Myths & Mischief

Was It Billy All Along?!

The next card we’ll explore is Teen’s card, The Tower. When Episode 6 dropped, we got a glimpse of William Kaplan’s past and how he became acquainted with Billy Maximoff. We learned that William had met with Lilia during his bar mitzvah and she was the one who had put the sigil on him. While she was reading his palm, she suddenly said to herself “The Tower reversed” and that is EXTREMELY important!

This card often evokes fear, but the implications go beyond mere destruction. While The Tower does signify upheaval, it also represents transformation and the liberation that comes from dismantling outdated beliefs. Similar to how the Death card embodies change rather than physical demise, The Tower illustrates that the act of breaking down old structures can pave the way for the emergence of something new and more authentic. The Tower can also symbolize the pursuit of higher learning and the aspiration to reach new goals.

The reversed Tower is no less powerful than its counterpart, but its meaning changes in subtle ways. The Tower when reversed points to internal transformation, suggesting a delayed or avoided disaster. It’s a warning that the breakdown of old beliefs or systems is inevitable but that resisting change could cause even more turmoil in the long run.

Billy Kaplan-Maximoff

Billy Kaplan’s soul entered William Kaplan’s body after he died in a car accident caused by the Westview Anomaly, bringing Billy back to life in William’s body. Billy struggled with his new identity, lacking memories of his past life and realizing he has newfound psychic powers.

In WandaVision, the disintegration of the Hex over Westview left a ripple effect that extended far beyond the town. As Wanda released her magic, the essence of Billy Maximoff dispersed into the atmosphere. As the Hex fell, a teenage boy named William Kaplan was returning from his bar mitzvah.

When William woke, he had no memories of his previous life and suddenly possessed psychic abilities. He even called out for Tommy, his twin brother, who was missing.

Wanda’s release of the Hex caused massive external chaos for William, it led to internal destruction and loss of identity. He woke up with no memories of his life as William Kaplan, embodying the reversed card where the destruction is less visible but no less traumatic. The fractured lifeline read by Lilia represents a break in his life that ultimately paves the way for new, possibly more authentic developments, even though he doesn’t remember his past.

Falling Bodies

In the traditional Tower card, the falling King and Queen represent the inevitable chaos that comes with change; as with Death, no one is immune to it, no matter their position. Marvel shifts that imagery in their version to show two boys wearing identical headbands, one dark-haired and the other light-haired. It’s pretty clear that the dark-haired one is Billy Maximoff-Kaplan, and his light-haired twin is Tommy Maximoff-Shepherd. Even though Tommy didn’t have white hair in Multiverse of Madness, in the comics, that’s actually his canonical look. So Marvel seems to be referencing his original comic book design here.

We already know that after Wanda realizes she created Billy and Tommy through magic, they were ripped away from her. The timing is suspicious, though. In the series, Lilia points out The Tower card on the same day Billy’s spirit takes over William Kaplan’s body, so that’s likely a clue. The imagery of these boys falling symbolizes the traumatic upheaval that comes from having their entire existence created and torn apart by forces beyond their control.

Crown

On top of the original tower is the King’s crown, falling off now that he has lost his kingdom. The crown represents the loss of sovereignty and the chaos unleashed by the fall. Struck by lightning, it speakers to the turmoil wrought by higher powers, underscoring that not even the most regal or powerful are immune to upheaval.

(No, the lightning bolt is not a clue. The author’s name was Arthur Waite. There are Ws all over the artwork.)

In Teen’s case, the crown doesn’t fall but forms on his head, symbolizing his emerging power and sovereignty over his abilities. His true lineage, previously blocked by the sigil, now comes into focus, marking his restored control. This suggests a reclaiming of his identity and strength, as he is no longer bound by the spell that erased him.

Marvel’s version of the crown is the same blue as Billy’s original costume design, but it still looks like a crown. Quite a few people have suggested that it looks like Teen’s headband in the show, which is reminiscent of the Halloween costume from WandaVision, but iconography in tarot cards is very important. And we know Marvel doesn’t do things just because.

There are a few popular crowns in the Marvel comics. Various interpretations suggest that crowns in cultural lore have deeper implications. 

Tower Base

This might be a stretch, but the differences between the bases of the two towers are worth noting. In the Rider-Waite deck, the ground under the tower is firm, immovable. That permanence really drives home the idea that once the tower falls, there’s no turning back; everything ends, hard stop. It’s destruction with no chance for redemption or rebuilding.

Marvel flips this idea. Their version shows stalagmites creeping up the sides of the tower, which changes the energy. Instead of a hard, irreversible end, these formations hint that something that can grow even in the middle of destruction. If you look at Multiverse of Madness, this starts to line up when we think about Mount Wundagore. That’s where Wanda battles with her powers and ultimately makes a huge sacrifice for her kids. The connection between the creeping stalagmites and Wundagore’s rocky peaks both represent chaos but also open the door to transformation.

Just like Wanda and her twins, who had their lives completely shattered but still found ways to evolve, the base of the tower suggests that even in the aftermath, there’s a chance to rebuild something new.

As we already know, Teen/Billy’s entire purpose for walking the Witches’ Road was to find his brother. Makes me wonder if they’re going to start looking for Wanda next, like the comic book characters do.

This show was one of the BEST of Marvel’s! Can’t wait to see what the future of these characters looks like. Stay curious, my fabulous friends!

– The Researcher –