Agatha All Along‘s central witch coven comprises seven different characters, each with their own specialties, powers, stories, and Marvel connections. Agatha All Along‘s MCU story stems from the climactic ending of WandaVision. The latter show centered on the Scarlet Witch and her inadvertent enslavement of the town of Westview. The villain of the show was Agatha herself, played by Kathryn Hahn once more in Agatha All Along‘s cast of characters.
Given that WandaVision is one of the better-ranked MCU shows thus far, Agatha All Along was highly anticipated, especially considering the former show’s creator and writer, Jac Schaeffer, possesses the same roles in the latter. What makes Agatha All Along‘s MCU story even more interesting, however, is the show’s new batch of characters. The series is a fun, spooky, Halloween-inspired MCU show centering on witches from across the MCU, meaning each character has their own intriguing stories, power sets, connections to Agatha, and links to Marvel Comics.
Who Is Agatha Harkness?
Played By Kathryn Hahn
Beginning with the titular character, Agatha Harkness is a former witch from Salem, Massachusetts. Agatha belonged to her own coven long ago but was accused of practicing dark magic during the Salem witch trials. After her coven attempted to cast her out, Agatha’s dark magic attacked her peers, including her mother, killing them and setting Agatha down a path of villainy and evil. 300 years later, Agatha was drawn to Westview after Wanda Maximoff covered the town in a witch hex, with the former seeking to harness the latter’s chaos magic.
Agatha failed to draw Wanda’s power from her and had her own drained in the process, leading the latter to enslave the former in Westview seemingly permanently. In Agatha All Along, the titular witch is freed from her prison and embarks on a quest down the Witches Road. At the end of it, Agatha hopes to recover what will make her whole again: her powers.
Agatha Harkness’ Marvel Comics Origin Explained
In the comics, Agatha’s origins are similar to those from WandaVision. Agatha was involved in the Salem Witch Trials in the comics, only with the difference that she orchestrated them to cull the weak from her coven. Over the centuries, Agatha spends a lot of time trying to build her power in multiple covens, training several magic users, and even fighting in wars like the American Revolutionary War and defeating Nazi sorcerers during World War II.
Eventually, Agatha crossed paths with The Fantastic Four when she became the governess of Franklin Richards, often aiding the team and even teaching Franklin to hone his powers. Through The Fantastic Four, she met Wanda Maximoff. Agatha became the mentor to Wanda and other magic users in the modern Marvel Comics era and has been killed and subsequently resurrected multiple times. In the current continuity, Agatha is alive, though is rarely seen in stories.
Agatha Harkness’ Powers Explained
Like the other strong sorcerers of the Marvel universe, Agatha’s powers are a gateway to almost endless abilities. From energy and elemental manipulation and binding spells to dimensional manipulation, flight, force fields, and illusions, Agatha is one of the most powerful magic users in the Marvel Comics pantheon. This is without mentioning her telepathy, telekinesis, and the tens of other abilities she possesses through her magical training.
While Agatha’s powers are gone in Agatha All Along as a result of Wanda’s spell on the witch at the end of WandaVision, it appears Harkness still believes she has the ability to absorb the powers of other magic-users if they direct their abilities at her. However, it’s unclear whether this is indeed true, or rather the character’s own hopes as she attempts everything to retrieve her former abilities once more.
Who Is Joe Locke’s Teen?
Agatha All Along’s most mysterious character is undoubtedly Joe Locke’s Teen. Given that this is the only name the character has received thus far, several theories have been raised about him. Regardless of the mystery of his identity, Marvel has revealed a few tidbits of information about Teen and how he connects to Agatha All Along’s story. Teen is described as Agatha Harkness’ familiar, a term used to describe the attendant of a witch who caters to her every need.
It has also been revealed that it is Teen who frees Agatha from Wanda’s Hex and convinces her to take the Witches Road to retrieve her powers. Whether Teen has ulterior motives for this remains to be seen, but theories about the character could hint he does. It has long been theorized that Locke is actually playing Billy Kaplan, the reincarnation of Billy Maximoff, Wanda’s son. This tracks with Billy’s story from Marvel Comics; after Wanda lost her children to Mephisto, they were reincarnated, with Wiccan being born Billy Kaplan.
Wanda lost her children in WandaVision and Doctor Strange 2, meaning Billy’s reincarnation could have taken place. If this theory is true, it would explain how Teen is able to break Agatha out of the Hex, particularly since his mother’s magic may be more suspectible to her family. Similarly, Locke confirmed to Rolling Stone that his character in Agatha All Along is gay, matching Wiccan’s depiction from Marvel Comics. If Teen is indeed Billy Kaplan, it has been theorized that he is traveling the Witches Road to gain the power to resurrect Wanda.
