- "The Road will give you the thing you want the most."
- ―Billy Maximoff[src]
The Witches' Road is a fictional mystical pathway from the Ballad of the Witches' Road conceived by Nicholas Scratch and Agatha Harkness that promised to grant a traveler their deepest desire if they could endure and overcome its arcane trials. In 2026, the Road was unknowingly willed into existence by Billy Maximoff through chaos magic as a pocket dimension underneath Westview, New Jersey.
History[]
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Fictional Location[]
The tale of the Witches' Road was created by Agatha Harkness' son Nicholas Scratch out of amusement. In the tale, any witch who sought the Road needed to assemble a coven to walk it, and the Road would conjure a trial for each member, with legend saying those who survived would find what they seek.
After Nicholas' death, Harkness was approached by a witch who believed in the Road and sought it, Harkness took advantage of this belief to trick the witch and countless others into forming a coven with her and provoke them after failing to "open the gate" into attacking her, draining the witches of their powers. Harkness spent the next centuries tricking other witches through this method, creating numerous rumors in the process, the most notable of which being that she was believed to have assembled a coven to walk the Road and was the only member to come back alive, becoming known as the only witch to ever survive the Road.[1][2][3]
Other rumors included tales of the Witches' Road being closely guarded secrets, that its very existence was kept from amateurs in order to protect them from its many dangers, and that few witches dared to walk it, as it was considered to be a death wish.[1]
Walking of the Witches' Road[]
Created by Billy Maximoff[]
Agatha Harkness' coven starts down the Witches' Road
Three years after Harkness was defeated and stripped of her magical abilities by Scarlet Witch, she assembled a new coven with the help of Billy Maximoff to trick them into attacking her and get her powers back. The coven met at Harkness' house, which was attacked by the Salem Seven. They sang the "Ballad of the Witches' Road" but were all surprised when the gate to the Witches' Road actually appeared, they then narrowly escaped the Salem Seven onto the Road.[1]
Jennifer Kale's Trial[]
A mansion on the Witches' Road
Traveling on the Witches' Road for a while, Agatha Harkness' Coven found themselves in the Witches' Road Beach House, where the Potions Witch Trial awaited them. The wine they drank from the mansion turned out to be poisoned, so Jennifer Kale, the coven's potions witch, created a potion to save them, although it required a strand of every member's hair.
Sharon Davis' corpse on the Witches' Road
However, Sharon Davis' hair was not inserted into the potion, so as the mansion flooded and the coven, having drank the antidote, escaped, she died. Agatha Harkness was utterly unfazed by Davis' death, even asking who she was by referring to her by the name given to her in the Hex. Billy Maximoff, however, mourned Davis and shut her eyes, and the coven continued on the Witches' Road while Davis' corpse was buried by Teen and Alice Wu-Gulliver.[4]
Alice Wu-Gulliver's Trial[]
Green Witch is summoned to the Witches' Road
To replace Sharon Davis as their green witch, Agatha Harkness' coven summoned Rio Vidal to the Witches' Road before continuing. The coven found themselves in the Witches' Road Recording Studio, where Alice Wu-Gulliver's trial would take place. Teen played a record player with a demonic sound that cursed the coven and began the trial. Wu-Gulliver was able to free Lilia Calderu and Jennifer Kale from the pain of the curse.
Harkness then told the protection witch that her mother's version of the ballad was a protection spell that had kept Wu-Gulliver from falling victim to the curse for years, and that the song could potentially protect them now. Using the instruments provided for them, the coven performed a rendition of the ballad that resulted in the curse physically manifesting.
Agatha Harkness and Death share a moment on the Witches' Road
Wu-Gulliver sang with all her might and was able to kill the curse. However, Teen collapsed from a wound he had sustained from getting thrown into a window by the curse. The coven went back on the Road, where Kale crafted a potion that healed Teen. Harkness and Vidal shared a moment alone, but when Harkness tried to kiss her former lover, Vidal revealed that Teen was not her son like she thought he was.[2]
Agatha Harkness' Trial[]
The Salem Seven were able to sneak onto the Witches' Road because the coven failed to properly "close the door" after summoning Rio. After escaping on makeshift flying brooms, the group arrives at the Witches' Road Cabin which is decorated like a 1980s horror movie. The group then starts the Spirit Witch Trial, which consists of using a Ouija board to contact spirits. After Harkness messes with the coven by pretending to be possessed by Sharon Davis, Evanora Harkness appears as a ghost, telling the coven that to pass the trial, they must leave Agatha to be punished. After stating she should've killed Agatha after she was born, Evanora possesses her daughter, and in an attempt to fight back, Wu-Gulliver blasts a possessed Agatha. While this successfully drives Evanora out of her daughter's body, Agatha then drains Wu-Gulliver of her powers, and she dies. Teen is able to notice the planchette spelling out "Nicholas Scratch," and saying the name out loud catches Harkness's attention enough to stop draining Wu-Gulliver's powers. This marks a successful completion of the trial, and a set of stairs appear to lead the group out.
