This entire chapter is a flashback to the previous multiversal war from the previous timeline before it was rewritten by Wanda. The first multiversal war that he who remains talked about in the Loki Season 1 Finale. This chapter reveals the full truth about what really happened.
-Flashback begins:
Long ago in the original timeline
In this original timeline, the X-Men and the Fantastic Four along with many others, was there from the start. They helped the Avengers fight Loki in 2012, they fought Ultron together in 2015, they all fought in a giant Civil War in 2016 and they all fought and won against Thanos in 2018. In between those events, The Avengers helped the X-Men in defeating many threats such as Apocalypse as well as helping the Fantastic Four finally defeat Doctor Doom. This was how things originally panned out. How everything was supposed to be.
As the multiversal war drew to a close, the fate of all existence hung in the balance. Countless universes had been obliterated, leaving only one left standing - universe-199999. The conflict between various versions of Kang and their armies had unleashed chaos upon the multiverse, creating incursions that threatened to wipe out all life. Earth had become a battleground, and amidst the carnage, a last-ditch struggle for supremacy had erupted among the Kangs, each vying to be the last one standing.
Amid the ruins of their own universes, survivors of the conflict had banded together, ranging from X-Men to the Avengers, from the Fantastic Four to the Eternals, among others. Together, they sought to end the war and preserve what little remained of the multiverse.
Despite their best efforts, the heroes were losing. The prospect of ending the conflict seemed increasingly remote. The Living Tribunal, a cosmic entity tasked with maintaining balance in the universe, realized that if the war continued, it would spell the end of all existence. To prevent this, the Living Tribunal summoned the Celestials, an ancient and powerful race, to devise a plan to preserve life in the multiverse.
The Celestials had not directly intervened in the war, for it was not their role to do so. Instead, they had worked behind the scenes to manipulate events, striving to bring about an end to the conflict. Now, they were tasked with finding a solution to avert the looming catastrophe.
Wanda, one of the heroes fighting alongside the survivors, possessed immense power, even before she became the Scarlet Witch. She was a mutant, born of Magneto, and she fought alongside her fellow heroes with all her might.
In this timeline, Wanda had lived a happy life, surrounded by friends, family, and love. Her brother was alive, and she was married to Vision, with whom she had twin sons. She was not looked upon as a monster. She was not resented by the often judging eyes of the world, but seen as one of the greatest heroes on the planet, with an indomitable spirit and an unshakeable commitment to doing what was right. Her circumstances just
amplified the virtues that lay deep within her soul, making her a beacon of hope to all those in need.
But even with Wanda's formidable abilities, the heroes were losing the war. The Kangs had the upper hand, and it seemed as though all hope was lost. Only one Kang remained on the side of the heroes - he who remains.
The Living Tribunal and the Celestials knew that time was running out. They had to find a way to save the multiverse, and quickly. All of the nexus beings had already perished in this war, so they formed a plan. They searched for a worthy vessel - someone who could carry all the Nexus entities at once, a reality warper with the strength of will to resist the immense power of eleven Nexus entities combined. They needed someone who was good-hearted, selfless, and willing to sacrifice everything to save others.
After much searching, they found their candidate in Wanda. But before they could act, Wanda was still fighting for her loved ones, her friends, and her world. She was battling alongside her fellow heroes, including the Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Guardians of the Galaxy, against the original Kang who had started the war, Prime Kang. (The same one who is currently in the quantum realm, the main antagonist of the story.)
Their combined strength was formidable, and for a time, they managed to hold their ground against Kang. But 4 other Kangs soon realized the threat that the heroes posed and began to flank them on all sides. They were called the council, and consisted of 4 of the most dangerous Kang variants in the multiverse, along with Prime Kang. The four went by the names of Farao Rama Tut, Immortus, The Conqueror and Scarlet Centurion. As the council of Kangs closed in, Wanda decided to act, determined to prevent any more of her friends from getting hurt or killed, putting herself in the line of fire to protect them from their inevitable deaths.
(Remember that this is a flashback to the original multiversal war years ago, it already happened.)
