Warning: contains spoilers for Scarlet Witch #4!A surprising new power from Scarlet Witch confirms that she's capable of bringing down society on a whim. Many fans know that Wanda Maximoff, aka Scarlet Witch, is one of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel Universe. She was able to get rid of mutant powers worldwide just by uttering her iconic phrase "No More Mutants" and even created life by making her children Speed and Wiccan with magic. Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe got a glimpse at her power in Avengers: Endgame when she nearly defeated Thanos, and when she tore across the multiverse in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
In Scarlet Witch #4 by Steve Orlando and Sara Pichelli, Scarlet Witch finds herself fighting Scythia to protect her friend Darcy Lewis. During the battle, Scythia destroys a building with people inside. As it falls over, Wanda rescues everyone with her powers and turns the building and their belongings into leaves to avoid further catastrophe. While grateful, the civilians are concerned about what to do next since they've now been left with nothing. Wanda compensates everyone by enchanting them with the ability to win the very next lottery ticket they buy to help them rebuild their lives. It's a new ability that has a lot of good intentions behind it. However, it also promises knock-on effects that could be incredibly dangerous.
Wanda Can Trash the Economy Whenever She Wants
Wanda being able to casually direct such huge sums of money into new hands effectively tosses a grenade into the economy, as dozens of people become rich simply due to crossing her path. Wanda casts this spell in the heat of battle, suggesting that if she truly tried, she could weave similar magic on a far larger scale. However, there are many side effects to consider - for example, the money that goes to these people now won't go to someone else, and if prices rise in the neighborhood as a result, others could struggle because of a moment of generosity. Wanda recently consumed the Darkhold and gained the power of Chthon, so it's no surprise she's capable of influencing probability like this, however it's shocking that she's so cavalier about a decision with so many potential ripple effects.
Scarlet Witch's Power Continues to Grow
What's terrifying is what could come from this should Wanda once again turn to the dark side. She's no stranger to riding a fine line between good and bad, and now she has the dark god Chthon within her, potentially working to corrupt her power. Should she return to a more evil identity in the future, she could use this power in myriad ways, from bankrupting the Avengers to funding their enemies to simply tearing down the American economy. To her allies, it could even seem like she's helping others when in fact she is slowly descending the world into chaos as the value of currency plummets.
There's no doubt that what Wanda did to help these people was done in good faith. This new comic shows that she wants to help those with nowhere else to turn thanks to the Last Door that sends them immediately to her shop. However, this doesn't mean that her good deeds won't have unintended consequences - even stripping mutants of their powers eventually created the ultra-powerful being known as the Collective. The fact that the spell she gave the tenants of a fallen apartment could potentially trigger hyperinflation shows that America and even the world will always be vulnerable to Scarlet Witch's power, as her control of reality now goes so deep, she can make and destroy fortunes on a whim.
Scarlet Witch #4 is available now from Marvel Comics!