'House of Harkness' Writer Preeti Chhibber Sends Scarlet Witch to a Magical Boarding School

For the first sixteen years of her life, Agatha Harkness reigned supreme at the House of Harkness, the magical boarding school run by her family for the last sixteen generations. Enter Wanda Maximoff, a latecomer student with raw natural talent and the drive to rise above all expectations. Put them together, and what have you got? An intense rivalry that could shake the very foundations of the institution they call home! 

In HOUSE OF HARKNESS INFINITY COMIC, now available on Marvel Unlimited, Wanda joins a class that includes such esteemed students as Stephen Strange, Loki, Nico Minoru, Jericho Drumm, and Morgan Le Fay. This alternate universe tale puts a new spin on fan-favorite characters, from heroes to villains and everything in between, as a magical mystery unfolds at the mystical House of Harkness.

Speaking to Marvel.com, HOUSE OF HARKNESS writer Preeti Chhibber broke down the fundamental truths that make Wanda Maximoff feel familiar. She unpacked Wanda and Agatha's rivalry, as well as the other magical personalities Wanda will encounter along the way. She also teased appearances from Wanda's brother Pietro, an "extremely cute romance," some surprises by series artists Jodi Nishijima and Kiichi Mizushima, and more.

MARVEL.COM: HOUSE OF HARKNESS introduces new versions of some of our favorite magical Marvel characters. As you were crafting their voices, how did you strike a balance between their familiar trappings and those new elements?

PREETI CHHIBBER: One thing that's fun about writing comic characters is that they are always shifting, depending on who is on the creative team. Spidey written by Dan Slott isn't going to necessarily feel exactly the same as Spidey written by Stephanie Williams. I love that, because it's a way for a character that has sixty-plus years of history to constantly feel new. 

So, what we do is we find the fundamental truths and hold onto those, but everything else is fair game. Wanda is driven, she's a fighter, and she knows what she wants and is willing to do what she needs to do to get it. Only now, she's doing that at 16 in a magical school. The fun part is making sure those fundamental truths continue to exist, and how they're impacted by an entirely new universe.

MARVEL.COM: What makes the House of Harkness school so formidable, especially for somebody like Wanda?

PREETI CHHIBBER: Wanda is coming into House of Harkness as a new student years after everyone else has been there building their skills. She's self-trained and has a natural talent, but she has to figure out where she fits in a world where Agatha is the queen bee.

MARVEL.COM: High school is positively filled with drama. What kind of challenges will Wanda face in her first year at the House of Harkness? 

PREETI CHHIBBER: She's dealing with other magical personalities in a way she's never had to do before—including an accidental rivalry with Agatha Harkness herself. She's also dealing with crushes and a dangerous magical threat that no one can quite define.

MARVEL.COM: Wanda and Agatha have a long, occasionally contentious relationship in the Marvel Universe. What does it look like in HOUSE OF HARKNESS?

PREETI CHHIBBER: I mentioned it above, but they are definitely rivals in this series. You find out the source of it in the first issue, but it's very much a talented and ambitious newcomer vs. established number one in this case.

MARVEL.COM: Which character became a surprise favorite for you as the story unfolded?

PREETI CHHIBBER: Pietro figures in the story pretty lightly, but I loved having him show up. He actually got more screentime than I'd initially anticipated, but if we get more issues, you better believe I am finding a way for Pietro Maximoff to audit some classes at the House of Harkness.

MARVEL.COM: What did series artists Jodi Nishijima and Kiichi Mizushima bring to this project that particularly surprised or delighted you?

PREETI CHHIBBER: Jodi's so good at bringing the mayhem and beauty into the art. I could just say, "I want to see a demon, maybe inspired by this or that" and Jodi would come back with the most perfect monster I could have hoped for. And Kiichi Mizushima, who stepped in for a few issues, has incredible work—Kiichi actually drew one of my favorite scenes in the entire series in issue 6, and I can't wait for people to see it. 

I trust in the artists of the work, and my scripts will always be written in a way that necessitates an artist's vision taking over. Both Jodi and Kiichi knocked it out of the park with their creativity for what a Marvel magical school might look like. They have a deep understanding of bringing not only the atmosphere to life, but also knowing how to make a line land with the perfect expression, or pull a sight gag out of the word doc and into a panel so it gets me every single time.

MARVEL.COM: What are you most excited for readers to see in HOUSE OF HARKNESS?

PREETI CHHIBBER: Girls being kick ass rivals, obviously, but also there's romance! And friendship! And monsters! (The romance is extremely cute, so maybe my answer is about romance.)

HOUSE OF HARKNESS #1 is available to read now on Marvel Unlimited!

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