"Ultimates 3" theories: Who killed Scarlet Witch?

Damn it! Wish I hadn't seen or read this article because now the surprise is ruined for me! I haven't yet picked up Ultimates 3 #1 from Classic Comics since we never did go to Melbourne on the Sunday. Grah. I know we'll be going sometime this week...just don't know when!


‘ULTIMATES 3’ THEORIES: WHO KILLED SCARLET WITCH?
Writer Jeph Loeb gets grilled about the ‘Ultimate’ suspects

By Ben Morse

Posted December 11, 2007 12:00 PM

Who fired the shot heard round the Ultimates’ world?

The hotly anticipated first issue of Ultimates 3 by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Joe Madureira ended with a literal bang: In the issue’s climax, a projectile fired by an unseen assailant eluded super-speedster Quicksilver and blew out the heart of his beloved sister, the Scarlet Witch, ending the life of the Ultimates’ mutant pseudo-sorceress.

So whodunit?

“The murder is just a small piece of a larger puzzle,” says Loeb. “Think about who would want the victim dead, and why?”

Take a look at just seven of the possible suspects in this high stakes mystery and what Loeb has to say about them.

HAWKEYE
The Charges: The super-marksman lost his family in Ultimates 2, and maybe his sanity in the process. He’s also iced traitorous teammate Black Widow. Has he learned something sinister about the Witch?
The Testimony: “He has the ability. The gunshot was extraordinary—not only to hit the intended target, but to be able to outrun Quicksilver as well. It has to be Hawkeye!”

MAGNETO
The Charges: The Master of Magnetism wouldn’t be above using the death of his own daughter to galvanize the mutant cause against the homo sapien regime and their foremost protectors.
The Testimony: “Mags already shot his son in the kneecaps—what’s a bullet through the heart between family? Maybe it’s Magneto controlling Hawkeye!”

CAPTAIN AMERICA
The Charges: This super-soldier’s not above executing an enemy, if necessary. It’s also clear he didn’t approve of the unusual “closeness” between siblings Quicksilver and the Witch.
The Testimony: “Ultimate Cap is far more ruthless than the 616 Cap and also less dead. He was also a Marine with a sharpshooter’s background and capable of taking the moral high ground. Okay, you’ve convinced me—not Mags or Hawkeye, it was Cap!”

THE BLACK PANTHER
The Charges: A complete question mark. Only on the team because Captain America vouched for him, the Panther could be literally anybody with any motive.
The Testimony: “How could I have been so stupid? I’ve missed the obvious choice! He hides behind a mask and won’t give up any of his secrets. The Panther has the eyesight necessary to make a shot like that. And who says in the Ultimate Universe that the Panther can’t be a villain? I’ve changed my mind—it’s the Panther!”

BLACK WIDOW
The Charges: Yes, she died at the end of Ultimates 2, but nobody ever stays dead in comics, least of all Russian super-spies trained to disappear.
The Testimony: “We never saw the funeral. Maybe she was in league with the now-deranged Hawkeye to fake her death and then turn out to be the real killer. I’ve never done that before—I mean, except in Batman: The Long Halloween and ‘Hush,’ but who read those? Black Widow it is!”

DEADPOOL
The Charges: A mutant-hating former soldier with an array of weapons designed specifically to target homo superior, he’d certainly have the motive and the means.
The Testimony: “What a brilliant idea that would be. Take an obscure character from the 616 Universe, make him even more obscure in the Ultimate Universe, and then have him be the centerpiece for the murder of the century! Brilliant! Nobody would suspect! Okay, we go with Deadpool!”

KRAVEN
The Charges: Ultimate Kraven once had a reputation as a peerless big-game hunter. But now he needs a big hit to get his street cred back up. An Ultimate would fit the bill.
The Testimony: “Who? That guy? C’mon, now you’re just getting silly!”