The first five episodes of Agatha All Along have been released on Disney Plus and for the first time, Nicholas Scratch has been mentioned in the MCU. A villain that has usually gone unnoticed in Marvel, Nicholas Scratch is the son of Agatha, however, their relationship is not your usual mother-and-son relationship and is quite strained with both of them hungry for power. We saw in Agatha All Along Episode 5 that the spirit possessing Agatha was Nicholas Scratch. So, who is Nicholas Scratch in Marvel Comics? Let’s find out.
Nicolas Scratch Was Agatha Harkness’ Son in Marvel Comics
Nicholas Scratch made his first appearance in 1977’s Fantastic Four #185. He was born in New Salem, a hidden city where witches and Warlocks used to live to stay away from normal humans with Agatha, his mother as the leader of this city. Scratch’s name was taken from mixing two different English tales, “Old Nick” and “Mr. Scratch” Interestingly, there are also alternative names given to the Devil.
Nicholas Scratch and his Mother’s relationship started straining after she left New Salem to be a nanny for Franklin Richards, the son of Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman. Later on, Scratch took the people of New Salem under his influence and captured Agatha. She was almost burned at a stake but luckily she could turn the people of New Salem against Scratch and she was saved. After this, Scratch was exiled to the Dark Realm and he became a servant for Dormamu in hopes of becoming the next Sorcerer Supreme. In the latest instances, Nicholas Scratch has been able to work with Mephisto so fans are hoping that we might get to see him on screen at least once. Even though it’s highly unlikely, let’s see what happens!
What Are Nicholas Scratch’s Powers?
Nicholas Scratch, just like his mother was a powerful sorcerer in the Marvel Comics. He was seen wielding a weapon called the Satan Staff that he used to focus all his powers. However, he did not necessarily need the staff to use his powers, and he was equally powerful even without it.
He could travel between dimensions much like America Chavez and can also draw energy from other dimensions. He could also summon creatures from different dimensions if he ever needed help. However, Agatha took away his powers because of what he tried to do to her and the people of New Salem.
What Could Be Nicholas Scratch’s Role in Agatha All Along
In Agatha All Along episode 5, we see Agatha being possessed by a spirit while she kills Alice. Teen gets to the Ouija board and finds out the name of the spirit – Nicholas Scratch. We have already seen Agatha get a flashback of her dead son in one of the Witches’ Trial earlier.
Agatha is haunted by the trauma of losing her young son which is evident by how she has still kept intact since the day he died. We can assume that the kid died at a young age based on the drawings on the walls and the award for the best performer in a children’s choir. The show wants us to believe that Agatha’s son is dead not only in the spell but also outside of it. However, I have a pretty strong hunch that we might get to see Nicholas Scratch in some later episodes and only time can tell how true or untrue this turns out to be. Till then, stay tuned with us for further updates!
