Pietro Maximoff was a native of Sokovia who grew up with his fraternal twin sister, Wanda. After losing theirparents to a bombing caused by the United States Air Force using Stark Industries weapons, the Maximoffs formed a hatred for the United States and Tony Stark. While protesting against the constant war and strife in Sokovia, the twins joined Baron Strucker's HYDRA cell and became volunteers for human experiments. After being exposed to the Mind Stone within the Scepter, he gained the ability to move at superhuman speeds and was dubbed Quicksilver.
Following the Avengers' attack on the HYDRA Research Base, the twins joined Ultron to continue their quest for revenge on Stark over his weapons killing their family, but eventually switched sides and helped the Avengers when they discovered Ultron's true intentions. Pietro then joined the Avengers and fought in the Battle of Sokovia but sacrificed his own life to protect Hawkeye and Costel, much to his sister's grief. Pietro's sacrifice was not in vain, as the Avengers destroyed Ultron and stopped him from enacting his cataclysmic extinction-level plan.
"I grab her, roll under the bed, and the second shell hits. But, it doesn't go off. It just... sits there in the rubble, three feet from our faces. And on the side of the shell is painted one word..." "Stark."
Pietro Maximoff was born in 1989 to Olek and Iryna Maximoff in Sokovia along with his twin sister, Wanda.[2] As Maximoff and Wanda grew up, Sokovia was marred by a civil war. At the age of 10, while watching American sitcoms with his family, a mortar shell hit their apartment building, killing Maximoff's parents while trapping him and his sister. Maximoff led Wanda under their bed to take shelter from the collapsing building.[3]
A second shell then hit the structure and landed three feet in front of them but did not go off. Maximoff and Wanda were left trapped under the rubble for two days, terrified for their lives, as they waited to be rescued while staring at the unexploded missile, which bore the name Stark Industries.[1][3] Pietro and his sister were subsequently admitted into a Sokovian orphanage. While there, they lived and interacted with a child who had a skin condition, which was always trying to steal Pietro's boots.[4]
This horrifically traumatic experience gave the twins a great hatred for Tony Stark, and later the Avengers. At the same time, Pietro became highly protective of his sister. Driven by this hatred growing up, they often took part in and would lead anti-American protests against the Avengers, searching for ways to bring the group down. This constant political activity put Pietro and Wanda on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar as a potential threat to world security, as well as HYDRA's.[1]
By the time the twins reached adulthood, the political unrest in Sokovia had boiled over into a civil war, prompting even more intervention led by the United States of America and pushing the country into a state of turmoil. Pietro and Wanda participated in frequent riots to drive the American forces out of their streets. What the twins did not know was that the riots were orchestrated by HYDRA, who had taken up residence in the country and were using its conflict as a cover for their illegal experiments.
List, desiring to see what effect the Scepter's power would have on live humans, approached several Sokovian rioters, including the Maximoff twins, and offered them the opportunity to achieve the power needed to free their country from war. While Wanda expressed some doubt over Baron Strucker's claims, Pietro was determined to save Sokovia and convinced his sister to accept. Upon exposure to the Scepter, the other volunteers did not survive but Pietro and Wanda experienced drastic changes, with unlocked latent supernatural powers within them; Pietro was now able to move at superhuman speeds, with enhanced durability and perception, while Wanda developed a number of mental powers.[5][6]
Soon after Pietro and Wanda's abilities had been unlocked, the Avengers arrived and raided the HYDRA Research Base, attempting to defeat HYDRA and take the Scepter. As the alarms sounded, List recommended to Baron Strucker that they send the twins to fight the Avengers, but Strucker refused. In the confusion, Pietro and Wanda escaped from their holding cells, and though inexperienced, were able to use their powers to evade the guards and escape to defend the base.
While Wanda was defending Strucker inside the base, Pietro found Hawkeye outside attempting to use an explosive arrow to destroy a HYDRA bunker. Maximoff used his powers to run in front of the arrow and caught it in mid-air before knocking Hawkeye off his feet and mocking him. In the confusion, Hawkeye was shot and nearly killed by a cannon, but the Hulk defended him and destroyed the bunker. Pietro then attacked Captain America, using his speed to try to stop the Avengers' advance and to protect the base.
