Agatha Harkness, also known as Agnes, is the main antagonist of the Marvel Disney+ series WandaVision and also the main protagonist of Agatha All Along. She is a magical witch living in Westview and manipulating Wanda Maximoff undercover as a nosy neighbor named Agnes, trying to find out how Wanda created The Hex around Westview.
She is played by Kathryn Hahn,
History[]
Background[]
In Salem, Massachuettes 1967, Agatha was arrested for her crimes and trialed for execution by witches including her own mother, Evanora Harkness. As they were draining her of her powers, Agatha begged for mercy and even promised she will changed, but Evanora would not believe her. However, Agatha broke free of her restraints and killed both her mother and the other witches by draining their magic instead. She then escaped from Salem and spent years hunting for more power to absorb, keeping her dead mother's brooch as a souvenir.
Series[]
In 2023, Wanda Maximoff, unwilling to cope with Vision's death, created an illusion of him and creates a giant energy field called The Hex to cover the entire town of Westview, brainwashing the citizens and anyone else who entered to think they are in a 50s setting. Agatha heard of The Hex and entered disguised as Wanda and Vision's new neighbor, Agnes. She shows up at their doorstep to welcome them with a pot of flowers, but Wanda slams the door on her because they have Vision's boss over for dinner.
Throughout her stay in Westview, Agatha continued to decieve Wanda by posing as Agnes to gain her friendship and manipulated some of the events around the town, like conjuring a rabbit out of Vision's hat during his and Wanda's magic act. She even brainwashed an actor named Ralph Bohner to convince Wanda that he's her twin brother Pietro who came back from the dead. Wanda's sons, Billy and Tommy, adopt a dog named Sparky, but Sparky gets loose and ends up in Agatha's garden. Agatha kills Sparky and lies that he died eating some bad weeds in her yard.
Agatha tricks Wanda into letting her babysit Billy and Tommy, but they completely disappear when Wanda comes to pick them up. Agatha lures Wanda to her basement where she reveals her true identity and how she was manipulating events around The Hex to find out how Wanda did it. She also incapatates Wanda with magic runes that temporarily suppress her powers. She then guides Wanda through a series a flashbacks about Wanda's life, from the bombing that killed Wanda and Pietro's parents to the reveal of how Wanda created The Hex. Back in the real world, Wanda finally finds her sons being telekenetically strangled by Agatha and saves them. Suddenly, Vision's original body_which was reanimated into White Vision by S.W.O.R.D director Tyler Hayward_attacks Wanda. Hex!Vision battles White Vision and eventually gives him back his memories, while Wanda fights Agatha all over Westview. Agatha gloats to Wanda how she doesn't deserve her powers for how she imprisoned everyone in Westview, which is backed up by the enslaved citizens begging Wanda to release them from The Hex. Wanda is torn and eventually relinquishes her powers to Agatha, only to outsmart by using the same runes against her, allowing Wanda to both reclaim her powers and steal Agatha's as well defeating her for good. As punishment for her crimes, Wanda brainwashes Agatha into her cover identity (Agnes) and imprisons her in Westview.
Three years later, Agatha finally breaks free of Wanda's spell and is attacked by her ex-lover Rio Vidal, an alleged witch. Rio decides not to kill Agatha, but threatens to come back for her later. Agatha decides to get her powers back by gathering a coven for a rumored paradise called the Witches' Road. She gathers a teenager who broke her into her house, four witches_Jennifer Kale, Lilia Calderu, Jennifer Kale, and Alice Wu-Gulliver_ her elderly neighbor Sharon Davis. As Agatha tries to dare the witches into blasting her with magic so she can drain it and kill them, they are interrupted when "Teen" witnesses the arrival of the Salem Seven, who were sent by Rio to kill Agatha as revenge for the original coven's death. Suddenly, the door to the Witches' Road opens and they escape through. They find themselves in a house where they have to drink a bottle of poisoned wine that causes hallucinations and disfigurement. Agatha initially doesn't drink the wine until the witches force her to do so. They are able to make a potion that cures them with "Teen's" blood, but Sharon sadly dies.
Since they need a new Green Witch, they summon Rio who comes through Sharon's grave to join them. While "Teen" is asleep that night, Agatha tries to kiss Rio until Rio reveals that "Teen" isn't Agatha's son Nicholas Scratch, whom Agatha was rumored to have sold to the Darkhold (he actually died of illness), like Agatha thought he was. The next day, the coven face a new trial where they have to sing a rock version of the Witches' Road ballad. They later fly on their broom and meet their next trial where they have to do a séance; however, the vengeful spirit of Agatha's mother comes to life and possesses Agatha. Alice blasts Evanora's spirit out of Agatha's body, but Agatha drains her magic and kills her. Completely outraged at this, "Teen" mind-controls Lilia and Jen and forces them to throw Agatha into a quicksand-like mud trap before throwing them in it too.
It is then revealed that "Teen" is really Billy Maximoff, whose soul inhabitated the body of a Jewish boy named William Kaplan when Wanda removed the Hex from Westview. He was cursed with a sigil that blocked his memories and protected his identity from all witches. He finally destroys the sigil just as Agatha climbs out of the mud trap, having already figured out Billy's identity. She then realizes that Billy was only seeking the Witches' Road to revive his twin brother Tommy and offers to help him despite his betrayal. They later arrive at a tower where they have to play a tarrot card game under threat of being killed by swords hanging from the ceiling. Lilia gets a vision revealing that Rio is really the embodiment of Death (which Agatha already knew) and projects her astral form to communicate with Agatha and Billy. She and Jen later physically join them at the tower and Lilia sacrifices herself by flipping over one of the cards, impaling herself and the Salem Seven on the ceiling swords.
Agatha meets Rio, who reveals that she came to reap Billy but can't claim his soul unless he surrenders. Agatha promises Rio that she will give her Billy's soul on the condition that Rio leaves Agatha alone forever. Agatha then meets up with Billy and Jen as they reach the end of the Road, where Billy and Jen both disappear after getting what they wanted. Agatha returns to Westview and is once again attacked by Rio, who wants to kill her so they can be together. Billy comes to Agatha's rescue in his iconic Wiccan costume and even gives her some of his magic to fight Death, with Agatha (for the first time) cutting the blast before it kills Billy. Unfortunately, neither of them can stand against Death. Agatha nearly abandons Billy to save herself, but after Billy asks her telepathically if this is how Nicky died, she sacrifices herself by kissing Rio and absorbing some of her power, which kills Agatha with her body turned into flowers.
Agatha's ghost later comes to Billy in his bedroom, revealing that the Witches' Road was just a scam she made up to kill witches for their powers and that the Witches' Road they went through was all Billy's creation just like how Wanda created the Hex around Westview. Billy is horrified that he was responsible for the deaths of most of the coven, but Agatha assures him she planned to kill them herself anyway. Billy goes back to Agatha's basement and tries to banish her to the afterlife, Agatha successfully pleads him not to since she's not ready to face her son fearing he wouldn't forgive her. Realizing how much alike they are, Billy finally forgives Agatha and they decide to work together in finding Tommy's soul in a new body.
Trivia[]
- Agatha Harkness is the first main antagonist of Phase Four of Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- Agatha Harkness is one of the three females of a Marvel Disney+ series who wasn't revealed to be evil at first, the others being Sharon Carter in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and Revonna Renslayer in Loki.