Agatha: Coven of Chaos is a curious Marvel series that is expected to premiere sometime at the end of this year. It is curious because it focuses on a villain we’ve seen very little of, but the show may hold astounding potential. Kathryn Hahn made her debut as the witch Agatha Harkness in WandaVision, and even though “it was Agatha all along,” viewers got to see very little of her magic. Well, that’s about to change. Agatha: Coven of Chaos will take us into the world of Marvel witchcraft and along with more magic, there may be a link to one of Marvel’s most dangerous villains: Doctor Doom.
Though the plot for Coven of Chaos is still a mystery, fans often forget that Doom’s backstory has quite a bit of magic in it. He is not only an accomplished scientist but a powerful sorcerer as well. His mother was a formidable witch in the Zefiro clan of Latveria, and Marvel may use this magical opportunity to begin conjuring Viktor von Doom. Agatha: Coven of Chaos may plant the seeds that will grow into the story of Marvel’s most evil genius, and it could lead to many revelations, fans have been hoping for along the way.
Agatha and the Witches of Marvel
Agatha Harkness is one of the more interesting characters in the Marvel universe, despite her not being brought up very often. And this Disney+ series has the potential to explore a much bigger part of the MCU than most other series. Agatha is one of the oldest humans in Marvel. According to the comics, she’s old enough to remember the sinking of Atlantis — which in the comics happened before civilization began, but in the MCU was closer to the Spanish colonial era of the 16th century. But using the comic book lore, creator Jac Schaeffer could explore a wider part of the Marvel universe. There are rumors that Agatha: Coven of Chaos will simply be a sequel to WandaVision, but there are many more opportunities if Schaeffer chooses to explore Agatha’s history as a near-immortal being.
In the comics, Agatha Harkness was present for the Salem Witch Trials, where she had founded her original coven of witches. When the title of the series refers to a Coven of Chaos one wonders if this will be a group of witches practicing magic today, or if it will take us back to an older time. The series might even explore the use of magic at different times in Agatha’s life, giving the viewer a kind of documentary on magic in the Marvel universe. We could follow Agatha as she learns to practice magic, and teaches others all around the globe. We could see Agatha’s dark magic, but also different examples of other magic users practicing eldritch magic (Doctor Strange) or chaos magic (Scarlet Witch). In that journey through Agatha’s life, she might have crossed paths with Cynthia von Doom, and known her as a powerful magic user. Agatha’s long history is, for the most part, unknown, so it might be possible that she was familiar with the sorcery of the Zefiro clan.
Agatha, Scarlet Witch, and Doctor Doom
Agatha might not know every magic user, but there is a common thread that connects her, Wanda Maximoff, and Cynthia von Doom: Mephisto. Mephisto is essentially Marvel’s analog for the devil, and he shows up in all of these characters’ storylines. He plays a big role in Doctor Doom’s life, and is largely the reason Doom is a master of magic at all.
One evening, Doom’s mother, Cynthia, made a deal with Mephisto in order to find her nomadic people a homeland, but in exchange for the country of Latveria, Mephisto took Cynthia down to hell with him. Doctor Doom spent most of his life after that attempting to rescue his mother from Mephisto. He kept learning the magical arts, and, combining them with his technological education, continued to fight demon after demon, only to be defeated every time. He eventually defeated Mephisto, but only after he got Doctor Strange to help him.
There is a storyline in the history of the Scarlet Witch where Agatha Harkness wiped her memory of her children, telling her that they were fragments of Mephisto’s soul. If Coven of Chaos is going to be a sequel to WandaVision, it’s possible we might hear some of this story. Instead of Wanda never having children, Agatha might have made some pact with Mephisto in order to keep them away from her for magical purposes. Agatha might be linked to Doctor Doom through the practice of magic and Coven of Chaos might introduce Mephisto, creating a channel for Doctor Doom’s story to be told.
We’ve never explored the dark side of magic in Marvel before, and Agatha: Coven of Chaos seems like it will be our chance. Doctor Doom might be famous for being a technological genius, but his mother had her beginnings in evil magic.