She created a red forcefield around the group of heroes with a swift motion, her telepathic abilities allowing her to momentarily strip them of their powers. The Five Kangs that surrounded them turned their attention towards her as she turned back to face them. Captain America pounded the forcefield with a punch, clearly distressed and worried for her safety.
Captain America: Wanda! What are you doing? You're going to get yourself killed!
Wanda: I'm sorry, Steve, but I can't lose another friend today.
Vision appealed to her, his voice brimming with urgency.
Vision: Wanda! Please, let us out of here! You're making a mistake!
Pietro, her twin brother, spoke up, his words thick with anxiety and dread.
Quicksilver: They'll kill you! You can't fight them alone!
Wanda's eyes glimmered with determination as she addressed her friends and family.
Wanda: I'm sorry. But I have to try.
Thor: This is madness!
The Kangs began to advance upon her, their formidable presence filling the air with an almost palpable tension. Wanda fought back fiercely, using her powers to hurl massive rocks at them with the strength of her telekinesis. With her crimson energy, she managed to rip the armor off of one of the Kangs, her telepathy taking hold of another momentarily, causing him to turn on his allies.
But the Kangs were no ordinary foes, their minds too strong for her abilities to work on them for long, but holding off five of the most powerful beings in the multiverse was no mean feat. Wanda realized in that moment how incredibly powerful she was, even before becoming a Nexus being, before she was gifted the power of the Celestials.
Despite her valiant efforts, Wanda began to falter against the Kangs, but she refused to let the forcefield down, unwilling to put her friends in harm's way. Suddenly, the clouds above them parted, revealing a colossal Celestial head looming in space. It was Arishem, the Prime Celestial, his enormous body eclipsing that of Earth itself. His robotic face was adorned with six glowing orbs that served as his eyes.
In an instant, Wanda was whisked away by the Prime Celestial, carried away into space just beyond Earth's atmosphere. Arishem extended his gargantuan hand, cradling her gently in his palm as she gazed up at him in wonder and terror, completely awestruck by his presence.
His voice echoed loud and deep while he spoke.
Arishem: WANDA MAXIMOFF...
She was at a loss for words.
Wanda: Wh-Wha-What are you?
Arishem: I AM THE PRIME CELESTIAL OF THE UNIVERSE AND THE OVERSEER OF THE EVER EXPANDING GALAXIES, AND I AM HERE FOR JUDGEMENT.
Wanda: Judgement?
Arishem: THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR ENTIRE LIFE. WHATEVER QUESTIONS WILL FOLLOW, ANSWER THEM TO THE FULLEST OF YOUR CAPABILITIES. FOR THE FATE OF EXISTENCE HANGS IN THE BALANCE.
Wanda: I don't know what you're talking about. What is this? Take me back! Now!
Arishem: WHAT IS IT THAT YOU ARE FIGHTING FOR? YOU TRY TO PROTECT YOUR WORLD, BUT YOU PREVENTED YOUR ALLIES FROM HELPING YOU.
Wanda: My friends are in danger! You need to take me back! Kang will kill them all!
Arishem: IF I TAKE YOU BACK NOW, THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IT WILL MAKE IS YOUR INEVITABLE DEATH, THEN THEIRS WILL FOLLOW SOON AFTER. BUT I CAN GIVE YOU THE MEANS TO ALTER EVENTS SO THAT THIS WAR NEVER HAPPENED IN THE FIRST PLACE.
Wanda: Alter events?
Arishem: THE POWER ALREADY LIES WITHIN YOU, IT ONLY NEEDS TO BE AMPLIFIED. BY A LOT. SUCH A FEAT REQUIRES NEAR INFINITE ENERGY... ANSWER MY QUESTIONS AND I WILL SEE TO IT THAT YOU SAVE THE MULTIVERSE.
Wanda: I... I don't think I know the answer to your question... I know I am fighting for the lives of everyone on my world, but I can't bare losing someone I love in the process.
Arishem: WHY RISK YOUR OWN LIFE FOR THEIRS?
