Why S.W.O.R.D. Revived Vision

Warning! Spoilers ahead for WandaVision episode 8.

In WandaVision‘s penultimate episode, “Previously On,” it’s revealed what S.W.O.R.D’s real intentions are with Vision. After last week’s reveal that Agnes, a.k.a. Agatha Harkness, is the show’s real villain, the witch forced Wanda to revisit some of the most harrowing moments of her life in an effort to understand how she’s able to create the pocket reality in Westview. This trip down memory lane not only revealed some key moments in Wanda’s life that have never been tackled before in the MCU but it also finally showed how the Maximoff Anomaly started. It all began following a trip to the S.W.O.R.D. facility.

On the heels of Avengers: Endgame, a grieving Wanda only wanted to see Vision for the last time to say goodbye. Unfortunately, she was met with the grim reality that her lover has been cut up into different parts as S.W.O.R.D. experimented on him. Contrary to initial belief, however, Scarlet Witch didn’t steal Vision’s body and bring it back to life in Westview. Instead, she said her goodbyes then recreated him using her reality-warping Chaos Magic while his real corpse remained in Hayward’s possession. In the latest mid-credits scene for WandaVision, it was revealed that S.W.O.R.D. has been trying to revive Vision, but why?

While Hayward hasn’t blatantly revealed his plans for Vision, it’s quite clear what their end goal is with resurrecting him. Based on what’s known about S.W.O.R.D. coupled with what he’s said thus far, especially with regard to the aftermath of Thanos’ attack, it’s safe to assume that they’re planning to weaponize Vision using his corpse. This was something WandaVision revealed Vision was deeply against, so it’s curious what Scarlet Witch’s reaction will be once she finds out. This is particularly a tricky situation for her considering that Hayward not only implied that she might be trying to resurrect Vision, but he might have also nudged her into doing exactly that. It was then revealed S.W.O.R.D. harnessed Wanda’s latent magical energy using the S.W.O.R.D. drone she had blasted to power up the rebuilt version of the synthezoid.

This is part of a running theme in MCU Phase 4 about the government and other organizations laying claims on the Avengers and other characters; several surviving heroes are having a difficult time reclaiming their agency following the Infinity Saga. That’s at the heart of the story of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, where Sam Wilson is essentially stripped of his rightful place as the next Captain America. This might also play into Armor Wars if Rhodey has to fight bad guys to ensure that the Iron Man technology doesn’t land in the wrong hands, preserving Tony Stark’s legacy. In Loki, it appears the God of Mischief has been conscripted into working for the Time Variance Authority. In WandaVision, S.W.O.R.D. is convinced that they are the owners of Vision’s remains and that he’s government property and so they can do whatever they want with it. Wanda does not have any stake in it, especially considering the high price tag.

In hindsight, this may have still has something to do with the unresolved issues of the Sokovia Accords and Captain America: Civil War. While the Accords were sidelined due to the threat of Thanos, they were never dissolved. Now, the Sokovkia Accords may be even more constricting as the Avengers’ leaders Iron Man and Captain America are no longer around to stand up for their teammates. With Hayward successfully powering up the monochromatic version of White Vision, it effectively sets up a showdown between him his Westview counterpart in the much-anticipated WandaVision finale.

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