The Vision and the Scarlet Witch #12
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeThe Vision and the Scarlet Witch #12 is a watershed moment in Marvel history as the issue in which Wanda Maximoff gives birth to twin sons Billy and Tommy — the infant forms of the characters who would later be reincarnated as Young Avengers Wiccan and Speed. By closing Steve Englehart's twelve-issue suburban family drama on this note, the issue planted seeds that would fuel two decades of consequential Marvel storytelling, from Avengers: Disassembled and House of M to the entire Young Avengers mythos. Critics and editorial commentators have called it one of the most important single issues in Scarlet Witch's publication history, and its domestic themes provided a direct narrative blueprint for the 2021 Disney+ series WandaVision.
In "Double Sized Climax!", the tension mounts as Wanda prepares to give birth, drawing everyone to her side—only for Wonder Man and Magneto to be caught off guard by the sudden arrival of Nekra and the Grim Reaper. The moment is charged with anticipation, and in a stunning twist, the Scarlet Witch gives birth to twins, leaving the assembled heroes stunned. Written by Steve Englehart and brought to life by Richard Howell’s dynamic art, with inks by Frank Springer and colors by Petra Scotese, the cover by Howell and Sinnott captures the chaos and wonder of the moment.
ComicBooks.com Value
Show all 22 grades ▾
This exact issue on ebay
Raw / ungraded ▾ $10–$38.99 8 listings
More listings for this title
Read it digitally
Sell my copy
Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.
We Buy Collections ▸History
Writer Steve Englehart structured the 1985–1986 twelve-issue series deliberately around family drama rather than traditional superhero action, intentionally having both Vision and Scarlet Witch resign from the Avengers to pursue domestic life. Issue #12 was published as a double-sized finale — 48 pages — under the editorship of Jim Salicrup, with Jim Shooter serving as editor-in-chief, and carries the Marvel 25th Anniversary banner on its indicia. Pencils were by Richard Howell, with interior inks by Frank Springer and cover inks by Joe Sinnott. Englehart later expressed regret that Wanda's motherhood was not allowed to stand, as the twins were written out shortly after he departed the character.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Billy Williams (later reincarnated as Wiccan / Billy Kaplan) and Tommy Williams (later reincarnated as Speed / Tommy Shepherd), both appearing here as newborn infants.
- Written by Steve Englehart with interior art by Richard Howell (pencils) and Frank Springer (inks); cover by Richard Howell and Joe Sinnott.
- Published September 1986 as a double-sized issue (48 pages), serving as the series finale of the 12-issue maxi-series that ran from October 1985 to September 1986.
- Doctor Strange is depicted delivering the twins in this issue, with Magneto and Wonder Man also present providing security against an attack by Nekra and the Grim Reaper.
- Edited by Jim Salicrup under editor-in-chief Jim Shooter; carries the Marvel 25th Anniversary indicia branding.
- The issue exists in two print variants: a Direct Market edition and a Newsstand edition.
- The story has been reprinted in Women of Marvel Vol. 1 #2 (2007), in a Spanish-language edition (La Visión y la Bruja Escarlata, Planeta DeAgostini, 1988), and in the 2020 collected edition Vision & the Scarlet Witch: The Saga of Wanda and Vision.
- The twins introduced here are the in-universe origin point for the Young Avengers characters Wiccan and Speed, who debuted as teenage heroes in Young Avengers #1 (April 2005) by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung.
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in Women of Marvel #2 (2007), Avengers: Vision & The Scarlet Witch - A Year in the Life #[nn] (2010), Vision & the Scarlet Witch: The Saga of Wanda and Vision #[nn] (2020), Marvel Masterworks: Vision and the Scarlet Witch #1 (2024), La Visión y la Bruja Escarlata #13
Variants (1)
Reviews
Reader reviews
No reader reviews yet.