Agatha All Along - The comic history of Agatha's coven and their ties to the Scarlet Witch explained

Agatha All Along still
(Image credit: Marvel Comics)

Agatha All Along is two episodes in, and Agatha Harkness has already assembled the coven with whom she will walk the Witches' Road to achieve her heart's desire. And as you might expect, many of the members of her coven - all of them aside from Debra-Jo Rupp's Sharon Davis, in fact - have their own comic book history.

What's more, each of the other members of the coven - Lilia Calderu, Jennifer Kale, and Alice Wu-Gulliver - also has a comic book connection to the Scarlet Witch herself, Wanda Maximoff. 

All of those connections could come into play in Agatha All Along, which hasn't shied away from its strong connections to the MCU mythos of the Scarlet Witch. Here's what you need to know.

Lilia Calderu

Lilia Calderu in Marvel Comics

(Image credit: Marvel Comics)

Of all the witches in Agatha's coven, Patti Lupone's Lilia Calderu has perhaps the most intriguing comic backstory, because her history is tied directly to the childhood of none other than Wanda Maximoff, the future Scarlet Witch. 

Created by Steve Englehart, Mike Friedrich, and Frank Brunner, Lilia first appeared in 1973's Marvel Premiere #12. In Wanda Maximoff's youth, Lilia was part of a coven that identified Wanda as a being of great power.

Lilia also has an ongoing rivalry with Baron Mordo, the arch-enemy of Doctor Strange, who once seduced her in an attempt to steal her family's magical tome, the Book of Cagliostro, though she managed to fend him off with the help of her coven.

Jennifer Kale

Jennifer Kale in Marvel Comics

(Image credit: Marvel Comics)

Sasheer Zamata's Jennifer Kale is the most storied of all the members of Agatha's coven, having adventured alongside numerous heroes in the Marvel Universe including Doctor Strange, Ghost Rider, X-Force, and especially the mysterious Man-Thing. 

First introduced in 1972's Fear #11 by Steve Gerber and Rich Buckler, Kale began her sorcerous training as a teenager using magical implements possessed by her father, the head of a demonic cult. When she accidentally summoned a demon, she was saved by Man-Thing, going on to become a magical adventurer in her own right.

Jennifer Kale also has a comic book relationship with Wanda Maximoff, with Kale's most recent comic book appearance coming in 2023's Scarlet Witch #9, in which they teamed up with Kale's old ally Man-Thing to repel a demonic invasion.

Alice Wu-Gulliver

Alice Wu-Gulliver in Marvel Comics

(Image credit: Marvel Comics)

As in Agatha All Along, Alice Wu-Gulliver is a cop who is the daughter of a magic user. Unlike Ali Ahn's MCU version of Alice, who is the daughter of a rock star, the comic version is the daughter of August Wu, the magical protector of Hong Kong, and a police officer named Adam Gulliver. Also unlike the MCU, rather than disappearing on the Witches' Road, Alice's mother is killed by a demon.

Alice Wu-Gulliver first appeared in 2016's Doctor Strange: The Last Days of Magic #1 by James Robinson and Mike Perkins. Following in her father's footsteps, Alice becomes a cop who uses the magical abilities she inherited from her mother on the job. 

Like the other comic-based members of the coven, Alice has teamed up with Wanda Maximoff, joining forces with the Scarlet Witch to hunt down an ancient demonic sorcerer who empowers a mystical gang known as the Missing Sixes Triad.

On a Marvel kick? Here's how to watch all the Marvel movies and shows in order, along with every new MCU release we know about.

George Marston

I've been Newsarama's resident Marvel Comics expert and general comic book historian since 2011. I've also been the on-site reporter at most major comic conventions such as Comic-Con International: San Diego, New York Comic Con, and C2E2. Outside of comic journalism, I am the artist of many weird pictures, and the guitarist of many heavy riffs. (They/Them)