Three Wandas, Three Paths

Wanda Maximoff has never been a simple character to pin down. 

Across her appearances in Marvel's comics and the MCU films alike, she has taken on countless roles—witch, mutant, Avenger, mother, daughter, sister, wife, lover, and villain. Yet at the heart of who she is, immense power always seems to coexist with devastating loss, since her family history and cultural roots are continually reimagined across different continuities.

That is precisely what makes Seanan McGuire's novel, What If…: Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings?, so interesting: she succeeds in crafting a Wanda Maximoff who stands clearly apart from the established canon. Though she brings in the crucial element that other retellings appear to have overlooked entirely: the Roma heritage that shapes so much of her early life and culture.

The novel moves past the simple 'what if' of Wanda and Peter Parker being raised as siblings, also examining how her life might have unfolded within a tightly bonded family, alongside the loss, grief, and regret. Pain that marked her adulthood in other universes. 

Consequently, McGuire delivers a character who feels both recognizable and wholly new—a study in how family background and life's course produce subtle shifts in the development of personality.

The Comic Book Wanda: Family, Heritage, and an Ever-Changing Origin
In the Marvel Universe, few origin stories are as intricate as that of Wanda Maximoff in the Marvel Comics canon.

Although her backstory has undergone numerous revisions throughout the years, her deep ties to Romani heritage and the Maximoff family have remained constant. A pivotal chapter in Marvel lore was the era when Magneto was believed to be the biological father of Wanda and Pietro, a revelation that deeply entangled her Romani identity with her father's Jewish ancestry.

Her abilities, too, have been reimagined and reinterpreted time and again, evolving from mutant probability manipulation into chaos magic, which established her as a formidable witch.

This ever-shifting nature keeps her fascinating to follow in the comics, yet it simultaneously renders her difficult to fully grasp. Ultimately, what defines the comic book Wanda is her quest for belonging, her inner strength, her heritage, and her family.

McGuire's novel echoes many of these themes, yet it places Wanda within a completely different family dynamic.

The MCU Wanda: Grief and the Loss of Cultural Specificity
The MCU took a different approach to portraying Wanda's personality.

Rather than being depicted as a Romani person by birth from the Maximoff lineage, she appeared instead as a Sokovian orphan whose parents lost their lives in a bombing. Grief became the defining theme of her character, shaped by everything she went through—her suffering, her time with HYDRA, the Avengers, and Vision, and her encounters with Thanos.

Consequently, shifting her cultural background brought about major changes to the narrative. In an earlier essay of mine, Wanda Maximoff Was Romani: The MCU Made Her Vague, I contended that Marvel Studios chose to portray Maximoff as a broadly Eastern European figure rather than a Romani one. Clearly, the studio preferred not to assign any specific racial traits to the sorceress. 

Yet in the comics, this detail carries weight, since it mirrors both Wanda's multifaceted personality and her experience of acculturation.

Conversely, Elizabeth Olsen perfectly captured the pain, fear, and love embedded in everything Wanda does. So although the MCU altered virtually every aspect of the character's background, the actress still managed to express the loss and suffering that the sorceress endures.

It is worth noting that McGuire's book takes an entirely different route when recounting Wanda's story.

Meet Wanda Parker

In the Seanan McGuire story “What If…Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings?” Wanda's life takes a unique path, since her Roma family abandons her not long after she is born.

At that point, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Richard and Mary Parker come across the little girl left by herself and choose to bring her home with them, having failed to locate any relatives of hers.

They give her the name Wanda and bring her up in Queens together with their son Peter.

In this canon universe, she eventually becomes Peter's ally and hero, but in this version it appears she ends up as his sister.

Since Richard and Mary presumably lose their lives while searching for the missing children, Aunt May and Uncle Ben step in to take on the job of raising them.

This is how Wanda comes to be a loving, caring sister to Peter, who feels secure in their family's love.

Nurture Versus Nature
Through a comparison of the lives led by three distinct characters, the novel illustrates how complex the longstanding philosophical debate between nature and nurture truly is, showing that love is not guaranteed to produce heroes, and that cruelty does not inevitably create villains.

Although Wanda is not raised by her biological family, the Parkers provide her with abundant love and attentive care. Her surroundings have therefore been largely positive, helping to mold her into a compassionate and heroic individual without entirely supplanting her innate character.

In contrast, Pietro is brought up by the merciless doctor Victor von Doom, who convinced him that he cared for Wanda more. Consequently, Pietro develops anger and bitterness toward both his guardian and his sister, ultimately choosing a path of villainy.

Curiously, Peter, who is raised under arguably superior circumstances by his biological parents along with May and Ben, proves to be more self-centered, envious, and spiteful than Wanda. Even though he matures into a hero, his inherent disposition is not overcome by the nurturing he receives, which leaves him considerably less appealing than his sister. It is worth noting, though, that Peter's attitude was influenced to a certain extent by his environment.

A Child of Two Worlds, Two Peoples, and Two Families
One of my favorite aspects of this book is how the author depicted Wanda's Romani heritage. What stands out as truly remarkable is that her adoptive family never pushed her to abandon her Romani roots. Instead, they encouraged her to explore the interests tied to that heritage.

