As the Scarlet Witch, Wanda Maximoff made her debut as a villain - a member of Magneto's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants - alongside her brother, Quicksilver. The twins later reformed and joined the Avengers. Despite the mutant Scarlet Witch's unknown origins and a power set that borders on indefinable, she's proven herself to be a hero. But who is she without her unhealthily obsessive brother?
The synthezoid Vision was created by Ultron to kill the Avengers. Instead, he turned on his 'father' and joined the team. Since then, he's struggled with the fact that he's supposed to be an emotionless robot, despite earning the Avengers' trust and even shedding a tear on the day he was accepted among them. But now he's about to figure out if an android can feel love.
This is part one of a three part reading order that focuses on the relationship between the Scarlet Witch and the Vision with the aim of introducing fans of the Disney+ 'WandaVision' series to the comics background that will probably act as inspiration for the TV series. This part will look at the forming of their relationship and the early days of their marriage, while the latter parts will focus on their attempt to build a family and the most bizarre break-up in comics history.
Remember, this reading order focuses on this pair and their relationship and not the Avengers as a whole, so not every story featuring the team will be given the spotlight treatment. Still, everything is listed so go ahead and read what you want!
MCG Notes:
- Issue listings in blue & black: The must-read Vision & Scarlet Witch stories from this time period, along with any key related stories and often-forgotten tales that are worth a read.
- Issue listings in grey: Part of the Wanda & Vision's chronology, cameo appearances or stories of note that are non-essential or no longer considered 'required reading'.
- Chronology: Every appearance of the Vision & Scarlet Witch from this period is included in chronological order, mapping out their timeline rather than just the order the issues were released.
- Spoilers: The issue/story overviews may include spoilers, so be warned!
- JUST WANT TO KEEP IT SIMPLE? Scroll down to THE CORE LIST to see a version of this reading order without story descriptions, page-by-page breakdowns or less important appearances - just a list of the essentials.
- AVENGERS READING ORDER: BEHOLD THE VISION (1968-1972)
The Vision rejects the Grim Reaper's offer to transfer his consciousness into the the preserved corpse of Wonder Man (Simon Williams) and gain humanity. Vision begins to show a fascination with the Scarlet Witch. The Vision rescues the Scarlet Witch when she's kidnapped by Sentinels. The Scarlet Witch's brother, Quicksilver, disappears after witnessing a burst of light
Captain America #154 (1972)
The Avengers are sent to apprehend Captain America when it's believed he's gone rogue.
Marvel Team-Up #5 (1972)
Avengers #105(pp.1-19) (1972)
First appearance of the Monstroid (Ballox); feeling out of place among the Avengers due to his inability to emotional support the Scarlet Witch over Quicksilver's disappearance, the Vision ends up teaming with Spider-Man to stop the Puppet Masters' Skrull robot Monstroid; the Avengers battle the Savage Land Mutates as they search for Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch questions the Vision's coldness during A PASSION OF THE MIND!
Marvel Team-Up #7 (1973)
Scarlet Witch cameo; the Avengers are among those frozen in time by Kryllk the Cruel.
Avengers #105(pp.19-20) (1972)
The Vision broods, ignoring the Scarlet Witch's pleas to help her follow a new lead to find Quicksilver (creating a paradox with the Monstroid story) during A PASSION OF THE MIND!
Avengers #106-108 (1973)
The Vision accepts the Grim Reaper's offer to gain humanity with a new plan to transfer the Vision's mind into Captain America's body; Vision betrays the Reaper and rescues the Avengers; the Vision admits he has feelings for the Scarlet WItch which she appears to reciprocate.
Scarlet Witch shares the details of her first date with the Vision with the Wasp and Black Widow during I ♥ MARVEL.
Avengers #109(pp.1-9) (1973)
First appearance of Imus Champion; Hawkeye vents over losing the Scarlet Witch to the Vision, ditching his new costume for his classic one and during THE MARK OF HAWKEYE.
Thor #208 (1973)
Vision cameo; Thor returns to Avengers Mansion.
Avengers #109(p.9) (1973)
Scarlet Witch receives a letter from Hawkeye (forged by Imus Champion) announcing Hawkeye's departure from the Avengers during THE MARK OF HAWKEYE.
Marvel Feature #10 (1973)
Vision cameo; Ant-Man and the Wasp decline the Avengers' offer to return to the line-up.
Avengers #109(pp.10-20)-110 (1973)
Daredevil #99 (1973)
Avengers #111 (1973)
The Scarlet Witch realises the letter from 'Hawkeye' was a fake; the Avengers rescue Hawkeye from Champion's lair, but the archer decides to officially leave the team; Quicksilver contacts the Avengers to let him know he's alive after being rescued by Crystal of the Inhumans, announcing their plan to marry; the Avengers plan to rescue the X-Men who are being held prisoner by Magneto ends up with half the team being captured, too; Vision, Thor and the Black Panther ask Daredevil and the Black Widow to help them free the captive heroes; Black Widow officially joins the Avengers during THE MARK OF HAWKEYE.