Wanda: Because their lives are just as important as mine. They were all going to die. I had to at least try to do something.
Arishem noticed that Wanda's connection with her loved ones is the one thing that made her headstrong. Family was always the one thing that made her know what she was living for... What she was fighting for. Her unbreakable tie with her loved ones made her mind strong enough to handle any sort of attack or corruption. It was the reason she became the only person to ever break free from the darkhold's corruption when she saw how afraid her children was of her. (This has not happened to Wanda in this timeline yet since this is a flashback to her original life.)
Arishem: YOU SHOWED GREAT COURAGE IN PUTTING YOUR LIFE ON THE LINE TO PROTECT THE ONES YOU CARE ABOUT. BUT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE SO IF IT WAS ANY OTHER PERSON IN DANGER? PERHAPS SOMEONE YOU WERE NOT PERSONALLY TIED TO...
Wanda: I saw what war can do to the most innocent people. I saw families losing fathers, mothers, children. I saw loved ones being separated from one another, never seeing each other ever again. It made me realize that everyone is worth fighting for. No one deserves to lose the people they love. If a child was about to become motherless... Or if anyone was about to lose someone close to them and I had anything to say about it, I would do anything I can to save them.
Arishem: YOU SPEAK LIKE A TRUE HERO, BUT WHAT IF YOU WERE GIVEN AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE... A CHOICE TO SAVE YOUR FAMILY... IN TURN FOR THE DESTRUCRION OF YOUR ENTIRE WORLD ALONG WITH THE MULTIVERSE... OR... TO SAVE THE WORLD IN TURN FOR THE LIVES OF EVERYONE YOU'VE EVER LOVED.
Wanda: That... What? I... I can't answer that. How can I even begin to...
She stuttered when she realized that her loved ones may be in danger.
Wanda: What do you want with my family? W-What are all these questions?
Arishem: I AM DETERMINING IF YOU ARE WORTHY ENOUGH TO BE THE CHOSEN ONE.
Wanda: I don't understand.
Arishem: WOULD YOU GIVE UP EVERYTHING YOU HOLD DEAR TO SAVE THE MULTIVERSE?
This heavy question was too much for her to fathom. Her loved ones is the one thing she holds dearest to anything in the world. She can't even imagine losing one of them, not to mention all of them. But if it came down to saving countless lives... Countless families, she knew deep down what the right answer was.
Wanda: Wh... Why would you ask me such a question?
Arishem: TO TEST YOUR HEART.
Wanda: I don't think I would have a heart left if everyone I love is gone...
She closed her eyes, lost in her thoughts for a while before answering.
Wanda: But I understand that if their lives stood in the way of countless others, I would have to choose the world over them. It's not a choice... It would tear me apart, but if it means others will live... If it means other families remain happy...
She touched her head while shaking it slightly.
Wanda: I don't know... I know it's the right thing to do but... How can one even begin to make such a decision?
Arishem: IF YOUR HEART KNOWS WHAT TO DO WHEN THE MOMENT ARRIVES, YOU WILL MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE, EVEN IF THAT CHOICE DESTROYS YOUR ENTIRE LIFE.
Wanda: Wait... Is this actually going to happen? Will I be forced to choose between the world or the people I love?
She got a small tear in her eyes, realizing what might lie ahead.
Wanda: No. I can't do this... I... Why choose me?
Arishem: WE SEARCHED FOR MANY BEINGS ACROSS THE UNIVERSE WITH THE POTENTIAL TO ALTER REALITY. WE SEARCHED FOR SOMEONE WHO WOULD BE STRONG ENOUGH TO PRESERVE THEIR HUMANITY. A WORTHY VESSEL THAT WOULD BE ABLE BREAK FREE FROM THE OVERWHELMING ENTITIES THAT WILL BE GIFTED TO THEM.
Wanda: What entities?
