Which writer has been the most influential to Scarlet Witch's character?

[kcekada]

From a negative viewpoint -- definitely Bendis.

From a positive viewpoint-- I think Steve Englehart. He advanced her powers a great deal. In is run, she brought done a meteor from space. Prior to that, her powers lacked control -- and she was basically good for one hex per day.

[Lukmendes]

One of thw weirdest take that i had seen is that Wanda is an incompetent f@#$ up with her powers and that works better that way, wich probably comes of not caring about her before Bendis. Really a lot of the people that like Bendis were most likely indefferent to her before 2004.

If that guy is indifferent to her before Bendis came along, then he definitely can't say she was better written because of Bendis since he doesn't actually known her and is just wanking Bendis for the sake of it, it'd be like if who's indifferent to Spidey reads OMD, and says that story is what made Peter a better character, or someone who's indifferent to Wally West says that Heroes in Crisis is what made him a better character, and I mention such examples because Disassembled was Wanda's OMD/HiC (Before either too, disgracefully enough), as it left this awful, awful mark on the character that's just as bad as those two, I don't even know the character that much and I can tell that lol.

Also, just noticed this:

Recently, someone made a statement in a comic book review that, "Brian Michael Bendis made Scarlet With more interesting then she's ever been in her very very lengthy ...debuted in issue #4 of the Original X-men series by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee.... very storried career. And no one has made her more interesting then Brian Michael Bendis. Wanda Vision is about that run."

Unless Wanda/Vision is gonna be about Wanda being a flat character, who's overpowered and batshit crazy, I really doubt that...

[Steel Inquisitor]

Best: Steve Englehart. He defined who Wanda is and his influenced defined her for all time.

Worst: John Byrne. He's the game changer for Wanda being controversial, he sowed the seeds for Bendis.

[Orbus]

If that guy is indifferent to her before Bendis came along, then he definitely can't say she was better written because of Bendis since he doesn't actually known her and is just wanking Bendis for the sake of it

There is a certain logic to his argument though. I wouldn't say Bendis made Wanda more interesting as a character but more more...famous. She was the main plot device behind two major line wide events both of which had huge consequences for Marvel's two biggest franchises. suddenly this B-list Avenger was one of the most important figures in the Marvel Universe.

It's actually very strange to me that little has been done with her since. There was actually a lot of potential to do something with this character post House of M and people would have actually bought it. Right now she's right back to were she was being a B-list Avenger except she's a bit too tainted to ever be part of the main team.

[MaximoffTrash]

I am strictly takling about "positive influence" here, as in building up the character(technically most writers do since they are actively using her for more stories), adding to her lore and stories instead of tearing it down.
Steve Englehart for pre-Byrne era, he established her iconic romantic relationship, add witchcraft to her lore and powerset, her personaility traits and place in the Avengers team.
Kurt Busiek for post-Byrne and pre-Bendis era, he re-established her status in the Avengers, and build up her mystical lore.(Chaos Magic)
I don't think there are any post-Bendis big influence on her, Remender, Zub, etc kinda tried? But so far the best hope for mending the HoM damamge is MCU than any comic writer.

ALSO, WHO TF made that statement?

[MaximoffTrash]

If that guy is indifferent to her before Bendis came along, then he definitely can't say she was better written because of Bendis since he doesn't actually known her and is just wanking Bendis for the sake of it, it'd be like if who's indifferent to Spidey reads OMD, and says that story is what made Peter a better character, or someone who's indifferent to Wally West says that Heroes in Crisis is what made him a better character, and I mention such examples because Disassembled was Wanda's OMD/HiC (Before either too, disgracefully enough), as it left this awful, awful mark on the character that's just as bad as those two, I don't even know the character that much and I can tell that lol.

Also, just noticed this:



Unless Wanda/Vision is gonna be about Wanda being a flat character, who's overpowered and batshit crazy, I really doubt that...

To be honest, there are no lack of people who have the mindset like "if I don't notice this character beforehand, then he/she must be not worth it."
It's also an excuse to not learn about the character at all, since all their stories before a certain point are by default not interesting.

[MaximoffTrash]

Best: Steve Englehart. He defined who Wanda is and his influenced defined her for all time.

Worst: John Byrne. He's the game changer for Wanda being controversial, he sowed the seeds for Bendis.

Honestly John Byrne, despite being "the source of evil" for Bendis, did "manageable damage", I think the pre-Bendis/post-Byrne writers did a good job rehabbing her character.

[Frontier]

The AvX prologue issue?

Yep.

There is a certain logic to his argument though. I wouldn't say Bendis made Wanda more interesting as a character but more more...famous. She was the main plot device behind two major line wide events both of which had huge consequences for Marvel's two biggest franchises. suddenly this B-list Avenger was one of the most important figures in the Marvel Universe.

It's actually very strange to me that little has been done with her since. There was actually a lot of potential to do something with this character post House of M and people would have actually bought it. Right now she's right back to were she was being a B-list Avenger except she's a bit too tainted to ever be part of the main team.

I'd say she was A-list by Avengers standards but I think editorial either doesn't care much for her or sees her as too much of a mess to work from.

Again, I think it says a lot that they've let the X-Titles build up "The Pretender" while The Avengers books have done next to nothing with her. Not even anything really in her defense. I doubt they'd let that happen to Spider-Man, Iron Man, or Captain America.

[GenericUsername]

Steve Englehart.

Look at who she was before he started writing AVENGERS, and look at who she was afterward.

Even the people who reacted against what he did are still being influenced by what he did with the character.

kdb

I agree with this.

[Huntsman Spider]

Yep.

I'd say she was A-list by Avengers standards but I think editorial either doesn't care much for her or sees her as too much of a mess to work from.

Again, I think it says a lot that they've let the X-Titles build up "The Pretender" while The Avengers books have done next to nothing with her. Not even anything really in her defense. I doubt they'd let that happen to Spider-Man, Iron Man, or Captain America.

Yeah, and considering that Spider-Man made a literal Faustian bargain in One More Day, Iron Man was pretty much violating civil and/or human rights all over the place during the original Civil War, and even Captain America went HYDRA in his relaunch leading into Secret Empire . . .

[GenericUsername]

For good or ill Bendis has probably had the biggest impact on the character. Wanda has never been the same since Disassembled. Everything that's happened to the character since then has been as a result of that story. She's also never been part of the main Avengers roster since either. After that it's probably Byrne which set up everything that Bendis was so influenced by in West Coast Avengers and arguably had looming over her ever since.

This wasn't really influential to her character, because there was no character to be found there really. What little you can gather was not accurate to the character and then she was thrown away for 5-7 years. It's an infamous story involving her, but it didn't have much to do with her. It definitely had an impact on her current status, but had nothing to do with character either. As it was just a hack treatment.

[Anthony Shaw]

Steve Englehart.

Look at who she was before he started writing AVENGERS, and look at who she was afterward.

Even the people who reacted against what he did are still being influenced by what he did with the character.

kdb

Yes, indeed.

[Thundershot]

Steve Englehart, Roger Stern, Kurt Busiek.

I would love to have that character back...

[your_name_here]

The answer, like it or not, is Bendis.

[shooshoomanjoe]

Best: Steve Englehart. He defined who Wanda is and his influenced defined her for all time.

Worst: John Byrne. He's the game changer for Wanda being controversial, he sowed the seeds for Bendis.

Scarlet Witch has never been more entertaining than when Byrne wrote her but he didn't sow the seeds to her dark side. That was Gruenwald and Grant in Avengers #187.