Warning! This article contains spoilers for Agatha All Along Episode 7
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Summary
If there was ever a TV show to introduce Lady Death into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it would have to beAgatha All Along, and the Disney+ series did just that in its seventh episode.
Agatha All Alongis a witch-centric spin-off of 2021’sWandaVision, featuring the Scarlet Witch’s friend turned nemesis, Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn). After Wanda Maximoff successfully defeated Agatha in theWandaVisionfinale, she condemned her to a false life in Westview, until Agatha was broken free from her spell by Joe Locke’s Teen. Together, Agatha and Teen gather a coven of witches to walk with them on the fabled Witches’ Road, which will grant anyone who makes it to the end whatever they desire. The series has already introduced severalnew foes into the MCU, including the Salem Seven, butAgatha All Along’sseventh episode may have introduced its most important player yet.
Agatha All Along Reveals the True Identity of Aubrey Plaza’s Character
Who is Rio Vidal?
Of all the new characters introduced inAgatha All Along,Aubrey Plaza’s Rio Vidalwas one of the most intriguing. Rio appeared to be a completely new character for the series, with no character going by the same name existing in Marvel’s comics. She was introduced in Agatha All Along’s first episode as a powerful witch with a secretive shared history with Agatha. In the series’ fourth episode, Rio returned to replace the deceased Mrs Hart as the Green Witch in Agatha’s coven. The episode also confirmed what several lines had teased in previous episodes which is that Agatha and Rio shared a romantic past.
Rio Vidal’s Real Name Revealed
After disappearing for Episode 6 ofAgatha All Along, Episode 7 saw the return of Plaza’s character, this time with a major reveal. Throughout the season, there had been much fan speculation (and an unfortunate Funko Pop leak)that Plaza’s character name was a front for a different Marvel antagonist, that being Death. The clues had been piling up. Rio referred to herself in one episode as “the green witch” hinting she was the original wielder of Earth magic. She also laughed pointedly when an Ouija board revealed to the witches that “death” was in the room with them. A conversation between Rio and Agatha revealed the duo had become quite a team over the years as Agatha’s succubus powers often led to witch’s deaths which meant Rio would “get [her] bodies.”
All these hints finally culminated inAgatha All AlongEpisode 7, whenLilia Calderu’s (Patti LuPone) trialhelped her accept her upcoming death, and she was subsequently visited by a hooded figure. The figure asks “Don’t you recognize me Lilia?” before stepping out of the shadows to reveal the skeletal face of Rio. “In the end, all roads lead to me,” Rio says, implying that all roads lead to death. What’s interesting about this statement is that the coven is currently walking the Witches’ Road, which could hint at Rio, aka Death, being the final antagonist they have to face at the end of the road.
In the end, all roads lead to me.
Who is Lady Death in Marvel Comics?
There is precedent for a character known as Death, or sometimes Lady Death, to appear in Marvel’s comics. The character is known to be a cosmic entity who is a human personification of death. One of Death’s most notable storylines inMarvel lore involves Thanos, who is determined to win Death’s love by destroying all life in the universe. The character has also had links to the Collector, the Beyonder, and even Deadpool in certain comic runs. When not appearing in its human form, Death resides in a pocket realm dubbed the Realm of Death.
What Role Will Death Play in Agatha All Along?
One of the important aspects to take away from the character of Death is that its powers involve the ability to kill or resurrect any soul. There are no doubt several characters who could take advantage of that inAgatha All Along. Earlier in the season, Rio hinted at having to do something that hurt Agatha because it was “her job,” with a popular theory being that this could be related to the death ofAgatha’s son Nicholas Scratch. It’s not yet clear what Agatha’s deepest desire is for the end of the road, but resurrecting her son seems like a reasonable bet.
There’s alsoTeen, aka the newly revealed Billy Maximoff, to consider. While Billy’s intention for the end of the road is to be reunited with his lost twin Tommy, there’s currently no indication ofwhat state Tommy Maximoff is in. It seems likely his soul suffered the same fate as that of his twin and is now housed in another teenager in New York, but perhaps it’s possible he’s trapped in Death’s realm and needs resurrection, which Plaza’s character could determine.
Whatever her role inAgatha All Alongends up being, rumors suggest that the Disney+ series is not the last timePlaza will appear as Death in the MCU. With the character now established in the Marvel universe, there’s no shortage of places the character of Death could become useful in future projects, particularly as two more high-stakes Avengers films approach their release dates.
