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This article contains spoilers for Agatha All Along episode 1 and episode 2.
Something wicked this way comes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After WandVision put a spell on us all in 2021, we’re heading back to Westview for another bewitching adventure. Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness became a standout of WandaVision, and is now leading her own series in the camp and kooky Agatha All Along.
Alongside Hahn and the return of WandaVision alumni like Debra Jo Rupp and Emma Caulfield, a new coven is being formed with Patti LuPone, Aubrey Plaza, Joe Locke, and more. While it looks like we’re on the money that Locke is playing a familiar fan-favorite, the first two episodes hinted at the debut of a more obscure character from the pages of Marvel Comics. Here is what you need to know about Nicholas Scratch and the Salem Seven.
Who Is Nicholas Scratch?
With Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) purportedly dead and the Darkhold destroyed, Agatha was trapped in the Scarlet Witch’s spell and left to live out her true crime fantasy in Westview. Episode 1 “Seekest Thou the Road” teased snippets of Agatha’s backstory, including her beef with Plaza’s Rio Vidal and a throwaway nod to Nicholas Scratch.
When Agatha returns home in the premiere, she steps into an empty child’s room, with the camera lingering on a child’s drawing from “Nicky” and an award for Nicholas Scratch. It’s implied that Nicky is Agatha’s son, and with Nicholas Scratch related to Agatha’s comic book counterpart, one of the show’s earliest mysteries is what happened to him. As Nicholas Scratch is an amalgamation of “Old Nick” and “Mr Scratch,” both of which are nicknames for the Devil, you can bet those Mephisto theories are already flowing.
Introduced as Agatha’s son in 1977’s Fantastic Four #185, Nicholas Scratch belonged to a powerful group of witches and warlocks who were hidden from the world in New Salem. When Agatha left to babysit the Fantastic Four’s Franklin Richards, Nick led a rebellion against his mother but was ultimately banished to the Dark Realm. Here, he ended up allied with Dormammu, who you might remember from 2016’s Doctor Strange.
Scratch has been a recurring character in Agatha’s arc, typically appearing as a tired stereotype of a goatee-wearing wizard. Following his original banishment, Scratch returned several times, once using mind control to puppet the Fantastic Four, leading the town of Centerville after possessing its residents with demons, and even trying to take over Hell as the Sorcerer Supreme. He’s typically bested by his mother, and these days, Agatha has disowned him as her son.
Even though most are sold on the idea that Locke is playing an older version of Billy Kaplan/Wiccan, others think he could be Nicholas Scratch – adding another dynamic to his relationship with Agatha. Scratch is largely remembered as a Fantastic Four villain, and although The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set to arrive in 2025, they’ve already got enough on their hands with Galactus and rumors of Doctor Doom. Given Agatha All Along’s occult aesthetic, it makes sense to include Nick here…but what if he’s not alone?
Who Are The Salem Seven?
Nick lurking in the shadows as the potential big bad of Agatha All Along is one thing, but in the meantime, we’ve got the Salem Seven to contend with. Rio mentioned that the “Salem Seven” were coming to get Agatha at sundown, with this shadowy cabal appearing at the end of episode 2. It’s safe to assume that the Seven are a live-action interpretation of Salem’s Seven from the comics.
Similar to Nicholas Scratch, Salem’s Seven were introduced in 1977’s Fantastic Four #186 and comprised of: Thornn, Gazelle, Vakume, Vertigo, Brutacus, Hydron, and Reptilla. The demon-like Thornn was the most powerful, whereas the deer-like Gazelle had super speed and Reptilla had snakes for hands. Importantly, Salem’s Seven has its own ties to both Nick and Agatha, with the group being a septet of Nick’s children. This makes Salem’s Seven Agatha’s grandkids, which would explain why they’ve been stalking her.
Seven hooded figures were featured in the Agatha All Along trailer, but unlike the magically mutated superhumans from the comics, this iteration of the Salem Seven appears to transform into more ‘normal’ animals. Agatha was visited by a crow, a rat, and a coyote in the first two episodes, losing her cool each time. The group are mentioned in the credits for episode 2, confirming Okwui Okpokwasili as Vertigo, Chau Naumova as Coyote, Bethany Curry as Snake, Athena Perample as Fox, Alicia Vera-Bailey as Owl, Britta Grant as Rat, and Marina Mazepa as Snake. Note that Okpokwasili is playing Vertigo, who is Nick’s eldest daughter, can’t transform, and has the bizarre ability to disrupt someone’s sense of balance.
Salem’s Seven is notably featured during the arc where Nick tries to usurp his mother, attempting to bring Agatha back to New Salem for a trial. This would imply that Nick could be nearby, which flows into another popular theory. Back when WandaVision aired, there were theories that Nicholas Scratch was hiding in plain sight as Agatha’s pet rabbit known as Señor Scratchy. Harkness’ furry friend returns in Agatha All Along and is there with Locke’s “Teen” when the Salem Seven arrive. Like the Salem Seven can turn into animals, it’s possible that Nick isn’t missing but is trapped in the form of a rabbit.
The Salem Seven are clearly out for Agatha, but instead of fleeing Westview, she’s persuaded to head onto the Witches’ Road in the hopes of getting her power back. We assume the Salem Seven won’t be far behind, and if they evolve into the villains of the show, expect to find out more about them. Salem’s Seven have since become allies of both Wanda and the Fantastic Four, so they might not be as villainous as they first seem. More likely, the Salem Seven are working for someone else who will be revealed as the real big bad of the series.
We don’t want to fuel those Mephisto fires too much, but with Nick Scratch having recently buddied up with the Lord of the Lower Depths (and Sacha Baron Cohen once tipped to play him in Ironheart), Agatha All Along could be setting up some major players for this demonic branch of the MCU. Hahn has also told the Total Film Podcast she’d love to follow the comics and have Agatha cross paths with the Fantastic Four, so there’s a chance Nick and the Salem Seven could appear in other projects. Then again, with Agatha herself being a master of deception, all of this could be another cruel trick from the writers.
The first two episodes of Agatha All Along are streaming on Disney+. New episodes premiere Wednesdays, culminating with the finale on October 30.
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