonging. There he is confronted by Nestor once again who tells him to let go of every aspect of the past. Pietro isn’t willing to give up on his family and insists that the diary recordings he had made for Crystal will help bring his family back together when she learns how much he missed her when she was gone. Nestor grabs them and teleports down in Sir Delphi’s lab. There they two fight until Quicksilver knocks Nestor into a power cell, causing it to overload. The blow to the head knocks a helmet off Nestor’s hooded head, a helmet that resembles that worn by Magneto. Before the power cell explodes, Pietro gathers up his recordings and speeds off. Picking his helmet off the ground, Nestor is pleased that what needed to be done has been done. Moments later, the core explodes, destroying the castle and apparently killing Nestor.
Quicksilver then races to the island of Attilan. Witnessed by Lockjaw and Gorgon, the latter assumes that Pietro is finally returning home where he belongs. Quicksilver spends time with Crystal and Luna until it’s time for their daughter to go to bed for the night. Once they are alone, Crystal admits that she needs more time alone to figure out where their marriage is going. However, she assures Pietro that he can come and visit Luna whenever he wants. Before leaving, Pietro leaves her with his records. As she listens to the contents she starts to cry. Quicksilver then races back to the mainland, unsure where he is going to go but is looking forward to the chance of learning to grow and becoming who he is supposed to be. Stopping in a town, Quicksilver pauses to figure out his next step unaware that Magneto watches him from the rooftops.[14]
Recurring Characters
Quicksilver, Nestor, Crystal, Luna, Gorgon, Lockjaw, Magneto
Continuity Notes
For more on The Siege of Mount Wundagore see Heroes For Hire #15-16, Annual #1 and Quicksilver #11-12.
Quicksilver started making these diary recordings back in Quicksilver #1 as a method of coping when he believed his wife was dead. He continues making the recordings when she returned in issue #3 and even after she left him in issue #7.
Quicksilver encountered this mystery entity — dubbed Nestor later this issue — in Quicksilver #8 and 12. The true identity of Nestor, what his goals are, and where he came from are never truly explained. See below for a theory on who he is.
Bova’s cabin was recently blown up in Avengers #381.
At the time of this story, Quicksilver was under the mistaken belief that he was both a mutant and the son of Magneto. There are other issues with this recollection. Here are the details:
Magda Eisenhardt left her husband out of fear of his powers and what they meant for the children she was carrying, as told in Classic X-Men #12. According to Avengers #186 and Vision and the Scarlet Witch #4, Magda was said to have fled to the High Evolutionary’s Citadel of Science to give birth to her twin children then fled into the mountains where she presumably died. Although Pietro imagines his “mother” giving birth to him in Bova’s cottage, past depictions show this actually happened in the Citadel. Since this was shown to readers and not specifically told to Quicksilver, this is probably how he imagines things went rather than a recollection of fact.
That said, the revelation that Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch are the children of Magneto has since been proven false. Uncanny Avengers #4-5 reveal that they weren’t mutants at all, but ordinary children kidnapped by the High Evolutionary and experimented upon. In order to cover up his work he made it so they would register as mutants. It’s later revealed in Scarlet Witch (vol. 2) #3 that they are the children of Natalya Maximoff. However, the identity of their biological father (as of this writing in December, 2022) has yet to be revealed.
With all this in mind, there are still some unanswered questions as of this writing: If Magdra wasn’t the mother of Wanda and Pietro, what really happened to her? Did she ever show up at the Citadel of Science? If she was pregnant, what happened to her children? How much of the truth does Bova know? Was the cow-woman an accessory to the deception or merely a pawn?
The meat of this part of the story is true, the High Evolutionary did indeed give Wanda and Pietro to Django and Marya. However, the circumstances were somewhat different than Pietro has been told. Per Uncanny Avengers (vol. 2) #4-5 and Scarlet Witch (vol. 2) #11-12, Django is the brother of Pietro and Wanda’s biological mother, Natalya. When the High Evolutionary kidnapped the children and experimented upon them he returned them to their known blood relatives as by that time, their mother had been killed so he gave them to the next of kin. For more on Django and Marya raising the Maximoff twins see Avengers #185-187.
