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The Messy Lore of Billy Maximoff in ‘Agatha All Along’

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at FSU chapter.

This article contains spoilers for Agatha All Along.

Teen’s true identity in Agatha All Along has been revealed, and it’s confirmed that he is Billy Maximoff…and Billy Kaplan. If you think it’s weird here, you’ve got to check out the backstory in the comics. The lore is insane! Let me explain.

Agatha All Along

First off, Teen is played by Joe Locke, whose name was put on the map after playing the character of Charlie Spring in Netflix’s hit teen drama Heartstopper. He has now made his Marvel debut in the Disney+ show Agatha All Along alongside Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness.

If you haven’t watched the show yet, let me catch you up. This show follows the events of the Disney+ show WandaVision. Wanda is gone and has left a trail of destroyed lives in her wake. One such life is that of her enemy, Agatha Harkness, who Wanda stripped of all power and trapped in a spell. The show follows Joe Locke’s mysterious character, “Teen,” as he helps Agatha break out of her mind in hopes she can guide him down the Witches’ Road. They assemble a rag-tag coven and head underneath the town of Westview to overcome trials to conquer the road.

The mystery behind Teen’s identity has been a hot topic of debate among fans as the weekly episodes come out. Theories ranged from being Agatha’s long-lost son, Nicholas Scratch, to Wanda’s son, Billy. Some, even though he may be the devil, Mephisto. The front-running theory was that he was Billy Kaplan, AKA the Marvel hero Wiccan.

In episodes five and six, we finally had confirmation of both his name, backstory, and identity. He is the same Billy Maximoff we saw in WandaVision, the son of Vision and Wanda, but just in the body of another kid also named Billy.

As the hex around Westview fell at the end of WandaVision, Wanda’s sons Billy and Tommy started to fade due to the disappearance of the spell that created them. At the same time, Billy Kaplan was being driven home from his Bar Mitzvah by his parents when they were driven off the road by a large truck. The car crashed, and Billy Kaplan died in the backseat. At that moment, the soul of Billy Maximoff found the body and took it over.

Billy was unaware of his identity as Billy Maximoff because of a spell placed on Kaplan’s body, but he knew something was off. He realizes his identity three years later and sets off for the road to restore something he is missing, his twin brother Tommy. He conceals his abilities to manipulate Agatha into taking him on the road, but when Agatha goes too far by killing his friend and fellow coven member Alice, he retaliates and uses his powers against her, revealing himself as the son of the Scarlet Witch.

Comicbook: From Demon Soul to Intergalactic Ruler

origins

Billy and his twin Tommy were first introduced as Wanda and Vision’s twin sons in the 1989 Avengers West Coast storyline. In the same story, their nanny, Agatha Harkness, reveals the twins to be two fragments of the demon Mephisto’s soul. After a confrontation with Master Pandemonium and Mephisto, the twins disappear, leaving Wanda in a diminished mental state, but who can blame her?

Wanda’s mental health is a large part of her struggles in both the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the comics. After the twins disappear, Wanda and Vision separate, and the Avengers disassemble. That’s all too much for Wanda, who has a complete breakdown in the 2005 story House of M, where she remakes reality to have the life she wants. Total power move. At the end of this story, the twins disappear, and Wanda mutters the now infamous words, “No more mutants,” eradicating all mutants.

In 2005’s Young Avengers #1, we are introduced to Billy Kaplan. Billy discovers that he has electrokinetic powers when he goes to stand up to his bully at school. He decides to don the name “Asgardian” as an image of Thor and his lightning abilities. As Asgardian, Billy joins the Young Avengers team alongside his classmate and later boyfriend Teddy Altman, AKA Hulkling.

Billy and the rest of the team discover a mysterious speedster named Tommy Shepard while on a mission. Tommy and Billy look identical, which leads to some confusion. Tommy joins the team as Speed.

More people are concerned when Billy’s powers begin to grow beyond simple electric control. He discovers that he has chaos magic, just like the Scarlet Witch. He is encouraged to adopt the new name of Wiccan to reflect his abilities. This leads him and the rest of the team to seek out Wanda in the Avengers: The Children’s Crusade. They find Wanda and discover that Billy and Tommy are her sons’ souls reincarnated.

Billy Kaplan goes on to become one of the most powerful magic wielders in all of Marvel comics. Billy discovers that the reason he has such insane magical abilities is due to him being the Demiurge, essentially a creator god. This allows Billy to bend reality to his will. Billy doesn’t often use these abilities, but when he does, he is one of Marvel’s mightiest heroes.

Significance: He Gets A Happily Ever After

Billy Kaplan is an amazing piece of representation done right. Often in comics, LGBTQ+ characters are shoved in the closet until pride month, but Billy is a great example of how to do representation that matters. We don’t often get characters who are as sure of their identity as Billy Kaplan, a proud gay man who also happens to be the Emperor of Space.

Oh, did I leave that part out?

Billy Kaplan and his longtime boyfriend Teddy Altman got married in the 2020 story Empyre. Also, in this story, Teddy was crowned emperor of the new Kree-Skrull Empire. They are officially space royalty and have been in a stable relationship since 2006.

Stable relationships in comics are hard to find, and marriages are even rarer. Just ask most comic fans about the infamous Batman and Catwoman failed marriages, or ask X-Men’s Scott Summers and Jean Gray. Comic books run off of the idea that characters are not allowed to be too happy for too long, or else they get boring. This leads to an endless cycle of relationship drama, but thankfully, Marvel has decided to give Billy and Teddy the happily ever after they deserve, especially after saving the world over 100 times.

Billy Kaplan/Maximoff

Overall, the lore of Billy Maximoff/Kaplan is ever so complicated, but he’s an extremely important character to so many people for so many reasons. I’m so excited that Marvel is finally incorporating him into the MCU with a brand-new streamlined backstory. The MCU needs a new super team, and Billy and the Young Avengers will be a great fit.

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Danielle Triola is a first-year student at Florida State University and a dedicated Staff Writer at Her Campus. She writes bi-weekly articles about lifestyle, culture, and life on campus. Danielle’s journalism stems from a love of knowledge and keeping up to date on her variety of interests, from the latest in politics to the newest in pop culture. She loves diving headfirst into different stories and new adventures. Outside of Her Campus, Danielle is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in International Affairs, while planning to minor in Political Science and French. Danielle loves volunteering and being an active member of campus life. She is also a member of many clubs around campus including the Equestrian and Rugby teams. Danielle is a dedicated believer in the benefits of exercise on your mental and physical well-being. Whenever she gets free time, Danielle enjoys going to the gym, paddle boarding, and reading a good book. Danielle appreciates enjoying the nature outside of campus by going hiking or going to the barn. She enjoys any opportunity to be with animals and loves taking cute photos of them. She is also an avid enjoyer of cheesy rom-com movie nights and spending time with friends.