Arishem: AT THE DAWN OF CREATION, 11 ENTITIES WERE CREATED BY THE CELESTIALS TO KEEP STABILITY ACROSS THE MULTIVERSE. THEY ARE CALLED NEXUS ENTITIES. THEY BIND WITH A HOST BODY, MAKING THAT PERSON A NEXUS BEING. WHAT I'M ABOUT TO DO IS A NEAR IMPOSSIBLE FEAT FOR ANY HUMAN MIND TO HANDLE, SO I HAD TO MAKE SURE YOU WILL PREVAIL. I WILL GIFT YOU WITH ALL 11 NEXUS ENTITIES AT ONCE... YOU WILL BECOME THE ULTIMATE NEXUS BEING. THEY WILL OVERWHELM YOUR MIND TO A POINT WHERE IT WOULD SEEM LIKE THEY ARE IN FULL CONTROL, DO NOT LET THAT HAPPEN. YOU HAVE TO FIGHT BACK. IF YOU REGAIN YOUR SANITY, THEY WILL BE UNDER YOUR CONTROL...
Wanda: And what if I fail? What if they end up taking me over completely?
Arishem: THEN THEIR SHEER AMOUNT OF POWER WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BE CONTAINED. YOU WILL END UP DESTROYING ALL OF REALITY, BUT REALITY IS ALREADY BEING DESTROYED BY KANG. SO IT IS A RISK I'M WILLING TO TAKE. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO SAVE THE MULTIVERSE. THESE NEXUS ENTITIES WILL NOT ONLY GIVE YOU NEAR INFINITE POWER, THEY WILL ALSO AMPLIFY YOUR MUTANT POTENTIAL, YOU ARE A REALITY WARPER, IT IS ONE OF YOUR MUTANT ABILITIES YOU HAVE NOT UNLOCKED YET. YOUR NEWLY OBTAINED POWER WILL UNLOCK THE SUPPRESSED PART OF YOUR DNA, GIVING YOU THE MEANS TO CHANGE REALITY WITH A SINGLE THOUGHT.
Wanda knew what was about to happen, she feared it, letting go of everyone she ever loved... The fate of the entire multiverse rested on her shoulders. The decision she makes here, will mean the preservation of life or the destruction of life.
Wanda: If it means saving all of existence, I don't see how I have a choice at all... It feels so unfair!
Arishem: I AM SORRY, BUT IT IS THE ONLY WAY.
Wanda: But I ask only one question, why would my family die in the process?
Arishem: IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS THAT.
Her voice stuttered while she was overwhelmed with melancholy.
Wanda: Please.... I need to know.
Arishem: YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT IF YOU ARE CHOSEN, YOUR ENTIRE LIFE WILL CHANGE. WHILE LOOKING FOR A WORTHY CANDIDATE, I SAW A GLIMPSE OF YOUR POSSIBLE FUTURE...
While he was talking to her, he showed her a glimpse of her future. Almost like watching your life unfold in front of you like a dream.
Arishem: WHAT LIES AHEAD WILL NOT BE EASY. YOU WILL EXPERIENCE TREMENDOUS LOSS... YOU WILL BE ALONE IN A LIFE WHERE YOU ARE FEARED, HATED AND MISUNDERSTOOD. YOU WILL BE CALLED A WITCH. A SOULLESS ABOMINATION WILL WRITE YOUR NAME DOWN IN THE MOST CURSED BOOK IN EXISTENCE, TRYING TO MAKE YOU SEEM LIKE THE ENEMY. IT WILL BE A LIFE NO SINGLE PERSON DESERVES TO GO THROUGH. YOU WILL FORGET THE LIFE YOU HAD IN THIS REALITY AND YOU WILL BE THROWN INTO A WORLD OF PAIN, SUFFERING AND EVERLASTING GRIEF. YOU WILL GROW UP IN A COUNTRY AT WAR. YOU WILL LOSE YOUR MOTHER AND YOUR FATHER AT A YOUNG AGE, SUFFER TREMENDOUSLY AND THEN LOSE YOUR BROTHER TOO. YOU WILL BE FEARED BY THE WORLD AT A TIME WHERE YOU WILL BE AT YOUR MOST VULNERABLE. YOU WILL GO THROUG IT ALL ALONE UNTIL YOU MEET VISION WHO WOULD, FOR A SHORT TIME, BE THERE FOR YOU, UNTIL HE DIES IN FRONT OF YOU AS WELL... TWICE. THERE WILL BE TIMES WHERE YOU WILL STUMBLE, THERE WILL BE TIMES WHERE YOU WILL FALL, BUT IN THE END, YOUR TRUE SELF WILL PREVAIL. YOUR FRIENDS YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW WILL NEVER TRULY KNOW YOU IN THE NEW TIMELINE AND THEY WILL ULTIMATELY TURN AGAINST YOU, BUT THE MULTIVERSE WOULD BE SAVED. IT IS AN UNFORTUNATE BUT NECESSARY SACRIFICE.
