There are numerous X-Men, which can make it hard to keep up with the heroes and villains associated with them, though Agatha Harkness’ MCU debut has skyrocketed her popularity. One of the heroic mutant team’s major villains has an interesting relationship with the witch. While she got her start in comics, she is now best known for her appearance in the WandaVision Disney+ series.
Debuting in Fantastic Four #94 in 1970, Agatha is known for being one of the witches involved in the Salem Witch Trials. Since then, she has been a mentor to Wanda Maximoff and a guardian of Franklin Richards. However, considering a small detail in the X-Men miniseries, X-Men Hellfire Club, she may also be related to a very powerful mutant the hero team has faced repeatedly.
WandaVision’s Standout Villainess Could Connect to a Classic X-Men Villain
X-Men: Hellfire Club #1 (1999) has the creative team of Ben Raab, Charlie Adlard, Kevin Somers, and Jon Babcock. The first issue in the four-issue miniseries reveals that an ancestor of Sebastian Shaw is a Sorcerer Supreme in hiding during the time of the Salem Witch Trials: Reverend Hiram Shaw. Rev. Shaw has a son, named Obadiah, who is involved with one of the girls accused of witchcraft – Abigail Harkness. While Agatha is not mentioned, the timeframe and uncommon name in the Marvel universe imply a very likely connection between the two – as do Abigail’s powers.
Abigail Harkness is confirmed to be a witch when running away with Obadiah Shaw, shooting at their foes to ensure escape. However, she only appears in this issue. Marvel didn’t bring her back to confirm whether she and Obadiah remained together or her clarify her connection to Agatha. Nonetheless, if Abigail and Obadiah stayed together and continued their bloodline together, Sebastian Shaw would have Agatha Harkness as an ancestor. This makes his bloodline – and potentially himself – even more powerful, since he’d be a descendant of a Sorcerer Supreme and the original witches of Salem. This family connection would confirm Sebastian’s powers are immense, making him a stronger villain than fans may have initially believed.
Sebastian Shaw was seen in the film X-Men: First Class, portrayed by Kevin Bacon. Fans have likely severely underestimated his abilities – particularly since his cinematic appearance was limited compared to Marvel Comics events. Given his connection to Agatha, this could be a great route to intertwine narratives between the X-Men and the current MCU. Since it is vague and undeveloped, this connection would be a perfect storyline to open the door for further possibilities in both mediums. Sebastian Shaw is a classic X-Men villain and while Agatha Harkness is new to the MCU, a shared bloodline opens up a venue to make both incredibly powerful and intriguing characters with deeper connections to each other.
