I enjoy reading comics involving Billy Kaplan, Wiccan, because gay. It’s nice to read and connect to characters that are like me. It’s important for people to make connections to characters like themselves. Growing up I wish there were more characters like me in movies, TV shows, or books. It would have been nice to grow up seeing positive gay characters. I think that’s why superheroes became so important to me, I felt protected and accepted by the strong, flamboyant superheroes.

In the Moment

“My name is Billy Kaplan and right now, right at this moment in time, in history, there’s no past, there’s no future, there’s just this. And it’s magic.” - Wiccan *

Billy Kaplan has no idea where their powers come from. Billy’s parents are wealthy doctors (cardiologist and psychologist) but Billy has magical powers. Billy thinks that he and Tommy Sheppard (Speed) are the reincarnated child of Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch. But that is just a theory. The coincidence is he and Tommy have the same powers as Wanda and her twin brother Pedro Maximoff (Quicksilver). Another interesting coincidence is his powers started manifesting after he met the Scarlet Witch. Billy took the name “Wiccan”. To manifest his powers, he uses a technique he learned from his mother – the affirmation or mantra. His spells are created by using a repeated “I” statement to affirm his goal like a mantra focusing on the outcome. The magic occurs. For Billy’s powers to work he must stay in the moment.

An old Alcoholics Anonymous axiom is “If you have one foot in the past and one foot in the future you’re pissing on the present.” Staying in the moment is important – the moment is what is present. The moment is where your focus should be right now. It is in the moment that magic occurs. Your past brought you to this moment. This moment will decide your future. What brought you to this moment? Do you remember? Don’t fear the future because it is this moment that will decide the future. Take the next step positively. Just remember “A positive attitude will bring positive results.” That is all is needed, and it is magic.

Wiccan
First Appearance: Young Avengers #1 (April 2005)

Creators: Allan Heinberg (script) and Jim Cheung (art)

* ”Young Avengers Presents…Wiccan” #3, 2008 Aguirre-Sacasa and Urusov