Wikipedia

Agatha Harkness

Agatha Harkness is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #94 (October 1969; cover dated January 1970).[1] Agatha Harkness is a powerful witch and one of the original witches from the Salem witch trials.[2]

Agatha Harkness
Agatha Harkness and her familiar, Ebony
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceFantastic Four #94
(January 1970)
Created byStan Lee (writer)
Jack Kirby (artist)
In-story information
SpeciesHuman
Team affiliationsWitches of New Salem
Daughters of Liberty
Strange Academy
PartnershipsFantastic Four
Scarlet Witch
Notable aliasesProf. Emeritus Harkness
Abilities
  • Extensive knowledge of magic and magical objects
  • Magic mastery
Altered in-story information for adaptations to other media
PartnershipsDeath (Rio Vidal)
William Kaplan (Billy Maximoff)

The character debuted as the governess to Franklin Richards, serving as an ally to the Fantastic Four.[3] She trained the Scarlet Witch / Wanda Maximoff in the art of magic.[4] Harkness is the mother of the warlock Nicholas Scratch and the grandmother of the Salem's Seven. She has also been a member of the Daughters of Liberty. Originally depicted as an elderly woman, Harkness was able to become young again and increased her strength.[5]

Since her introduction in comics, the character has been featured in various other Marvel-licensed products, including video games, animated television series, and merchandise. Agatha Harkness made her live-action debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) live-action miniseries WandaVision (2021), portrayed by Kathryn Hahn, who reprised the role in the spin-off series Agatha All Along (2024).

Publication history

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Agatha Harkness debuted in Fantastic Four #94 (October 1969), created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.[6] She appeared in the "Avengers Disassembled" storyline,[7] the 2022 Midnight Suns series,[8] the 2023 Scarlet Witch Annual one-shot,[9] the 2024 House of Harkness series,[10] and the 2024 Agatha Harkness: The Saga of the Salem Witch trade paperback.[11]

Fictional character biography

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1970s

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Agatha Harkness was introduced as the governess of Franklin Richards.[12] When the Frightful Four neutralised the Fantastic Four, she defeated the villains herself, without telling the Fantastic Four that she had done so or that she was a witch.[13][14] She revealed her identity to them later, and aided them in battle against Annihilus.[15]

Through the actions of her son Nicholas Scratch, she was revealed as a member of the previously unknown New Salem, Colorado, a colony of witches of whom she had been the leader. Scratch had taken control of the town and persuaded its inhabitants that Harkness betrayed the community's secrets by working for the Fantastic Four. She was abducted and taken back to the community with Franklin to stand trial.[16] The Fantastic Four followed and came into conflict with Salem's Seven, Harkness's grandchildren fathered by Scratch. The Fantastic Four defeated them and freed Harkness. In the process, Scratch's evil was revealed to the community of New Salem and he was banished to another dimension.[17] Harkness became the magical tutor for the Scarlet Witch in the use of witchcraft.[18]

Scratch and Salem's Seven returned, and Harkness foiled their attempt to conquer the world.[19]

1980s

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Eventually, Salem's Seven took over the New Salem community again. They captured Harkness and killed her by burning her at the stake, although Harkness soon made her presence known to Wanda in what appeared to be a post-death astral form. In an ensuing battle between the Scarlet Witch and Salem's Seven, the entire community's energies were drawn into Vertigo of the Seven, who lost control of them. Wanda managed to capture some of the energy and funnel it away, but the entire town was destroyed. Following hints from Harkness's astral form, Wanda channeled the remaining energy to become pregnant with twin children of the Vision, her android husband.[20]

Later, Harkness resurfaced, again alive and well, when Wanda's infant children began exhibiting odd behavior (disappearing for brief periods of time) and Wanda became unstable after her husband's dismantling; Harkness provided no explanation for her return.[21] After Mephisto claimed that Scarlet Witch's children were actually fragments of his own soul and reabsorbs them, Harkness briefly mind-wiped Wanda's memory of her children in an attempt to help her deal with the trauma. Harkness later restored those memories soon after when Wanda became a pawn in a complex plot by Immortus. Harkness aided the Avengers in their battle against Immortus.[22]

2000s

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"Avengers Disassembled"

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Wanda, again having no memory of her children, angrily confronted Harkness about their existence. Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. found what appeared to be Harkness's corpse in her home and concluded that Harkness had been dead for a long time.[23] Some time later, a partially amnesiac Wanda tells Clint Barton she is under the care of her "Aunt Harkness" in a small apartment.[24] However, this version of Wanda was later revealed to be a Doombot that replaced the real Wanda at some point.[25]