Avengers #112 (1873)
First appearance of Mantis (Brandt) and Hathor-Sekhmet; the Avengers battle the Lion God Sekhmet; Black Widow leaves the Avengers; a strange being calling herself Mantis decides it's time her and her mysterious partner joined the Avengers.
Marvel Team-Up #9-11 (1973)
Spider-Man and the Inhumans rescue the Avengers when Kang the Conqueror and Zarrko the Tomorrow Man trap them in the 23rd century.
Avengers #113-114 (1973)
The Avengers receive hate-mail over the Vision and Scarlet WItch's relationship; a hate group called the Living Bombs try to kill the Vision; the Scarlet Witch realises Quicksilver doesn't approve of her relationship, either; Mantis and Swordsman join the Avengers, helping them beat back Sekhmet again.
Avengers #115 (1973)
The Avengers search for the missing Black Knight during THE AVENGERS/DEFENDERS WAR.
Avengers #116 (1973)
Loki tricks the Avengers into searching for the six missing pieces of the Evil Eye in an effort to claim them before the Defenders do; the Silver Surfer accidentally activates a volcano on the island Rurutu in French Polynesia which the Scarlet Witch and Vision believe is an attack; Vision finds the Evil Eye fragment, but opts to save the Scarlet Witch from the flowing lava which allows the Surfer to claim it during THE AVENGERS/DEFENDERS WAR.
Defenders #9 (1973)
Avengers #117 (1973)
Defenders #10 (1973)
Avengers #118 (1973)
Defenders #11 (1973)
The Avengers and Defenders are pitted against each other until they both realise they've been duped; the two teams join forces against Dormammu and capture Loki during THE AVENGERS/DEFENDERS WAR.
Avengers #119(pp.1-5) (1974)
The strain on the Scarlet Witch's relationship with the Avengers begins to show.
Captain Marvel #27-28 (1973)
First appearance of Eon; the Avengers are taken down by the Controller during THE THANOS WAR.
Avengers #119(pp.5-20)-124 (1974)
First appearance of the Star Stalker and the Priests of Pama; the Vision and Scarlet Witch work with Mantis and the Swordsman to free the Avengers when they're captured by the Collector; Vision saves Mantis' life in a conflict with the Zodiac Crime Cartel; hints around Mantis' origins are revealed; Vision saves Mantis again by destroying the Star Stalker.
Avengers #125(pp.1-3) (1974)
Captain Marvel #31-32(pp.1-14) (1974)
Avengers #125(pp.5-18) / Captain Marvel #32(pp.14-18) (1974)
Captain Marvel #33(p.8) / Avengers #125(p.18) (1974)
Captain Marvel #33(pp.8-18) (1974)
First appearance of Czar-Doon; Captain Marvel calls on the Avengers again to save Earth from Thanos during THE THANOS WAR.
Captain Marvel #34 (1974)
Vision cameo; Iron Man and the Vision say goodbye to Rick Jones.
Avengers #126 (1974)
Mantis becomes attracted to the Vision, making both the Scarlet Witch and Swordsman jealous; the Avengers take on Klaw and Solarr; Captain America and the Black Panther leave the team.
Giant-Size Avengers #1[1/3] (1974)
First appearance of Bova Ayrshire and Nuklo (Robert Frank Jr); the Avengers face the rampaging Nuklo, the son of the Whizzer and Miss America; the Scarlet WItch learns that she and Quicksilver are also the twin siblings of the Whizzer and Miss America, born on Wundagore Mountain.
Captain America #176 (1976)
The Vision is among the Avengers present when Steve Rogers quits being Captain America.
Avengers #127 (1974)
Fantastic Four #150 (1974)
The Avengers and Fantastic Four attend the wedding of Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch (which is momentarily derailed by Maximus and Ultron); the Scarlet Witch reveals to Quicksilver that Miss America and the Whizzer are their parents during BRIDE AND DOOM.
