William Kaplan (Earth-616)

From Marvel Database

Contents 1 History 1.1 Early Years 1.2 Young Avengers 1.3 Civil War 1.4 Dark Reign 2 Powers and Abilities 2.1 Powers 2.2 Abilities 2.3 Strength level 2.4 Weaknesses 3 Paraphernalia 3.1 Equipment 3.2 Transportation 3.3 Weapons 4 Notes 5 Trivia 6 Links 6.1 Discover and Discuss

History

Early Years

Billy Kaplan was the eldest of three sons born to Reform Jews Jeff Kaplan (a cardiologist) and Rebecca Kaplan (a psychologist). Billy and his brother Thomas Shepherd were reincarnations of the Scarlet Witch and Vision's twin sons.

Billy said that Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch, was his favorite Avenger, and it has been implied that his powers are linked to hers. 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.

The full extent of his powers were unknown, though they included flight and lightning generation. He could cast spells by chanting a mantra/statement of intent (for example, "I want Iron Lad to forget") and focusing on the outcome he wanted to achieve. He could manipulate reality, causing certain events and effects to happen.

Billy had troubles with bullies due to his sexuality. While sitting in front of Avengers Mansion, he briefly met the Scarlet Witch, who told him that he 'could take care of himself' and encouraged him to stand his ground. Billy took her advice and stood up to his bully, John Kesler. Billy's powers emerged for the first time, but Billy lost control and nearly killed Kesler.

Young Avengers

As he began to use his powers more and more he sought out the Scarlet Witch for help, only to find out that the Avengers had disbanded. It was then that Iron Lad came to him, who revealed that Billy was a part of the Vision's failsafe program to ensure an active roster of Avengers, which resulted in him joining the Young Avengers. He began dating his teammate Hulkling. He originally chose the code name Asgardian, but later changed it to Wiccan.

Billy tried to tell his parents that he was an aspiring superhero, but they misread his intentions and assumed that he was revealing his relationship with Teddy. Though his parents thought Teddy would make an excellent son-in-law, they were unaware that he was a practicing witch dating a shapeshifter. The nature of his heroic activities and the danger associated with became apparent when the Super Skrull nearly destroyed the Kaplan's upper west side home in his attempt to kidnap Hulkling. Billy's mother started freaking out.

Civil War

During the Civil War, S.H.I.E.L.D. arrested the Young Avengers. However, Falcon and Captain America intercepted the S.H.I.E.L.D bus which was transporting the prisoners and Wiccan teleported the team out of the situation, into the Resistance Fighters base of operations.

When the Runaways tried to stay out of the conflict, they barely managed to escape from the government forces. Hearing of this development in the news, the Young Avengers decided to help the Runaways even though Captain America vetoed the plan. Wiccan used his magic to locate and teleport to the Runaways. However, the Runaways believed that the Young Avengers had come to capture them and a fight ensued until Eli (Patriot) succeeded in convincing Nico to stop the hostilities. The two teams were later attacked by Noh-Varr, who captured Wiccan, Karolina, and Hulkling, and (apparently) killed the Runaway Xavin. The young heroes became the prisoners of the Warden, who proceeded to practice vivisection on the unconscious Teddy. The boys were rescued by Xavin, whose Skrull physiology allowed him to recover from Noh-Varr's attack. Billy came close to killing the Warden, but Teddy stopped him.

Wiccan was among the Secret Avengers who took part in the first major battle of the Civil War and was one of the first two casualties. Tony Stark and Peter Parker realized that the two rebels with teleportation powers needed to be incapacitated to prevent an escape from the ambush. Wiccan and Cloak were both shot with tranquilizer darts and rendered unconscious. This attack on two of his youngest followers infuriated Captain America. A violent battle ensued, by the end of which Goliath was dead, slain by the cyborg clone of Thor. Most of the Anti-Registration group escaped, but Wiccan was left behind and captured by the Pro-Registration side.

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

After the Civil War ended, Wiccan and Speed went searching for the Scarlet Witch (referring to her as "Mom"), when they encountered Master Pandemonium. Pandemonium recognized Wiccan's magic as that of the Scarlet Witch and further explained their original history as the Scarlet Witch's children. However, he likened the boys' search for their past and Wanda to his own former life as rising actor, and told them that their past was "darkness and chaos" and advised them that they should embrace who they were now. This satisfied Wiccan, who called off his search for now, deciding that he was happy with the person he was and the people in his life.

Billy, with the other Young Avengers, teamed up with the Runaways again when the Skrulls invaded.

Dark Reign

Wiccan gathered the Young Avengers together at the Avengers Mansion to respond to wave of supernatural chaos caused by Chthon. The team was turned to stone by Chthon's magic, except for Vision and Stature, who arrived too late.

Doctor Strange, the former Sorcerer Supreme, visited Wiccan to discuss his potential candidacy and ability to assume the position as the new Sorcerer Supreme. When the Hood found Strange and engaged him in magical combat, Wiccan aided him, contrary to Strange's orders to flee. Wiccan and Strange teleported to the New Avengers seeking help.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Dimensional Travel- Can travel to as well as open gates accessing other worlds and dimensions.

Teleportation- Can teleport himself and others over undetermined distances with an untested maximum.

Lightning Generation- Can manipulate and generate energy projections in the form of lightning.

Light Projection- Can project intense light and heat.

Energy/Solid Constructs- Can manipulate energy to create solid constructs like disks, sheilds, force fields, and other projectiles.

Pyrokinesis- Can generate fire.

Healing- Can heal others.

Magic- Can use magic to enhance himself or others for short periods of time. Spells have included: Enhanced Strength, Sensing Locations of others, Levitation, Telepathy, Astral Projection, and Illusion Casting.

Probability Manipulation/Reality Manipulation- Kaplan may posses a latent Reality Altering Ability which would allow him to seemingly manipulate probability. By stating an effect of action he wants to happen he can cause unlikely things to happen, by saying "I want.. " until it DOES happen.

Abilities

High School Education

Strength level

Human, but can be augmented by magic and reality manipulation

Weaknesses

If Wiccan can't hear his spells, they don't work.

Paraphernalia

Equipment

none

Transportation

Teleportation

Weapons

Billy previously carried a staff.

Notes

He is the brother of Speed (Thomas Shepherd)

Trivia

• Hulkling and Wiccan are in a gay relationship. He pattern's himself after Thor and The Scarlet Witch. He wears the suit of the Asgardians.
• Allan Heinberg has stated that Billy and his family are Reform Jews as shown in: [1]. When asked about Billy's codename, Heinberg stated "Wiccan is another word for witch. It doesn't have an exclusively religious meaning."
• Wicca is the name of a religion and is the basis for the word Witch. In the past, it's practitioners were often persecuted as witches. A Wiccan is a practitioner of Wicca.
• According to his teammate and boyfriend, Hulkling, Billy Kaplan learned his spell-casting abilities from a self-help book belonging to Hulkling's mother. This appears to be a joke.
• Billy is shown to be a member of the Initiative, along with Hulkling. However, it is later revealed that some, perhaps most, of the Young Avengers did not actually join The Initiative or even register. They were registered by their Earth-A counterparts; both Wiccan and Hulking are seen complaining about being registered to their "A Selves,". It's been subsequently shown that since registration, Billy has spent most of his time at home, apparently grounded, with his parents wanting him to register.

Links

• Appearances of William Kaplan (Earth-616)
• Character Gallery: William Kaplan (Earth-616)
• Images that feature William Kaplan (Earth-616)
• Fan-Art Gallery: William Kaplan (Earth-616)
• Quotations by William Kaplan (Earth-616) 
• Young Avengers
• Hulkling

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