Ghost life

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Harkness has since made her presence known in the New Multiverse as a ghost. She appears to Wanda and confirms her death at the hands of her protégé.[26] She also concurrently serves as the omniscient narrator of Vision's ongoing solo title, having induced precognitive visions through an arcane ritual involving the murder of Ebony at some undetermined point before her death.[27] Harkness fights alongside Wanda and the spirit of her biological mother Natalya Maximoff against a physical manifestation of Chaos which is attempting to destroy witchcraft. The two spirits channel their magic through Wanda and, after Quicksilver is summoned, they manage to defeat the being once and for all although this has gravely wounded Order, the Goddess of Witchcraft. Natalya sacrifices herself to restore Order and, in doing so, also returns Harkness to life. Despite noting that her and Wanda's paths are intertwined, Harkness chooses to have some time to herself to enjoy being alive again.[28]

2020s

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Textless variant cover of Midnight Suns #3 (November 2022). Art by InHyuk Lee.

The Daughters of Liberty

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Agatha Harkness later appears as a member of the Daughters of Liberty, teaching magic to its members. At the time when Captain America figured out that Dryad is a revived Peggy Carter, Harkness teleported herself to inform him that the threats that the Daughters of Liberty have been facing are connected with Aleksander Lukin's sister Alexa.[29] Harkness later briefed the Daughters of Liberty's latest recruit Shuri about the situation involving Selene having Sharon Carter's soul. She then proceeded to transport herself, Sharon's Iron Patriot appearance, and Shuri to where Selene is located.[30]

Midnight Suns

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During the battle with Corina (now calling herself Korrosion), a gigantic explosion of energy was unleashed due to the Black Mirror's destruction and neither Korrosion or Agatha Harkness were anywhere to be found. It later turns out that the explosion had sent them back to their homeworlds where they belong. Harkness discovers that by absorbing the Mirror's energy, she has been restored to her physical and mental prime and is now a young woman again. She briefly goes into hiding as she adjusts to her new body.[31][32]

Restoring the Darkhold

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During the "Contest of Chaos" storyline, Harkness uses Chthon's remains to create a new Darkhold and starts by having Spider-Man and Wolverine fight each other in the Amazon rainforest.[33] Harkness proceeds to pit various heroes against each other in pairs. After a brief battle with Clea on the astral plane, Harkness returns to her body in the Bermuda Triangle while in the presence of her champions.[34] When Captain Marvel and Scarlet Witch try to reason with her. Harkness escapes and witnesses the Darkhold take on a sentient form.[35] The Darkhold later flees from Harkness and escapes into a river.[36]

Powers and abilities

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Agatha Harkness is a powerful magic user.[37] She is also an expert in arcane knowledge.[38] She erased the memories of Wanda Maximoff dealing with her children with a spell.[39] She displayed powerful telepathic abilities.[40]

Agatha Harkness was initially presented simply as an elderly woman with magical powers and a feline familiar; later it was disclosed that she had kept herself alive for centuries through magic.[41] A mystical rebirth results in Harkness aging backwards into a young woman, which also vastly increases her powers.[32]

Ebony

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Harkness owns a familiar black cat named Ebony.[42] Ebony was able to transform into a large ferocious wildcat of great strength, speed, and claws.[43] Ebony was eventually sacrificed by Harkness in a ritual to gain precognitive powers.[44] She is later resurrected through unknown methods.[29]

Reception

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Critical response

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Deirdre Kaye of Scary Mommy called Agatha Harkness a "role model" and a "truly heroic" female character.[45] The A.V. Club ranked Agatha Harkness 38th in their "100 Best Marvel Characters" list.[46]

Marvel Cinematic Universe

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Brady Langmann of Esquire ranked Agatha Harkness 4th in their "Best Characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe" list. He praised Kathryn Hahn's portrayal of Harkness, describing her as a "legendary character actress" who transformed what could have been a forgettable villain into a standout performance in the MCU.[47] Ben Saffle of Comic Book Resources stated Harkness gained a "fandom following her antics" in WandaVision which resulted in her starring in her own spin-off.[48] Richard Fink of MovieWeb said that Hahn's portrayal of Harkness in WandaVision transformed her from a quippy villain into a standout character within the MCU. He praised Hahn's dynamic performance for blending humor with a sinister edge, which resonated with audiences. Fink found that Harkness' journey from antagonist to potential ally creates opportunities for compelling storytelling in her own television series. He stated that Harkness could fill a similar role to Loki as a charismatic villain, adding depth to the MCU's expanding mystical universe.[49] Cat Hampton of Collider called Harkness a fan favorite because of "Agatha All Along."[50]