Her uncle and aunt have offered remarkable support for her choice to study the language, food, and holidays. Other aspects of her Romani heritage that she had been denied while living with her birth parents. It sends a deeply moving and beautiful message that Wanda could embrace her Romani roots while also showing gratitude to the family that provided her with a warm, loving home. 

Through her decision to become friends with Django Maximoff and his family, Wanda brought her cultural heritage into her Parker life, which let her feel she belonged to "two worlds, two peoples. Two families."

In this way, she never felt forced to pick between her birth family and her adoptive family. She does not have to abandon one life entirely in order to keep the other. In the same manner, her Parker family never asks her to change her name or relinquish anything connected to her Romani heritage, since doing so would be unjust to Wanda. 

This message is incredibly beautiful and heartwarming, and it stands in stark contrast to how the MCU portrayed Wanda's cultural background.

Wanda’s Powers Become An Expression Of Her Emotions
McGuire's take on the story also offers a fascinating portrayal of the character's abilities.

Her chaos powers operate on probability, so the more likely an event is to happen, the greater the chance it will occur. What makes this ability so distinctive is its direct connection to the character's personality – her magic essentially embodies her fears and anxieties.

Wanda knows all too well that a single misstep can result in many deaths. Every time such a situation arises, she is flooded with negative emotions – even when the fault is not hers. Because of this, her magic remains unstable and shifts with her emotions – the worse she feels, the stronger it grows.

Wanda's fears and anxieties are a constant presence, turning her magic into something dangerous and beyond her control. She longs to protect others, which means she never wants to face the possibility of causing anyone pain or suffering. 

Consequently, the moment her magic surfaces, she starts hunting for outside sources of power to draw from, since relying on herself is the very last thing she wants.

Although Doctor Strange takes her in at the Sanctum Sanctorum as one of his apprentices, he also insists that she complete college and maintain some footing in the ordinary world. While 

McGuire seems to have no particular objection to the character's abilities, the way she tells the story implies that these powers ought to serve as a means of gaining a deeper understanding of the world around her.

The Guilt That Follows Wanda
In the novel, the author portrays Wanda Maximoff's most striking divergence from her MCU counterpart as the guilt she carries—not merely grief—over Uncle Ben's death.

Wanda's perception of chaos magic was shaped by it emerged at the very moment the burglar incident occurred. Consequently, she holds the view that Peter Parker bears only partial responsibility for what took place. Even as Peter insists to everyone that he is innocent, Wanda interprets his claims as an effort to shield her.

In her view, had she not cut him off, Peter would have prevented the burglar from getting away. Moreover, she feels that Peter resents her and is simply making that resentment known. What truly drives Wanda's grief is the guilt she feels. She holds herself responsible for what Peter lost, convinced that she played some part in causing it.

To Wanda, the death of Gwen Stacy feels like a more intimate loss than it does to Peter. In her eyes, Gwen was not only Peter's friend and lover but also his close companion who helped him feel more secure and at ease with who he is. For Wanda, losing Gwen cuts deeper than Peter's loss of Uncle Ben does for him.

Thus, when Wanda is blamed for Captain America's death, she falls into a self-destructive spiral of despair and pulls away from society. 

This has left her even more isolated and withdrawn, a state that Pietro has exploited to manipulate her.

Pietro: Wanda’s Dark Mirror
Within the novel, Pietro stands out as one of the most compelling figures when viewed as a thematic element. 

Even though he and Wanda share the same parents and might have enjoyed a joyful life side by side, they end up apart, living lives that could hardly be more different. Richard and Mary Parker raise Wanda, allowing her to grow into her powers and cultural heritage, whereas Doctor Doom takes Pietro and trains him to despise his sister. Consequently, Wanda fears causing harm to others, while Pietro harbors anger toward the entire world.

The contrasting paths the siblings take serve as a study in opposites, drawing out the distinctions between their personalities. Moreover, Pietro's bitterness and harshness toward Wanda do not stem from envy of her. Quite the opposite: 

The fact that Wanda can join the Avengers and enjoy a fulfilling life with her adoptive brother causes Pietro immense pain. It serves as a reminder of the injustice Doom has inflicted upon him. He poses these questions to himself:

• If Wanda is able to achieve such success and happiness, why was I doomed to be Doom's son?

• Why was I denied the opportunity to live as happily as my sister?

Thus, Wanda's very existence becomes a torment for Pietro, who cannot bring himself to forgive his failure to rescue his sister.

The Captain America Mystery
Every one of these concepts ties into the book's central framework.

Once Captain America personally invites her to join the team, Wanda makes her way to their residence, the Avengers Mansion.

Upon arriving, she comes across Steve Rogers' lifeless body, his throat brutally slashed. When the rest of the Avengers enter, they find Wanda standing over the fallen captain. Panic takes hold of her, causing her powers to surge uncontrollably and then vanish.

To her fellow Avengers, everything suggests that Wanda is the killer, yet the truth behind the case is far from straightforward.

