Roma roots in the superheroes’ universe: Is Marvel dismantling stereotypes?

The superhero universe is an impressive place. I personally sometimes confuse Marvel characters and those of DC Comics. I do, however, fancy the antagonistic Deadpool and the crazy Harley Quinn. But I still find it to be mission impossible to remember who is who. And this confusion has only exacerbated as I was working on this material, as it has turned out that Marvel has created Roma superheroes. Let us get into detail on this, shall we?

Roma skills as per Marvel

In Marvel comic books, we encounter Wanda Maximoff (the Scarlet Witch) and Pietro Maximoff (Quicksilver).

The Scarlet Witch possesses telepathic and telekinetic abilities; she can modify reality, impact the probability of a certain event, create illusions, as well as destroy physical objects. Initially, Wanda appeared as a villain and a member of Magneto’s Brotherhood of Mutants but eventually she joined the Avengers.

Her brother, Quicksilver, has the ability to move at great speeds, so he can get to one place to another in seconds, avoid being attacked, and create impact waves. Same as his sister, he had once started his superhero mission as a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants but eventually became a member of the Avengers.

The specifics of the Universe of Superheroes consists in the fact that superheroes die, then are reborn, lose their abilities and then recover them (or gain other superpowers). This is exactly what happened to the Maximoff family.

Photo: Elizabeth Olsen as the Scarlet Witch. Image: open sources

The fate of the Scarlet Witch changes differs from one comic series to another. In one of the plots, she sacrifices herself in order to rectify the consequences of her actions. In the movie version of the Marvel Universe, Wanda vanishes after the events taking place in the  Doctor Strange: in the Multiverse of Madness movie. Her death, however, has never been confirmed.

Her brother, Quicksilver, has a similar fate. In the comic books, Pietro is reborn many times thanks to his abilities or due to intervention of other characters. whereas in the Avengers: Age of Ultron, he dies.

Are the Witch and Quicksilver Roma people?

Let me not get to the spoiler right away. Let us trace the story of these characters instead, from comic books to movies.

In the very first comic books (1964) featuring the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, it was mentioned that they were children of Romanian Roma parents, Django and Maria Maximoff. Their family had a nomadic lifestyle which impacted the upbringing of their children. Afterwards, it became known that they were adopted by the Maximoff family after their biological parents had abandoned them.

Later versions state that Wanda and Pietro are children of Magneto—a mutant and one of the major Marvel antagonists. Their biological mother was Magda, Magneto’s wife who escaped from him and gave birth to the children in a Roma shelter someplace in Eastern Europe.

In 2015, Marvel changed the story of Wanda and Pietro’s origins. They were no longer the children of Magneto or mutants. From that point on, they were the products of High Evolutionary’s experiments whereas their Roma origins were only mentioned as an aspect of their early upbringing in the Maximoff family.

In Marvel movies, particularly in the Avengers: Age of Altron, details of Wanda and Pietro’s origins are further modified. Here, they are depicted as residents of Sokovia, a fictional country, and their Roma roots are not mentioned at all.

Photo: The Scarlet Witch’s image in comic books. Image: open sources

Is Marvel dismantling stereotypes?

Apparently, the answer is Yes, it is. The Roma origins of the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, albeit ambiguous, are in fact mentioned. And that is a good thing.

It is however, sad that these facts are not focused upon and are downright never mentioned in the movies. Imagine how cool it would have been if the Scarlet Witch had changed the reality, so that everyone knew she was a Romni? She would not even have to use her superpowers. Perhaps in their upcoming franchises, Marvel will actually address the ethnic origins of the Maximoff family.

Photo: Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. Illustration: a screenshot from the movie