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WandaVision Credits Marvel Comics Creators – But Why? [SPOILERS]

For a television show, the new WandaVision series on Disney+ has utterly insane credits, that reflect that this is a Marvel Studios West Coast production, rather than from the older TV Studios of the East Coast. It says more than anything that this is a movie that just happens to be chopped down for the TV screen – or tablet, or PC or phone. Which is even odder considering that it is so very much a television show, and so far does its level best to ape the likes of The Dick Van Dyke Show, I Dream Of Jeannie, and Bewitched while revealing a hidden truth behind this reality. I like to call it Pleasantville via Pleasant Hill, but that's because I'm a f*cking geek.

And the credits also list several "Special Thanks" to several Marvel comic book creators that tap into just what is going on, and what might still be going on, considering that they are the same for both episodes, and may remain the same for the run. So what can we learn? Remember, there may be spoilers going forward. In fact, it's quite likely.

Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, created Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch in X-Men #4 in 1984. A member of Magneto's Brotherhood Of Evil Mutants, she would later become an Avenger. And the daughter of Magneto. And also revealed to not be a mutant. And not the daughter of Magneto. Stan and Jack also created Baron Von Strucker in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #5 in 1984. In the movies, Von Strucker creates the superpowered Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, and it is his name – and Hydra's – that appears on the advert for the wristwatch. Stan and Jack also created Hydra in Strange Tales #135 in 1965 and made Von Strucker a member. They also created the witch Agatha Harkness in 1970's Fantastic Four #94, and mentor of Wanda Maximoff, who also deals with her conflict with the devil, Mephisto. And may explain the real identity of next-door neighbour Agnes, whose wedding anniversary is the same date as the Salem Witch Trials, and who is dressed in a Hallowe'en witch in WandaVision trailers. And the Auntie A's ad in the supermarket. They also created AIM in Strange Tales #146 – a science-terrorist organisation whose costumes have been described as similar to those work by beekeepers.

With Roy Thomas and John Buscema, Stan Lee also created The Vision in the 1968 Avengers #57. The number 57 appears on the coloured toy in the bushes as well as in a supermarket poster in an animated segment.

Bill Mantlo and Rick Leonardi created the 1982 four-issue Scarlet Witch & The Vision limited series. This established the pair as a couple, but also that Wanda Maximoff, rather than being the daughter of Golden Age superhero The Whizzer, was the daughter of Magneto, something more recently reversed as a result of intra-Marvel politics. It also reintroduced Bova, humanoid cow and New Human, who served as midwife for Wanda's mother and smuggled the children, Wanda and Pietro, away.

Steven Englehart and Richard Howell created the follow-up 1985 twelve-issue Scarlet Witch & The Vision maxi-series, which saw the couple move into suburbia, create a family life not dissimilar from the WandaVision show, and see the birth of her twin children, William and Thomas. This series also saw the appearance of Glamour and Illusion, the identities of two superheroic magical stage performers Glynis and Ilya Zarkov who like in the neighbourhood. Wanda and The Vision use those identities in their own show in WandaVision episode 2.

It is notable that there are no Special Thanks for John Byrne, whose Avengers series saw the birth of those children retconned into them being magical phantoms, shards of the soul of the demon, Master Pandemonium. Agatha Harkness removed the memories of the children from Wanda's mind.

Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch created the Avengers Disassembled storyline which saw the Scarlet Witch turn into a reality-destroying monster, as she remembers that her children once existed, in an attempt to revive her children. This included her engineering the deaths of The Vision, Hawkeye and Ant-Man.F or a bit.

With Olivier Coipel, Brian Bendis also created the House of M storyline published by Marvel in 2005, including her decision to wipe out all mutants. Will she do either of those acts in WandaVision? If not, why the credit? Or could the reality be Wanda's own mini-House Of M? A bottle of wine in the first episode of Wandavision of from the Maison D'Mépris or House Of Contempt.

There is also no Special Thanks credit for Alan Heinberg and Steve Cheung, who saw Wanda's children reincarnated as Billy and Tommy, Wiccan and Speed of the Young Avengers, rescued from Mephisto's clutches.

Joss Whedon and John Cassaday are creators of S.W.O.R.D. in their Astonishing X-Men run, the space equivalent of SHIELD with a strong mutant bias, run by one Abigail Brand. We saw a SWORD logo on the colour toy that appeared in Wanda's hedge, SWORD notebooks from those viewing them on monitors and on the beekeeper. SWORD is presumed to be the agency that Nick Fury woke up to in Spider-Man: Far From Home, and was recently revived as a comic book series by Marvel as part of their X-Men books.

Tom King and Gabriel Hernandez Walta were the lead creators of The Vision comic book series, which seems to give the producers and writers of this show the visual idea of recreating a traditional American 50s fake family with The Vision. That included building himself a wife, children and a dog and moving into American suburbia. But the visuals often saw Vision in a suit and tie, with a diamond-shaped tie clip.

And as a result, it is currently Marvel's bestseller on Amazon by far and has sold out as a result.

It is also notable for Geraldine fans that there is no mention of the creators of Monica Rambeau, Roger Stern and John Romita. Nor Al Feldstein and Joe Maneely who created SHIELD Agent Jimmy Woo. Nor Nick Spencer and Mark Bagley who created artificial reality Pleasant Hill, used to keep supervillains with altered memories in peace and quiet. Or course, they could always add these, and more, later if they can find the room.

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