Cut off from his magic, William “Billy” Kaplan-Altman, aka the Young Avenger Wiccan, embarks on a dangerous quest in Wiccan: Witches’ Road #2 to regain control of his abilities. Along the way, he will be met by deadly foes, join forces with unexpected allies, and encounter other challenges as he walks the Witches’ Road. The journey will not be an easy one, and Billy will be tested in ways like never before, but he must succeed in his mission if he has any hope of restoring his beloved husband, Theodore “Teddy” Altman/Dorrek-Vell aka Hulkling, and saving his homeland.
SPOILERS AHEAD for Wiccan: Witches’ Road #2!
Post-Imperial #4, Billy and Teddy are not in a good place. Previously, the pair presided over rulership of the Kree-Skrull Empire, with Teddy as Emperor Dorrek-Vell, and Billy as his Prince Consort and Court Wizard to the Alliance. At the end of the event, Teddy was deposed by the Skrulls, and the two former Young Avengers barely escaped to Earth with their lives intact. Once back on Earth, Billy and Teddy crossed paths with Baba Yaga in Wiccan: Witches’ Road #1, who severed Billy’s head and imprisoned Teddy with some kind of organic matter that renders him immobile. For Star Wars fans, Teddy’s imprisonment here is similar to Han Solo being frozen in carbonite and held captive by Jabba the Hutt.
Baba Yaga, a character from Slavic folklore, lives in a hut with chicken legs in the forest, and flies around using a mortar and pestle. In keeping with witch lore and archetypes, she is depicted with a long nose, disheveled hair, and a haggard appearance. Baba Yaga occupies an interesting role in folklore, as she is sometimes depicted as a cannibalistic child-eater, or a wise old woman who aids heroes in their quest, often testing them for their worthiness with strange riddles and difficult tasks. She is both a keeper of magical knowledge and also a guardian of said knowledge who ensures that the knowledge is not passed down into the wrong hands.
The mysterious Baba Yaga knows many things, including information about the Demiurge, but her true motivations are yet to be revealed. Credit: Marvel Comics
In Wiccan: Witches’ Road, Baba Yaga is an antagonistic character whose true motives are unknown and concealed from both Billy and the reader. She reveals a considerable amount of knowledge about the Demiurge, including the origins, something that is of considerable interest to Billy, as he was once prophesied to become the omnipotent Demiurge in the future (see Young Avengers (Vol. 2) #10). Baba tells Billy that she can restore his magic with a spell, she will need a few ingredients to complete the spell, including the flower of a dragon, a tear from a giant, and the heart of Billy’s first love. Before embarking on the quest, Baba receives a new costume from Baba, as well as a few magical items to help aid Billy in his quest. She also sends a talking fox and former pupil known as Nameless to serve as Billy’s guide along the Witches’ Road. Baba also transforms Teddy into a talking puppet, so Billy can bring him along on his quest.
We learn from Nameless that Baba used to be taught by the Demiurge, thus deepening the lore of the Demiurge and Baba’s mysterious connection to the Demiurge. Nameless also tells Billy that she was one of the most powerful sorceresses to have ever lived before being cursed in her fox form by Baba Yaga. Who is Nameless, and why was she transformed into a talking fox by Baba Yaga? The identity of Nameless and her falling out with Baba Yaga is a peculiar mystery, and one that I hope we will learn more details about as the story progresses.
The issue ends with Billy and his party arriving at the site of a Roxxon plant that was besieged by a dragon attack. The dragon is revealed to be Fin Fang Foom, a shape-shifting alien being who resembles a dragon and first appeared in Strange Tales #89. Billy will need to defeat Fin Fang Foom in order to receive the flower of a dragon ingredient needed to complete Baba Yaga’s spell. If Fin Fang Foom as a threat is not concerning enough, Billy must also deal with someone who claims to be the Demiurge.
Wiccan: Witches’ Road is a supernatural adventure complete with magic spells, strange companions, and mystical quests that challenge our heroes in engaging new ways. Wyatt Kennedy draws on Slavic folklore and various magical concepts to craft an exciting new chapter for one of Marvel’s most prominent sorcerers. Despite Teddy being present and accounted for, this mini series gives Billy a chance to shine in the narrative without being so tied to Teddy, a character that he has literally been married to since to Empyre #4.
While the miniseries devotes significant time to depicting Billy and Teddy as a happily married gay couple, it is also nice to see Marvel prominently featuring one of their most celebrated queer characters in a way in which the narrative of the character does not solely revolve around the character’s status as an out gay character, but rather the character’s abilities, aspirations, and motivations within the story as well.
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