How Powerful The MCU’s Scarlet Witch Is Compared To The Comics

The Scarlet Witch may be one of the most powerful heroes in Marvel history, but the character does have some core differences between the MCU and the comics that mean they are not exactly the same. Wanda Maximoff first appeared properly in the MCU in 2015s Avengers: Age of Ultron, but the character has a much longer history in the comics. The comic book character was actually introduced all the way back in 1964 as part of one of the earliest X-Men comics, making her one of the oldest heroes from the comics.

Over that time, both versions of the hero have accomplished some incredible and occasionally terrifying things. They haven’t always aligned with the heroes, and their powers sometimes cause them to act in ways that are more destructive than a typical hero. And at the same time, both characters have established themselves as some of the most powerful beings within their respective universes, but they do have some distinctive differences when it comes to their background, powers, and overall abilities.

Scarlet Witch Powers In Marvel Comics Explained

The Comic Book Wanda Is Incredibly Powerful

In the comics, Wanda has always been a powerful witch. In fact, her powers stem from the moment of her birth, as the young baby was born with a magical birthright. However, enhancing this power even further, she was also granted the ability to control chaos magic by the God of Chaos, Chthon. While this exponentially multiplied her powers and allowed her to tap into powers that were unreserved, it also came with a curse that meant she was not fully in control of these powers.

All things considered, Wanda’s powers have been stated as unquantifiable in the comics, and she has been able to accomplish feats of magic that would prove impossible for any human or witch. This access to such a powerful magical resource and her own natural abilities makes her a Nexus being who is able to shape and bend reality to her will, and perform an extraordinary variety of powers and abilities that are largely only limited by her imagination.

Wanda has been known to exercise abilities of flight, teleportation, spells and sorcery, reality warping, astral projection, energy manipulation, illusions, neuromancy and so much more. However, her most prevalent powers tend to be things like flight and energy manipulation. Overall, Wanda stands out as one of the most extraordinary and formidable characters in Marvel Comics, and one that most others would do well to keep on her good side.

How The MCU’s Scarlet Witch’s Powers Compare To The Comics

Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch Has A Different Story

In the MCU, Wanda has similar levels of power, but she has significantly less time to explore and develop these gifts over about 10 years worth of movies and TV shows. In almost every project where Wanda appears, she has discovered new parts of her powers, and tapped into her potential to become increasingly powerful. When she first arrived in Age of Ultron, she was a less mature witch, with basic powers of energy manipulation, and abilities that resembled telekinesis.

However, as she trained with the Avengers, her power began to increase, though she was not fully prepared to control these gifts and she occasionally caused fatal accidents. This led to her choosing to avoid her powers until the world and her beloved Vision were in extreme danger. At this point, it appeared as though emotional triggers effectively multiplied Wanda’s powers and allowed her to tap into reserves beyond her own understanding. This was also seen when she fought Thanos in Infinity War and Endgame, where on both occasions, she was able to single-handedly hold back the Titan and appeared on the verge of overpowering him.

Her greatest feats of strength came later when she used her powers to hex an entire town, with all the inhabitants, essentially brainwashing and controlling the community as she warped their reality. She then created life, both from the remains of Vision, and out of thin air when she created her children, Tommy and Billy. Since Westview, Wanda’s powers took another seismic leap as she studied the Darkhold, and learned to control the Chaos Magic that she inherently possessed, making her one of the most powerful beings in the entire Multiverse.

MCU Scarlet Witch vs Comics Scarlet Witch: Who Is More Powerful?

The Answer Isn’t As Straightforward As It May Appear

When comparing both versions of the Scarlet Witch, it appears that the comic book version would easily take the lead. However, considering the length of time that comics Wanda has had to harness her abilities and gain valuable experience, it would be expected that she could easily defeat most other comic book characters. Despite this, Wanda has been defeated several times in the comics, at the hands of characters like the Mad Titan, Rogue, and she was even controlled by Immortus, a variant of Kang, for years.

Of course, she has had many more wins than losses throughout comic book history, but the fact that she has been defeated by these foes is telling. On the other hand, Wanda in the MCU has only ever lost in one real fight, and even then, she gave up the fight, rather than being outmatched. The MCU’s version of the character has shown incredible growth and exponentially increased her powers in remarkably short periods of time. All of this, while never having had any formal training, or a mentor who could help to guide her powers in any meaningful way.

Regardless, if the comic book version of the character were to face off against the untested and unrefined version of Wanda Maximoff from the MCU as she appeared in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, she would likely put up a good fight, but lose out to her comic book counterpart. It’s true that her brutal and rapid attacks could potentially surprise and overwhelm the comic’s Wanda, but the experience in Wanda’s history would likely give her the edge. However, if the MCU Scarlet Witch comes back again after her seemingly certain death, there is no telling how powerful she may be now.

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