Wiccan (Marvel)(01 - Billy Kaplan)

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Wiccan (Marvel)(01 - Billy Kaplan)
Real Name: Billy Kaplan
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Powers:
As Wiccan, Billy Kaplan possesses a spellcasting talent that may or may not be related to a reality warping power. While patterning himself after Thor in the guise of Asgardian, Billy limited himself entirely to flight and lightning based spells. Also he can astral project by fear until he learns how to control it. By stating an intent and focusing on the outcome, Wiccan is capable of a variety of feats, including, but not limited to tracking and locating others, illusionary disguises, tearing down forcefields, mass teleportation, concussive blasts, enchantments, and telekinetic force beams.

It was revealed in Civil War: Young Avengers/Runaways that Billy must be able to hear his spells for them to be successful, but some of Billy's spells can be activated without words. He has consistently been able to create force fields, teleport others,and generate lightning and force blasts with little or no effort.

Bio:
Billy Kaplan is the eldest of three sons born to Reform Jews Jeff Kaplan (a cardiologist) and Rebecca Kaplan (a psychologist).

Regularly bullied in school, Billy found solace outside the gates of the Avengers Mansion. One day, Billy encountered the Avenger the Scarlet Witch, who told him to stand his ground the next time it happens. She then touched his head, causing a red light to flash briefly. The flash heals Billy's wounds and a few weeks later he stands up for another kid being bullied, and demonstrates his powers for the first time, but is not fully prepared for their effects.

He was one of the Young Avengers chosen as a result of the Vision's plan for the reformation of the Avengers, in the event the team ever disbanded. He originally chose the code name Asgardian, but later changed it to Wiccan.

The full extent of his powers are unknown, though they include flight and lightning generation. He can cast spells using a technique learned from "self-help books" owned by fellow Young Avenger Hulkling's mother. By chanting a mantra/statement of intent (for example, "I want Iron Lad to forget") and focusing on the outcome he wants to achieve, he can cause different events and effects to happen.

Billy has said that Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch, was his favorite Avenger, and it has been implied that his powers are linked to hers. Billy's possible relationship to Wanda was revealed by the Super-Skrull and Vision.

In the past, Scarlet Witch was so desperate to have children that she used her reality warping powers to create twin sons out of fragments of the soul of the demon Mephisto. When the boys' souls were reabsorbed into Mephisto, because of the power Wanda put into the soul fragments, they destroyed him and their souls were reincarnated as Thomas Shepherd (the Young Avenger Speed), and Billy.

During the Civil War, Billy and Tommy plan to look for Wanda. They hope that revelation that her sons appear to be alive and well will aid in her recovery. However, their plan is disrupted by the attack by the Zodiac on the United Nations and the subsequent events of the Civil War.

S.H.I.E.L.D. arrests the Young Avengers. However, Sam Wilson (Falcon) and Steve Rogers (Captain America) intercept the S.H.I.E.L.D bus which is transporting the prisoners and Wiccan teleports the team out of the situation, into the Resistance Fighters base of operations.

When the Runaways try to stay out of the conflict, they barely manage to escape from the government forces. Hearing of this development on the news, the Young Avengers decide to help the Runaways even though Captain America had vetoed the plan. Wiccan uses his magic to locate and teleport to the Runaways. However, the Runaways believe that the Young Avengers have come to capture them and a fight ensues until Eli (Patriot) succeeds in convincing Nico to stop the hostilities. The two teams are later attacked by Noh-Varr, who captures Wiccan and Hulkling, and (apparently) kills the Runaway Xavin. The young heroes become the prisoners of the Warden, who proceeds to practice vivisection on the unconscious Teddy. This has little physical effect on Hulkling, whose vital organs keep shifting out of the way of the Warden's knife, but it does have a strong psychological effect on Billy, who cries out, "I want you to die." (He is subsequently very grieved that he has been manipulated into so much hatred.) The boys are rescued by Xavin, whose Skrull physiology allowed him to recover from Noh-Varr's attack. He comes close to killing the Warden, but Teddy stops him.

Wiccan is among the Secret Avengers who take part in the first major battle of the Civil War and was one of the first two incapacitated. Tony Stark and Peter Parker realize that the two rebels with teleportation powers needed to be sidelined to prevent an escape from the ambush. So, Wiccan and Cloak are shot with tranquilizer darts and rendered unconscious. This attack on two of his youngest followers infuriates Steve Rogers (Captain America). A violent battle ensues, by the end of which, Goliath lies dead, slain by the cyborg clone of Thor. Most of the Anti-Registration group escapes, but Wiccan is left behind and captured by the Pro-Registration side.

Billy and the other imprisoned anti-Registration heroes are eventually freed in a raid led by Captain America. This liberation is made possible largely by Teddy's shape-shifting ability, which allows him to mimic Hank Pym's retinal and voice patterns, and thereby release all the prisoners from their cells.

Notes:

First Appearance: Young Avengers (2005) #7

Other Identities:
Asgardian (Marvel)

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