As told in X-Men #4: Magneto saved Pietro and Wanda from an angry mob. At the time, the false revelation that he was their father was not yet known and so he treated them like lackies. The two became members of his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants in a debt of gratitude. They eventually left the group following their defeat in X-Men #11, having felt that they repaid that debt.
The pair were selected as the first of a new roster of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in Avengers #16. The flashback here depicts that team of Avengers fighting the Minotaur of the Mole Man, this took place in Avengers #17.
Quicksilver was injured during an Avengers battle with the mutant hunting Sentinels and was rescued by Crystal in Avengers #104. They had fallen in love with one another by the time we saw them in Fantastic Four #131. The pair were married in Avengers #127/Fantastic Four #150.
Quicksilver had been an Avenger on and off over the years:
He was a core member from Avengers #16-32, then he went on a short leave of absence when his powers were briefly fading.
He rejoined the team from Avengers #36-49 when Wanda was injured by a stray bullet, he quit the team to rejoin Magneto’s Brotherhood for a short time.
He returned to the team from Avengers #75-104, leading to the aforementioned injury and first meeting with Crystal.
He remained off the team for a time, until he rejoined an ever expanding roster to face the cosmic threat of Korvac from Avengers #174 on. He was among this massive roster who was cut out of the Avengers by their government liaison Henry Gyrich in Avengers #181.
He maintained reserve status on the team until his last big stint in Avengers #372-401/Onslaught: Marvel Universe #1. With the apparent death of the core team the group was disbanded for a time.
Pietro most recently rejoined the group with nearly every living Avenger of the time in Avengers (vol. 3) #1-4. However, he opted not to join the next roster due to other obligations.
Between Avengers stints, Quicksilver was part of the government sponsored X-Factor team from X-Factor #71 through 94, this led to his rejoining the Avengers in issue #372 of that series. Pietro was put in charge of the Knights of Wundagore in Quicksilver #1, but was frequently called off on other business. Notably in Avengers (vol. 3) #1-4, Thunderbolts #11-12, and Quicksilver #4-6 and 10/Avengers (vol. 3) #7.
Yeah, Quicksilver and Crystal’s relationship was pretty rocky after a while.
It all started in Vision and the Scarlet Witch (vol. 2) #6-12. After being neglected by her husband for months, Crystal began an illicit affair with a real estate agent named Norm Webster. This tryst came to an end in Fantastic Four #311.
Crystal and Quicksilver got back together in Fantastic Four Annual #21 in an effort to make their marriage work. It didn’t and the two spent time apart when Quicksilver joined X-Factor and Crystal subsequently joined the Avengers in Avengers #336.
Crystal’s time on the Avengers resulted in a love triangle between her, the Black Knight and Sersi. It was unresolved when the Knight and Sersi ended up leaving on an adventure through time and space in Avengers #375.
When Pietro rejoined the Avengers, it was to try and make the marriage work again. These efforts were cut short when Crystal seemed to die when she and the rest of the core Avengers sacrificed their lives in Onslaught: Marvel Universe #1.
When Crystal turned up alive and reunited with Quicksilver yet again in Quicksilver #3, they gave it another shot. This ended poorly when the Black Knight returned and fought over Crystal with Pietro in issue #7, prompting her to leave once more.
They’ll give it one last shot between Son of M #1-6 and Silent War #1-4, ultimately deciding to end their marriage once and for all.
Crystal gave birth to Pietro’s daughter Luna in Fantastic Four #240. Not long after this, Pietro tried to expose Luna to the Terrigen Mists was talked out of it by the Thing and the rest of the Inhuman royal family, as seen in Thing #3.
From here, we’ll see Pietro again in Magneto Rex #1-3, where the master of magnetism recruits Quicksilver into his new government on the island of Genosha.
Topical References
This story refers to Django and Marya and their people as gypsies. This should be considered a topical reference as it is a dated term to describe their people. To some, the term gypsy is now considered a pejorative and its use offensive. The proper term to use today is Romani.
