With the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), it can be challenging to keep track of all the major events and characters that have shaped the storyline. For fans eagerly awaiting Agatha All Along, a deep dive into the MCU’s past is essential. Agatha Harkness, a powerful witch introduced in WandaVision, plays a pivotal role in the history of chaos magic and its impact on the MCU. This article provides a comprehensive recap of key MCU events, focusing on the origins of the Infinity Stones, the rise of chaos magic, and how Agatha ties into the larger narrative.
The Origins of the Infinity Stones and the Celestials
The story of the MCU begins at the dawn of the universe. After the Big Bang, six Infinity Stones were created, each representing a different facet of existence: Power, Space, Time, Soul, Reality, and Mind. These stones contain immeasurable power, and though they each have unique abilities, they are subtly connected.
After the Big Bang, the Celestials, giant god-like beings, took on the role of creating and shaping the universe. They controlled the Infinity Stones to protect their interests, ensuring the survival of suns, galaxies, and planets. However, the Celestials faced opposition from the forces of entropy, led by the chaos god Chthon. Chthon sought to return the universe to darkness and spread chaos across the Multiverse.
The Celestials implanted seeds inside various planets, protecting these worlds from destruction. Over time, the Infinity Stones were scattered across different galaxies, but Earth, in particular, became a central nexus for many of them.
Odin, the Time Stone, and Kamar-Taj
Around the year 500, Odin, King of Asgard, hid one of the Infinity Stones—the Reality Stone—on Earth. Meanwhile, the Time Stone found its way into the hands of the sorcerer Kostro, who placed it within the Eye of Agamotto. This powerful artifact was entrusted to the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj, an ancient order tasked with protecting Earth from interdimensional threats.
The sorcerers of Kamar-Taj access energy from other dimensions and shape it into magic, protecting the Earth from otherworldly dangers. The Ancient One, a key figure in the sorcerer’s order, secretly drew power from the Dark Dimension, ruled by the powerful entity Dormammu, to extend her life. This use of dark magic foreshadows many future conflicts in the MCU, especially when it comes to chaos magic and Agatha Harkness.
The Darkhold and the Salem Witch Trials
In 1693, the infamous Salem Witch Trials unfolded. In the MCU, these trials were not merely a result of human paranoia but were instigated by a real witch coven. This coven discovered that one of their members, Agatha Harkness, had been practicing forbidden magic. Agatha had found the Darkhold, a powerful and dangerous book tied to Chthon’s chaos magic. The Darkhold corrupts those who use it, binding them to the will of Chthon.
Agatha was sentenced to death by her fellow witches, but she turned their powers against them, absorbing their life force and killing her entire coven. This act of betrayal marked the beginning of Agatha’s centuries-long pursuit of more power, stealing magic from others to prolong her life and increase her strength.
World War II and the Rise of Hydra: The Red Skull and Captain America
By 1942, during World War II, the villain Johann Schmidt—better known as the Red Skull—rose to power as the leader of Hydra, the Nazi’s occult science division. Schmidt discovered the Space Stone, hidden inside the Tesseract, and used it to build advanced weaponry to fuel Hydra’s ambitions. His ultimate goal was to drop bombs on major cities around the world
However, Schmidt’s plans were foiled by Captain America, aka Steve Rogers, a super-soldier created to fight the Axis powers. After a fierce battle, Captain America was lost in the Arctic, presumed dead, while the Tesseract was retrieved by Howard Stark, co-founder of the intelligence agency SHIELD.
Hydra survived the war by secretly infiltrating SHIELD. Decades later, Hydra ordered the assassination of Howard Stark, a mission carried out by Steve Rogers’ brainwashed friend, Bucky Barnes, also known as the Winter Soldier. This event left Howard’s son, Tony Stark, reeling and eventually led him to a life of reckless weapon manufacturing.
Wanda Maximoff and Her Tragic Origin
Decades later, in the country of Sokovia, the Maximoff family endured a devastating loss when a Stark Industries bomb hit their apartment. The young Wanda and Pietro Maximoff lost their parents in the blast. While trapped in the rubble, Wanda’s latent magic abilities manifested, allowing her to prevent a second bomb from exploding. The twins’ hatred for Stark and his weapons was cemented that day.
Years later, Tony Stark, shaken by his past mistakes, stopped making weapons for the military and became the superhero Iron Man. Meanwhile, the Maximoff twins joined Hydra and underwent experiments that enhanced their abilities. Wanda gained powerful telepathic and reality-bending abilities, while Pietro gained super-speed. Their powers were influenced by the Infinity Stones, particularly the Mind Stone, which played a key role in Wanda’s later story.
Loki’s Invasion and Thanos’ Master Plan
Years later, Loki, the adopted brother of Thor, attempted to conquer Earth using the Mind Stone, given to him by the intergalactic warlord Thanos. In response, a team of heroes, including Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Hulk, formed the Avengers and successfully stopped Loki’s invasion.
