WandaVision's Real Villain's Link To Mephisto Explained
Now that Agnes has been revealed as WandaVision's real villain Agatha Harkness, how is she linked to notorious Marvel demon Mephisto? Many comic book readers have speculated on his involvement in the show, and while there have been several Mephisto references sprinkled throughout, it is not entirely outside the realm of possibility that the Marvel menace may make an outright appearance. To explore Mephisto and Agatha's potential impact on the MCU, we must first look at their comic book origins.
Long-suspected by viewers to be comic book sorceress Agatha Harkness, Agnes finally introduced her true magical self on episode 7 titled "Breaking the Fourth Wall." Wanda is at her wit's end, having disrupted the already established boundaries of her fantasy world to save Vision. In a homage to classic sitcoms Modern Family and The Office, Wanda sends the kids off with Agnes and takes the day to unwind – that is, until Monica Rambeau confronts her about Westview. Agnes whisks Wanda away for tea at her place, but instead of finding the twins, she discovers the basement lair of Agatha Harkness, whose intentions in Westview are insidious at best.
Wanda can hardly react before Agatha takes control of her with a wave of her hand. Agatha's role in WandaVision seems to vary dramatically from the elderly part-time governess of the comics, as it leans more into her being the big baddie of the series. That said, Mephisto could still make an appearance in the last two episodes and wreak havoc well into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Let's take a look at how their connection is developed in the comics as opposed to on television.
While Agatha Harkness and Mephisto do not work together in the comics, they share a connection through Scarlet Witch. Both characters have been around for millennia, but Agatha has been decidedly less evil than Marvel's version of the devil. Agatha works as a governess for Reed Richards' son Franklin and as a mentor and teacher to Wanda. Her main villainous act in regard to Scarlet Witch in the comics is wiping any memory of Billy and Tommy from her mind, thereby causing Scarlet Witch to go insane, enact the "House of M" events, and kill Agatha.
Mephisto, on the other hand, is a staunch demonic presence in the Marvel comic universe. He's menaced the lives of several Avengers and has a hand in Tommy and Billy's birth. Unbeknownst to Wanda, the energy she uses to bring the twins to life includes fragments of Mephisto's being. Later on, supervillain Pandemonium, who has made a deal with Mephisto after losing his arms in a car crash, kidnaps and reabsorbs the twins into his new arms, which are revealed to be extensions of Mephisto's soul. Billy and Tommy are erased forever, at least until they're resurrected as Wiccan and Speed in later issues. Mephisto and Agatha may not have been planning anything together explicitly, but their characters prove detrimental to Wanda's sanity and tie directly to her twins.
Agatha masks her identity throughout most of WandaVision, appearing simply as an overly helpful, busybody neighbor. In her official theme song "Agatha All Along," Agatha manipulates several characters and secretly changes the narrative's course. She even admits to murdering Wanda's dog, Sparky. It seems a bit like Agatha and Mephisto's characters were fused into one terrible villain, judging by her actions. While both versions of Agatha maintain a friendly relationship with Wanda, WandaVision's portrayal is decidedly more deceptive.
Though there have been several hints to Mephisto's inclusion in the show, like a blink-and-you'll-miss-it 666 in the Stark toaster commercial and Wanda's pregnancy, he hasn't been officially confirmed yet. This is a major change from the comics, since his role has not been made apparent. Fan theories have floated around linking Mephisto to Agatha's absent husband Ralph or the very entity responsible for making Wanda's fake reality possible. Establishing a clear and definitive relationship between Agatha and Mephisto would be a nice deviation from the comics.
While Mephisto has not appeared in the flesh, "the devil is in the details" as Agatha says in an earlier episode. Perhaps Agatha's mysterious magic book in the basement could be linked to resurrecting Mephisto, since Tommy and Billy are a part of him in the comics. It could be that Agatha is also working with him to feed off the cosmic energy that is powering Westview. An image has also been circulating showing a demonic face carved into one of Agatha's underground columns. If Mephisto isn't there yet, he's surely on his way.
Another hint at Mephisto's possible involvement is the green cicada Wanda spots on the curtain at Agatha's house. While this insect is traditionally a symbol of rebirth and transformation, it could also be a stand-in for Mephisto's comic book appearance as a fly. Additionally, Agatha's pet rabbit may have demonic ties, since Señor Scratchy shares a name with both Agatha's villainous comic book son Nicholas Scratch and Old Scratch, the devil's nickname. Whereas Agatha's comic book counterpart owns a black cat who can morph into a fearsome wildcat, only time will tell if Señor Scratchy possesses similar abilities.
There’s also episode 7's Nexus commercial connection. While not necessarily a link to Agatha, it does provide insight into where Doctor Strange 2 may be headed. The Nexus is a cross-dimensional gateway to other realities. In alternate reality Earth-12101, for example, Dreadpool, a crazier and more unhinged version of Deadpool, shows up and kills Doctor Strange and Wong. As the sequel does explore the Multiverse of Madness, Agatha's big reveal and her manipulation of Wanda likely form the main conflict Doctor Strange must contend with.
As WandaVision draws to a close, it is entirely possible Mephisto will have his proper introduction. With Agatha's rising control over Wanda and likely Westview, there is no doubt that some greater evil will threaten to destroy Wanda's fantasy world. As her family is already splintered, it'll be compelling to watch how Agatha and Mephisto fit into the grander scheme of the MCU.
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