The Scarlet Witch Finished Her Run as the Sorcerer Supreme By Making the Ultimate Sacrifice

Once “One World Under Doom” ended and Doctor Doom died, the Sorcerer Supreme title was vacant, and the Scarlet Witch took it for herself. Doom had taken the role for himself when Doctor Strange needed help during the “Blood Hunt” storyline, and the deal was that Doom would return the role when he saved the world. After “Blood Hunt,” Doom said there was more to do and used that as a loophole to keep the role for himself, which he then used to take over the world. After Doom agreed to give up his own life to bring Valeria Richards back from the dead, the role of Sorcerer Supreme needed a new host, and when the Scarlet Witch took it, she did so against the will of the Vishanti.

Wanda’s run as Sorcerer Supreme has finally come to an end in Sorcerer Supreme #10 by Steve Orlando and Bernard Chang. This was the final issue of the series, and Wanda had to fight a being known as the Extinction King, who had unleashed his Extinction Weapons on the world. After Wanda Maximoff stopped those weapons, the Extinction King then weaponized the Vishanti into a new Extinction Weapon called the Hexatomb, and Wanda had to stop it before it destroyed all magic.

The Scarlet Witch Sacrificed Her Role as the Sorcerer Supreme

From the very start of the Sorcerer Supreme series, the Scarlet Witch was fighting an uphill battle. She took the Sorcerer Supreme title because she believed she deserved it and was the best fit for it. Not everyone believed this, but she took on the role and did the best she could. However, she also did some questionable things along the way, including disrespecting the Vishanti and letting them know their opinions didn’t matter, and then using her power to banish or imprison other supernatural beings to force them to work with her. The Vishanti offered Agatha Harkness the role, and she and Wanda battled early in the series.

It only takes a common enemy to get people together, and that is what the Extinction King is. In this issue, the entire idea of magic was in danger, not only on Earth, but in the entire multiverse, and while magic users were fighting everywhere, including several different Sorcerer Supremes, it was Wanda who chose to take on the Extinction King head-on. This is when she learned she was at least partially responsible for this. By dismissing the Vishanti, she weakened what might be the most powerful gathering of magic in existence, and this is what allowed the Extinction King to weaponize them in their moment of weakness.

Wanda realized she was acting at least partially in arrogance. When she unleashed the Living Darkhold on the Extinction King, and the being only laughed the horrors off, it seemed the Scarlet Witch had little chance in this battle. The Extinction King then threw Wanda into the Hexatomb with the Vishanti to die with them. The moment of victory came, though, when Wanda finally opened up to the Vishanti and let them know that all four of them were responsible, herself included. She let them know they could have been guides and allies, but they only judged her as everyone else in her life had. They all were responsible for this moment. That is when Wanda found a way to save magic.

The Scarlet Witch Has a Chance for a Fresh Start

The Vishanti revealed to Wanda that they lashed out at her because she took the vestments without being offered them and then dismissed the Vishanti completely. The Vishanti had already been disrespected when Doctor Strange “traded” the mantle to Doctor Doom as a prize. This caused them to see the Scarlet Witch as no different from Doctor Doom, someone who considered the role of Sorcerer Supreme a prize to be held by the greedy. That is when Wanda understood what she had to do, since all magic comes with a cost. Wanda said that putting her in the Hexatomb was a mistake because when it exploded, her chaos magic would disrupt his plans.

The Hexatomb exploded and destroyed everything it touched, including the Extinction King. It also destroyed all magic in existence. But then Wanda did what she always does. She caused chaos. With the words “More magic,” her chaos magic leaped out into the world and rekindled the magic again, which also brought the Vishanti back to life, reborn and ready to move on. However, it came at a cost because Wanda disappeared, and not even the Vishanti could sense her. The Sorcerer Supreme mantle was open once again, and the Scarlet Witch was no more.

That isn’t how this story will end, although the Sorcerer Supreme comic book series ended after 10 issues. No one knew where Wanda was, with Wong sitting alone, Clea looking through the Dark Dimension, and even her own kids, Speed and Wiccan, not knowing what happened to her. That left one last scene, where a woman saved a child from a car hitting him before Wanda Maximoff looked at the boy and smiled. By the end, it looks like Doctor Strange might be reclaiming his role in the future, and the future for the Scarlet Witch remains in question.