Hasitha Fernando on who could be orchestrating the madness in Marvel’s WandaVision…
Three episodes into Marvel’s uber ambitious television series WandaVision, we are nowhere closer to finding the truth of what’s going on in Westview. In episode three Wanda and Vision’s friendly neighbor Herb (David Peyton) nearly dropped a proverbial brick with regard to the true nature of their idyllic suburbia, but was stopped midpoint at the insistence of Agnes (Katherine Hahn). So, what’s really going on here and most importantly WHO is behind it? In this article we venture a guess as to who the mastermind behind this madness really is.
On the top of the list is H.Y.D.R.A, an old and familiar foe who have caused considerable distress to our heroes in the past. Multiple television commercials hinting at the evil organization presence were juxtaposed during the runtime of the first two episodes of WandaVision, making us wonder if they are the ones behind this sitcom-fuelled craziness. These interludes don’t fit in to the typical mould of Easter eggs and come off more as a form of mind manipulation via subliminal advertising. Wanda and Pietro Maximoff were H.Y.D.R.A’s creation after all, but the grander purpose of Baron von Strucker’s experimentations were never disclosed. Following Strucker’s demise at the hand of Ultron one could believe that his agenda died with him, but then again this is H.Y.D.R.A we are talking about, to quote their motto, “Cut off one head, and two more shall its place.” At this point Red Skull staging a comeback seems unlikely, but H.Y.D.R.A still sticking around in some shape or form is very much a possibility.
In the MCU, A.I.M is a government sanctioned privately funded think-tank birthed by Tony Stark rival Aldrich Killian. However, in the comics its origins are slightly different, with the organization originating as a branch of H.Y.D.R.A specializing in the creation of cutting-edge, high-tech weaponry for nefarious purposes. My suspicions towards A.I.M may seem unwarranted and far-fetched but hear me out. Amongst the myriad of visual cues featured in WandaVision, one which especially stood out is the fairly prominent usage of hexagons, especially during the title sequences and closing shots. So, what’s the correlation between A.I.M and hexagons? Their logo is a hexagon!
In addition to that, remember the mysterious beekeeper who crawled out of the sewer in Episode 2? His outfit is eerily similar to the uniform traditionally worn by A.I.M troopers, which also include a unique ‘beekeeper’ looking helmet. Yes, WandaVision’s enigmatic beekeeper wore overalls featuring S.W.O.R.D’s insignia but it’s quite possible that A.I.M is secretly running things behind the scenes. In the comics A.I.M is also responsible for the creation of the supervillain MODOK, who is a mutagenic medical experimentation possessing psionic powers that enables it to mind-control large groups of people remotely. With an animated TV series based on MODOK’s character already in the works at Hulu, it makes one wonder if A.I.M with the assistance of MODOK are the ones behind the shenanigans at Westview.
From the very beginning when character actor Katherine Hahn was announced to be playing Wanda and Vision’s nosy neighbor Agnes, many started speculating that she’s actually portraying Agatha Harkness from the comics. One of the original witches from the Salem Witch trials, Agatha is a powerful witch who mentored Wanda in the ways of real magic. She was also a nanny for Franklin Richards, the son of Reed Richards and Sue Storm of the Fantastic Four. When Wanda birthed her twin sons, Billy and Tommy, Agatha warned her that she conceived those children by unknowingly summoning two fragments of Mephisto’s soul. She then wiped Wanda’s memory of them ever existing, once Mephisto reabsorbed the twins. Agatha is later killed by an infuriated Wanda for the part she played in covering up the conception of her children. So, what are the clues in WandaVision that point to the possible involvement of Agatha Harkness in all this? One such clue may lie in her very name – Agnes. Agnes contains the first two letters of Agatha and ends similar to Harkness; therefore, her name used in Westview could be an abbreviation of her full name in real life. Another hint lies in the fashion accessories Agnes wears during the show, specifically her brooch and the necklace. It looks awfully similar to the collar Agatha Harkness dons in the comics.
If you cast your mind back to the very first WandaVision trailer which debuted back in September 2020, you may recall seeing Agnes dressed as a witch, getting snapped out of a stupor like state by Vision and this could also be another breadcrumb left for us to follow. We also see a sequence of quick scenes where both Wanda and Vision are dressed in their alter-egos costumes in the trailer. Does that mean Agnes is also sporting her doppelganger’s look in that particular scene? The last clue may lie in the joke that she cracks about her husband Ralph only remembering their anniversary, “if there was a beer called June 2nd”. This may seem like an innocuous statement at face value but if you do a little digging, you’ll find out that June 2nd was the date when the first conviction of the Salem Witch trials was passed. Undoubtedly, we’ll get our answers in the next few episodes of WandaVision, but even right now it’s fairly obvious that Agnes is playing a much larger role in the proceedings than we previously thought.
There have been rumors of Mephisto possibly playing an integral role in Marvel’s Phase Four going forward. Debuting in the Silver Age of comic books, this enduring character has appeared in over five decades of Marvel continuity but is yet to make his official appearance within the MCU. But maybe WandaVision is set to change all that. Mephisto is an extra-dimensional being who rules over his own fiery dominion in the comics, and is the closest thing to the Devil the source material will ever have. This devious trickster also shares a dark history with Wanda and played a pivotal part in the story arc which saw the birth of her children. At the conclusion of this tragic storyline the devious trickster reabsorbs these soul shards, thus erasing the twins from existence. This shocking revelation sends Wanda on a downward spiral into insanity, effectively setting off the chain of events that then lead into the iconic House of M comic series. In WandaVision, Agnes’ perpetually absent but oft talked about husband, Ralph, maybe none other than Mephisto. While Agnes’ light-hearted quips about Ralph could be WandaVision paying homage to sitcom tropes of televisions’ past, they could also be foreshadowing a far darker secret hiding in plain sight. With Marvel’s Kevin Feige confirming that WandaVision will directly set up Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the inclusion of Mephisto certainly makes sense, as both have come to blows with each other in the past.
While it’s certainly fun to speculate and entertain possibilities of an unknown baddie orchestrating this sitcom fueled madness the answer to our burning question maybe sitting right in front of us – Wanda herself. During an interview with Empire last year Feige had this to say about the character, “If you look at the Infinity Saga, I don’t think that any single person has gone through more trauma and pain than Wanda Maximoff. And no character has a power-set that is as ill-defined and unexplored as Wanda Maximoff.” With WandaVision Feige and company seem to be testing the unchartered waters which will help define Wanda’s character. In this context it seems quite possible that the idyllic, sitcom-fuelled utopia of Westview could be created by Wanda herself, as a method of coping with the intense grief she’s possessing following the loss of her loved ones.
By the time this TV series is done and dusted, don’t be surprised or disappointed if we are ultimately left with no big bad to vent our bile on. For therein lies the brilliance of WandaVision.
Hasitha Fernando is a part-time medical practitioner and full-time cinephile. Follow him on Twitter via @DoctorCinephile for regular updates on the world of entertainment.
Originally published January 28, 2021. Updated February 1, 2021.
