| “ | I get anxiety. I don't think I'm good enough. I don't like myself, even though I know -- rationally, I know -- doesn't matter. I have bad days. Bad thoughts. And sometimes... sometimes, yeah. They're hard to fight. But I don't let them win every day. And I'm damn sure not going to let you win today. You're just a cheap little bully who likes breaking toys, Moridun -- and you shouldn't have let me see you! Get out of my head! | „ |
| ~ Wiccan to Moridun. |
| “ | See, I'm the child of a witch and an android. I'm their wish come true. Bigger than magic, living information, retro-reincarnated in human form. Now, my brother? He'd give you a physical fight. He'd warp time and space to punch you fifty times a second. But when I warp time and space... I use my words. And I say I'm a bigger deal in this reality than you are. | „ |
| ~ Wiccan to Asti. |
Wiccan (real name William "Billy" Kaplan-Altman), previously known as Asgardian, is a fictional character and superhero from Marvel comics.
Though the eldest son of doctors, he is the reincarnated son of Scarlet Witch and Vision, thus granting him magical powers as a mutant. Becoming a superhero, Billy would adventure into the world and discover his lineage and destiny of becoming a powerful being known as the Demiurge. He is the partner and husband of Hulking, a founding member of the Young Avengers, and has been a member of the Secret Avengers, Avengers Idea Mechanics, New Avengers, and Strikeforce.
He was created by Steve Englehart, the late Frank Springer and Richard Howell, and first appeared in Vision and the Scarlet Witch #12 in June of 1986, and then in Young Avengers #1 in February of 2005.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
William "Billy" Kaplan was born in New York City, New York to doctors Jeff and Rebecca Kaplan, and has two unnamed younger brothers as well. Unbeknownst to Billy, he was was a mutant and the reincarnated construct/soul of Scarlet Witch's son, thus making the speedster Thomas Shepherd his reincarnated identical twin brother. During his time in school, Billy was frequently bullied by John Kesler and others, as they mocked him for his sexuality. One day he encountered Scarlet Witch outside the Avengers mansion, who gave him advice that led him to confront his tormenter.
Becoming a Superhero[]
During the confrontation against Kesler, Billy's electric powers emerged, and he nearly killed his bully in the process. Billy then started practicing to control his powers, but went to Scarlet Witch for assistance to only discover that the Avengers disbanded. After his arrival, he was greeted by Iron Lad, a time traveler who came to the present to form a team to stop his future self, Kang the Conqueror. Iron Lad was able to locate heroes due to the Vision's fail safe program in case the Avengers either disbanded or were defeated in battle, and Kaplan agreed to join under the code name "Asgardian". Co-founding the Young Avengers alongside Iron Lad, Patriot and Hulking, the group trained for several weeks to prepare to go on dangerous missions. The team's second mission was mostly a failure, as their attempt to save hostages ended with setting fire to a cathedral and becoming hostages themselves. However, they were saved by Kate Bishop, which allowed them to escape before the police arrived.
Around this time, Billy became close to his fellow teammate Hulking, also known by his birth name Teddy Altman, and the two quickly entered a romantic relationship. When Kang the Conqueror arrived to Earth to take over, the Young Avengers managed to stop him alongside the archer Kate Bishop and size-shifter Cassandra Lang. Afterward, Iron Man and Captain America demanded that the team be disbanded and refused to train them. Despite being rejected by the original Avengers, the team were able to find a headquarters due to Bishop's wealth and connections. Once Iron Lad left the team and Bishop and Lang were recruited, the others advised to Billy to change his code name to "Wiccan". Later on, Billy tried to tell his parents of his heroics, but they instead misread what he was saying, believing that he was telling them of his relationship with Teddy.