Returning to the inside of the base, Pietro found his sister hexing Tony Stark and forcing him to see a future involving the death of all the Avengers. Pietro recommended that they kill him, as they had intended to do for years, but Wanda refused, allowing Stark to steal the Scepter as she had had a vision of what he would do with it. Although Pietro disagreed with this decision, he did not argue with his sister. The Avengers won the fight and HYDRA was seemingly defeated, forcing the twins to escape the base before going on the run.[1]
"You need patience. Need to see the bigger picture." "I don't see the big picture, I have a little picture. I take it out and look at it... every day."
With the HYDRA Research Base and Baron Strucker captured, the Maximoffs returned to Novi Grad and Pietro provided for them by using his speed to steal necessities for himself and Wanda, as well as the local people. Several days later as Pietro handed out supplies, including medicine for an elderly man who couldn't afford insurance, he also got a football for Costel and a fancy Paris dress for Zrinka in an attempt to flirt with her. Wanda warned him that he would get shot if he kept stealing and Pietro began to question her decision to let Tony Stark go free. Costel then approached the pair and told them that "Iron Man" was waiting in a nearby church for them.[7]
Pietro and Wanda went to the church and found a "man" sitting on a chair wearing a red cloak who spoke about how much he enjoyed the church. When Wanda questioned why she could not read his mind, the "man" revealed himself to be Ultron. Ultron explained that he intended to destroy the Avengers to bring about real change and wanted the Maximoffs to help him complete his plans. Ultron then led them from the church and back to the HYDRA Research Base.
Ultron revealed that he had taken over the base and was using HYDRA's technologies to create an army of sentries, knowing that with the twins' powers, they could defeat the opposition. When they discussed the reasons for killing the Avengers, Pietro told Ultron the story of how he and Wanda had lost their parents due to a Stark Industries missile. Although they were initially unsure, Ultron assured the twins that they would use their powers to kill the Avengers; noting that while he and Pietro could defeat them with strength, Wanda would be able to tear them apart from the inside.[1]
Pietro and Wanda accompanied Ultron in acquiring Ulysses Klaue's supply of vibranium. The Maximoffs entered the Salvage Yard first and shut off the lights before Pietro disarmed Klaue and confronted him. Klaue remained unimpressed by the Maximoffs, having heard of them already. He noted that he was saddened to hear of Baron Strucker's death, then mocked the pair for their reaction to the news.
Eventually, Klaue told the pair that he would have no respect for them if Wanda used her powers to make him see what he feared, a cuttlefish, and he wished to speak to the man in charge. In response, Ultron threw Klaue through a window and introduced himself. Ultron then forced Klaue to sell him his stockpile of Vibranium in exchange for billions of dollars. When Klaue noted that Ultron was quoting Tony Stark, the comparison threw Ultron into a rage, resulting in him slicing off Klaus's left arm and kicking him down a flight of stairs.
When the Avengers arrived, Captain America attempted to convince the Maximoffs to walk away while they still had a chance, but they both refused. Iron Man attempted to learn what Ultron's plan was, but this resulted in a fight breaking out. Pietro attacked Captain America and Thor using his incredible speed. At one stage, Pietro tried to use MjĂžlnir against the team, but was unsuccessful and thrown across the room and knocked back by Captain America. He soon recovered and injured Captain America by throwing him across the room, leaving him vulnerable to his sister's attacks.
When Wanda attempted to hex Hawkeye, he subdued her with a taser arrow to the head. Pietro saved her in the nick of time and threw Hawkeye through a window. He took her outside Klaue's base and tried to go back inside to kill Hawkeye, but she insisted that she was all right and wished to continue with the plan. She caught sight of Bruce Banner and hexed him as well, causing him to transform into the Hulk and go on a rampage in Johannesburg. The twins used the distraction to their advantage and escaped in the chaos.[1]
When the trio arrived in Seoul, Ultron used the Scepter to indoctrinate Helen Cho, forcing her to use the vibranium in synchrony with the Regeneration Cradle to build a new, more powerful body for Ultron. As Ultron's consciousness was being uploaded into the body, Wanda curiously took the opportunity to explore Ultron's mind and was horrified to learn of Ultron's true plans, which involved the genocide of humanity in its entirety. With Pietro, Wanda abandoned Ultron and left the facility, much to the automaton's rage.[1]
The twins attempted to escape Seoul, but as they made their way through the city, they spotted a news report showing that the Avengers were attempting to steal the Regeneration Cradle, and battling Ultron and his army in the middle of the city, endangering thousands of lives. Refusing to allow the people of Seoul to be put in danger, the Maximoffs decided to assist the Avengers in the fight.
