WandaVision: What Is Chaos Magic?

Is it the most powerful magic in the MCU?

BY STACEY HENLEYPUBLISHED FEB 26, 2021

This week in WandaVision, Wanda finally got her comic book

moniker, six years after she made her first appearance. It’s
fitting that the first time she is called Scarlet Witch on screen is
also the first time we hear about Chaos magic. But what is
Chaos magic? We’ve seen lots of different types of magic used
in the MCU before, many times with chaotic consequences, but
none of it has been Chaos magic. At least, none of it until now.

What Is Chaos Magic?

Chaos magic is the most powerful form of magic in the Marvel

canon. It’s so powerful that many sorcerers have dismissed it as
a myth, although depending on which arc we’re talking about,
these sorcerers may be living in denial rather than actually
believing Chaos magic is not real. In any case, Chaos magic has
the power to manipulate, warp, and reconstruct the very fabric
of existence and reality.

RELATED: JIMMY WOO TIKTOK IS THE WANDAVISION

CONTENT YOU DIDN'T KNOW YOU NEEDED

Chronologically, Chaos magic was first used by Chthon, the

Elder God, who in turn became known as the God of Chaos. He
ruled Earth with his powerful magic, but was eventually
defeated by the combined effort of every other mage on the
planet, although even this was a close fought thing. Chthon was
sealed in Mount Wundagore, which in the comics is the
birthplace of Wanda Maximoff. While Wanda was born a
mutant with basic energy manipulation powers, her vast
strength comes from the fact she touched Chthon’s withered
hand as a child and absorbed some of his Chaos power, turning
her into one of the most powerful sorceresses in known
existence.

Is Chaos Magic In The MCU?

Apparently it has been for a long time. If we’re to believe the

events of WandaVision episode eight, Previously On, Wanda
has had something like Chaos magic her whole life, and the
experiments she was put through when she was younger only
made it grow stronger. Or, perhaps she always had fairly
regular, Agatha Harkness levels of magic, but the experiments
turned it into Chaos. This would kind of match the Chthon
storyline of the comics - although we certainly haven’t seen
anything like Chaos magic at full capacity in the MCU.

The closest thing is probably Thanos with the Reality Stone.

Although this was not Chaos magic itself, it is a good visual
indicator of what Chaos magic is. Imagine Thanos’ reality
bending stretched all across the universe, lasting for much
longer, and warping people’s perceptions of reality, as well as
physical reality itself. All that, forever, without an Infinity Stone
to help is basically what Chaos magic is. Used correctly, it is
easily the most powerful force the MCU has introduced to date.

Does Scarlet Witch Have Chaos Magic?

In the comics, she 100 percent has Chaos magic, though she
controls herself and only uses it (at least its full force) very
rarely. In fact, she’s taught to use and control this power by
Agatha Harkness herself, who is not as villainous in the comics
as she is in WandaVision.

In the MCU, it appears she does have Chaos magic too, but
she’s unaware of it. This lack of understanding means it has
never really been trained, mastered, or applied at full strength.
In retrospect, the fact she was able to take on Thanos single
handedly in Avengers: Endgame probably means there was a
little bit of Chaos magic in the mix, although this was not
deliberately applied by Wanda.

Prior to episode eight, we all believed Wanda was a regular

human given magical powers when she was experimented on
with an Infinity Stone. In the comics, she is a mutant, and since
the MCU was not allowed to use mutants due to licensing
issues, this seemed like a quick and easy fix. However, Agatha
suggests that Wanda has actually been magical all along, and
that her tragic origin story of waiting for Tony Stark’s bomb to
kill her every day was not luck, but magic. Agatha suggests
Wanda deliberately used her magic to protect herself and Pietro
from the bomb, although it seems clear that if Wanda did
influence this, it was not on purpose; at least not in the way
Agatha suggests. Wanda isn’t even aware of runes or basic
magic spells, so she is clearly a complete novice when it comes
to understanding magic, even if she is an expert at applying it.

This innate, incredibly powerful application when tied to

almost zero knowledge for the process behind it is another sign
of Chaos magic, and suggests we’ve only seen a fraction of what
Wanda could do if she fully understood her powers.

Is Chaos Magic Used In The House Of M?

Oh, absolutely. The House of M storyline is propped up by

Wanda’s unrivaled magical abilities and motivated by her
psychological trauma after the deaths of Vision and Pietro.
While the Scarlet Witch of the comics is more aware of the
nature of her powers than Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff,
the House of M storyline is basically Scarlet Witch unfiltered.
Rather than restrict her own Chaos magic, she instead
unleashes the full force of it on the world, completely warping
everyone’s memories to turn the universe into a fantasy land
where mutants are free, she is happy, and almost everything is
designed to cater to her whims. Aside from the mutant bit, it
sounds awfully familiar.
Previously, I’d suggested that WandaVision would not be
setting up the House of M, because there are far too many
surrounding stories that need to be in place, not just Wanda’s. I
still think that’s true, but now it seems more like WandaVision
isn’t as intent on setting up the House of M as it is in paying
homage to it, just like it does with all those sitcoms. Westview is
a microcosm of the House of M, taking direct inspiration from
the legendary comic book arc, but using it on a smaller scale to
introduce Chaos magic, rather than being fuelled by it. With
Wanda now coming to terms with the true reality of her powers,
expect more Chaos in future.