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Vision and the Scarlet Witch #5

Feb 1986
Steve Englehart, Richard Howell

Story Name:

The Others Call It..All Hallow’s Eve


Synopsis

Vision and the Scarlet Witch #5 synopsis by Peter Silvestro
Rating: 4 stars

On Halloween night, Vision accepts the invitation of neighbor/friends Glamor and Illusion to attend their magic club’s Halloween Spectacular; Vision explains to his hosts that Scarlet Witch will not be there as the holiday is of special importance to her….

At home, Wanda makes her preparations for the Witches’ Festival and, seeing has she has some free time, contacts her brother Quicksilver on the moon. She informs him that she is pregnant and this news upsets him—until he learns that Vision is the father, after which he is delighted. She confesses that she doesn’t know how to tell this to their father Magneto which Pietro understands. She invites him to her house for Thanksgiving and goes on to her business. In the attic, she draws a magic circle with candles and summons Agatha Harkness. Her late mentor appears, warning her that her baby is distracting her from what she was taught. Agatha fades out; Wanda tries to get her back but a hole opens and she is seized by the decayed corpse of Thornn of Salem’s Seven. At the club, Vision feels magick in his head and Agatha’s ghost appears to him, warning him that Wanda is in danger and telling him to destroy the Druid Tome….

Thornn drags Wanda into the Land of the Dead where she meets the others of Salem’s Seven (minus one) who want the baby, who was created by draining their power and who will be needed to raise them to life again. Wanda tries to escape but there is no exit….

Vision arrives home to find Wanda gone. He is confused about Agatha’s warning but Illusion deduces that the Druid Tome, burned by Wanda, must still exist in ash form and if Vision can find even one speck of the book, he can draw all other bits to him. Vision returns to the site of his and Wanda’s earlier home, recalling that the ash of the burning book must have saturated the sheet worn by the possessed girl who fought them that evening and that she must be out there somewhere….

In the Land of the Dead, Wanda is attacked by other dead spirits: Jean Grey/Dark Phoenix, Korvac, Dracula, Baron Zemo, Count Nefaria, and others. She is able to force them back with a powerful hex but Wanda’s mother appeals to her but cannot help, neither can her foster parents, Whizzer and Miss America. She finds Agatha a captive, bound to a burning stake, and meets the one behind it all, Samhain, the Embodiment of All Hallows….

Vision tracks down the little girl from a few years ago and discovers she is now the local librarian, Holly LaDonna, who finds the sheet in her attic and gives it to Vision. Vision takes the sheet to Illusion who uses his power over molecules to gather the tiny fragments of the Druid Tome from all over and reassemble the book. As Wanda tries and fails to defeat Samhain, Vision builds up a mighty blast and totally disintegrates the book. Samhain’s earthly form dissolves, leaving only his energy; as he tries to possess Wanda’s baby, Agatha Harkness channels his life force into the Salem’s Seven (minus one) where he will be forever divided and forever trapped where he is. Agatha sends Wanda safely home to her husband….


 

Review / Commentaries


Vision and the Scarlet Witch #5 Review by (November 30, 2022)

Review: A cool holiday themed issue has the common complaint of most of the issues from this series: it contains so much talk that the art is crowded out. And that’s a shame as illustrations of magic(k) usually give the artists the opportunity to shine. Think Steve Ditko and early Doctor Strange. “Scarlet Witch trapped in the Land of the Dead and only Vision can save her by locating the destroyed Druid Tome” is a really exciting premise and kudos for the tie-in to the previous miniseries. Full marks to Steve Englehart but the artists must have been frustrated.

Comments: Salem’s Seven were killed in issue #3, though member Gazelle died separately and is not counted with them here; the group next appears in AVENGERS ANNUAL 2000, seemingly alive again. Samhain first appeared in VISION AND THE SCARLET WITCH (1982) #1; this is his second and last appearance as of 2022. Holly LaDonna is named for the first time. Inking by Jack Abel and Mike Esposito.



> Vision and the Scarlet Witch comic book info and issue index

Elektra

Excelsioring your collection:
Marvel Premier Collection: Scarlet Witch Resin Statue
Holy smokes, Batman!
(The Boy Wonder)

Richard Howell
?
Adam Phillips
Richard Howell (Cover Penciler)
Joe Sinnott (Cover Inker)
? (Cover Colorist)
Additional Credits
Letterer: Rick Parker.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Quicksilver
Quicksilver

(Pietro Maximoff)
Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch

(Wanda Maximoff)

Plus: Glamor (Glynis Zarkov), Illusion (Ilya Zarkov).