The MCU's WandaVision dropped a huge reveal at the end of episode eight: Wanda is indeed the Scarlet Witch and uses chaos magic. Agatha Harkness, a powerful sorceress herself from Marvel Comics, seems shocked at this but comic book readers are likely familiar with the concept. Chaos magic is at the core of Wanda's powers in modern Marvel comics.
But what is chaos magic? How does it differ from ordinary magic? And how does it affect what's going to happen in the series finale of WandaVision and the Marvel Cinematic Universe beyond? Taking a look at the history of chaos magic in the comics may provide some clues.
Unpredictable Power
The root concept of chaos magic is just that: chaos. It is a form of magic in the Marvel Universe that allows users to manipulate, warp, and reconstruct the very fabric of existence and reality. It is a highly powerful and very dangerous form of magic and considered by some to be mythical.
For a time in the comics, Doctor Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme and one of the most powerful magicians in the Marvel Universe, didn't think it existed. Wanda Maximoff is one of the few practitioners of chaos magic and it's primarily through her that the concept comes to the fore.
Opposite Of Order Magic
One of the reasons Stephen Strange doubted the existence of chaos magic is that it is utterly antithetical to traditional magic or order magic. Magical power in the Marvel Universe is divided into three different types: personal energies, universal energies, and dimensional energies.
Order magic generally relies on personal energy and is executed through specific spells and incantations on the part of an individual, a code that is difficult to parse for non-users. Chaos magic just happens, as was clear in Westview in WandaVision.
The God Of Chaos
Chaos magic does have a source in the Marvel Universe. Chthon is an Elder God or an ancient deity who has existed for billions of years. Chthon eventually became the first user of dark magic on Earth and used his power to become the Lord Of Chaos.
He is a being of unimaginable power and truly destructive potential. His power has only been mitigated over time by being trapped in a dimension of his own making. Chthon is patterned off of the Cthulhu mythos of author H.P. Lovecraft.
Wanda's Connection To Chthon
Chthon nevertheless has some reach into the world. He had a major influence on the young life of Wanda Maximoff and is responsible in large measure for her connection to chaos magic. For a time, Chthon was trapped under Mount Wundagore, but before he escaped, he connected with an infant girl born on the mountain - Wanda.
He intended Wanda to be a living vessel for him, but that didn't happen. He did leave her invested with chaos magic, which augmented her latent superpowers. Otherwise, they would have been relatively minor in scope.
The Student Of Agatha Harkness
The Scarlet Witch is a very powerful person in the Marvel Universe, but she had no idea how powerful until she came under the tutelage of Agatha Harkness. Wanda also had no idea about chaos magic or her own dark connection to it.
Wanda and Agatha first came into contact in Avengers #128 and from there, Agatha helped Wanda augment her hex probability mutant power with magic. She also helped Wanda use magic to create her children, Billy and Tommy, though that would lead to enormous heartbreak for all involved.
Unleashing Wanda's Potential
Wanda's awareness and capability in chaos magic really come to the forefront with the unwanted help of Morgan Le Fay. Le Fay is a powerful sorceress in Marvel who is based largely on the character from Arthurian legend. She kidnaps Wanda in the third volume of the Avengers comic written by Kurt Busiek and penciled by George Pérez.
Morgan Le Fey uses Wanda as a living talisman to channel dark energies. After, Wanda sees a huge increase in power and proficiency with chaos magic, which leads her down a dark path.
Tragic Consequences
House Of M is a seminal Marvel comic book and influence on WandaVision, and it's easy to see why. In the iconic story, Wanda alters reality to make it so her children still exist, after being exposed as magical constructs based on the soul fragments of Mephisto.
When her fantasy fails, she lashes out with perhaps the most brutal example of chaos magic in Marvel history. She erases the vast majority of mutants on Earth with a simple phrase - "No more mutants." The scars are still visible over a decade later.
The Darkhold
Wanda is the strongest living user of chaos magic in Marvel, but Chthon still has considerable influence. One way he does is through the Darkhold. The Darkhold is a magical tome that contains the writing and spells of Chthon, organized by Morgan Le Fey and passed down by his followers through history. And it has a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Darkhold was featured in Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. and might be the strange magical book in Agatha's basement in WandaVision. The book is of interest to many in the comics because of the power and knowledge it contains, and in Agatha or even Wanda's hands, it would be incredibly dangerous.
Nexus Being
Wanda's power is exacerbated in large measure by the fact she is a Nexus Being. Nexus Beings are individuals with the ability to affect probability and consequently, reality. She is a living gateway between dimensions and realities, similar to the Nexus Of All Realities, a physical gateway in The Everglades.
Though never explicitly stated, her status is likely a result of her being invested with so much chaos magic. WandaVision appears to be acknowledging this through the ad in episode seven, for Nexus, an anti-depressant that "works to anchor you back to your reality - or the reality of your choice."
The Scarlet Witch
Wanda finally became the Scarlet Witch in the MCU in episode eight, her superhero name in the comics since her first appearance in Uncanny X-Men #4 in 1964. But the name has since taken on a greater meaning that the streaming series seems to be acknowledging. It's in fact a title connected to magic.
In the 2016 Scarlet Witch mini-series by writer James Robinson and artist Vanesa R. Del Rey, Wanda explores the Witch's Road, a dimensional path existing outside normal space and time. Wanda discovers her real mother is Natalya Maximoff, 'the Scarlet Witch,' who was a hero and sorceress in her own right.