Since she first made her debut in 1964's X-Men #4, the Scarlet Witch has been one of Marvel's most confusing characters. Her powers have been inconsistent, her past has been a mess of retcons, and her mental state is always in flux. But none of that has held Wanda Maximoff back as she has become a movie and TV star in her own right.
Since making her live-action debut in the post-credits scene of 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier alongside her brother Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch has become a major part of the Marvel Comics Cinematic Universe. She may have started off as an enemy of the heroes, just like she did in the comics, but soon enough Wanda became one of the most powerful members of the Avengers. And while the live-action version of Wanda is based on the comics, there are a number of changes to her story.
10 Wanda's Past
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Wanda and her brother Pietro are introduced as enemies of the Avengers because of their feelings about Tony Stark. As explained in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Wanda and Pietro watched their parents die when a missile built by Stark Industries hit their home. A second missile struck the Maximoff home moments later but did not detonate. Instead, a young Wanda and Pietro lay in the rubble watching that missile's blinking red light, hoping they would be saved.
In the comics, Wanda's past has no connection to Iron Man or his company. Her reasons for starting off as a villain come from how they were treated by others in their village when it was believed that the twins were mutants.
9 Wanda's Hometown
In the movies, Wanda comes from the Eastern European country of Sokovia. It is there that the Avengers fought - and defeated - Ultron, but not before nearly destroying the whole country. Sokovia continues to play a major role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the Sokova Accords leading to the disbanding of the Avengers. And in WandaVision, Scarlet Witch's past in Sokovia has been mentions a number of times.
In the comics, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver were born in Serbia as part of a Romani village. As children, the twins were taken to Wundagore Mountain and used as experiments by the High Evolutionary. At least, that's the story these days.
8 Wanda's Origin
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Wanda's origin is pretty simple. She and her brother Pietro were taken by Hydra agents and experimented on by Wolfgang von Strucker, who used Loki's scepter, powered by the Mind Stone, to give the twins powers.
In the comics, Wanda and her brother's story has shifted many times over the years. When they were first introduced to readers, the siblings were mutants, but that was later changed, making them Inhumans. It was later revealed that Wanda and Pietro weren't Inhumans either, but genetically altered humans, thanks to the High Evolutionary.
7 Wanda's Mutant Background
Wanda's mutant background used to be a major part of her story. She and her brother were introduced as members of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants before they joined the Avengers, and for a time it was believed that Wanda and Pietro's father was none other than the Master of Magnetism himself, Magneto.
The mutant connections to Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver were dropped for the Marvel Cinematic Universe because when the twins made their MCU debut, 20th Century Fox had the rights to Marvel's mutants. Quicksilver even shows up in a number of the X-Men movies.
6 Wanda's Powers
In the comics, Scarlet Witch started off having "hex powers" which basically meant that she could "hex" someone so that they would mess up whatever they were doing. In time, this power evolved to include hex bolts - energy blasts. It wasn't until Wanda started to learn magic that her true potential was released. With the help of Agatha Harkness, Wanda became one of the most powerful magic users in the Marvel Universe.
In the Cinematic Universe, Wanda's powers come from the Mind Stone, connecting her to the overall story of the first decade of movies. In both the comics and the movies, the extent of Wanda's power remains a mystery, though WandaVision will likely give viewers a better idea of what she is capable of.
5 Wanda's Lovelife
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Wanda has been in one relationship - at least as far as we know. Stuck in the Avengers compound, Wanda and Vision both became close and, in time, lovers. In the end, their love was tragic, as Wanda was forced to kill Vision in an attempt to keep the Mind Stone that powered the synthezoid out of the hands of Thanos.
In the comics, Wanda has had a number of lovers, but the two that have been the most important are Vision, the man she married and had children with, and Wonder Man, the man who died so that Vision could live.
4 Wanda's Look
Over the years, Scarlet Witch has had a number of costumes in the comics, but none have been as iconic as her first - and longest-lasting - costume. While the red cape and one-piece swimsuit play a big part in Scarlet Witch's look, the headgear is what has always stood out.
Sadly, Wanda never had a costume like this in the movies, but she will be wearing it for at least a few scenes on WandaVision, even if it's just for a laugh. In the movies, Wanda's costume has been more toned down, with darker reds and a jacket doing most of the work.
3 Wanda's Family
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Wanda and Pietro are, as far as anyone knows, the only Maximoffs around, and by the end of Age of Ultron, Wanda's left all alone. In the comics, the twins have an extensive family that includes their foster mother Marya Maximoff, and Luminous, who is basically a sister to the twins - she was created by the High Evolutionary using the genetic material of Wanda and Pietro. There's also the next generation of Maximoffs, thanks to Quicksilver's daughter Luna. Tragically, Wanda's own children, Billy and Tommy, are dead.
2 Quicksilver Lives!
Perhaps the biggest difference in the life of Scarlet Witch between the comics and the movies is that in the comics, Wanda's brother is very much alive. While Quicksilver gave his life to save Hawkeye and a child from Ultron, in the comics he continues to run around being a jerk to his fellow heroes. He even married the Inhuman Crystal, which is where his daughter Luna comes from.
Wanda and Pietro used to be inseparable in the comics, but over the years they have come to spend more time apart as their lives have gone down different paths.
1 Wanda's Marital Status
In the first episode of WandaVision, the loving couple claims to be married but neither of them can recall any details about their marriage. They don't even have wedding rings. This is likely because they never did get married in the movies - Vision was killed long before their relationship reached that level.
But in the comics, Scarlet Witch and Vision did indeed tie the knot - though they later divorced. The happy couple said their vows alongside Mantis and Swordsman in Giant-Size Avengers #4. With Mantis being a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy in the movies, maybe the double wedding can still happen.