Wanda closed her eyes again with tears flowing down her cheeks. Hearing and seeing all of this, about her potential future... It gave her a feeling she has never felt before, hopelessness. She didn't want to do this, she didn't want to give up her family and this life in change for a living nightmare, but she didn't have a choice.
Wanda: What do you require of me...?
Arishem: THE LIVING TRIBUNAL REQUIRES YOU TO GIVE US ENOUGH TIME TO FIGURE OUT A PLAN TO SAVE THE MULTIVERSE. WHAT YOU WILL DO TODAY IS ONLY A TEMPORARY FIX. THE MULTIVERSAL WAR WILL COME AGAIN, BUT WE WILL BE READY THEN. YOU WILL NEED TO CHANGE THE ORIGINAL KANG'S FATE. THE REASON THIS ALL STARTED WAS BECAUSE OF HIS HATRED AND OBSESSION WITH MUTANTS. IF MUTANTS NEVER EXISTED, KANG WOULD NOT RISE TO POWER AND DISCOVER THE MULTIVERSE. YOU WILL DESTROY THIS ENTIRE TIMELINE AND FORM A NEW ONE WHERE MUTANTS NEVER EXISTED.
Arishem continued.
Arishem: THE PROBLEM IS THAT THERE WILL ALWAYS FORM A BRANCH TIMELINE WHERE MUTANTS DID EXIST. YOU HAVE TO USE YOUR TELEPATHIC ABILITIES TO CONVINCE ONE OF THE KANGS TO OVERSEE THE NEW TIMELINE. HARNESSING THE POWER OF ALLIOTH TO PRUNE ANY BRANCH THAT WOULD FORM. PREVENTING ANY OTHER UNIVERSE FROM BEING CREATED, HENCE, DELAYING THE NEXT MULTIVERSAL WAR.
Wanda: But... What about my father? He is a mutant. Doesn't that mean I will then never be born?
Arishem: YOUR BONDAGE WITH THE NEXUS ENTITIES WILL PUT YOU ABOVE ANY CHANGES TO THE TIMELINE. YOU WILL SIMPLY EXIST WITHOUT EVER HAVING REAL PARENTS ON THE NEW TIMELINE. BUT JUST LIKE THIS TIMELINE, YOU AND YOUR BROTHER WILL BE ADOPTED BY THE MAXIMOFFS AND YOU WILL BELIEVE THEY ARE YOUR REAL PARENTS FOR MOST OF YOUR LIFE.
Wanda: But my brother is also a mutant, isn't he? Wouldn't he cease to exist as well?
Arishem: THERE WILL BE SOME VERY FEW MUTANTS WHO WILL STILL EXIST ON THE NEW TIMELINE, BUT THEY WILL NEVER BECOME MUTANTS. THEY WILL REMAIN HUMAN. YOUR BROTHER IS ONE OF THEM. BUT BOTH YOU AND YOUR BROTHER WILL BE EXPERIMENTED ON BY THE MIND STONE, GIVING BOTH OF YOU INHUMAN ABILITIES. THIS WILL ULTIMATELY LEAD YOUR LIFE TO GO ON A COURSE TO REDISCOVER THE NEXUS ENTITIES INSIDE OF YOU SINCE IT WILL BE SUPPRESSED FOR OVER 21 YEARS.
Wanda: And my children? Some of my friends are also mutants.
