The Marvel Universe has been through a lot recently when it comes to its Sorcerer Supreme. After stopping the Blood Hunt (with an assist from Doctor Strange’s Sorcerer Supreme powers,) Doctor Doom took the mantle for himself and used it to take over the world. However, Doom’s reign is coming to an end and the ascension of a new Sorcerer Supreme marks a huge upgrade for Marvel’s most controversial character. The publisher announced on Thursday that Wanda Maximoff, aka the Scarlet Witch, is the next to hold the title in a new, ongoing series launching in December.
Written by Steve Orlando with art by Bernard Chang, Sorcerer Supreme will follow Wanda’s adventures as the primary mystical defender of Earth. Of course, it’s not going to be easy, According to Marvel “defying tradition and breaking every rule, Scarlet Witch charts a bold, new path as the Sorcerer Supreme! But will her rebellious approach to the role bring magic in the Marvel Universe to new heights or leave it in ruin? The Vishanti, unwilling to validate Wanda’s claim, anoint their own Sorcerer Supreme — Agatha Harkness! Following a fiery battle with her former mentor, Wanda wakes up in Limbo where nothing is as it seems. And if she’s going to escape, she must first defeat its ruler… Madelyne Pryor! And with Wanda and the Vishanti distracted, what rising mystical threats have escaped their notice? Determined to fulfill her sacred new duty, Wanda expands her scope and redefines her power to protect the world like no Sorcerer Supreme ever has!”
The series will also feature a new costume for Wanda thanks to artist Russell Dauterman — who will also provide variant covers for the first five issues of the series, each of which will shine a spotlight on the members of Wanda’s advisory council including Clea, Chthon, Wiccan, and more.”
Wanda As Sorcerer Supreme Marks a New (and Well-Earned) Direction for the Scarlet Witch
Wanda becoming the new Sorcerer Supreme is a move that just makes sense. Not only is she an incredibly powerful character, but her evolution has also shown massive growth. Wanda Maximoff started out as powerful, but chaotic and unstable and has over the years become much more disciplined and precise, having grown into wielding magic on a massive scale. She’s powerful enough to do the job and do it well.
“When it comes to the Scarlet Witch…anything’s possible,” Orlando said. “Those are the words Wanda lives by, and they’re the words we as creators live by, too. So, with the Sorcerer Supreme title in the wind after One World Under Doom, the question became — who’s the next to wield the cloak and the eye? Or more precisely — who could hear such powerful artifacts crying out from the edge of destruction? And in the Marvel Universe, there’s one person above all who hears you when no one else will — Wanda Maximoff!”
He added, “I can’t wait for folks to see Wanda take up the cloak and the eye — for the primal disruptor to shake things up in the face of magic’s proprietors…with nothing less than the betterment of all in mind. And to be working with the incredible Bernard Chang and Ruth Redmond? That’s a dream come true, folks — each page they touch brings style and power to Wanda like never before!”
Wanda May Be A Solid Choice for Sorcerer Supreme, But It Could Also Come With Huge Risk
There’s no doubt that Wanda is a solid choice to be the next Sorcerer Supreme — she certainly has the magical chops and as we’ve noted, has been on a long evolution to be a better person and magical practitioner. However, Being Sorcerer Supreme is also a major power upgrade and as we saw with Doctor Doom during his tenure, that power can be a tricky thing. Doom was able to exert control over time and reality, bending both to his will. With Wanda already being baseline more powerful than Doom, there’s no telling just how powerful she will be as Sorcerer Supreme — or how that power will impact her.
What makes Wanda such a controversial character is, in part, a little storyline called House of M. As Marvel fans recall, an out of control and unstable Wanda rewrote reality with devastating result. Even though Wanda has grown deeply as a character in the years since, there’s always that risk things could go very sideways yet again. It makes the idea of Wanda having the power of Sorcerer Supreme both fascinating and terrifying and should make this new series and thrilling read.
Sorcerer Supreme #1 is now available for pre-order and will go on sale December 31st with issue #2 following on January 28th. Marvel fans will also want to check out One World Under Doom #9 on November 21st to find out more about Wanda’s new status quo.
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