WandaVision ended with a bang this week, but not before it squeezed in one more niche comic book reference that might have left some fans scratching their heads. Scarlet Witch has some of the most interesting lore in the comics, and typically the more fantastical elements of her character have been underused by the MCU pre-WandaVision, so it’s great to see the show not only put her in the spotlight, but also put her front and centre. With the last episode bringing in the idea of Chaos Magic, this time, we got a glimpse of The Darkhold. But if you haven’t kept up with the comics, you might be wondering ‘what is The Darkhold?’. Luckily, we’re here to help
WandaVision: What Is The Darkhold?
The Darkhold is a magical tome, full of spells and the secrets to magic and witchcraft. It is said to be ancient, and is often called the Book of Spells, the Book of Sins, or the Book of the Damned, although The Darkhold is its official name. It is made of dark matter, a substance only found in the Hell Dimension; we’ve visited this place before in the MCU, as it’s where Doctor Strange fights Dormammu over and over again. It was called the Dark Dimension on our screens, but it’s the same place.
As far the MCU goes, it’s the book Agatha Harkness was casting her spells from. It has also appeared in Agents of SHIELD previously, but as we explain below, that likely won’t influence much moving forwards.
How Is Scarlet Witch Connected To The Darkhold?
We’ve been calling Wanda Maximoff Scarlet Witch ever since she was introduced in the MCU, but she wasn’t officially given that name until WandaVision’s eighth episode, when Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness labels her it. In episode nine, the finale, Wanda accepts this label, referring to herself as the Scarlet Witch and wearing a costume similar to that in the comics. We’ve already seen a flashback that suggests she may be from a long line of Scarlet Witches, but this remains a cliffhanger for now.
Is It The Same Darkhold From Agents Of SHIELD?
That’s difficult to say at this point. The Darkhold was involved heavily in season four of Agents of SHIELD, but that show isn’t really a full part of the MCU canon in the way WandaVision is. It’s unlikely we’ll ever get a proper explanation as Marvel moves on from Agents of SHIELD (and Runaways, where the book also featured), so the closest we can say is that it’s probably the same, but nobody is ever going to actually mention that.
Who Is Chthon?
The Darkhold was written by the Elder God Chthon, and indeed the individual pages in the Darkhold are referred to as Chthon’s Scrolls. In the comics, Wanda gets her powers because she was born in Chthon’s crypt, and a fragment of his magic transferred to her, but the MCU has gone a different route with Wanda. There, Wanda’s powers come from Hydra’s experiments with the Infinity Stones, although we do find out during WandaVision that actually, Wanda had powers before this, and the Infinity Stone gave her the extra strength. This is accurate to the comics, where Chthon boosts her power, rather than creating her magic. However, the Chthon storyline is complex, would rely on a much fuller examination of Wanda’s birth, and is only tangential to the arcs of the comics anyway, so we may not ever get a full MCU exploration of them.
Is The Darkhold Connected To Doctor Strange?
While Doctor Strange uses spells, he does not wield the Darkhold, since he does not practise dark magic. However, there are quite a few links nonetheless. For one thing, though he is yet to appear in the MCU, one of the biggest Darkhold users is Mephisto. He was a long rumoured villain of WandaVision – a theory proven incorrect – and is a major antagonist in many Doctor Strange storylines. We know that the upcoming Doctor Strange film (Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness) will feature Wanda heavily, so she may be the link to tie Doctor Strange, the Darkhold, and the eventual appearance of Mephsito together.
Also, Doctor Strange introduced us to the Dark Dimension, and as the title of his sequel suggests, we’ll be dimension hopping again soon. Wanda’s story is clearly not over, so the Darkhold may well reappear in the future now that the MCU has gotten a bit more magical.
Next: What’s Next For The MCU After WandaVision?
- Guides
- disney
- Marvel
- MCU
Stacey Henley is an editor for TheGamer, and can often be found journeying to the edge of the Earth, but only in video games. Find her on Twitter @FiveTacey
Source: Read Full Article