Arishem: YOUR CHILDREN WILL UNFORTUNATELY CEASE TO EXIST ALONG WITH MANY OF YOUR MUTANT FRIENDS, BUT YOU WON'T REMEMBER THEM. JUST AS YOU WON'T REMEMBER YOUR FATHER.
Wanda: Billy... Tommy...
Wanda lowered her head in tears.
Wanda: Is there really no other way?
Arishem: I'M AFRAID NOT.
Wanda: Will I really not remember anything about my life I had on this world?
Arishem: WITH ENOUGH TIME, LEARNING YOUR NEW POWER, YOU COULD BE ABLE TO CHANGE REALITY WITHOUT ANYONE LOSING THEIR MEMORIES, BUT WE FRANKLY DO NOT HAVE THE TIME. IT IS FOR THE BETTER... IF YOU REMEMBER WHAT WAS, YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO MOVE ON. FORGETTING THIS LIFE WILL LEAD YOU ON A JOURNEY OF SELF DISCOVERY WHERE YOU WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME WHO YOU WERE DESTINED TO BE. IT IS DURING THAT TIME WHERE YOU WILL BEGIN TO RECALL GLIMPSES OF THIS LIFE.
Wanda closes her eyes in tears.
Wanda: I don't... I don't know if I can go through with this... I... I don't want this.
Arishem: UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS NOT ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT. IT IS ABOUT WHAT EXISTENCE REQUIRES FROM YOU.
Tears started streaming down her face. She went through the five stages of grief within the entire span of this conversation just thinking about losing everyone she loves. This was the bargaining stage.
Wanda: I can't just erase the people I love... And enter a reality where my parents die, my brother dies, Vision dies, my children won't exist and my friends will never really know or understand me... Not to mention the hell I would go through... Please... Is there really no other way? I beg of you... There has to he another solution.
Arishem: THERE MIGHT BE, BUT FRANKLY THERE IS NO TIME TO THINK OF ONE. YOU ARE OUR ONLY HOPE.
Wanda: (Snuffles) I can't do it. I'm sorry...
She took a deep breath and looked into the abyss while thinking long about her choice. She turned her head to look down at the Earth, seeing death and destruction everywhere.
Wanda: There really is no choice is there...
She closes her eyes and took small breaths while whispering to herself. She whispered a goodbye to her loved ones in acceptance even though they were not here.
Wanda: I'm sorry... I will miss you all so much.
She looked at Arishem with complete despair and hopelessness, knowing what lies ahead. An impossible choice, to save the multiverse in turn for everything she knew and everyone she held dearest to her heart.
Wanda: I will do it.
Arishem: WANDA MAXIMOFF, ARE YOU READY?
Wanda: (Snuffles) No, but I will never be ready. So you might as well continue.
Arishem: VERY WELL.
Arishem formed a large ball of cosmic energy in his hands and he merges all 11 Nexus entities into one, creating one single Nexus entity. At this moment, Wanda knew there was no going back, but every ounce of her being wanted nothing of this.
Arishem: I NOW GIVE YOU THE ULTIMATE POWER IN THE MULTIVERSE. EVERY NEXUS ENTITY COMBINED INTO ONE. YOU WILL HAVE TO FIGHT FOR CONTROL INSIDE YOUR MIND SO THAT THEY DON'T OVERWHELM YOU AND TAKE CONTROL. YOU WILL CAUSE DESTRUCTION FOR A SHORT MOMENT AS THE NEXUS ENTITIES OVERWHELM YOUR MIND, BUT I KNOW YOU WILL PREVAIL... USE THIS POWER WISELY... FOR IT IS THE MOST DANGEROUS POWER IN ALL OF EXISTENCE. YOU WILL NOT ONLY HAVE THE POWER OF THE CELESTIALS, BUT YOUR POWERFUL MUTANT ABILITIES WILL BE INFINITELY AMPLIFIED, MAKING YOU EVEN MORE POWERFUL THAN ME. I WOULD ARGUE EVEN MORE POWERFUL THAN THE LIVING TRIBUNAL HIMSELF. YOU WILL BECOME THE ULTIMATE NEXUS BEING. QUEEN OF THE MULTIVERSE. HENCEFORTH, YOU SHALL BE KNOWN AS THE SCARLET REDEEMER.
