Facts about WandaVision: Who is Agatha Harkness and What happened in the Marvel Comics

Mixi February 20, 2021 | 12:32

Facts about WandaVision: Agatha Harkness was one of Earth's most powerful witches and a member of New Salem who later left the colony on her own. If you are a huge fan of WandaVision and marvel comics, stay tuned to explore more!

Agatha Harkness. Photo: GamesRadar+

“WandaVision” had some big reveals in the seventh episode of the show, mostly centered around the character Agnes and her true intentions. WandaVision’ revealed more about Agatha Harkness. Here’s everything to Know:

Who is Agatha Harkness?

Let’s talk about Marvel Villains for a minute. Agatha Harkness is one of the villains we find in the comic books. She is in-league with an even bigger baddie, Nightmare. Nightmare is rumored to be the ultimate antagonist in the upcoming film, Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. Fans are already expecting to see Scarlet Witch in the Doctor Strange sequel. So, it would make sense to see the villains’ story extend into the Disney+ series.

In the comic book realm, Agatha Harkness is also old. Really old. She is apparently one of the original witches of New Salem. Harkness has three major confrontations with Wanda (Scarlet Witch), and Wanda has to kill Agatha at least twice. Agatha also appears in the Fantastic Four comics as a governess for newborn, Franklin Richards.

Long story short, this sorceress is very fast and very powerful in all realms of sorcery. But, one quick look at Katheryn Hahn’s repertoire will tell you this sharp, sassy actress would be perfect for the role, as Insidethemagic cited.

Spoilers ahead for WandaVision episode 7

WandaVision episode 7 reveals that nosey neighbor Agnes is actually Marvel Comics witch Agatha Harkness in disguise. And what's more, she's been manipulating the events in Westview since the start of the show, having been faking being one of the brainwashed residents of the illusory New Jersey town since the beginning (she even admits she killed Sparky! Very evil, not very nice).

Though Agatha Harkness's comic book history doesn't exactly reflect her outwardly villainous nature in WandaVision, her connections to the Scarlet Witch and the magical history of Marvel Comics may shed light on numerous mysteries from WandaVision - from Wanda's plight to Vision's resurrection, to the nature of twins Billy and Tommy, and even the (sort of) return of Pietro Maximoff, according to Gamesradar.

What is Agatha's plan?

Photo: Sportskeeda

As that jaunty little tune at the end reveals, it was "Agatha all along!" Which is to say, no, she didn't create Wanda's suburban dreamscape, but Agatha did swoop in to take advantage of the chaos (magic).

Through a hilariously evil montage – "And I killed Sparky too!" – we learn that Agatha has been manipulating events in Westview this whole time. She even faked being under Wanda's spell when Vision found her sitting at the outskirts of town.

But what's Agatha's endgame? What does she stand to gain from Wanda's pain? Well, it's clear that the children are central to whatever plan Agatha is cooking up. Remember the shark advert in episode six? The one where it fed off a boy's magic until he died? It's no coincidence that Agatha promises not to "bite" Billy and Tommy when she takes them away.

In the comics, Wanda's children were created with the help of soul shards taken from Mephisto, Marvel's version of the devil. This made them a source of great power, one which he eventually decided to take back for himself.

Whether Agatha is working for Mephisto or just for herself, it's clear that everything she's done here is to ensure the birth of Wanda's children. And now that they've finally grown into their powers, now is the perfect time for Agatha to use them for whatever spell or ritual she has planned.

While we're yet to learn exactly what this might be, the new advert in episode seven strongly suggests that Agatha plans to traverse the multiverse somehow or tap into its energy. The key to this is in the name of the antidepressants being sold here – Nexus. In the comics, every single alternate reality that exists is connected by the Nexus, a cross-dimensional gateway where all of the multiverse intersects.

The advert essentially confirms this to be true in the MCU as well, particularly when it's suggested that 'Nexus' can "anchor you in your reality or a reality of your choice... because the world doesn't revolve around you, or does it?"

That last line in particular hints at something else fans have long suspected — that Wanda's newfound ability to rewrite reality has messed up reality at large. Whether it's by manipulating Westview or creating children out of nothing, all of this magic could potentially damage the fabric of space and time (while also introducing the likes of Deadpool and the X-Men into the MCU).

Or perhaps, Agatha will be the one to do this. By manipulating the power of Wanda and her children, the true Big Bad of WandaVision may be the one who messes everything up, to the point where Doctor Strange must intervene. We've known for some time now that Wanda will return in his movie sequel, the Multiverse of Madness, which implies that the events of WandaVision will be what causes this "madness" in the first place, as cited by Digitalspy.

‘WandaVision’ Episode 7 Recap: Facts about Agatha Harkness

Following some brief technical difficulties at launch, late-night WandaVision viewers were rewarded with the series’ biggest reveal yet: It’s been Agatha all along.

Clues To Agatha's Twist In WandaVision

Though Agatha has been a friend to Wanda in the fake sitcom reality of Westview, WandaVision episode 7 reveals that she has actually been playing the role of a puppet master - something that's apparent looking back on the series. Even before it was confirmed that Agnes is Agatha Harkness, there have been hints that someone else was pulling the strings in Westview. WandaVision episode 6 featured a disturbing commercial in which a shark tells a starving boy that he survived by "snacking on Yo-Magic." Between this and the mysterious purple vines snaking down to Agatha's basement, it appears that Agatha may have been using the Hex - and Wanda's powers - as effectively a giant magical battery for whatever she has planned. There have been a number of references to Mephisto throughout the series, so it's possible that Agatha is draining Wanda's magic in order to summon him unless it's all been misdirection. Wanda's slipping control of her reality in "Breaking the Fourth Wall" could indicate that her magic is running dry.

Agnes frequently shows up at Wanda and Vision's home and has been a confidant and adviser for Wanda on everything from organizing a romantic evening for herself and Vision to looking after the twins when they were born. As a hint to her involvement, she always seemed to turn up at the right time with exactly the right solution. That was initially suggested as a copycat sitcom trope, but it actually speaks even more to Agatha's oversight. The "Agatha All Along" montage reveals that Agnes conjured up the recast Pietro, manipulated Herb to behave strangely and sow seeds of doubt in Vision's mind, and in general has been "messing up everything" for Wanda.

It's telling too that Agnes was one of the only Westview residents not shown on S.W.O.R.D.'s whiteboard of all of those trapped inside the Hex. Everyone else's real identity was revealed (other than Dottie for some reason), suggesting that S.W.O.R.D. simply did not recognize her. Add that to her mentions of having magic up her sleeves and her allusions to the devil and Agnes was spelling her secret out all along.