However, this was just the beginning of Thanos’ quest. Thanos sought to collect all six Infinity Stones to wipe out half of all life in the universe, believing it would bring balance. His mission, which spanned decades, involved committing genocide on multiple planets, slaughtering half of their populations. His adopted daughters, Gamora and Nebula, were forced to fight in his army. Eventually, Gamora left Thanos and joined the Guardians of the Galaxy, a team of misfits who fought off Thanos’ other agents and formed a found family of their own.
Ultron and the Creation of Vision
Thanos’ influence extended even further when Tony Stark, haunted by the vision of an apocalyptic future, used the Mind Stone to create Ultron, an artificial intelligence designed to protect humanity. However, Ultron rebelled, deeming humanity a threat, and sought to wipe it out entirely. He allied with Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, who blamed Stark for their parents’ deaths, but the twins soon turned against him when they learned of his plan to destroy the world.
Ultron’s ultimate goal was to create a new body for himself, using vibranium and organic tissue, powered by the Mind Stone. However, Thor intervened and convinced the Avengers to upload the consciousness of Stark’s AI assistant, Jarvis, into the new body, creating the android Vision. Vision became a crucial member of the Avengers, with the Mind Stone embedded in his forehead.
During the battle against Ultron, Pietro sacrificed his life to save others, leaving Wanda devastated. She eventually joined the Avengers as a full-time member, but her grief over her brother’s death and the trauma from her past continued to haunt her.
The Sokovia Accords and the Avengers’ Civil War
In the aftermath of the battle with Ultron, the Avengers faced mounting global scrutiny, especially after a mission in Lagos where Wanda accidentally caused civilian casualties. This tragedy led to the introduction of the Sokovia Accords, which sought to regulate the activities of superheroes. The Accords split the Avengers into two factions: Tony Stark, wracked with guilt over the destruction caused by Ultron, supported the Accords, while Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, opposed them, believing they restricted personal freedom.
This disagreement culminated in the Civil War between the Avengers, with Wanda becoming a key point of contention. She was placed under house arrest by Tony Stark, further straining her relationship with her teammates. Ultimately, the Avengers broke up, with many of them, including Steve Rogers, going on the run.
Wanda’s Love for Vision and the Tragedy of Infinity War
During the time of the Avengers’ fracture, Wanda and Vision developed a romantic relationship, often sneaking away together. Vision helped Wanda cope with her overwhelming grief and powers, and they shared a deep emotional bond.
However, their love story came to a tragic end during the events of Avengers: Infinity War. As Thanos closed in on Earth to claim the last Infinity Stone—embedded in Vision’s head—the Avengers devised a plan to destroy the stone before Thanos could get his hands on it. Wanda was forced to make the heartbreaking decision to kill Vision to prevent Thanos from completing his mission. But her efforts were in vain, as Thanos used the Time Stone to reverse her actions, killing Vision a second time and completing the Infinity Gauntlet.
With a snap of his fingers, Thanos wiped out half of the universe, including Wanda herself.
WandaVision: Grief, Chaos Magic, and Agatha’s Arrival
Five years after Thanos’ snap, the Avengers reversed the blip and brought everyone back. Wanda returned to a universe without Vision. Unable to cope with her grief, Wanda used her chaos magic to create a new reality in the small town of Westview, New Jersey. In her grief, she transformed Westview into a sitcom-inspired world where she and a recreated version of Vision could live a perfect life, complete with two children.
Sensing the incredible power Wanda wielded, Agatha Harkness—who had been alive for centuries after absorbing the powers of her coven—arrived in Westview, disguised as the nosy neighbor, Agnes. Agatha manipulated the situation to learn the secrets of Wanda’s power, eventually revealing that Wanda was the Scarlet Witch, a mythical being capable of wielding chaos magic.
The Scarlet Witch and Agatha’s Defeat
Agatha attempted to steal Wanda’s power, but Wanda outsmarted her by casting runes around Westview, preventing Agatha from using her magic. In the end, Wanda trapped Agatha in the persona of Agnes, dooming her to live in Westview as an ordinary human, with no memory of her true self.
However, Wanda’s journey was far from over. After releasing the people of Westview from her control, she retreated to a remote cabin, where she began studying the Darkhold, the book of dark magic linked to Chthon. Haunted by the loss of her children, Wanda sought a way to bring them back, opening the door to dangerous multiversal practices like dreamwalking, which allows one to travel between universes.
The Multiverse and What’s Next for Agatha and Wanda
As Wanda’s obsession with her lost children grows, her actions threaten the stability of the Multiverse itself. Doctor Strange and others will likely have to face the consequences of Wanda’s quest, especially as the boundaries between universes weaken. As for Agatha Harkness, her story is far from over. With the upcoming Agatha: Darkhold Diaries series, fans can expect more exploration of her connection to chaos magic, the Darkhold, and the powerful forces at play in the MCU’s mystical side. Whether Wanda returns, or Agatha takes center stage, the series promises to further delve into the world of magic, witches, and chaos