Arishem granted Wanda the nexus entity. As it merges with her body, it caused a red light that shined so brigth, it illuminated the entire solar system. The light blinded everyone on Earth for a moment. It shined so bright that it seemed to be a supernova seen from outside the Galaxy itself. Everyone on Earth stopped fighting as they were awestruck with what they were witnessing in the sky.
Suddenly Wanda appeared on Earth again, at the same place she was taken momens ago. She had a beautiful red costume with a crown and a cloak. Her eyes glowed red and her hands were emitting red cosmic energy. This was the first time she ever wore her "Scarlet Witch" outfit. This was was the origin of the Scarlet Witch.
(Just a reminder that all of this is still a flashback to what happened in the original multiversal war. This explained her true origins, all the ancient texts and prophecies that were given to Strange by Agatha, the Scarlet Witch title, all of it.)
Everyone turned their attention to her.
Captain America: Wanda?
Wanda looked at them with no expression.
Doctor Strange: Wanda are you there?
Spider-Man: She doesn't look okay.
The nexus entities were overwhelming her fragile human mind as she tried fighting for control inside her head. But the overwhelming power began destroying everything in its path, Wanda had no control. She began attacking everything and everyone.
Doctor Strange: She's out of control! We have to stop her before she destroys us all!
She was unstoppable while the Nexus entities that Arishem just gave her began overwhelming her mind. She held out her hand and obliterated multiple Kangs along with multiple heroes with as much as a single thought. Many heroes began charging toward her and she emitted a giant cosmic explosion, completely disintegrating everyone inside its radius. She fell to her knees and screamed in anguish while holding her head with both her hands, the cosmic energy inside her erupted and shined all around her within a 100 meter radius. Vision found his way to her while her energy was slowly eating away at his vibranium body.
Vision: Wanda! You have to stop this! You are out of control!
Wanda: I can't! I can't...! Control it!
She screamed even louder.
Vision: Look at me! You can! Look at me, Wanda! Focus on my voice!
Just as Arishem predicted, her unbreakable tie to her loved ones prevailed. Seeing Vision in front of her while hearing his voice, began turning the tides inside her head. She was beginning to take control again.
Wanda: You have to get out of here!!!
Vision grabbed her hand and held it tight.
Vision: I won't leave you!
As she screamed in pain, the power inside her grew even stronger until suddenly a giant explosion occurred again, even more powerful than before, instantly destroying Vision.
Wanda: NO! Vision!!! ENOUGH!!!!
Wanda finally took control of the entities and she opened her eyes. The energy she emitted went back into her body and everyone stood in a circle around a massive crater with Wanda in the middle. Vision was lying in front of her, completely lifeless. She sat on her knees, holding Vision in her arms while tears streamed down her face.
Wanda: What have I done?
She looked at everyone standing around her and she then realized what Arishem meant. But she had control again, she had no time to mourn. She knew what she had to do.
Wanda: I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry... But I have to do this.
Her eyes began glowing red again and the energy inside her began emitting red light.
Doctor Strange: She's gonna do it again! We have to end this! Now!
And this was the vague dream that plagued Doctor Strange so much, now the truth is fully revealed. (For a quick recap, you can read the beginning of Chapter 6: Drowning in a sea of nightmares)
Every single hero and every single Kang charged toward her, trying to stop her from using her power again. But just before they could reach her in time, she whispered the three words that changed everything and created the MCU as we know it.
Wanda: No more mutants.
A bright flash of light suddenly burst out from within her and began erasing everything from existence.
Outside the timestream, The old timeline slowly vanished into thin air, only a round moon-like structure remained where the original timeline previously circled around it. There was complete darkness... Until a new timeline began to form around the structure like the rings of saturn... A timeline without mutants. It was an end, and a beginning.
(This was the creation of the MCU. This was what really happened in the original multiversal war.)