When the Super-Skurll and the Kree kidnapped Hulking, Wiccan and the Young Avengers worked with Jonas Vision to find his location. At a facility, the team discovered an imprisoned Thomas Shepherd and released him from his cell. Upon his release, Lang noticed that Thomas and Billy looked like twins, and Shepherd would assist them in fighting both the Kree and Skrulls. During the Civil War storyline, the Young Avengers were arrested by S.H.I.E.L.D., but Wiccan was able to teleport them away with the assistance of Captain America and Falcon. However, Wiccan and Hulkling were later captured when coming into conflict with the Runaways, resulting in them being imprisoned by Marvel Boy and being tortured by Cube Warden. After being freed by Xavin, Wiccan joined the Secret Avengers and fought against Iron Man's faction until he was tranquilized.
Imprisoned once again after the war was finished, Wiccan and several heroes were captured were freed by Captain America and managed to do so due to Teddy's shapeshifting abilities. Around this time, Billy spoke with Doctor Strange, who discussed the young superhero in possibly being his successor as sorcerer supreme. He then assisted the sorcerer in fighting the Hood over the Eye of Agamotto, and later worked with Hulkling to fight the Wrecking Crew. Additionally, Wiccan called the Young Avengers to deal with Chthon, but he was and several members were turned to stone by the villain. After Chthon's defeat, the Young Avengers returned and saved those who were fallen during Asgard's siege.
Further Adventures[]
When battling the Sons of the Serpent with his teammates, Wiccan's powers proceeded to overload, and he was placed under observation by the Avengers. He was later freed by his teammates and they began to search for the Scarlet Witch, being accompanied by Scarlet's brother Quicksilver and the mutant Magneto. Traveling to Latveria, the heroes discovered that Scarlet Witch was suffering from memory loss and was engaged to the country's ruler Doctor Doom. The Avengers then arrived, resulting in a battle with Doom's army of robots until Iron Lad came and teleported the Young Avengers and Scarlet Witch in the time stream. The witch then regained her powers and memories, and told Wiccan and Speed that they were reincarnated sons.
Upon returning to the present, Scarlet Witch's powers were revealed to be her connection to the life force, and Patriot would disrupt the ritual to undo the decimation. As a result, Doctor Doom gained her powers and attempted to recreate the world as its ruler, but he was defeated at the cost of Cassandra's death. When Iron Lad decided to undo her death by going through the time stream, Jonas Vision refused, resulting in his destruction and Wiccan warning his former teammate that doing so would kickstart his turn into Kang. Despite warning him, Iron Lad continued his plan, which resulted in his downfall to villainy. After the event, the Young Avengers disbanded, and Billy fell into depression due to feeling responsible for what happened. Hulkling was able to get him out of it by proposing, but it was interrupted when they were promoted as full-fledged Avengers by Captain America.
Billy and Teddy briefly retired from heroics until the Young Avengers were reformed when Kaplan accidently brought the Mother parasite, resulting in others becoming infected by the link. The Norse god Loki arrived and initially left the heroes to die since he knew that Wiccan was prophesized to become Demiurge, but returned to help train Billy fight against Mother. When the parasite returned after its ally Leah tricked Hulkling to return to New York, Loki was forced to transform Kaplan into Demiurge and destroyed Mother after reconciling with Altman.
Portrayals[]
Television[]
- In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he was portrayed by Julian Hillard (who reprised his role for an alternate version of the character in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), Joe Locke in Agatha All Along, and Baylen Bielitz as a five-year old.
Video Games[]
- In Marvel Heroes, he was voiced by Kyle Hebert, who also voiced Gohan in Dragon Ball Z: Broly - Second Coming, Ryu in the Street Fighter series and other media, and Kakashi Hatake in Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals.
- In Lego Marvel's Avengers, he was voiced by JP Karliak, who also voiced Willy Wonka in Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Tin Man in Dorothy's Christmas in Oz and Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz, Boss Baby in The Boss Baby: Back in Business.
- Karliak also voiced the character in Marvel Avengers Academy.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- He is among the many candidates to be the future sorcerer supreme.
