Good news for Wanda Maximoff fans! This week’s offerings from Marvel Comics brings readers a double dose of Scarlet Witch in Iron Man #4 and Scarlet Witch #8. Wanda’s guest appearance is a great part of an already great comic, but seems to have happened closer to the events of Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver. Those who want to stay up to date on Wanda’s most recent adventures should pick up Scarlet Witch #8. Steve Orlando, Lorenzo Tammetta, Ruth Redmond, VC’s Ariana Maher, and Alanna Smith are the coven of creators behind this icy installment.
It’s mid-January, when the afterglow of holiday cheer has faded but the bleak winter remains. Similarly, last we saw Wanda and crew, she was celebrating her own traditions and building connections between her family and new apprentice, Amaranth. But now weeks have passed, and no breakthroughs have been made regarding the mystery of Amy’s missing past. Darcy’s journalistic curiosity has left her wary of Wanda’s new student, suspicious that the great power Amaranth wields harbors a danger of which we’ve yet to see the worst. With impatience, frustration, and distrust simmering under the surface, the young sorceress is called away by the Scarlet Witch as the two head through the Last Door to an arctic adventure.
Wanda and Amy land in Old Crow, Yukon. The northern Canadian community has been turned into a ghost town, with the only signs of life being the frozen solid townsfolk. The witches are not alone though, as they are soon beset upon by massive magical worms boring up through the ice – think Dune by way of True Detective: Night Country. Perhaps still a little defensive from her conversation with Darcy, Amaranth disregards her tutor’s warnings and tries to help the Scarlet Witch by dividing the worms’ attention. Wanda herself quickly gets caught up in the magical mystery at play. At the root of the mystic mess she finds Jack Frost, a pre-Marvel co-creation by Stan Lee and Charles Nicholas, who was last seen over 30 years ago.
Finding a comatose Frost at the heart of the King Iceworm, Wanda is able to rouse the mysterious figure, and solve the mystery of his origin over 70 years since his debut in U.S.A. Comics #1. A bit of brunt force magic breaks open memories that Jack, a.k.a. Isabrot, had long lost access to. A minor Asgardian ice god and patron of the spring thaw, Jack Frost has fought back the Iceworms of Ymir for eons, until they adapted to his icy attacks and abused his power as their own. With the Scarlet Witch’s magic and a bit of help from an infant star, the Iceworms are dispatched and Isabrot is free to find his own life (and maybe catch up with Thor, who may be his great-grandnephew). Orlando, who has shown an affinity for obscure lore and forgotten characters in the Marvel canon, finds in Jack Frost a twofold opportunity: the chance to take a classic era character and make him usable in contemporary comics, and a great foil for Amaranth as we round out her introductory arc.
He’s Mister Icicle, He’s Mister Ten Below
Credit: Marvel Comics
For the second time in this arc, Wanda Maximoff has found herself before a being of dangerous mystical power with a serious case of memory issues. Where Scarlet Witch’s efforts have yet to bear fruit for Amaranth, Wanda’s attempt to help Jack Frost results in the best possible outcome on her very first try. Seeing your caregiver deliver the support you need to someone else is already enough to make anyone feel upset, but Amy is riled up further by the length of Frost’s malady – before Thor was a twinkle in Odin’s eye, Isabrot had been lost to time as well as himself. Amaranth is fraying after weeks of this status quo, and remaining this way for untold centuries is unimaginable. It also doesn’t help matters that the aforementioned dangerous side to Amy’s powers manifest after she’s separated from Wanda in the Iceworm battle. Unintentionally, her mystical defenses spur the worms into madness, eating each other before hunting Amaranth once more. The effect horrifies the young witch, who has previously claimed to have done the same to her adoptive father in the past. All these frustrating pieces of stimuli boil over into a classic Teen Meltdown that Amaranth directs at Wanda. Here’s hoping that Scarlet Witch can address that minor crisis before Black Cat slinks into her shop next month.
Tammetta and Redmond pair so well for the art in Scarlet Witch #8. Redmond’s shadow work adds a touch more gravity to the action, and the stark darkness of the Long Night sky feeds into the horror atmosphere. Tammetta also brings plenty of fun flourishes to the issue such as Wanda’s new Daredevil mug or the casual outfits he puts together for Darcy, Wanda, and Amaranth. The best part of their collaboration in this issue might just be Jack Frost’s redesign. His body may still radiate a glacial blue hue, but the man himself is looking hotter and hunkier than ever, and the Iceworms’ obliteration means he has all the time he wants to save lives and steal hearts.
This issue doesn’t offer much in the way of flaws. It could be argued that Scarlet Witch’s rescue and resuscitation of Jack Frost is too easy, but I’d counter that it’s intentionally easy for the sake of upsetting Amaranth. Wouldn’t you be mad if your witch tutor could solve a core life issue for an ancient deity in one afternoon when she’s struggled to do the same for you for weeks? Still, your mileage may vary. This arc has had a methodical approach to introducing Amaranth, showcasing her strengths, and now highlighting the danger and insecurities that come attached. As excited as I am for Felicia Hardy to bring her own shenanigans to Lotkill next issue, hopefully there are some developments for Amaranth’s story as well, lest her arc start to drag.
Scarlet Witch #8 is a wintry jaunt where Wanda revives a classic Marvel hero even as her student’s frustrations come to a head. There’s something for all readers: Wanda using unique and weird magic, the return of an obscure Golden Age character as well as “fixing” his lore, and more Amaranth for those tuning in for all things New Champions-related. January is a hard month, but this issue of Scarlet Witch is an easy little escape for those who read it.
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