Vision and the Scarlet Witch (vol. 2) #11
A Taxing Time!
It's tax filing season and Spider-Man is swinging into Leona, New Jersey, to complete a photo assignment for the Daily Bugle as Peter Parker. Unable to web-sling the whole way, the wall-crawler lands in the backseat of a convertible and asks for a lift the rest of the way.
Meanwhile, at the home of the Vision and the Scarlet Witch, Wanda is being examined by Doctor Strange. He is happy to inform Wanda that the baby is going to be larger than normal, but otherwise it will be healthy. He does, however, ask that Wanda slow down and take it easy during the final weeks of her pregnancy. As he heads out, Doctor Strange assures the Vision that the baby will be healthy and while the android wants to believe him he can’t help but think about Susan Richards — aka the Invisible Woman — recently lost her second child.[2] The Vision is also concerned over his wife’s well-being after they discovered that Crystal, wife to Wanda’s brother Pietro, had an affair. So devastated by learning about this infidelity, Quicksilver ran out everyone, deeply hurting his sister.[3]
Inside, Wanda is setting up her next witchcraft lesson with Holly LaDonna. Her mind, however, her thoughts are also on her brother Pietro. She doesn’t understand how he could walk out on his marriage, instead of being forgiving, as she believes that everyone makes mistakes. Having finally been made the target of Quicksilver’s superiority she wishes he hadn’t gone out of his way to hurt her as well.
A short while later, Peter Parker arrives to photograph Wanda and Vision’s home as part of a spread in Now Magazine. The Vision explains that he agreed to this because — without the Avengers weekly stipend — he needs to generate some kind of income to support his new family. The both get a laugh when the Vision jokes that it is tax season. Peter is still a little surprised that his boss, J. Jonah Jameson, would pay for such a photospread since his only interest in superheroes is usually railing against Spider-Man.[4]
Meanwhile, in Antarctica, a scientist is travelling across the frozen wasteland. He is looking forward to leaving the area when replacements arrive. He is suddenly ambushed by Quicksilver who rants and raves about the end of his marriage before racing off into the blizzard.
Back in America, Holly LaDonna arrives for her witchcraft lesson as Peter is wrapping up his photo assignment. He takes some pictures of Wanda and when he tells the couple that he’s taking the bus back into the city, the Vision offers to walk him to the bus stop. Peter wishes he didn’t have a secret identity because it means she has to pretend he never met the Vision and the Scarlet Witch and can’t talk about old times.[5] On the way out, Peter and Vision bump into some of the neighbors, including famous magicians Glamor and Illusion. The couple have just come back from a “lucrative gig” in Hong Kong. In reality, they had stolen the priceless Eye of Rajpur the month before and fenced it, but the pair decide that the Vision doesn’t need to know that they are secretly jewel thieves.[6]
They also bump into Norm Webster, the man who sold Wand and Vision their home, however Vision gives him the cold shoulder. This hurts Norm, who knew that having an affair with Crystal was wrong and there would be repercussions if he got caught, but he didn’t realize it would cost him his closest friends.
After the Vision drops Peter off at the bus stop, he heads for home when he is suddenly ambushed by the Toad. The diminutive mutant has returned once again to destroy the Vision and claim the Scarlet Witch as his lover. This time he has arrive in a massive exo-skeleton that augments his strength.[7] The sound of battle draws Peter Parker to come to the Vision’s aid as Spider-Man. Seeing the wall-crawler makes the Toad nervous and he decides to teleport away. When the Vision explains that the Toad has been terrorizing his family for some time, Spider-Man is shocked to hear this as this is not the Toad he has gotten to know. The web-head explains how he recently saved the Toad when he tried committing suicide by jumping off a building. Spider-Man then convinced the Toad that his life had value. This led to the Toad trying to become Spider-Man’s sidekick, but he ultimately ended up teaming up with Frog-Man and Spider-Kid to form a team of heroes.[8] The Vision explains that the Toad’s sudden boldness has come from mastering the advanced technology stolen from the Stranger’s home world.[9]
After a short search, the pair are ambushed by the Toad again. This time he is prepared for both of his opponents. After using knock out gas on the web-spinner, he jolts the Vision with electricity forcing him to short circuit. With all opposition dealt with, he then heads off to collect his prize: The Scarlet Witch. When he arrives at the Wanda’s home, Holly LaDonna tries to defend her teacher from the intruder. Toad quickly shoves the young girl aside and then goes up to the bedroom. However, when he sees how much weight Wanda has gained during her pregnancy, the Toad is instantly repulsed.[10] This insults the Scarlet Witch who bowls the Toad over with a hex bolt. That’s when the Vision and Spider-Man arrived.
When the wall-crawler subdues the Toad with webbing he tries to explain that the Toad can’t force people to do what he wants. To make friends and form a family he needs to put in effort into it. The Toad then teleports away without saying another word. In the aftermath of the battle, Spidey can’t help but be impressed that Wanda was able to hold her own against the Toad in her current state.
Recurring Characters
Vision, Scarlet Witch, Toad, Spider-Man, Illusion, Glamor, Norm Webster, Doctor Strange Quicksilver
Continuity Notes
This story is stated as happening on tax filing day (April 18) and having happened one month after the events of last issue. This puts this story at odds with the Sliding Timescale. As yet, Marvel has yet to provide a reasonable explanation. My theory is that Wanda has created a pocket of “real time” during her pregnancy.
The Invisible Woman suffered a miscarriage in Fantastic Four #267. But, since death is a revolving door in the Marvel Universe even a stillbirth can be reversed. The baby, named Valeria, is later resurrected in Fantastic Four (vol. 3) #54.
Crystal, unhappy with her marriage, started an affair with Norm Webster in Vision and the Scarlet Witch (vol. 2) #7. Their fair was exposed in issue #10, prompting Quicksilver to walk out on his wife. He’ll pop-up again in Avengers Annual #15 and West Coast Avengers Annual #1, where an unhinged Quicksilver frames the Avengers for crimes against the United States government.
Here, Peter identifies Wanda as a mutant. However, she actually isn’t. Years later, Wanda will learn that she and her brother were experimented upon by the High Evolutionary when they were children. To cover up his work he made future genetic tests have the twins register as mutants. See Uncanny Avengers (vol. 2) #4-5.
A footnote here reminds readers that Spider-Man last teamed-up with Wanda and the Vision in Marvel Team-Up #41-44.
Glamor and Illusion stole the Eye of Rajpur last issue.
The Vision and Toad recount their previous battles. These happened in Vision and the Scarlet Witch (vol. 2) #6 and 7.
Yeah, Spider-Man stopping the Toad from committing suicide became a whole thing. See Amazing Spider-Man #266.
This story references the first time that the Toad used the Stranger’s technology against the Avengers in Avengers #138. The Toad first got access to the Stranger’s tech after an extended stay as a prisoner alongside Magneto from X-Men #11 to 18.
Here, the Toad mentions how he and Wanda served as members of Magneto’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. They were founding members of this group in X-Men #4.
Topical References
Here, the Vision states that the Avengers stipend is $1000 a week. Adjusting for inflation this would be about $2500 in 2022 money.