The twins found and assisted Captain America in fighting off Ultron on a moving passenger train. Quicksilver charged onto the train and knocked Ultron back while Wanda Maximoff trapped him inside by twisting the metal to put a defensive barrier between Ultron and the Captain. However, Ultron responded by firing a blast into the front of the train, killing the driver, and destroying the controls of the train before escaping, leaving the train charging straight forwards the center of the city of Seoul and forwards the people standing in its path.
Maximoff saves citizens from the train
With the train now completely out of control and heading to the middle of the city, Rogers ordered Pietro to use his incredible speed to move the civilians out of its path while Wanda stopped it. Pietro ran as fast as he physically could and pushed everyone he came across out of the path of the train. Despite the train still traveling at its full speed and Pietro using every ounce of energy he had to keep moving at such a speed, he still managed to stay ahead and saved dozens of lives before Wanda was finally able to stop the train in the center of the city.
Maximoff recovering from his extreme run
With the train now stopped, Pietro took a break to rest as he could barely stand after running so fast for so long. When Rogers revealed that the Regeneration Cradle and Ultron's would-be body had been sent to Tony Stark for analysis, Wanda was disturbed, aware that Stark would attempt to utilize the body rather than destroy it in order to correct his own folly. Although the Captain was reluctant to accept this as a possibility, Wanda compared Stark and Ultron and made key comparisons with their mindsets.[1]
The Maximoffs were taken to Avengers Tower in New York City by Steve Rogers. Once there, they discovered that Tony Stark was attempting to program Ultron's being in the Regeneration Cradle with J.A.R.V.I.S.. Rogers ordered Stark to terminate the program as it was too dangerous. Stark refused, so Maximoff used his incredible speed to unplug and damage the machine. As he took a moment, he noticed a bullet coming up from the ground below him. Before he could react, the glass he was standing on shattered and he was captured by Clint Barton, who mocked him using the same phrase Maximoff taunted him with earlier.
Rogers' and Stark's argument hit a boiling point and the pair began fighting until Thor arrived and used his lightning to power the Regeneration Cradle, causing the being inside to be born. The being briefly attacked the Avengers before overlooking the city and calming down. The being apologized and explained that he was not Ultron or J.A.R.V.I.S., but a new Vision. He told them that they needed to go to stop Ultron. He ultimately gained their trust when he handed Thor MjĂžlnir. Maximoff and the rest of the Avengers could only look on in shock and confusion.
Pietro and Wanda then agreed to help the Avengers to stop Ultron and save Sokovia, where he would be enacting his final plan. Pietro took a new uniform and threw a red jacket at Wanda for her to wear and joined the Avengers on the Quinjet as Rogers gave a speech where he informed the team that their priority was getting the people of Sokovia out of harm's way before Ultron could destroy their homes and their lives. Pietro stayed silent, still unsure of trusting the Avengers in the long term. However, he shared their intention to save the lives of his friends.[1]
Pietro and his sister joined the Avengers in evacuating the citizens out of Sokovia before the upcoming battle. While the rest of the team quietly moved the people out, Maximoff's method of evacuating them is more aggressive, charging into a police station and ordered Sokovian Police Department to clear Novi Grad. When none of the police officers in the station listened to him, Maximoff returned and fired a machine gun into the air, demanding they hurry up.[1]
Quicksilver went into different houses and told the people who were still there to leave the city and bring nothing with them. He then went to a young woman and told her to evacuate. Quicksilver then went back to her and asked that he might see her later, and then went to help other civilians.[7]
Seeing what the Avengers were trying to do, Ultron unleashed his army of Ultron Sentries upon the civilians. Pietro readied himself and charged into the robots, the speed of which he impacted them ripping them apart in a millisecond. When the city started to rise due to the device Ultron had planted inside it, Maximoff, alongside the Avengers, watched in horror while Ultron explained his grand plan to turn the city into a giant meteor and destroy all human life on the planet so only he and his metal army remained to rule the Earth.