Quicksilver’s diary recordings are depicted as being stored on CDs and the computer he used having a CRT monitor. These should be considered topical references. CDs were a common data storage format when this story first came out but have since fallen out of preference as better technologies have become available. CRT monitors are now considered obsolete.
Theory: Who is Nestor and What is his Goal?
The whole Nestor plotline never gets resolved as the Quicksilver series was cancelled. Later writers would ignore what was being set up as well, leaving it unresolved as of this writing in December, 2022.
According to the Unofficial Appendix, in 2004, series writer John Ostrander explained his original plan on his website. Trying to track down this source has proven difficult since I don’t know the original URL so I can’t even look this up on Archive.org’s Way Back Machine. However, I don’t have any reason do doubt the validity of the source. Apparently, Netsor was supposed to be a version of Quicksilver from an possible future and he had come back in time to ensure that Quicksilver follows his destiny. The idea was to alter Quicksilvers’ powers so that they are more in line with Magneto and being based on magnetism.
Which is an interesting idea, but it can’t really work anymore given the changes to the status quo when it comes to Quicksilver’s parentage and status as a mutant. As I have mentioned countless times in this very index, Marvel decided to change Pietro’s past revealing that he’s not a mutant at all and not related by blood to Magneto. See the second volumes of Uncanny Avengers and the Scarlet Witch for more on that.
Based on that, the last two issues of Quicksilver — which push the narrative that Pietro’s powers are based on magnetism due to his familial relation to Magneto — no longer make any logical sense.
What is made clear is that Pietro’s sudden increase in powers has come from his exposure to Isotope E. While unclear in the Quicksilver series, this is confirmed in Avengers (vol. 3) #40.
There are three possibilities I think that come to mind: The first is that this is a Quicksilver that comes from a reality where he is the son of Magneto. There are some alternate realities where that is still the case, or at least believed to be so. That said, I don’t think this is a good theory. At least from a story telling potential because most of these realities are divergent or parallel worlds that are based or derived from Earth-616. In those cases that Quicksilver is the son of Magneto also seems questionable, as such the lack of this revelation doesn’t mean its untrue in other realities. The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence and all that.
A second possibility is that this was actually Magneto in disguise. At the time, Magneto wasn’t aware that his familial relation to Quicksilver was a lie. Since Pietro went off to become part of Magneto’s Genoshan government shortly after this in Magneto Rex #1-3, it’s entirely possible that this was Magnus manipulating his “son” to return to his side. At this point in time Magneto wasn’t above disguising himself as someone else. Just prior to this story, in Uncanny X-Men #350, Magneto posed as Eric the Red to try Gambit for his involvement in the Mutant Massacre. Again, this doesn’t strike me as something with a whole lot of story potential either.
The one that would make the most sence is that Nestor is a complete sham created by the High Evolutionary to continue selling the deception that Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch are mutants. That his boosted powers were the result of Isotope E, something invented by the High Evolutionary, it makes everything else make sense. Since Pietro’s powers are the product of the Evoluitionary’s genetic tampering, it wouldn’t be outlandish to believe that Isotope E could boost Pietro’s powers. Creating an artificial being or a clone based on Quicksilver is also possible. Although the Evolutionary usually abhores cloning (as seen in Scarlet Spider Unlimited #1) he knows how to do it. It would be simple for him to create a duplicate of Quicksilver and make him older than the real deal. Since we haven’t seen Nestor since, the Evolutionary probably eliminated him once the job was done.
As I’ve said before many times on this index: Marvel has yet to really flesh out the impact of Pietro and Wanda not being mutants. There are still a bunch of plot threats that need to be revisited and explained better. I think a writer worth their salt could dive in and work out the whole Magda and Nestor plot threads into the wider narrative that the High Evolutionary faked their mutantcy. Nestor could be used as a means of kicking off an entire story arc on it. Just shooting that out into the ether and hope some writer over at Marvel gloms onto the idea.