Impact

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The character of Captain Jack Harkness from Doctor Who and its spin-off Torchwood was named after Agatha Harkness.[51]

Other versions

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Old Man Logan

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In the Old Man Logan reality of Earth-21923, Agatha Harkness has her powers drained by Baron Mordo while residing in a village somewhere in the Presidential Quarter. Sometime later, Old Man Logan kills Red Skull and Hulk, leading to a power vacuum in Amerika. Doctor Doom takes over the Presidential Quarter and kills Mordo. Harkness is told by Doctor Doom that she now owes him.[52]

Ultimate Marvel

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An Ultimate Marvel of Agatha Harkness appears in Ultimate Fantastic Four. This version is a young woman and claims to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. psychologist sent to evaluate the Baxter Building think tank. It is later revealed that her S.H.I.E.L.D status was faked and she is an ancient empathic being who destroyed Atlantis. Known as the Dragon-of-Seven or the Hydra, it can exist as a single creature or as seven seemingly separate ones. In her form as a group of seven individuals, Harkness poses as the superhero group Salem Seven.[53]

In other media

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Television

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Kathryn Hahn portrays Agatha Harkness in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Video games

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Merchandise

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References

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  1. ↑ Lapin-Bertone, Joshua (January 25, 2023). "Agatha Harkness just went through a startling transformation". Popverse. Archived from the original on February 22, 2025. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  2. ↑ Harth, David (June 7, 2020). "Marvel Comics: The Strongest Magic Users, Ranked". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  3. ↑ Witiw, John (January 31, 2021). "WandaVision: 11 Things You Need To Know About Agatha Harkness". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on February 22, 2025. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  4. ↑ Harn, Darby (May 8, 2022). "Scarlet Witch's 15 Most Powerful Enemies, Ranked". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 22, 2025. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  5. ↑ Halls, Kiara (June 23, 2023). "Agatha Harkness' Newfound Youth, Explained". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on February 22, 2025. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  6. ↑ DeFalco, Tom; Sanderson, Peter; Brevoort, Tom; Teitelbaum, Michael; Wallace, Daniel; Darling, Andrew; Forbeck, Matt; Cowsill, Alan; Bray, Adam (2019). The Marvel Encyclopedia. DK Publishing. p. 165. ISBN 978-1-4654-7890-0.
  7. ↑ Diaz, Eric (October 3, 2019). "The 9 Witchiest Witches in Comics". Nerdist. Archived from the original on November 30, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Agatha Harkness Reveals Her Secret Past and Debuts a New Look in 'Midnight Suns' #2". Marvel.com. September 15, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Agatha Harkness Conjures Up a 'Contest of Chaos' in 'Scarlet Witch Annual' #1". Marvel.com. March 2, 2023. Archived from the original on June 15, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  10. ↑ Bonomolo, Cameron (August 28, 2024). "Scarlet Witch and Agatha Harkness Are Magic School Rivals in New Marvel Comic". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on September 18, 2024. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  11. ↑ Damore, Meagan (September 3, 2024). "September 4's New Marvel Comics: The Full List". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on November 3, 2024. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  12. ↑ Brevoort, Tom; DeFalco, Tom; Manning, Matthew K.; Sanderson, Peter; Wiacek, Win (2017). Marvel Year By Year: A Visual History. DK Publishing. p. 144. ISBN 978-1465455505.
  13. ↑ Fantastic Four #94 (January 1970)
  14. ↑ Sacks, Jason; Dallas, Keith (2014). American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1970s. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 26. ISBN 978-1605490564.
  15. ↑ Fantastic Four #109-110 (April - May 1971)
  16. ↑ Fantastic Four #185 (August 1977)
  17. ↑ Fantastic Four #186 (September 1977)
  18. ↑ The Avengers #128 (October 1974)
  19. ↑ Fantastic Four Annual #14 (December 1979)
  20. ↑ The Vision and the Scarlet Witch (vol. 2) #3 (December 1985)
  21. ↑ Avengers West Coast #51 (November 1989)
  22. ↑ Avengers West Coast #60–62 (July - September 1990)
  23. ↑ The Avengers #503 (December 2004)
  24. ↑ New Avengers #26 (January 2007)
  25. ↑ Avengers: The Children's Crusade #2 (November 2010)
  26. ↑ Scarlet Witch (vol. 2) #1 (February 2016)
  27. ↑ Vision (vol. 2) #6 (June 2016)
  28. ↑ Scarlet Witch (vol. 2) #14 (March 2017)
  29. 1 2 Captain America (vol. 10) #19 (April 2020)
  30. ↑ Captain America (vol. 10) #22 (October 2020)
  31. ↑ Midnight Suns #4 (February 2023)
  32. 1 2 Midnight Suns #5 (March 2023)