Avengers #128-129 (1974)
Giant-Size Avengers #2[1/2] (1974)
Avengers #130-132 (1974-1975)
Giant-Size Avengers #3[1/2] (1975)
Avengers #133-135 (1975)
Giant-Size Avengers #4[1/3] (1975)
First appearance of the the Cotati, the Cotati Swordsman, the Legion of the Unliving, Slasher and the Titanic Three; Agatha Harkness starts training the Scarlet WItch in the ways of magic; Mantis makes a play for the Vision; Kang kidnaps Mantis, the Scarlet Witch and Agatha Harkness, believing one of them to be the Celestial Madonna; Swordsman is killed in battle; the Avengers fight Kang outside of time, face the Legion of the Unliving and learn how the Kree/Skrull War began and discover Mantis is the Celestial Madonna; the Vision learns he's the rebuilt form of the original Human Torch (Jim Hammond); Immortus holds a double-wedding in which Mantis marries a Cotati recreation of the Swordsman and the Vision marries the Scarlet Witch during THE CELESTIAL MADONNA SAGA.
Iron Man #74 (1975)
Vision and Scarlet Witch cameo; the Avengers return to Avengers Mansion after their mission to stop Kang.
Avengers #137-140 (1975)
Vision and Scarlet Witch cameos; the couple head back to the island of Rurutu for their honeymoon, but fear how they may be received when they return to America; landing back in the USA, Vision saves Yellowjacket's life when he collapses from the strain of using his growing powers again; Beast and Moondragon becomes probationary Avengers.
Avengers #141-144, 147-149 (1975-1976)
First appearance of Patsy Walker as Hellcat; Kang returns and sends the Avengers to various points in time; Vision and the Scarlet Witch are among the Avengers sent to the Squadron Supreme's alternate timeline (Earth-712) where the Serpent Crown tries to take control of the Scarlet Witch; Two-Gun Kid is made an honorary Avenger.
Avengers #145-146 (1976)
The Assassin stalks the Avengers.
Captain America #224 (1978)
Vision and Scarlet Witch cameo; the Avengers help Captain America figure out who's behind a plot to rebuild the Madbomb.
Marvel Team-Up #41-44 (1976)
The Witchslayer manipulates the Scarlet Witch and takes her back in time to the Salem Witch Trials where she, too, is put on trial; the Vision travels back in time with Moondragon, Spider-Man and Doctor Doom to rescue the Scarlet Witch and defeat Witchslayer's master, the Dark Rider.
Avengers #150-153(pp.1-5) (1976)
Avengers Annual #6[2/2] (1976)
Avengers #153(pp.5-17) (1976)
Avengers Annual #6[1/2] (1976)
First appearance of Black Talon (Samuel Barone) and Damballah; the Avengers announce their new line-up; Beast becomes a full member of the team; the Black Talon resurrects Wonder Man as a weapon against the Avengers; Vision battles Whirlwind; the Whizzer returns when Nuklo becomes a pawn of the Living Laser in his efforts to claim the Serpent Crown during NO FINAL VICTORY.
Avengers #154 (1976)
Super-Villain Team-Up #9 (1976)
Avengers #155-156 (1977)
First appearance of Tyrak the Terrible; Attuma attaches control collars to the Avengers to use them in his war against Namor the Sub-Mariner; Vision strikes a temporary alliance with Doctor Doom to defeat Attuma; Vision wonders if his feelings for the Scarlet Witch are actually the feelings of Wonder Man (whose brain-waves were used by Ultron to create the Vision) during THE PRIVATE WAR OF DOCTOR DOOM.
Marvel Super-Special #1 (1977)
First appearance of Kiss (Cat, Demon, Space Ace & Starchild); Avengers cameo; Kiss compete with Doctor Doom for the mystical Box of Khyscz.
Avengers #157-160 (1977)
First appearance of Graviton (Frank Hall); Ultron animates the Black Knight statue and sends it after the Scarlet Witch and Wonder Man while they're shopping together; Vision becomes jealous of Wonder Man and attacks him, believing him to be a threat to his and the Scarlet Witch's marriage; the Avengers battle Graviton; the Grim reaper determines to determine whether the Vision or Wonder Man is the real Simon Williams, revealing he paid the Black Talon to revive Wonder Man.
Marvel Treasury Edition #13[1/5] (1976)
The Avengers and Fantastic Four have a snowball fight in Central Park.
Ms Marvel #5 (1977)
Ms Marvel and Vision stop a runaway truck controlled by MODOK during THE DOOMSDAY CONNECTION.
Captain Marvel #50-51 (1977)
The Avengers and Captain Marvel battle the Super-Adaptoid; Rick Jones and Captain Marvel are finally separated.
Avengers #161-162 (1977)
Ultron returns, taking control of his 'father' Ant-Man (Hank Pym) and sending him to attack the Avengers; Vision is seriously injured by his creator, Ultron, and remains out of action.
Avengers #164-166 (1977)
First appearance of Django Maximoff (unidentified) and Henry Peter Gyrich; the Avengers fail to stop the powered-up Lethal Legion; the Scarlet Witch tries to talk her father, the Whizzer, out of crime-fighting due to his age; the Avengers are attacked by Count Nefaria who now exhibits ionic powers; Vision recovers in time to help defeat Nefaria; an old man heads to America insearch of the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver.