Billy Kaplan’s Marvel Comics Origin Explained
Given the secrecy surrounding Teen, it is difficult to explore his comic book connections. However, if Teen is Billy Kaplan, the latter’s Marvel Comics backstory can be adapted. In the comics, Billy was reincarnated from Billy Maximoff, whom the Scarlet Witch created using her reality-altering powers and a lost soul. The devil Mephisto claimed the souls for himself before being destroyed by Wanda’s magic within them. The soul of Billy was then reincarnated into Billy Kaplan, the son of two workers in New York City.
After Billy discovers magical powers, he joins the Young Avengers with Hulkling…
After a difficult early life, Billy found solace in his relationship with Teddy Altman, later revealed to be Hulkling, the son of Captain Marvel. After Billy discovers magical powers, he joins Marvel’s Young Avengers with Hulkling, and eventually, they encounter Tommy Shepherd. It is revealed that Billy and Tommy are the reincarnated twins of Wanda and Vision, becoming known by their superhero names, Wiccan and Speed. After this, Billy undergoes several adventures alongside his boyfriend Hulkling, his brother Speed, and his other allies in the Marvel universe.
It could be retconned that Billy and Tommy from WandaVision were made using lost souls, thus leading to the former’s reincarnation as Teen in Agatha All Along.
Billy Kaplan’s Powers Explained
As the son of Wanda Maximoff, Billy possesses immense magical power. Perhaps his main power is reality manipulation like his mother, with Billy able to use a lot of spells by speaking what he wishes into reality, unlike the more deliberate spells of other wizards and witches. Aside from this, Billy’s other powers include astral projection, magical binding, clairvoyance, concussive blasts, elemental manipulation, flight, healing, and teleportation. Wiccan’s magic is also a gateway to many other abilities, from augmentation and telepathy to telekinesis and transmutation, to name but a few.
In Agatha All Along, Teen tells Agatha that he doesn’t have any real powers, and is looking to traverse the Witch’s Road in the hopes of gaining his own. This is interesting given the character was able to break Wanda’s spell and free Agatha from its control, and suggests he could in fact be lying in order to hide his real motivations from the other characters if he is indeed looking to bring back Scarlet Witch. However, it’s also possible the character is telling the truth, as even a reincarnated Billy Kaplan may find himself without the powers he had previously, which would explain his investment in this adventure.
Who Is Lilia Calderu?
Played by Pattie LuPone
One of the other witches who joins Agatha and Teen down the Witches Road is Lilia Calderu, played by Patti LuPone. In the context of Agatha’s coven, Calderu serves as an expert in divination. Divination is the practice of seeking knowledge about the future via supernatural means. In Calderu’s case in Agatha All Along, she suffers from various visions and flashes of foresight, making her seem somewhat more unhinged than the witches around her.
Llilia’s powers are not much different between the comics and the MCU.
Because of her powers, Lilia is shown to be aware of some of the details of Agatha’s past, telling the witch that she knows Agatha has been under the influence of “someone you hurt” and who then took her agency for 3 years. This – combined with Lilia’s own experience of witch history, since Agatha suggests she’s 450 years old – it’s likely Lilia could provide more insight about Agatha’s backstory as the show continues, since she’s clearly able to access information that the witch may otherwise not be willing to reveal.
Lilia Calderu’s Marvel Comics Origin Explained
In the comics, Lilia Calderu is the descendant of the first Baron of Mordo. Calderu is part of a coven that is responsible for the protection of the Book of Cagliostro. Interestingly, Lilia is linked to Wanda Maximoff’s origins in Marvel Comics, with her divination powers providing visions that Wanda will become immensely powerful. Lilia’s story ended with Karl Mordo romancing her to gain her trust. Mordo stole the Book of Cagliostro, breaking Lilia’s heart and leading her down a path of revenge. Despite enlisting the aid of Doctor Strange, Lilia was killed by a Living Gargoyle searching for Mordo.
Who Is Alice Wu-Gulliver?
Played by Ali Ahn
Agatha All Along will see Alice Wu-Gulliver (Ali Ahn) join the titular character’s coven to journey down the Witches Road. Where Lilia Calderu excels in divination, Alice Wu-Gulliver is explained as a protection witch. This means Wu-Gulliver is likely the strongest of the seven regarding shielding spells, and thus will be vital to countering the dangers of the Witches Road.
The character is shown to be using these skills to work in a mall store at the start of Agatha All Along before losing her job, which sees her decide to join Agatha’s coven and travel the Witch’s Road, though her past in the armed forces is alluded to as well, suggesting there’s much more to be uncovered about Wu-Gulliver. This concept is further hinted at by allusions to Alice Wu-Gulliver’s mother, Lorna Wu, who is described as a witch and famous musician, and who appears to have gone mysteriously missing, possibly in the Witch’s Road itself.
Ali Ahn described Alice as someone who is looking to access a magical power that has lain dormant for a while. As such, it’s possible that her protection abilities will take some time to come to their full extent over the course of the show – which may leave the coven in a precarious position until that time.
