SHIELD’s replacement SWORD in WandaVision can be the first potential enemies of the mutants in the MCU
Make way for the mutants in the MCU. WandaVision Episode 3 indeed introduced us to Tommy and Billy aka MCU’s Wiccan and Speed! The episode also mentioned Wanda’s brother Pietro aka Quicksilver. These are proof enough for mutants have officially entered the MCU. Also, the last scene of episode 1 of WandaVision gave us the first glimpse of SWORD monitoring Wanda and Vision. And if the Marvel comics’ history stands, they can the first potential enemies of the X-Men in the MCU.
WandaVision is a take on the lives of Wanda and Vision as they live in Westview in an alternate reality.
Watch: Kevin Feige Talks MCU X-Men Among Other Things
In the comics, SWORD was created by Joss Whedon in his tremendous Astonishing X-Men run. They were presented in a morally ambiguous light, with their leader – Commander Abigail Brand – willing to go to any lengths to protect the Earth. SWORD made SHIELD look like the Boy Scouts, with Brand literally cooperating with aliens who wanted to kill the X-Men in order to ensure Earth remained safe; there was no line she would not cross to pursue her own agenda.
SWORD in Marvel Comics Vs MCU
SWORD was created by Joss Whedon in his Astonishing X-Men series. It handles intergalactic diplomacy on behalf of humans and is responsible for the protection of Earth from extraterrestrial threats. SWORD is a much larger organization than SHIELD. And their commander, Abigail Brand, leaves no stone unturned to protect Earth. In the comics, Abigail shook hands with aliens who wanted to destroy the mutants to keep Earth safe.
The trailers and featurettes of WandaVision show that SWORD has recruited many early characters in the MCU. They include Monica Rambeau (the little girl in Captain Marvel set in 1995), Darcy Lewis from the Thor films, and Jimmy Woo from Ant-Man and the Wasp. Since these characters are all good-natured, it does make SWORD present itself to us in a positive light. But there is reason to believe otherwise.
In WandaVision, unlike “Sentient World…” in the comics, the full form of SWORD is “Sentient Weapons Observation Response Division”.
So, it is clear that SWORD won’t monitor other worlds as much as it will monitor superhumans. It sees superhumans not as people but as “Weapons”. We have seen the same “perspective” in General Ross in Captain America: Civil War and before that in Hulk. “If I misplaced a couple of 30 megaton nukes, you can bet there’d be consequences,” he told Steve Rogers in the Sokovia Accords debate scene. We must not forget that Hulk was a result of one of Ross’s super-soldier programs. And Hulk had gone astray or had been “misplaced.” He was nothing more than a “weapon”. In a way, we can also say that SWORD is the next big step after Sokovia Accords to not let superhumans get ahead of themselves.
SWORD and the Mutants
In Whedon’s Astonishing X-Men vol. 3, #17, SWORD had put an undercover agent in the X-Mansion who was revealed to be Lockheed. And there have many other comic storylines that involve SWORD and the mutants. So, it is clear that with SWORD now in the MCU, the mutants cannot be that far behind.
Since SWORD sees superhumans as weapons, they will also see the X-Men and the mutants in the same light. Just like the Avengers were made responsible and monitored through the Sokovia Accords, Mutant Registration Acts can also be put into effect to monitor them. And we all know what that led to in the previous X-Men films. It is not that tough to imagine SWORD being the mastermind behind the creation of inhibitor collars, weapons that neutralize mutant genes, and the worst of them all, the Sentinels.
That SWORD sees superhumans as weapons gives MCU the perfect way to bring in the X-Men. They can certainly be the antagonists in the scenario. And we will slowly come to know more about SWORD as WandaVision unveils itself on Disney+. Meanwhile, Marvel president Kevin Feige has stated that discussions about the X-Men reboot are already ongoing.
This means that the X-Men are not arriving any time soon. But once they do, and they will, MCU will change forever. Superhumans won’t be limited to dozens; they might as well number in millions. And “you bet there will be consequences.”
