TITLE: Marvel Fanfare vol. 1, issue 6
YEAR: January 1983
COMIC COMPANY: Marvel Comics
Written by Mike W. Barr (Story 2) Roger Stern
Penciller: Sandy Plunkett (Story 2) Charles Yess
Inker: P. Craig Russell
Letterer: Jim Novak (Story 2) Ronn Zalme
Colorist: Petra Scotese (Story 2) Glynis Wein
Editor: Allen Milgrom
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter
With issue #6 of “Marvel Fanfare”, a magic practitioner named Xandu was trying to revive a woman he loved, Melinda Morrison, who was afflicted with mystical energy after Xandu was taking part in a ceremony.
She is caught between life and death and Xandu has been wanting to revive her. So, he decides to possess Wanda Maximoff (the Scarlet Witch), to revive Melinda.
While Spider-Man was swinging, he spots the Scarlet Witch (not knowing she is possessed) and she uses her hex power to bring him into a mystical place where he finds Wanda.
Xandue explains to her that he intends to make her his Melinda and while she is separated from her Scarlet Witch persona, Spider-Man decides to protect her.
What’s interesting about this issue and it’s actually going back decades is how the Scarlet Witch is a powerful Marvel character, but it seems she was always portrayed as a person who is always looking for a man to love.
In a way, she and the Wasp (Janet Van Dyne) were portrayed like that for decades and while they showed moments of strength, they were often used as emotional heroines that weren’t mentally strong. Granted, we have seen Wanda changed (especially for “House of M”) and in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we have see these two women portrayed as strong characters, Wanda still off mentally.
But it’s hard to believe in this issue how she was easily possessed. It’s a good story, but it reminded me of past issues in “The Avengers” where she was often portrayed as immature and emotional.
The second story is a bit of an interesting but fun storyline about a young magician named Ian McNee who visits the Sanctum Sanctorum to challenge Doctor Strange for the title of “Sorceror Supreme” (seriously?). But it’s a fun story of how Doctor Strange wanted to show that being Sorceror Supreme is not an easy job.
Marvel would bring back this young sorcerer in the 2000’s for “Mystiuc Arcana Magik” and “Mystic Arcana Black Knight”. No doubt possibly in the future, he is a character that could be the next Sorcerer Supreme.