Alice Wu-Gulliver Marvel Comics Origin Explained
In Marvel Comics, this character is born Alice Gulliver. Alice is the daughter of August Wu, the magical protector of Hong Kong, and the detective Adam Gulliver. Alice desired to become a member of the police force like her father as a teen, around the same time her mother was killed by a demonic figure. After this tragedy, Alice found that her hair had changed color from brown to the red of her mother’s. To compound this sadness, Alice’s father was later killed by one of the Chinese Triads.
Alice started using a shortened version of her mother’s title, “The Wu,” and even teamed up with the Scarlet Witch to defeat the evil wizard Dark Tongji…
Eventually, Alice became a police detective like her father, while using the inherited magical powers from her mother to her advantage. Alice started using a shortened version of her mother’s title, “The Wu,” and even teamed up with the Scarlet Witch to defeat the evil wizard Dark Tongji. The title of “The Wu” is being incorporated into Agatha All Along’s version of the character, who is named Alice Wu-Gulliver.
Alice Gulliver’s comic book powers are only ever described as basic witchcraft, with no distinction at all, differing from Agatha All Along’s exploration of her as a protection witch.
Who Is Jennifer Kale?
Played by Sasheer Zamata
Agatha All Along will include the Marvel Comics character of Jennifer Kale. In Agatha All Along, Jennifer Kale is potions witch of Agatha’s newfound coven, with her skills primarily being found in alchemy and chemistry. Kale is revealed to have had her powers bound, and to be using her knowledge to make a health and beauty business wherein she creates skincare products and probiotic candles, though it’s also revealed that she’s dealing with an impending legal lawsuit for some of these products, suggests things aren’t going entirely smoothly.
Jennifer has been described by actor Sasheer Zamata as very sarcastic, possessing a love-hate relationship with Agatha herself. Agatha All Along plays on this, implying the pair have a notable history together that is as of yet unexplored.
Jennifer Kale Marvel Comics Origin Explained
In Marvel Comics, Jennifer Kale was the daughter of Joshua Kale, leader of the Cult of Zhered-Na. Zhered-Na was a powerful sorceress, with the cult existing in the Florida Everglades where the Nexus of All Realities is housed. Eventually, Jennifer took an interest in witchcraft and began dabbling in magic. After facing off against demons and having many adventures, resulting in the discovery of a psychic connection with a creature called the Man-Thing, Jennifer became the apprentice of a wizard called Dakimh. Jennifer’s story has led her to become allies of Ghost Rider, X-Force, and the Midnight Sons.
Jennifer Kale’s Powers Explained
More so than the previous two witches explored, Jennifer Kale’s Marvel Comics powers are more defined. Kale draws magic from three sources: her personal power from training, powers gained by tapping into the magical energy of the Marvel universe, and extra-dimensional powers. These three sources offer Kale a myriad of magic powers from magic bolts, shields, dimensional portals, and teleportation, to more psychological abilities like affecting memories and charming other people. These powers are very different from Agatha All Along‘s description of Kale as a witch who specializes in potions.
Who Is Rio Vidal?
Played by Aubrey Plaza
Aubrey Plaza’s Rio Vidal is one of Agatha All Along‘s original characters, though there are rumors she is a gender-swapped version of Marvel Comics’ Emerald Warlock. Rio is described as the warrior witch of Agatha’s coven, the more badass counterpart to her peers, though it is unclear what her powers are as yet.
Rio likely has more offensive powers than the shielding, divination, and alchemical powers of her sister witches. Her fight with Agatha early in the show only reveals her fighting powers, but these could possibly have also been enhanced by whatever magic she holds.
The show has subtly suggested Plaza’s character is a green witch, since Agatha avoids recruiting an earth witch placed on her list of witches to recruit who is noted with only a black heart. Instead, Agatha recruits Mrs. Hart – who is very clearly shown to not have powers at this time – and Rio is the only witch who’d seemingly evoke this reaction.
Who Is Mrs. Hart/Sharon Davis?
Played by Debra Jo Rupp
The final character to make up Agatha’s coven in Agatha All Along is, surprisingly, not even a witch as far as the MCU’s past stories go: Sharon Davis a.k.a. Mrs. Hart. Debra Jo Rupp first played this character in WandaVision, with Sharon Davis being a resident of Westview who became “Mrs. Hart” when under the influence of Wanda’s hex. WandaVision ended with Sharon being freed from Wanda’s control, making her return in Agatha All Along that much more surprising.
In a featurette for Agatha All Along, Sharon is described as the group’s green witch, but Sharon was shown as having no distinct powers in WandaVision, and indeed seems to have none in the sequel show, with Agatha tricking her into joining the group. Whether Sharon Davis will become a witch in Agatha All Along remains to be seen, but she at least provides the show with an everyman character, a connection to a past MCU project, and a seventh witch for the coven intent on traveling the Witches Road.