Teen is furious at Harkness for killing Wu-Gulliver, which she denies, saying she's unable to control her draining powers. Teen rejects the notion that being a witch leads to killing others. Harkness taunts Teen, implying he's already killed someone and he's "so much like his mother." Furious, Teen is able to puppeteer Kale and Calderu into pushing Harkness off the Road before throwing the pair off as well.
Teen temporarily appears in a crown similar to that of the Scarlet Witch.[5] He then destroys a protective sigil placed on him to hide his identity from witches, revealing him to be Billy Maximoff/William Kaplan. Harkness is able to pull herself out of the mud. She admits that it's good to be reunited, but she questions how Billy has a new body and why he's on the Road. When he doesn't respond, she deduces the latter: Billy is planning to use the Road to locate Tommy. Harkness instructs Kaplan to not feel guilty about his talent, even if it meant breaking the rules to survive.
Lilia Calderu's Trial[]
With Kale and Calderu thrown off the Road, Kaplan and Harkness arrive at the Witches' Road Castle. Upon entering, Harkness is now dressed as the Wicked Witch of the West, and Kaplan is dressed as Maleficent. The Divination Witch Trial is revealed to be a tarot reading, which Kaplan attempts to do a for Harkness, but his lack of knowledge causes swords to drop from the ceiling, and eventually, the ceiling begins to lower.
After navigating bellow the Road, Calderu and Kale are able to arrive at the trial, and they are now clad as Glida the Good Witch, and the Old Hag from Snow White. Calderu attempts to do a reading for Kaplan. After he asks if he is Billy or William, the ceiling halts. After slipping through time, Calderu realizes she needs to do a reading on herself, and placing all the cards properly halts the descent of the ceiling and opens an iron maiden to allow the group to move forward. However, Calderu stays behind, and after the Salem Seven enter the castle, she rotates the Tower card from her reading. This causes the room to flip, and her and the Salem Seven are impaled on the swords.[6][7]
Green Witch Trial[]
After the reveal that Rio Vedal is the personification of Death, the coven continues along the Road. During a conversation with Vedal about Kaplan's identity, Harkness learns Death is after Billy because he "cheated" a second lift. Vedal then departs, cutting through the Road like it's a backdrop. Harkness, Kale, and Kaplan return to where the coven had placed their shoes at the start of the Road, revealing it is a loop. Frustrated, Teen puts his shoes back on, and the trio are transported to the Witches' Road Morgue, which is appears similar to Harkness's basement but lit with grow lights. The Green Witch Trial commences.
Kale learns that Harkness was paid to bind her, and she conducts an unbinding ritual, regaining her power. Because she got what she wanted from the Road, Kale disappears. In an attempt to get off the Road, Harkness is able to help Kaplan recall the day the Westview Anomaly collapsed and Billy took over William's body. Similarly, Billy is able to put Tommy's soul into the body of a boy who was drowned during a prank. Now that Kaplan knows his brother is alive (in some form), he disappears from the Road, leaving Harkness alone.
Harkness discovers a dandelion seed in her brooch, which she waters with her tears and places in soil revealed from a crack in the ground. Despite the grow lights dimming, Harkness is able to grow the seed, and she successfully completes the trail, causing the ceiling to start caving in. [8]
Appearances[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Agatha All Along: 1.02: Circle Sewn With Fate / Unlock Thy Hidden Gate
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Agatha All Along: 1.04: If I Can't Reach You / Let My Song Teach You
- ↑ Agatha All Along: 1.09: Maiden Mother Crone
- ↑ Agatha All Along: 1.03: Through Many Miles / Of Tricks and Trials
- ↑ Agatha All Along: 1.05: Darkest Hour / Wake Thy Power
- ↑ Agatha All Along: 1.06: Familiar by Thy Side
- ↑ Agatha All Along: 1.07: Death's Hand in Mine
- ↑ Agatha All Along: 1.08: Follow Me My Friend / To Glory at the End
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