The Darkhold appeared several times in the MCU And beyond and made a huge impact each time. The Darkhold is one of the most powerful artifacts in the MCU, containing mystical practices within its pages that strengthen the powers of the MCU’s magic users and grant access to sinister new abilities. For example, it was able to give Agatha Harkness the power to resist Wanda’s Westview hex and put her through her paces in a one-on-one fight and afford Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch the power to traverse the multiverse by dreamwalking.
The Darkhold was destroyed by Wanda MaximoffWho deployed her amplified powers to ensure its destruction across the multiverse. Nevertheless, this still hasn’t stopped the Darkhold from reappearing in the MCU, demonstrating the insidiousness of its power and influence. Although his physical form was shown to be extraordinary, it seems clear that his story isn’t done yet – so here’s everything you need to know about Darkhold’s story as his legacy continues to permeate the multiverse saga.
The Darkhold first appeared in WandaVision
The Darkhold was first in the possession of Agatha Harkness before Wanda took it
WandaVision Focused on a traumatized Wanda Maximoff and her desperate attempt to eke out a life with Vision, using her reality-warping chaos magic to produce an idyllic suburban life with an unwitting cast of innocent township residents. The feat was a stark demonstration of Wanda’s power levels as she held multiple people under her thrall while creating a family from nothing but her force of will and magic. nevertheless, Agatha Harkness can resist the hex thanks to her possession of the Darkhold.
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The Darkhold is the first in episode 7“break the fourth wall,“When Wanda discovers Agatha’s basement and the truth of her identity. His revelation is brief and remains secret until episode 9,”The series finale,” where Agatha provides for its use for her nefarious deeds. It sits on a pedestal in its first appearance, encased in a mystical orange glow, where it remains until Agatha makes it materialize in her showdown with Wanda in the streets of Westview.
Agatha opens the Darkhold to discover that an entire chapter is dedicated to the Scarlet Witch, detailing the unique nature of her powers as their use requires no coven or incantation. She also reveals that the Scarlet Witch’s powers exceed those of the Sorcerer Supreme. This would be evident in the Darkhold and Wanda’s subsequent cinematic appearance, which was set up by a post-credits scene in WandaVision Which shows Wanda learning the Darkhold, setting her on a dark course.
Scarlet Witch destroys the Darkhold in Multiverse of Madness
The transcribed copy was destroyed by Sarah Wolff before Wanda destroyed Darkhold Castle
The Darkhold is the MacGuffin of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. After taking possession of the book in WandaVisionWanda studied its contents to learn about the multiverse and how to access it. She reveals to Strange that she intends to use the book to reunite with her children, Billy and Tommy, who she has discovered exist outside of her Westview hex in other universes. It is also revealed that several variants of Doctor Strange have also fallen foul of the Darkhold.
Every use of the Darkhold in Multiverse of Madness |
|
---|---|
MCU character |
motivation |
Scarlet Witch |
to unite with her children. |
Doctor Strange (Earth-616) |
To defeat Wanda by dreamwalking into the zombified corpse of Defender Strange. |
Doctor Strange (Earth-838) |
To defeat Thanos with increased powers. |
Evil funny |
To be with Christine Palmer and kill strange variants that are not. |
The Darkhold first appears when Doctor Strange visits Wanda to seek her help In what initially appears to be a picturesque garden. When Wanda lets it slip that she’s the only one bothering America Chavez, she drops the powerful illusion to reveal a desolate landscape where the orchard once stood, with the Darkhold floating nearby, opened to a page of evil glowing runes. Strange immediately recognizes the artifact, noting that it corrupts everything and everyone it touches.
The Darkhold continues to power Wanda’s villain throughout the movie, as well as that of Sinister Strange, before Doctor Strange uses his power to aid in Wanda’s defeat. After encouraging America Chavez to fully use her power, Wanda recognizes the need to destroy the item after her children on Earth-838 flee in fear of her corrupted form. Wanda uses her power to destroy every variant of the Darkhold and collapse Mount Wundagore’s Darkhold Castle around her, apparently dying in the process.
The Darkhold appeared in a vision in Agatha all along
The appearance of the Darkhold confirms a dark facet of Agatha’s backstory
Still willing its power in WandaVisionAgatha spends the first two episodes of her spinoff series solo, Agatha all alongKnowledge of its fate. Cryptic clues litter the first episode as Agatha—the only Westview resident still under the effects of Wanda’s hex—investigates the circumstances surrounding what appears to be Wanda’s corpse, learning that every Darkhold has been destroyed in the process. The physical copy of the Darkhold does not appear in this episode, although it manifests later nonetheless.
The moment seemingly confirms that Agatha has made a fiendish deal to trade her son, Nicholas Scratch, for the Darkhold, though her grief suggests that the transaction was not enthusiastically struck.
The Darkhold makes another appearance in Agatha all along Episode 3. As the kobold-together coven tackles their first trial and begins brewing the antidote for a poison they all consumed that sparked personal visions of woe, Agatha begins to experience her. in it, The Darkhold manifests in a crib that takes the place of an infant as Agatha, visibly distressed, pulls his blanket aside. The moment seemingly confirms that Agatha has made a fiendish deal to trade her son, Nicholas Scratch, for the Darkhold, though her grief suggests that the transaction was not enthusiastically struck.
Darkhold’s appearances in non-MCU Marvel projects
An early version of the Darkhold appeared in Agents of SHIELD and Runaways
The Darkhold has also appeared twice outside of the main MCU timeline. This version of ​​the Darkhold differs greatly from the Elchurch design of its MCU counterpart, with an ambigram that reads “Darkhold“In both directions on its cover instead of a rocky facade that emanates a visible magical aura. This version of ​​​​the Darkhold” appeared a few years before its MCU debut in 2021 WandaVisionBut has since been confirmed as non-canon.
The book played a central role in Agents of SHIELD’s season 4 Ghost Rider arc, which concluded when Robbie Reyes took the Darkhold to Hell through a portal, removing it from the reach of easily influenced mortals.
The Darkhold first appeared in Agents of Shield In season 4 episode 4, “Let me stand by your fire,“When Agent Coulson reveals an image of the Darkhold on a digital screenConfirm its serious importance. It is then revealed physically in the subsequent episode during a flashback sequence. This book played a central role in Agents of Shields season 4 Ghost Rider arc, which ended when Robbie Reyes took the Darkhold to Hell through a portal, removing it from the reach of easily influenced mortals.
The Darkhold reappears, however, in Marvel’s Runaways. In season 3 episode 6, “Merry meet again.” The Book of the Damned is revealed to be in the possession of Morgan Le FayA powerful witch who has yet to make her MCU debut and intends to use the book to conquer Earth. It is used to initiate Nico Minoru into her coven, before Robert Minoru attempts to steal it only to meet his end at the hands of Le Fay.
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The Darkhold would boast a more extensive legacy in the MCU if it wasn’t confirmed that both Agents of Shield And Runaways are no longer canon to the main MCU timeline. This is established with Marvel’s release and content The Marvel Cinematic Universe: An Official Timelinefrom which the events of each show were evidently omitted. Instead, Kevin Feige hinted that the events of the show took place outside of the MCUs Sacred Timeline – which would mean that version of ​​the Darkhold was also destroyed with Wanda’s last act in the Darkhold Castle.