Who are the Salem Seven in Agatha All Along on Disney Plus? The sinister group of Marvel dark magic wielders explained

Who are the villains of Agatha All Along?

News By Tom Power published 19 September 2024

Full spoilers follow for Agatha All Along's two-episode premiere.

Agatha All Along has made its enchanting debut on Disney Plus – and, apart from the big mystery surrounding Joe Locke's Teen, there's another pressing question on fans' minds: who are the Salem Seven?

Well, you've come to the right place, dear reader, as I'm here to answer that very question about Marvel's latest team of villains. In this guide, I'll delve into the group's comic book history, including their ties to Agatha Harkness and Wanda Maximoff, and then propose my own theory about why they're hunting Agatha in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's (MCU) latest TV show. 

Full spoilers follow for the dark comedy musical's first two episodes, so don't walk down, down, down the Witches' Road with me unless you've watched them. Before you do, however, be sure to read our review of Agatha All Along!

The Salem Seven's Marvel comic book history, explained

The first thing to note about the Salem Seven is that, in Marvel's source material, the group's official title is slightly different to the one used in Agatha All Along. Indeed, in the comics, they're known as Salem's Seven.

Created by Len Wein and George Perez, and making their literary debut in September 1977's The Fantastic Four #186, Salem's Seven are a team of dark magic wielders who initially fought Marvel's First Family and Wanda Maximoff, aka the Scarlet Witch. Later on, though, they become firm allies of Wanda and the iconic quartet.

Anyway, as the team's name rightly points out, seven individuals – Vertigo, Brutacus, Gazelle, Hydron, Reptilia, Thornn, and Vakume – are part of the villainous outfit. They're not only the grandchildren of Agatha, but also the children of Nicholas Scratch, a powerful sorcerer who isn't to be confused with the Devil himself. Indeed, 'Old Nick' and 'Mister Scratch' are just two of many aliases used by various cultures to call the Devil.

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