Who Is Agatha Harkness? Kathryn Hahn’s WandaVision Witch & Comics History Explained

Agatha All Along will expand the story of Agatha Harkness after her imprisonment at the end of WandaVision, but the character already has a long history in the comics. Long before the events of WandaVision in the Multiverse Saga, and even before the MCU itself, Agatha Harkness has been a figure who appeared in Marvel Comics in connection with several characters. While her role in WandaVision was notable, her demise in the series came swiftly, but thanks to the popularity of Kathryn Hahn’s performance, the character is back to star in her own spin-off.

And while it could feel as though the character is not that significant or important due to her role in the series, the figure is actually one of the oldest in the Marvel Comics. With this in mind, the ways that the MCU could utilize the character and make Agatha All Along a pivotal series in this new Saga are nearly endless. However, to understand how she could play a bigger part, it’s vital to understand who she is and where she comes from.

Agatha Harkness’s Marvel Comics History Explained

Agatha Appeared In The First Comic Series From Marvel

Agatha Harkness was first introduced in Marvel Comics in January 1970 when she appeared in Fantastic Four #94. The character was a known practitioner of the occult, but, she was actually hired as a babysitter for Reed and Sue Richards’ child, Franklin. After years of working with The Fantastic Four, and serving as a loyal and fierce protector of their son, Agatha also had a stint as a tutor for a young Wanda Maximoff, helping to train her in the mystic arts.

Agatha also had a son, named Nicholas Scratch, who has been speculated to appear in the upcoming series. The comics also explored stories which were adapted for the WandaVision series, namely when Wanda creates children from magic. Agatha caused Wanda to forget her twins after they disappeared in the comics, which shows that while she is not inherently a totally heroic or good character, she was never really a significant villain either.

Agatha Harkness’s Powers Explained

Agatha Is One Of The Most Powerful Witches In Marvel Comics

In the comics, Agatha is one of the most powerful practitioners of magic of all time. Her knowledge of spells, incantations, and arcana in general means that she is capable of extraordinary feats that are largely only limited by her imagination. From teleportation, to sealing people or objects, to the ability to control the elements, and nullify other peoples’ magic, she has proven to be an extraordinarily powerful being.

In WandaVision, Agatha is also revealed to be an old witch whose knowledge is extensive, but it appears that her powers are considerably less developed than in the comics. However, considering she has featured in comics for more than 50 years, facing down threats from all across the Marvel universe, it only makes sense that her powers are less defined in a miniseries that plays out across 9 episodes.

Agatha Harkness Comics Changes Explained

Agatha’s Adaptation To The MCU

As stated above, Agatha is considered a more neutral to good character in the comics. She frequently fights alongside heroes and helps to repel villains. This is a significant change from WandaVision and the MCU, where she appears to be aligned with the forces of evil. However, considering how Wanda was also walking a darker path and Agatha fought against her, the argument could be made that she is still chasing her own interests above anything else, and not a true villain.

Likewise, the character is notably less experienced in the MCU. In The MCU, Agatha was kicked out of her coven for practicing dark magic in the 17th century. However, in the comics, she first became involved in magic in the 15th century. By the 17th century, comic Agatha was leading her own coven. In addition, her age in the comic places her as being significantly older, remembering up to 500 years before Atlantis sank to the bottom of the sea.

Agatha Harkness’s WandaVision Role Explained

Agatha All Along In WandaVision

In WandaVision, Agatha is initially seen to be a nosy neighbor to Wanda and Vision, who is friendly, but also slightly too involved. As Agnes, Agatha became a close friend to Wanda, and tried to learn more about the mysterious and powerful witch. At this point, Agatha already possessed the Darkhold, and she had the ability to sense magic, which led her to discover Wanda and the powerful reality warping magic she was pouring out over Westview.

From there, Agatha subtly attempted to mess with Wanda’s trance over the town, before she ultimately hid Wanda’s kids and revealed her true identity. Within the series, Agatha presented another magical threat, and someone who understood Wanda’s magic on a deeper level. However, considering how powerful Wanda is, she became the Scarlet Witch, seized the Darkhold, and set about planning to find a way to bring her children back. At the end of WandaVision, Agatha is imprisoned by Wanda, and that is where she begins the story in Agatha All Along.

Why Agatha Harkness Is Getting Her Own MCU Show

Agatha’s Story Has Just Begun

Some people have questioned why Agatha Harkness, a character who has never starred in her own series of comics and always appears as someone in the background, was chosen to lead an MCU spin-off. While she played an important part in WandaVision, most villains don’t get their own show to expand their story when the hero is finished with them. However, comments from the producer on the new show shed some light as to why Agatha. In referring to Kathryn Hahn’s performance, Mary Livanos said this to ComicBook.com:

I think her enthusiasm and love for the character is what elicited that incredible fan response to Agatha in
WandaVision.
It’s really hats off to Hahn. It’s because of her we get to do
Agatha All Along
and continue her story.

In addition to the response to Agatha and Hahn’s performance, the character has a rich history that could help her tie in with various stories. As mentioned above, her comic counterpart had close ties to The Fantastic Four. Otherwise, there are also theories that Agatha’s return to the MCU may be an indication that Wanda will be returning in the series. Thanks to her connections, and her relationship with other characters, Agatha could be the perfect character to bring Wanda’s story back around and see her redeemed. Agatha All Along could also help to connect supernatural parts of the MCU which have been disconnected up to this point.

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