Save for Captain America, Lee and Kirby eventually had all the Avengers leave to focus on their individual careers, replacing them with former villains from other comics who did not have a series of their own: the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver from X-Men, and Hawkeye from Iron Man's adventures in Tales of Suspense.

Some years later, Thomas brought Wanda and Pietro back into the team and started a long-running romantic relationship between the Scarlet Witch and the android hero Vision, thinking it would help with the series' character development.

In Giant-Size Avengers #1 (August 1974), Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch are revealed to be the children of Golden Age superheroes Whizzer (Robert Frank) and Miss America (Madeline Joyce).

[23] Englehart returned to the characters with penciler Richard Howell for a second limited series, in which the Scarlet Witch gets pregnant by magical means and delivers twin sons, William and Thomas.

To promote the change and gain reader interest, the inciting event was depicted in the 2004 story Avengers Disassembled written by Brian Michael Bendis and with art by David Finch.

Django and Marya decide not to explain the twins' true heritage to them until they are old enough to accept their real mother was a sorceress who died in battle (the Maximoffs mistakenly believe the High Evolutionary's forces killed her).

[26] Agatha Harkness arrives (explaining that true witches have learned to protect themselves from burning and other methods non-witches have used to kill them) and reveals Thomas and William are not real but the result of Wanda suffering a "hysterical pregnancy" that influenced her magic and created constructs.

Realizing this has created a connection between the demon lord and the Scarlet Witch, Agatha temporarily removes Wanda's memories of her children, causing a mental shock to Mephisto that allows his defeat.

[91] Following another battle, the temporary absence of Iron Man and Captain America leads the team to decide Wanda is the natural choice to assume the duties of Avengers deputy leader and she accepts.

[93] Sympathetic that Vision misses her, Wanda remains firm about leaving their relationship in the past and continuing her romance with Simon, adding that a reunion may have been possible earlier if her former husband hadn't chosen to lie and close himself off.

[100] The gathered heroes learn the truth: after being accidentally reminded of her children's existence by Janet van Dyne, Wanda had initially only wanted to find a way to resurrect Tommy and William and sought out Doom's help.

[123][124] During the "Empyre" storyline, flashbacks reveal that against the advice of Doctor Strange, Wanda tried to atone for her past sins and mistakes by addressing the genocide of 16 million mutants on the island Genosha committed years earlier at the hands of Cassandra Nova.

[129] When the Scarlet Witch was first created by Lee and Kirby, her main ability was a vaguely defined "hex power" that could cause random and unlikely things to affect her enemies or other targets, often in the form of "bad luck".

Later stories gave her increased control, allowing her to release targeted "hex-bolts" that could cause enemy weapons to backfire, their abilities to fail, or the area around them to suffer sudden damage and instability.

Writers Roy and Dann Thomas revealed this power increase and the ability to cast illusions were all due to Wanda's status as a nexus being, someone who has great influence over the reality around her and acts as an anchor point between timelines.

Her actions during Avengers Disassembled and House of M were explained as a temporary power increase due to a magical entity that bonded with her, similar to her earlier possessions by Chthon and Immortus and her time as a tool of Morgan le Fey.

"[132] Dalton Norman of Screen Rant stated that characters like Wanda Maximoff often walk a fine line between heroism and villainy, as recently demonstrated in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

[133] Mason Downey of GameSpot asserted that Wanda Maximoff, much like her romantic counterpart Vision, has been propelled into pop culture prominence through her role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a spotlight set to intensify with her own show.

He found Maximoff's thematic significance compelling, stating that her presence in the Marvel Universe revolves around "change and evolution," and she serves as a vessel to explore humanity's fear of uncontrollable forces and the balance between power and responsibility.

Downey appreciated the depth of her abilities, noting the immense stakes tied to her power, which allows her to reshape reality with devastating consequences, making her struggles even more profound than those of other Marvel heroes like Spider-Man.

[134] David Harth of Comic Book Resources wrote that Wanda Maximoff's extraordinary powers have enabled her to accomplish feats that other heroes and villains can only dream of, whether for noble or malevolent purposes.

They stated that Maximoff is "by far the most controversial character on this list," noting that while she has performed numerous heroic deeds that rival the team's finest members, she has also caused significant damage, sometimes comparable to the actions of its most dangerous villains.

IGN praised her initial decision to join the Avengers alongside her brother Quicksilver as a pivotal moment, as the duo sought to distance themselves from their "mutant terrorist father Magneto."

The outlet found that Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver consistently proved themselves to be "great heroes and dependable members" of the team, solidifying Maximoff's place as one of the most complex and significant Avengers in Marvel history.

She praised Wanda as "one of the most dangerous heroes in the Marvel world," noting her complicated origins as the daughter of Magneto and sister to Quicksilver, with her initial allegiance to the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.

[142] Alex Abad-Santos of Vox called the Wanda Maximoff "one of the most powerful beings the Marvel universe has ever seen," praising her immense abilities, which have allowed her to "decimate supergroups" and "wipe out wide populations."

[143] Jamie Gerber of The Mary Sue discussed the "great duality" within Wanda Maximoff, noting her constant struggle between being a hero and villain, mutant and witch, creator and destroyer.

McGrotty highlighted her unique journey, constantly walking the line between light and dark, good and bad, as a central theme that has resulted in some of Marvel Comics' most exciting and complex storylines.

The story's last scene depicts Hank Pym warning that "women's lib" is a ridiculous cause, but Wanda answers back that if sexism continues then the Lady Liberators may rise again.

Wanda receives lessons in magic from Doctor Strange and is shown contemplating joining the Avengers, but she and Peter have an intense argument after the failure to save Gwen Stacy from the Green Goblin.