Summary
InAgatha All Along’spremiere, the series introduced a dangerous new threat to the Marvel Cinematic Universe: a mysterious veiled group known as the Salem Seven. This threat motivated Agatha Harkness to form a coven and take a second journey down the Witches' Road, but why do they inspire such fear in her?
Agatha All Alongis a spin-off series from the MCU’s first streaming series,WandaVision, which introduced Kathryn Hahn as the powerful Salem witch, Agatha. After trying and failing to take on the Scarlet Witch inWandaVision, Agatha was left trapped in a spell in Westview for three years until she was broken free by a young teenager, dubbed ‘Teen’, played by Joe Locke. Teaming up with Teen, they quickly gathered the coven members required to walk the fabled Witches Road, with the Salem Seven chasing close behind them.
Who Are The Salem Seven in Agatha All Along?
The Salem Seven are depicted as a group of masked witches, wearing matching hooded black dresses and cloaks. They are able to shapeshift with each taking the form of a different animal, including a fox, crow, owl, and snake. After Agatha and her coven narrowly escaped the clutches of the Salem Seven in Episode 2, they reappeared in Episode 5 ofAgatha All Along, titled ‘Darkest Hour, Wake Thy Power’. Until this point, all that is known about the group is that they are hunting Agatha andthat Rio Vidal (Aubrey Plaza)provided them with her location. In Episode 5, the Salem Seven catch up to the coven on the Witches' Road, having used the portal door that was left open by the coven after they summoned a new Green Witch to replace the deceased Mrs. Hart.
As they converge on the group, Lilia (Patti LuPone) providesmore information about the Salem Seven, revealing they were formed as a result of Agatha’s past. “When Agatha murdered her sister-witches she spared their young children,” Lilia says, referring to an event depicted inWandaVision, which saw Agatha’s mother attempt to kill her, only for Agatha to turn the tables and murder her mother and their coven by consuming all their power. Following Lilia’s comment, Rio adds that the Salem Seven “became a feral, hive-minded coven bent on revenge,” which explains their strange, inhuman behavior and their relentless pursuit of Agatha over the years.
They became a feral, hive-minded coven bent on revenge.
Prior to this episode there were many theories circling around the identity of the Salem Seven. Were they Agatha’s old coven members resurrected?Were they agents of Mephisto? Were they a completely new group of enemies created purely for the show? Episode 5 revealed that, while the Salem Seven are linked to Agatha’s coven, they are in fact the children of the dead coven members seeking vengeance for their parents' deaths.
Salem Seven Marvel Comics History
While the Salem Seven’s history inAgatha All Alonghas now been established, the group have seen various portrayals throughout Marvel comics history. In the comics, Salem’s Seven have typically been depicted as the children of Nicholas Scratch, aka Agatha’s long-lost son inAgatha All Along.Scratch has been referenced in the MCU series but it hasn’t been revealed exactly what happened to him. It’s possible he could still end up being linked to the Salem Seven, but not in the same direct way as they are in the comics.
The group inAgatha All Alongdoes share some further similarities with their comic counterparts, mainly that they wield magical powers and have the ability to transform into animals. In the credits of the show, the Salem Seven are also listed under different names than those in the comics. Rather than human names, the cast members are listed as the animals they transform into, such as “Snake”, “Fox” or “Owl”. Theonly named member is Vertigo, who is Nicholas Scratch’s eldest daughter in the comics. She is not known to have any transformation abilities but can inflict a sense of vertigo on her enemies, as the name suggests.
That’s about where the similarities between the two Salem Seven groups stop. Throughout the comics, Salem’s Seven aregenerally enemies of the Scarlet Witch. At one point they captured Scarlet Witch, hoping to make her a member of their coven, but when she refused, they attempted to sacrifice her, which did not end well for them. Interestingly, once they are resurrected in later Marvel comics, the Seven actually become allies of the Fantastic Four and Doctor Strange, both of whom have upcoming movies in the Marvel Universe. It’s not clear right now whether Marvel has any intention to use the Salem Seven beyondAgatha All Along, but now that they’ve been established in the MCU the door is open for them to be used in future projects. Assuming they survive the outcome ofAgatha All Along, that is.