Pietro accidentally lets slip that he knows about Captain America's murder before it became public, leading Wanda to understand that he is aware of the details and to expose him as the true killer.

It emerges that Pietro's plan was to murder Steve and seize his powers. Manipulate Wanda into killing him so that she would be left defenseless and delivered to Doom.

Pietro destroys Wanda’s Chosen Family
What Pietro does becomes even more horrifying once he murders Django and every other person who happens to be in Wanda's workplace.

Those who shielded Wanda were not limited to the maternal figure in her life, Aunt May, who was aware of both the Scarlet Witch and Spider-Man.

Django was among them as well, having guarded Wanda's secret and kept her safe.

So the struggle Wanda now confronts reaches far beyond the matter of her family bloodline. 

Her battle might escalate into a civil war.

And the crucial question is whether she will embrace Pietro's conviction that blood ties alone decide where a person truly belongs.

Wanda Chooses the Parkers

Yet ultimately, Wanda refuses to accept the notion that blood alone determines who she is. She does not disown her Romani roots, deny that Pietro is her brother, or turn her back on Natalya and Django—none of that happens.

Rather, she chooses to embrace Peter and the family who raised her, the ones who gave her love and care.

That is what makes this the story's most emotionally powerful conclusion. It is not just the clash between the Scarlet Witch and her brother Quicksilver, but also Wanda's refusal to let destiny and biology dictate who she is.

Peter and Wanda Finally Find Each Other Again
I believe that Peter and Wanda's mending of their relationship also matters greatly to the narrative.

Their split results from Gwen's death, since Peter's sorrow curdles into resentment and hostility, which causes Wanda pain.

Even so, he will eventually express regret for how he acted, and they restore their bond.

This reveals the true nature of Wanda's struggle — it was never a matter of picking one family over the other. Of embracing the fact that she belongs to two families without splitting herself in two.

She is free to love Peter as her brother, to embrace her Romani roots and her Parker upbringing, without giving up any part of them — and without denying the grief and pain the loss left her with, or the danger her magic carries.

Three Wandas, Three Relationships With Grief

What sets the three versions of Wanda Maximoff apart most is the way each one deals with loss and sorrow:

• Comic Book Wanda: Her story is chiefly propelled by her magic, her family. Her sense of self, along with her struggle to endure and rise above a series of tragedies.

• MCU Wanda: Grief and tragedy are what mainly push her into action, together with her drive to shield and rescue the people she loves.

• McGuire’s Wanda: Grief functions above all as a source of guilt for her, since she is forever seeking to make amends for her wrongs and holds herself responsible for every catastrophe that occurs.

It becomes clear, then, that McGuire’s Wanda possesses a distinct inner life, one consumed by guilt and the wish to make amends for her wrongs. This is precisely why her path is not one of defeating and commanding dark magic. Instead, one of realizing that power alone cannot make up for her wrongs.

A Wanda Who Is Both Light and Dark
Despite growing up surrounded by love, this incarnation of Wanda is anything but innocent.

Her character is layered and complex: darkness stains her light; since her magic is capable of inflicting harm, her emotions dictate how her powers manifest, and she stumbles along the way. She is even afraid of the abilities she possesses.

This matters because it lends real depth to the novel's core theme of nature versus nurture.

Rather than removing the darkness from her, love empowers her to face it by helping her comprehend it.

The Scarlet Witch's characterization is so gripping precisely because her heroism stems not from an absence of inner darkness, but from her readiness to struggle against it.

The Wanda Who Finally Gets To Choose
Every version of Wanda — whether she appears in the comics, the MCU, or McGuire's novel — is defined by a tangled bond with her family.

Across the various portrayals of the witch, this inner struggle takes shape in different ways. In the comics, for instance, Wanda constantly strives to find an equilibrium between a family bond that keeps expanding and her own desires, which at times come into conflict with it. Within the MCU, her family revolves around the tragedy that struck Sokovia — the loss of her parents, Pietro, Vision, and everyone she fought to save. In McGuire's novel, she stands among the few who genuinely had a loving family before she had to grow up and face difficult decisions.

Even though her family loves her, she must still cope with losing her adoptive parents, Uncle Ben, Gwen, and the people she worked with at the restaurant. She endures the betrayal and manipulation of her twin, someone she never truly grew up alongside. In the comics, she faces accusations that she killed Steve Rogers and nearly loses Peter along the way. Yet rather than letting these hardships define her, she decides to rise above them — learning to accept both her powers and her heritage, remaining loyal to her family (by blood and by choice), battling for Peter. Proving herself a hero.

Once she has survived it all, the Avengers at last invite her to join their ranks — and she approaches them as a person who has traveled a great distance from the shattered, traumatized girl discovered beside Captain America's lifeless body.

To them she might be Pietro's twin, Peter Parker's sister, Doctor Strange's apprentice, a girlfriend, a villain, a weapon, or someone capable of leveling half of New York — but she knows herself as Wanda Maximoff: Parker by adoption, Maximoff by blood, Romani by heritage. The Scarlet Witch by her own choosing.

More than anything else, though, she keeps for herself the right to decide who she is and what she represents.