  33. ↑ Spider-Man (vol. 4) Annual (October 2023)
  34. ↑ Venom (vol. 3) Annual (November 2023)
  35. ↑ Avengers (vol. 5) Annual (November 2023)
  36. ↑ Strange Academy: Blood Hunt #1 (July 2024)
  37. ↑ "10 Most Powerful Marvel Magicians". Marvel.com. December 20, 2018. Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  38. ↑ Baird, Scott (September 26, 2016). "Marvel's 15 Most Powerful Magical Superheroes". Screen Rant. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  39. ↑ Harn, Darby (February 26, 2021). "WandaVision: How Agatha Harkness Ranks Against Marvel's Most Powerful Magicians". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  40. ↑ Ceco, Andrew (October 31, 2019). "Marvel's Most Masterful Witches". Sideshow Collectibles. Archived from the original on August 7, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  41. ↑ Knox, Kelly (February 21, 2021). "Agatha Harkness: WandaVision's Other Marvel Witch Explained". IGN. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  42. ↑ Allan, Scoot (September 16, 2019). "Marvel's 10 Most Skilled Magic Users, Ranked". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  43. ↑ Harth, David (February 26, 2021). "WandaVision: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Agatha Harkness". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  44. ↑ Nardone, Jacob (February 25, 2021). "WandaVision's Big Bad Is Missing Her Familiar Marvel Comics Companion". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on September 18, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  45. ↑ Kaye, Deirdre (November 16, 2020). "Looking For A Role Model? These 195+ Marvel Female Characters Are Truly Heroic". Scary Mommy. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  46. ↑ "The 100 Best Marvel Characters Ranked: 40-21". The A.V. Club. July 7, 2022. Archived from the original on October 1, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  47. ↑ Langmann, Brady; Miller, Matt (May 20, 2021). "The Best Characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ranked". Esquire. Archived from the original on December 29, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  48. ↑ Saffle, Ben (December 29, 2021). "10 Best Magical Systems In Marvel Comics, Ranked". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  49. ↑ Fink, Richard (May 27, 2022). "Here's Why Kathryn Hahn is Perfect as Agatha Harkness". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on June 15, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  50. ↑ Hampton, Cat (November 28, 2023). "'Agatha: Darkhold Diaries': Behind-The-Scenes Footage, Cast, and Everything We Know So Far". Collider. Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  51. ↑ Barrowman, John (October 21, 2006). "Jonathan Ross". BBC Radio 2 (Interview). Interviewed by Jonathan Ross.
  52. ↑ Wastelanders: Doom one-shot (March 2022)
  53. ↑ Ultimate Fantastic Four #54-57 (July - October 2008)
  54. 1 2 3 4 "Agatha Harkness Voices (Fantastic Four)". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on March 3, 2023. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  55. ↑ Opie, David (February 19, 2021). "WandaVision's big Agnes reveal solves not one but two huge mysteries". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  56. ↑ Paige, Rachel (July 23, 2022). "SDCC 2022: All of the Marvel Studios News Coming Out of Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con". Marvel.com. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  57. ↑ Del Rosario, Alexandra (November 12, 2021). "'Agatha: House Of Harkness': Disney+ Confirms Series Order Of Kathryn Hahn 'WandaVision' Spinoff". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 13, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  58. ↑ Romano, Nick (October 30, 2024). "How Agatha All Along ending sets up more witchy shenanigans in the MCU". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 3, 2024. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  59. ↑ Behbakht, Andy (August 11, 2024). "Marvel Confirms The Upcoming WandaVision Spin-Off Isn't The End Of Agatha's MCU Story". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on August 12, 2024. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  60. ↑ "Wicked Powerful Witches". Marvel Strike Force. March 18, 2022. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  61. ↑ "Agatha's New Look Special Event – Hosted by MARVEL Strike Force". September 26, 2024. Archived from the original on November 11, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  62. ↑ Sandoval, Andrea (February 27, 2023). "10 Best Marvel Snap Cards In Pool 3". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  63. ↑ Diaz, Eric (March 8, 2021). "Scarlet Witch Gets Her Own Funko Figure". Nerdist. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  64. ↑ Sudario, Erielle (September 18, 2024). "Agatha Harkness Charms Herself in New 'Agatha All Along' Funko Pop Figure". Collider. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  65. ↑ Roberts, Tyler (August 10, 2023). "Hasbro Unveils It Was Agatha All Along with New Marvel Legends Figure". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on February 17, 2025. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
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