Using his speed, Quicksilver took out numerous robots as he charged across the city tearing them apart and keeping the people still in the city safe. While Iron Man flew around the city and worked out a plan to stop Ultron's scheme, Captain America gave a speech to the team in which he ordered them to do whatever they could to destroy the Sentries, telling them not to even let death stop them. Quicksilver took a moment to catch his breath before continuing to fight.
Before long, Quicksilver came across Wanda Maximoff and Hawkeye who were working together in their own battle against the Ultron Sentries. As they walked to their next mission, Quicksilver charged in and picked up his sister before running away with her in his arms and teasing Barton, calling him an old man and telling him to keep up. Barton considered shooting Quicksilver in the back for being such an annoying teammate and continued to jog far behind them. When Black Widow regrouped with the Avengers, Rogers told her that they fight robots today. Quicksilver rushed by and joked that next month might be better for them, and then rushed off again.
Quicksilver carried Wanda into the center of a fight between the local police and some Sentries. They worked together to tear the machines apart while the police chief ordered his men not to fire upon the Maximoffs. However, during the battle, he was accidentally shot in the arm by one of the officers. The wound was minor and non-life-threatening, but Maximoff still turned to the officer who had fired and glared at him for ripping his uniform.[1]
As the battle became more and more intense, Captain America became focused on finding a way to save the remaining citizens. In response, Nick Fury and Maria Hill arrived on a Helicarrier and used evacuation pods to get the people to safety. Maximoff watched this unfold and turned to Rogers, asking if this the S.H.I.E.L.D., Rogers told him that this is what S.H.I.E.L.D. is supposed to be, which Maximoff happily accepted.[1]
The team regrouped around the church in the center of the city, where Ultron had placed his device's key, which if activated would drop Novi Grad upon the Earth and cause a devastating explosion. Ultron flew outside the church where Thor challenged him to a rematch, so Ultron responded by showing off his entire remaining army of Ultron Sentries vastly outnumbering the Avengers. The team remained together as they prepared for the final showdown.
Ultron unleashed his sentries upon the Avengers all at once in his attempt to activate the key. Quicksilver and the Avengers fought them off with every bit of strength they had. Quicksilver darted around the arena, ripping the Sentries apart as quickly as he could. Before long, Ultron himself attempted to attack Vision, but with the help of Iron Man, Thor and Hulk, Ultron was overpowered. A heavily injured Ultron was thrown across the city.
The team decided it was time for them to escape and Captain America ordered them to sweep the city for any remaining drones before getting on the escape pods. Wanda Maximoff decided to stay behind and protect the key from Ultron. Quicksilver was reluctant to leave his sister but she told him she could take care of herself and told him to get all the civilians on the evacuation ships and to come back for her. He then proceeded to tease her about her bossy attitude by reminding her that he was still the elder twin.[1]
During the civilian's evacuations nearing the end of the battle, Ultron as a last-measure hijacked the Avengers' Quinjet and began to fire its gatling guns at civilians attempting to board the Helicarrierlifeboats. When he saw Hawkeye in imminent danger when he ran back to secure a young boy, Pietro ran to aid them without a second thought. Running into the path of the bullets, Quicksilver used his own body to shield them from the gunfire, saving both their lives.
After the dust settled, the bullet-ridden Pietro then took one last glance at Barton, remarking if he saw that coming before collapsing dead from his many gunshot wounds. Captain America rushed to help, but it was too late. Pietro's body was taken onto a lifeboat by Barton and Rogers. His sister Wanda Maximoff sensed his death through her psychic powers, inadvertently allowing a single Ultron Sentry to activate the Doomsday Trigger.[1]
Legacy[]
Hawkeye's Tribute[]
Pietro's death was avenged when Wanda destroyed Ultron's primary body, with the AI's consciousness subsequently annihilated by Vision. In honor of Maximoff's sacrifice, Hawkeye and his family decided to name their newest son Nathaniel Pietro Barton.[1]
Remembered by Wanda[]
"I'm a twin. I had a brother. His name was Pietro." "He was killed by Ultron, wasn't he?"
