The Conjuring of Wiccan
Billy Kaplan first appeared in 2005’s Younger Avengers #1, written by Allan Heinberg and penciled by Jim Cheung. Like the opposite members of the Younger Avengers — Iron Lad, Patriot, and Hulkling — Billy modeled himself on an older hero, taking the identify Asgardian. And that’s intentional, because the Younger Avengers had been assembled by Iron Lad, who wanted to create a crew to withstand an impending assault by time-traveller Kang the Conquerer. With the Avengers and Implausible 4 useless by the hands of the supervillain Onslaught (properly, truly recreated in a bubble universe as a part of Marvel’s disasterous try and reboot its flagship titles however that’s not vital proper now), Iron Lad wanted to make new heroes.
Even after Iron Lad revealed himself to be in truth a youthful model of Kang, who was absorbed into the time stream after standing as much as his older self, the Younger Avengers stayed collectively. However within the absence of Iron Lad, Billy rescinded his Norse stolen valor and embraced the magical nature of his powers, taking as an alternative the identify Wiccan. And in case your head is hurting already, then take some aspirin, as a result of issues solely get weirder from right here.
The Younger Avengers quickly meet a teen hero referred to as Velocity. Given his energy set, fully white hair, and normal conceitedness, Tommy Shepherd a.okay.a. Velocity is a transparent analogue for Quicksilver. Nonetheless, exterior of his early-onset graying, Tommy is the same twin to Billy. How can that be, on condition that each teenagers have totally different units of organic dad and mom?
The extra that Billy investigates, the extra he turns into sure that he and Tommy are reincarnations of Billy and Tommy Maximoff, the dual sons of the Scarlet Witch and Imaginative and prescient. Which is much more unusual, since Billy and Tommy by no means actually existed.
Wanda’s Children within the Multiverse of Insanity
In 1986’s Imaginative and prescient and the Scarlet Witch #12, written by Steve Englehart and penciled by Richard Howell, Wanda provides delivery to twins William and Thomas. How, precisely, the android Imaginative and prescient managed to sire youngsters is given a sophisticated reply that includes the unique Human Torch, Marvel Man, and the villain Nekra, all of whom have their very own weird backstories that we will’t get into right here. Briefly, everybody thought they had been common, actual children.
All of that modified in 1989’s Avengers West Coast #52, written and drawn by John Byrne, one of many strangest comedian problems with all time. The quilt options Z-tier villain Grasp Pandemonium with the toddlers William and Thomas as his arms. No, that’s not a typo. The tots aren’t in his arms. They’re his arms, like, on the finish of his arms.
