‘Agatha All Along’ requires minimal Marvel homework, but these backstories explain more
Agatha Harkness is going down, down, down the Witches’ Road.
Episode 3 of “Agatha All Along,†which hit Disney+ on Wednesday, saw the eponymous witch and her newly assembled coven start their journey down the legendary Witches’ Road. Things got off to a rocky start.
For Agatha, portrayed by Kathryn Hahn, the quest primarily seems to be about regaining the powers she lost to Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) during the events of “WandaVision.†Her traveling companions, which includes the mysterious Teen (Joe Locke), Lilia Calderu (Patti LuPone), Jennifer Kale (Sasheer Zamata) and Alice Wu-Gulliver (Ali Ahn), each have their own reasons for accompanying her.
Agatha Harkness, the witch who was pulling almost every evil string in Marvel’s ‘WandaVision,’ returns in ‘Agatha All Along.’ Here is everything you need to know about everyone’s favorite musical magical girl (woman) before watching the Disney+ spinoff.
While the magical series is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and contains its fair share of Easter eggs, it requires minimal existing knowledge of previous films and series to follow along. But for those interested in learning more about the lore involved with the show, here are the comic backstories of key players and settings.
What is the Witches’ Road?
Agatha and her ragtag group of (mostly) witches officially get their quest started in Episode 3, trying to make their way to the end of the Witches’ Road. According to the ballad they sang to get there, the road is “wild and wicked†and they can expect to travel “through many miles of tricks and trials.â€
In the comics, the Witches’ Road was introduced in the “Scarlet Witch†series by James Robinson and various artists that ran from 2015 to 2017. It’s a mystical realm that can only be accessed by those who use magic. In the story, Wanda enters the Witches’ Road a couple of times — accompanied by the spirit of Agatha — during her travels to figure out why witchcraft is broken. In order to heal witchcraft, Wanda walked the road further than anyone else ever had and had to face various magical creatures and demons along the way. It was a grueling mission, but it did lead to Agatha being resurrected when things were over.
Hopefully, making it to the end of the Witches’ Road will lead to a certain someone being brought back to life on “Agatha All Along.â€
Who is in Agatha’s coven?
Accompanying Agatha and the mysterious Teen on the Witches’ Road is the coven they put together in Episode 2. The initial members include Lilia Calderu, a divination witch; Jennifer Kale, a potions expert; Alice Wu-Gulliver, a protection witch; and Sharon Davis, a.k.a. Mrs. Hart.
The majority of Agatha’s coven appear to be inspired by characters who have appeared in Marvel comics. Jennifer Kale, for instance, is a sorceress who first appeared in an issue of the horror comic “Adventure into Fear†in the 1970s. She has been affiliated with characters like Man-Thing (the plant creature that appeared in the “Werewolf by Night†special), Howard the Duck (who has appeared in the “Guardians of the Galaxy†films) and Doctor Strange.
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In the comics, Alice Wu-Gulliver is the police detective and a magical protector known as “the Wu.†She’s introduced in a 2016 issue of “Scarlet Witch†when Wanda travels to Hong Kong to take down a dark warlock. Alice, whose mother was Hong Kong’s magical guardian before her, keeps her skills a secret by using enchanted weapons.
The comics version of Lilia Calderu first appeared in an issue of “Marvel Premiere†in the 1970s. She has not made that many appearances, but she has crossed paths with characters who’ve appeared in the MCU such as Wanda, Doctor Strange and Baron Mordo.
What about Mrs. Hart and Teen?
Mrs. Hart, whose real name is Sharon Davis, is a character who originated in “WandaVision.†While not much is known about her, it seems she is particularly skilled in maintaining her garden, downing some wine and rolling with the punches when pushy witches are involved.
The Teen’s true identity remains a secret thanks to the sigil hex that prevents others from hearing any identifying information about him, including his real name. The series appears to suggest he might be somehow related to a witch viewers are familiar with, but it is yet to be confirmed.
Who is Nicholas Scratch?
In Episode 1, the bewitched Agatha peers into what appears to be a child’s room in her house. Besides some drawings, there is a plaque for someone named Nicholas Scratch — Agatha’s son.
In the comics, Scratch has been depicted as a supervillain. He was introduced in the “Fantastic Four†comics in the 1970s as the leader of a secret town of witches called New Salem. Some time after Agatha had left New Salem, Scratch convinced the magical townspeople that his mother had betrayed them and revealed their existence to the outside world. He had her kidnapped (along with the child she was hired to watch over) to put her on trial and execute her, but his plan is thwarted by the Fantastic Four.
Scratch has since been affiliated with other villains such as Dormammu, who appeared in 2016’s “Doctor Strange,†and Mephisto, who has yet to formally appear in the MCU. (Marvel’s first family — comprised of Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm — will be making their official MCU debut in “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,†slated for 2025.)
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Who are the Salem Seven?
Agatha and her newly formed coven escape onto the Witches’ Road as a mysterious group of hunters launch their attack on the currently powerless witch’s home. According to Rio’s warning, the group is known as the Salem Seven.
In the comics, Nicholas Scratch transformed his kids into a superpowered group known as Salem’s Seven to in order to pull off his plan to have Agatha be executed for treason in New Salem. Salem’s Seven, therefore, are Agatha’s grandchildren. While the group started off as villains, they have also worked alongside heroes like the Fantastic Four and the Scarlet Witch. Viewers will have to wait and see if there are any familial ties with the Salem Seven.
What about Rio Vidal?
While there has been plenty of speculation about the witch who let Agatha live after she regained her memories, no official connection between Rio and an existing comic book character has been established. For now, viewers will have to make do with imagining just what might have happened in Rio and Agatha’s past to foster their strained relationship — at least until the pair are reunited.
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