Wanda kept a picture of a young Maximoff in her room in the Avengers Compound,[8] as well as a stuffed animal resembling Pietro,[9] although it was difficult for her to talk about her deceased twin. During one such conversation between Wanda and Vision, she reflected that the only thing that would have given her comfort was to see Maximoff again.[3]
In 2023, after using her Chaos Magic to create twin boys, Tommy and Billy Maximoff, Wanda reflected to Monica Rambeau that she was also a twin, remembering her relationship with Pietro. Rambeau suddenly mentioned how Pietro was killed by Ultron, angering Wanda and leading her to realize that Rambeau was not actually part of her Hex, to which she ejected her from it.[10]
Westview Impersonator[]
"I got close with fake Pietro. Fietro, if you will, but no dice." "That was you." "No, it wasn't literally me. Just my eyes and ears. A crystalline possession. Necromancy was a non-starter since your real brother's body is on another continent. Not to mention, full of holes."
Since his childhood, Maximoff was a rather cocky, arrogant, impatient, tenacious, and quick-tempered person. He has often expressed his loud and playful behavior around his father Olek. These personality traits were only later amplified as a side effect of his super-speed, causing him to think and act at a much faster rate than most. Despite this, Maximoff has always had a desire for peace as he wished to save his country to the point he was willing to be experimented on by HYDRA, giving him the formidable powers he later possessed.
He also deeply cared for Wanda and the two shared a deep bond though they would occasionally bicker like normal siblings. He looked after his sister and relied on her for support, while also being so fiercely loyal and protective of her that he was willing to kill Hawkeye when he incapacitated Wanda with a shock arrow. Wanda was devastated by Maximoff's death at the hands of Ultron, to the point she said to Ultron that she just 'died'.
Maximoff originally desired to destroy the Avengers and in particular, Tony Stark for revenge, to the point they decided to join Ultron when he said he shared the same goal. However, Maximoff chose to betray the AI when he found out about his true goal, showing that he was willing to put aside his personal grudges for the greater good.
Out of his relationships with the Avengers, his most complicated was with Hawkeye. Ever since they first met, the two had constantly competed, fought, and taunted each other. Though this initially started out as hatred, their relationship eventually became a friendly rivalry and they became good friends and teammates through Maximoff helping the Avengers, while still continuing their friendly banter during the Battle of Sokovia. He later proved himself a true hero and Avenger by sacrificing his life to protect Hawkeye and Costel from the Quinjet's gunfire. Hawkeye later named his newborn son, Nathaniel Pietro Barton, showing that he deeply respected Maximoff for his sacrifice.
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
"We have clocked him at 400 meters per second. He has broken the sound barrier and grows closer to traveling at the speed of light by the second. Thermoregulation shows exponential generation of heat and energy, especially when he is moving at his peak velocity. Even when placed in an ice bath, his homeostasis remains consistent despite the freezing water. It would seem that the stone ionized his nervous system. He conducts an electrostatic current throughout his body, without any of the effects of electroporation. The resulting expulsion of that energy is a super-speed unlike anything exhibited by a human being."
Quicksilver gained the ability to run at extremely high speeds due to HYDRA's experiments with the Scepter, with Doctor List measuring his speed at 400 meters per second (894.78 miles per hour/Mach 1.17).[13] He was able to think, act, move, and perceive in seconds or less, far faster than any normal human being could ever perceive. As such, he could perceive the world as moving in slow motion, especially when he was moving at super speed, while all others could see him as a vibrating blur of motion. His power caused him to generate an aura of blue, white, and transparent energy currents and mist-like shapes, much like fire or wind, leaving behind a trail of it as he ran. When imprisoned by Baron Strucker, he was able to move from one end of his cell to another in less than a fraction of a second. Quicksilver's super speed gave him the ability to generate extreme force and momentum, allowing him to enhance the force in his attacks, strikes, impacts, and collisions, often propelling objects or people several feet, hitting much harder than normal humans even though he only had average human strength. This ability made him able to outmaneuver someone as fast and perceptive as Hawkeye with absolute ease, catching his arrows and sending him flying through the air multiple times. Shortly afterward, he collided with Captain America at great speeds, making him fly several meters up into the air. In his confrontation with the Avengers, he managed to avoid multiple attacks and being able to match Captain America's far superior strength in their confrontation, allowing Quicksilver to send the latter flying by colliding into him and knocking him to the floor with one punch while moving at super speed, all happened within seconds. It was only his ignorance towards MjĂžlnir that allowed Quicksilver to be caught off guard, knocking him down for a while, but he had proven to be capable of moving faster than it. He used his speed to quickly save Wanda Maximoff from Hawkeye after knocking him down as well. During the Battle of Sokovia, Quicksilver used this ability again to dismantle numerous Ultron Sentries by colliding with them at great speeds. This force, however, was not enough to injure Thor, who was barely affected by Quicksilver smashing into him at extreme speeds. Quicksilver's aura seemed to protect those he carries even though they lack his enhanced physiology, which could move multiple people in an instant, without risking whiplash injury or damage caused by high-speed air friction.