Super-Villain Team-Up #14 (1977)
Avengers cameo; Doctor Doom successfully takes over the world, but is opposed by Magneto; Doom uses the mind-controlled Avengers to defend himself when Magneto confronts him during DOOM SUPREME.
Avengers Annual #7 (1977)
Marvel Two-in-One Annual #2 (1977)
First appearance of Master Order, Lord Chaos, the Reality Gem and the Space Gem; the Avengers, Captain Marvel, Moondragon, Spider-Man and the Thing join Adam Warlock in facing down Thanos one last time during THE FINAL THREAT.
A version of this reading order without story descriptions, page-by-page breakdowns or less important appearances - just a list of the core Vision & Scarlet Witch stories and essentials:
- Avengers #102-110
- Daredevil #99
- Avengers #111-116
- Defenders #9
- Avengers #117
- Defenders #10
- Avengers #118
- Defenders #11
- Avengers #119-125
- Captain Marvel #33
- Avengers #126
- Giant-Size Avengers #1
- Avengers #127
- Fantastic Four #150
- Avengers #128-129
- Giant-Size Avengers #2
- Avengers #130-132
- Giant-Size Avengers #3
- Avengers #133-135
- Giant-Size Avengers #4
- Avengers #137-144
- Avengers #147-149
- Avengers #145-146
- Avengers #150-152
- Avengers Annual #6[2/2]
- Avengers #153
- Avengers Annual #6[1/2]
- Avengers #154
- Super-Villain team-Up #9
- Avengers #155-162
- Avengers #164-166
- Avengers Annual #7
- Marvel Two-in-One Annual #2
Notable alternate universe stories featuring the Vision and Scarlet Witch:
What If #5 (1989)
On Earth-9916, Wonder Man didn't die and remained with the Avengers, eventually becoming team leader; Ultron turns against its creator, Hank Pym, and creates the Vision to attack the Avengers; the Vision kills Wonder Man and Hank Pym uploads his brain-waves into the Vision to save him.
On Earth-9916, Wonder Man didn't die and remained with the Avengers, eventually becoming team leader; Ultron turns against its creator, Hank Pym, and creates the Vision to attack the Avengers; the Vision kills Wonder Man and Hank Pym uploads his brain-waves into the Vision to save him.
MCG Note: Events in this story diverge from Avengers #9 (1964)
Avengers #89-119
Daredevil #99
Defenders #8-11
Marvel Masterworks: Marvel Team-Up vol.1
Includes...
Includes...
Marvel Team-Up #5
Avengers Epic Collection vol.7: The Avengers/Defenders War
Avengers #115-128
Captain Marvel #33
Defenders #8-11
Fantastic Four #150
Giant-Size Avengers #1
Avengers: The Complete Celestial Madonna Saga
Avengers #124-125, 129-135
Giant-Size Avengers #2-4
Avengers: The Coming of the Beast
Avengers #137-140, 145-146
Avengers: The Serpent Crown
Squadron Supreme Classic Omnibus
Both include...
Both include...
Avengers #141-144, 147-149
Marvel Masterworks: Marvel Team-Up vol.5
Includes...
Includes...
Marvel Team-Up #41-44
Avengers Epic Collection vol.9: The Final Threat
Avengers #150-166
Avengers Annual #6-7
Marvel Two-in-One Annual #2
Super-Villain Team-Up #9.
Avengers/Defenders War
Defenders Omnibus vol.1
Marvel Masterworks: The Defenders vol.2
All include...
Avengers #115-118
Defenders #8-11
Marvel Masterworks: The Avengers vol.11
Includes...
Avengers #101-111
Daredevil #99
Marvel Masterworks: Daredevil vol.10
Includes...
Avengers #111
Daredevil #99
Avengers vs Thanos
Thanos Wars: Infinity Origin Omnibus
Both include...
Avengers #125
Avengers Annual #7
Captain Marvel #27-28, 31-33
Marvel Two-in-One Annual #2
Avengers Earth's Mightiest Box Set: The Celestial Madonna
Avengers: The Celestial Madonna
Avengers #129-135
Giant-Size Avengers #2-4
Avengers: The Private War of Doctor Doom
Avengers #150-156Avengers Annual #6
Super-Villain Team-Up #9
Avengers: The Bride of Ultron
Avengers #157-166
Avengers Legends: George Perez
Avengers Visionaries: George Perez
Both include...
Avengers #161-162
Avengers Annual #6
Avengers: The Vibranium Collection
Marvel Universe by John Byrne Omnibus vol.1
Both include...
Avengers #164-166
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