'Scarlet Witch' #1 First Look Shows Off Wanda's New Costume & Enlists Darcy Lewis

Wanda Maximoff is getting a fresh start.

In Steve Orlando and Sara Pichelli's SCARLET WITCH (2022) #1, Wanda will shed the darkness of her past and find redemption by using her powers as she always intended: as a Super Hero. The new series will see the Scarlet Witch embrace her calling to help others while operating out of a mysterious witchcraft shop that only appears to those who need it most. Her new adventure begins when a woman comes to her with the tale of a town gone mad – and she'll need all her wits and chaos magic to reckon with this insidious threat.

Beyond her calling to help others, Wanda will find herself dealing not only with her family (biological and otherwise), but also new characters, like Darcy Lewis. If that name sounds familiar, that's because the character originally debuted in Marvel Studios' Thor, as played by actor Kat Dennings. However, this isn't the same character who appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe; this one is rooted firmly in Earth-616, the main Marvel Comics universe.

“This is the 616 version of this character, who brings the same type of perceptions to the book, but also fits right into what’s going on with Scarlet Witch, with the magic side of the Marvel Universe,” Orlando explained in a recent interview with Polygon. “Darcy’s there to lightly chide the absurdities we love of comic books, especially in a character like Thor. Wanda speaks casually about a life that is absurd and strange, and it’s normal for her. But if you look at her family tree and the things she does, it can seem quite esoteric. Darcy essentially gives a voice to the audience in the same way that Kat Dennings’ character does.”

“[Wanda] has one blood brother [Quicksilver], who’s a science experiment like her,” he added. “She has an adopted sister [Polaris] who is a mutant. Her ex-husband [Vision] is a robot with a late wife that was made from Wanda’s brain patterns, and her ex’s late son and living daughter are kind of hers and kind of not. In a traditional sense, they’re not, but they were made from someone who is based on Wanda. There’s a strangeness to Wanda’s day-to-day life that is something we’re really excited to explore with those she surrounds herself with and celebrate.”

What's more, Wanda will don a new costume created by artist Russell Dauterman, who drew inspiration from the character's past to forge her new future. “I wanted to mix the best bits of past Scarlet Witch looks with new elements to make something fresh, magical, and superheroic,” he told Polygon. “I wanted a costume Wanda could wear going forward that hopefully represents this new turn in her life, while recalling her iconic looks and still feeling like Wanda.”

“There are elements in there from her classic design, the MCU, the Kevin Wada design, and her Force Works costumes,” he pointed out. “The rings were inspired by the jewelry she wore in her George Pérez look. The moon motif is inspired by her ’90s-era costume, some of her recent storylines, and a line from the VISION AND THE SCARLET WITCH miniseries. A pregnant Wanda says if she’s having a girl, she wants to name the baby Diana — after the goddess of witchcraft and the moon.”

Check out Wanda's new costume, as well as her chat with Quicksilver and Darcy, in a special first look at SCARLET WITCH #1 below!

SCARLET WITCH #1
Written by STEVE ORLANDO
Art by SARA PICHELLI
Colors by MATT WILSON
Cover by RUSSELL DAUTERMAN
On Sale 1/4

Orlando and Pichelli have plenty in store for Wanda in the issues ahead. For instance, Dauterman's SCARLET WITCH #2 cover shows Wanda entering the dreamscape with Viv, Vision's daughter with the wife he created based on Wanda's brain patterns. Then, Wanda will head to Sub-Atomica for SCARLET WITCH #3.

Don't miss the beginning of Scarlet Witch's new adventure in SCARLET WITCH #1, on sale January 4!

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