Superhuman Agility: Quicksilver had superhuman agility, enhancing his physicality and ability to move and act, allowing him to coordinate his body with perfect balance, equilibrium, flexibility, and dexterity while running at extreme speeds.
Superhuman Stamina: Quicksilver had a hyper-accelerated metabolic rate, making him less able to be stunned by attacks or injuries, as he quickly recovered from the pain of being shot in the arm and could still act as if he were not injured. Quicksilver could also function in a stable internal environment that required constant monitoring and adjustments to his condition that changed constantly, meaning he could resist the effects of friction and temperature while moving at incredible speeds.
Superhuman Reflexes:
Quicksilver sees a bullet coming up
Quicksilver's enhanced speed greatly augmented his reaction time, which tended to see the world around him as if it were in slow motion, especially when he is moving at super speed, allowing him to react to danger and events much faster than a normal human, including physical and energy attacks, to the point where he could catch bullets in mid-air. He was also able to figure out what the enemy was going to do before doing it using the slowed down time. When fighting the Avengers he was able to dodge Captain America's shield by ducking under it, and then running over and punching Rogers in the face before he was able to react. He was also able to dodge many arrows shot by Hawkeye. However, even with his enhanced reflexes, Quicksilver can still be caught by surprise, such as his fight against Hawkeye during the confrontation between Iron Man and Captain America at Avengers Tower.
Maximoff was an expert at using his powers in combat, defeating several Ultron Sentries, landing an efficient punch against Captain America. His speed allowed him to use it in various ways in combat that nobody else could be able to do. For example, he uses his speed to push into the enemy or graze them so that the force pushes them far. He used this against Ultron in order to push him out of the way.
Bilingualism: Maximoff was fluent in his native Sokovian, as well as English, albeit with a heavy Sokovian accent.
Maximoff rushed into the Sokovian police station and demanded they clear Novi Grad for the incoming threat of Ultron. They ignored him and Maximoff returned with an RPK light machine gun. Maximoff frightened them into action by firing the RPK light machine gun into the roof of their police station.
Other Equipment[]
Uniform: In preparation for the Battle of Sokovia, Pietro picked out a uniform he found in Avengers Tower and wore it into battle.
Facilities[]
Maximoff Residence: In his childhood, Pietro resided with his parents and sister, Wanda. The two twins often watched American television shows to practice their English. One night, they were watching The Dick Van Dyke Show when a Stark Industries bomb landed in their house, killing his parents. A second one then hit, but didn't go off. The twins waited for two days for the bomb to go off until they were finally rescued.
HYDRA Research Base: During the experiments with the Scepter, Maximoff was living in a HYDRA base. Being specifically as a test subject, Maximoff was held in a room where he trained his powers.
Novi Grad Church: The Maximoffs visited the Novi Grad Church when Ultron proposed an alliance for them to defeat the Avengers. Days later, during the Battle of Sokovia, they defended the church alongside the Avengers to prevent Ultron and his sentries from turning the floating Sokovia into an asteroid that could destroy Earth.
Avengers Tower: Following the Battle of Seoul, Maximoff traveled to the Avengers Tower alongside Wanda Maximoff to warn the Avengers about Ultron's plan. After witnessing the birth of Vision, he took a new uniform and gave Wanda a red jacket from the tower in order to prepare for their final battle against Ultron.
Despite the fact that Aaron Taylor-Johnson signed a multi-picture deal, Kevin Feige has stated that there are no plans for Quicksilver to appear in future Marvel Studios films.[17]
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