Wanda telepathically connected with another Kang, the one who would be named he who remains. She removed him from the previous timeline so that he would not be erased, then planted the idea in his head to form the TVA and ensure that no branches would ever form in this new timeline.
Suddenly Wanda woke up in a bed as a small girl again. This was now in the new timeline that she made just moments ago. This was the night before her parents would die in a bomb explosion and she would be trapped under the rubble with her brother for two days, then be saved and taken to a cruel orphanage.
(This is the timeline we are all familiar with. This is the MCU timeline, our timeline.)
For a very brief moment, Wanda still had her memories of her previous life, the three words she said "No more mutants" was still fresh in her memory, it just happened moments ago to her. She stood up from the bed and looked outside the window, realizing she was in Sokovia, inside her childhood room. She looked at herself in the reflection and realized she is a small girl again, in the early 2000's.
Her brother was also sleeping in the room, he was accidentally woken up by her.
(Their upcoming dialogue will be spoken in Sokovian, but will be shown in English to the readers.)
Young Pietro: Wanda? What's wrong?
Young Wanda: Pietro?
Seeing her brother made her think about what Arishem told her, the fact that her brother would die one day, fighting against Ultron. She then thought about the fact that her parents will die very soon, then she thought about Vision and her Children. A single tear dripped down her face, she walked toward Pietro and put her hand on his cheek with tears in her eyes.
Young Pietro: Are you okay, sis?
Suddenly, as Arishem predicted, her memory faded away completely.
Not knowing why her hand was on his cheek, she quickly pulled it away.
Young Wanda: Wh-What? What happened?
All of her memories of her previous life and everything that happened in the original timeline, slowly faded away and she was now just a little girl, not knowing the utter living hell that her future held. She had completely forgotten her original life.
Young Pietro: Wanda? What's wrong?
Young Wanda: Why am I standing?
Young Pietro: I think you were just sleepwalking and had a bad dream. We need to go back to bed. We have school tomorrow.
The young, innocent, confused 10 year old Wanda slowly walked back to her bed and tucked herself back in.
Young Wanda: (While yawning) Night again brother.
Young Pietro: Goodnight sis.
And so her journey began. The living nightmare of a life that Arishem warned her about, in which she agreed to suffer through... For the fate of the multiverse and for her friends. As Wanda innocently lies in her bed as a little girl, she was completely clueless to what was to come, she has forgotten everything.
A little less than 24 hours later, the Stark bomb destroyed their home and killed her parents. She was trapped for two days with her brother, then went to a cruel orphanage unfit for children to grow up in, traumatized for life. She stayed in the orphanage for 5 years until she was taken with her brother to be manipulated and experimented on by a Nazi terrorist organization called Hydra. She regained a very small fraction of her powers through experimentation with the mind stone, then her entire country got destroyed and her brother died, all by the hands of Ultron (Avengers: Age of Ultron). She joined the Avengers to find a sense of belonging, to find a sense of family, never getting over her trauma... Until Vision comforted her and became the one thing that kept her head above water. Later she would accidentally cause a building to explode in Lagos and be taken to a supermax prison with a strait-jacket and a shock collar, the world feared her (Captain America: Civil War). Two years after that, Vision would die by her own hands as she was forced to kill him herself to save the universe, then Vision would be brought back and die again by the hands of Thanos (Avengers: Infinity War). She would then be erased for 5 years by Thanos and come back only to be mocked with Vision's corpse being torn apart. That was the last straw. She would then accidentally create a false reality around Westview where she had a perfect life, she would rediscover the nexus entities inside of her and become the "Scarlet Witch" again (Wandavision). Some time later she would briefly become corrupted by the darkhold, but then break free of its evil and then destroy every darkhold in the multiverse (Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness). She would then create an Island and stay there for 16 months, then try to end her life by walking into the ocean (Avengers: Incursion War)
The rest of the story is all too familiar...
This was all because she changed reality. Exchanging a happy life, with this nightmare, not even remembering her previous life at all.
This is what she gave up... For the lives of others...
-Flashback ends