Maxine Thompson

> *"It's not my title anymore, Wanda. It's yours. Although... I guess I will need a new one. I don't think I'm anywhere near ready for retirement."*
>
>

**Maxine Elizabeth "Max" Barnes** is a sorceress, super soldier, founding member of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division and former holder of the legendary "Scarlet Witch" title.

## Biography

### S.H.I.E.L.D.

In July 1947, Maxine merely intended to bid her brother goodbye before Jack returned to New York later the same day, but she got a lot more than she bargained for. She found her twin on the verge of death in his hotel room. Provided only with conventional methods, he would have been past saving, but Max resorted to magic for the worst of his injuries and then brought him to the nearest hospital.

While she stuck around to witness her brother's dragging recovery, Maxine met Peggy Carter and Daniel Sousa, who both arrived at the hospital within the hour. It took two days for Peggy to convince Max to leave the hospital for at least a little while, and at that point she was barely awake anymore. Carter called Edwin Jarvis to pick up the blonde and bring her to a local abode of Howard Stark, which currently served as the home of Mr. and Mrs. Jarvis. She was welcomed by Edwin's wife, Ana, who made it her personal mission to make Maxine sleep, eat and smile whenever she was at the Jarvis Residence during the following days.

## Relationships

### Romances

From December 1947 to March 1948, Maxine was involved with the infamous Howard Stark. She later admitted to Peggy Carter that the relationship was wonderful while it lasted, but due to his tendencies, Maxine always knew they were "doomed from the start". February of the following year, Thompson began dating Carter's ex-boyfriend, Agent Daniel Sousa. While that initially seemed more promising, she eventually felt like an inadequate replacement for Peggy, for whom Sousa had left his previous fiancée. Furthermore, on his end, Daniel struggled with Maxine's position as an agent, claiming that she often acted recklessly in the field. The couple split in October 1950, after Sousa tried to convince her to step back from the search for Bucky Barnes.

Ironically enough, it was Barnes she fell in love with over seven decades later. Maxine Elizabeth Thompson and James Buchanan Barnes got married in the fall of 2027.

### Familial Ties

The power and title of the "Scarlet Witch" originate in the bloodline of Maxine's father, who was a "Scarlet Warlock" himself. They are traditionally inherited by only one child per generation, the supposedly "chosen one".

Maxine's mother was an aunt of Secretary Alexander Goodwin Pierce. Quite a few of her relatives, including him, were members of HYDRA at some point.

Through her oldest sister, Eleanor, Maxine is the grand aunt of Janet van Dyne and Susan Ellerh, as well as the great grand aunt of Hope van Dyne and Leslie Ellerh Dean and the great great grand aunt of Karolina and Elle Dean.

Through Sarah, she is the grand aunt of Melissa Bowen, Meredith and Michael Quill. To Meredith's son Peter and Melissa's daughter Tandy, Max is a great grand aunt.

Her brother Henry had a son named Albert, who grew up to be the father of Kevin Thompson AKA Kilgrave. Kevin's granddaughter, Josie Jones, is a great great grand niece to Maxine.

In between Maxine's mysterious disappearance in December 1950 and his own almost five whole years later, her twin brother Jack had a daughter by the name of Elizabeth Thompson. Liz later married Ed Hill, and the couple had a daughter named Maria, who grew up to be an Agent of S.H.I. E.L.D. - just like her grand aunt Max.

During her time as an involuntary asset of HYDRA, Maxine gave birth to at least three children, through whom she later became the grandmother of Natasha Romanoff, Pietro and Wanda Maximoff and Yelena Belova. The role of the "Scarlet Witch" was first inherited by "Iryna" and then eventually by Wanda, whom Max first met in 2024.

Taking all of that into account, Maxine is biologically related to four Avengers, five S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives, one reformed and two deceased villains, two teenage vigilantes, two Red Room survivors, at least three former HYDRA operatives and one Guardian of the Galaxy.