Who is Nicholas Scratch in Agatha All Along?

Agatha All Along is the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, centered around Kathryn Hahn’s beloved witch from WandaVision. The new Disney+ series follows Agatha Harkness as she breaks free from Wanda Maximoff’s spell, only to find that her magical abilities have disappeared. Now, she partners with a coven of down-on-their-luck witches (and one overly enthusiastic teenager) to embark on a journey down the Witches’ Road to get their powers back. However, they are pursued by the terrifying Salem’s Seven and the mysterious Rio Vadal.

Agatha All Along Episode 3 drops several hints about characters who haven’t yet been introduced in the MCU (including the often-theorized Mephisto). Among those mentioned is Agatha’s son, who Jennifer Kale reveals met a terrible fate long before the events of the series. Previously, the series premiere hinted that Agatha had a son named Nicholas Scratch. This name should sound familiar to fans of Agatha Harkness’s adventures in the comics. Who is Nicholas Scratch in Marvel Comics and will he show up in the MCU?

Who is Nicholas Scratch in Marvel Comics?

Nicholas Scratch is Agatha Harkness’s Evil Son in Marvel Comics

In Marvel Comics, Nicholas Scratch is Agatha Harkness’s son, born centuries before the main events of the Marvel Universe. It is unclear who Scratch’s father was, though this hasn’t kept Marvel fans from speculating about who it may be, with some suggesting that he was not human at all, but rather a supernatural entity. Scratch grew up in New Salem, a community of magic-wielders that banded together to protect themselves from the persecutions of the outside world, knowing that they would never be accepted there. Eventually, Nicholas Scratch grew to be very powerful, taking after his mother in his mastery of the dark arts.

Unlike his mother, who was an ally of the Fantastic Four, Nicholas Scratch used his powers primarily for evil. After becoming the leader of New Salem, Scratch used their might against Agatha, whom he never forgave for leaving the community to live in the outside world. Calling himself the Supreme Warlock, Scratch kidnapped his mother, eventually clashing with the Fantastic Four when they came to save her. After his defeat, Scratch was banished to the Dark Realm, though he still returns from time to time to menace the Marvel Universe.

What Happened to Nicholas Scratch in the MCU?

Agatha All Along Hints That Nicholas Scratch Met a Terrible Fate

Agatha All Along confirms that Nicholas Scratch does exist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The first episode of the series hints at this during its Agnes of Westview sequence. While still under the guise of Agnes, the lead of a true crime detective drama, Agatha is shown peering into a child’s room in her home longingly. A certificate on the wall reads “Nicholas Scratch,” confirming the child’s identity. However, it was unclear whether this was a facet of Agatha’s real life, as Agnes of Westview was mostly a figment of her imagination. Nevertheless, Episode 3 finally confirmed that Agatha once had a son, though his fate was not a happy one.

During their first trial on the Witches’ Road, Jennifer Kale strikes up a conversation with Teen, warning him that he shouldn’t adore Agatha Harkness as he does. While Teen initially defends Agatha, believing that she is merely misunderstood by the other witches of her coven, he is shocked to learn about her dark past. Kale reveals that she once had a son, but that she traded him to the devil Mephisto to obtain the Darkhold. Kale’s story is proven true later in the episode, when Agatha suffers from hallucinations induced by poison she drank as part of the first trial. She sees a cradle with an infant crying inside. However, she she peers inside the cradle, she only finds the Darkhold. This confirms Kale’s story: Agatha traded her son to Mephisto for the Darkhold.

Will Nicholas Scratch Appear in Agatha All Along?

Nicholas Scratch Could Be the Main Villain of Agatha All Along

Agatha All Along may be building up to the full introduction of Nicholas Scratch in the MCU. Along their way, Agatha’s coven may discover what became of her son, who may want revenge against her for trading him to Mephisto as an infant. Interestingly, Nicholas Scratch has been the commander of the Salem’s Seven at certain times in Marvel Comics. This horrific group of witch-hunters made its debut in the two-episode premiere of Agatha All Along. It may be that Scratch sent the seven to hunt his mother and her coven, making him the main antagonist of the series.

Conversely, Agatha All Along may pull off a major twist and reveal that Teen is secretly Agatha’s son. While most fans believe that Teen will be revealed to be Billy Kaplan, Wanda Maximoff’s son, the Disney+ series could pull off an epic twist by instead confirming him to be Nicholas Scratch. This would perfectly fit into showrunner Jac Schaeffer’s tendency to subvert major fan theories (think Quicksilver’s “reintroduction” in WandaVision). It would also explain why Teen’s opinion of Agatha shifted so dramatically after learning this history despite idolizing her nefarious deeds earlier in the series. If Teen secretly believed that Agatha was his mother, learning that she gave him away for the Darkhold would certainly sour his opinion of her, leading to conflict later in the series.

Nicholas Scratch seems like an inevitable inclusion in later episodes of Agatha All Along. Agatha Harkness’s ill-fated son may end up being the main antagonist of the series, rightfully blaming his mother for trading him away. When Scratch finally does appear, it will mean bad things for everyone’s favorite witch of Westview.