Warning: This article contains spoilers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
The Scarlet Witch took a dark path in Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness, but her plans may have supported a popular Doctor Strange 2 villain theory. In WandaVision, viewers witnessed the pinnacle of Wanda's depression as she grieved over the loss of her family. The post-credit scene of WandaVision showed the Scarlet Witch reading the Darkhold and hearing the cries for help from her children across the multiverse. Soon after, Wanda discovered the abilities of America Chavez, who had the power to travel the multiverse at will. Wanda sent monsters to kidnap the young teen with the hopes of stealing her powers. In Wanda's mind, the Scarlet Witch would find her children in another universe with America Chavez's powers, and all would be well again.
Audiences learned more about the Darkhold in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The Book of the Damned would give the reader what they wanted while corrupting them at the same time. Whether it be the comics, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Runaways, or WandaVision, the Darkhold always twisted the reader's wishes, followed by dire outcomes. But, of course, the Scarlet Witch was no exception to the evil book's effects either.
While explaining the history of the Darkhold, Sorcerer Supreme Wong mentioned the originator of the book was the ancient being, Chthon. That demonic entity was also responsible for constructing the temple atop Wundagore Mountain. Audiences have suspected that there could be a darker force at play, and there's no one darker than Chthon. With his existence officially confirmed, Chthon's involvement only bolstered the belief that the villain was always working in the background.
Who Is Chthon In Marvel Comics?
Chthon was an elder god who existed billions of years ago. He was the first master of Dark Art magic. He was also the source of Chaos magic from which others could draw their power, like the Scarlet Witch. When another being, named Atum, was killing off other elder gods, Chthon fled to another dimension. However, he wrote all of his knowledge of Dark Magic spells onto parchments. Those pages later formed into what is now known as the Darkhold, as seen in Doctor Strange 2. The Darkhold would serve as an anchor back to Earth's dimension for the evil demon.
Chthon corrupted the souls of the mortals who read the Darkhold through the centuries. Readers believed that their desires were being fulfilled, when it was actually Chthon manipulating them. The demon would seek to accomplish his primary goal: escape his dimension and find a way back to Earth. One of the main ways for this villain to achieve his goal was through the Scarlet Witch. He bonded himself to Wanda as a newborn, with even more dastardly plans in store for her.
Chthon's Connection To The Scarlet Witch Explained
As mentioned in WandaVision, the Scarlet Witch has an entire chapter dedicated to her. With Chthon being the primary source of the document, it would make sense that he would share a connection with the Scarlet Witch. It's important to recall that the Darkhold said that the Scarlet Witch is not born, but forged. For something to be forged, it would imply that there was a forger. Therefore, the Scarlet Witch may be shaped or molded by Chthon. It could even be considered a mantle of sorts. So far, it would appear as though there are multiple Wandas in the multiverse, but only one Scarlet Witch. Chthon could merely adopt another Wanda from another universe to become the new Scarlet Witch, despite Scarlet Witch's death in Doctor Strange 2.
The connection between Scarlet Witch and Chthon can be adapted from the comics into the MCU. Chthon sought to make the Scarlet Witch his avatar in the comics. The MCU established in Moon Knight that beings in other dimensions or universes could gain more power when channeled through an avatar. So it would stand to reason that Chthon may have similar ambitions for Wanda. Doctor Strange 2 may have demonstrated some hints of Chthon's manipulation of Wanda through her plans.
Scarlet Witch's Doctor Strange 2 Plans Made No Sense
Both Wong and Doctor Strange poked holes in the Scarlet Witch's plan by asking her to consider the notion of Wandas in other universes. This was a great question because it highlighted how the Scarlet Witch would only continue the cycle of grief by stealing Wanda's kids from another Earth. The false belief blinded Wanda that her motivations were purely rooted in a mother's love for their children. However, the truth behind her cause became her eventual downfall as she realized that she would be the source of another Wanda's pain. The revelation only proved that Darkhold's corruption was problematic.
Another point brought up by Doctor Strange was that her children were created by magic. His statement begged an even more obvious question - why didn't Wanda recreate her kids with magic? She did, after all, replicate the hex and reality-bending abilities she exhibited in Westview, raising the idea that the Darkhold could give her the necessary knowledge or spell to make her kids again. Since the Book of the Damned didn't offer the simplest solution for her basic desire, that only proved her objective even more nonsensical. However, her flawed plan supported the belief that Chthon was pulling the strings all along.
Theory: Chthon Was Using Wanda As A Pawn To Get America Chavez
Wanda's plans to get her children back never made sense - potentialy because they were never her plans. It's more likely that once Wanda started reading the Darkhold, Chthon set his plan in motion through Wanda. Like other readers of the evil book, Chthon probably manipulated Wanda's desire to reunite with her children. The knowledge provided to Wanda by the Darkhold was the spell for Dream Walking. This spell would enable the user to possess their alternate universe counterparts. The technique is also eerily similar to how Khonshu possessed Marc Spector in Moon Knight, except Dream Walking happens against the host's will.
Once Wanda mastered Dream Walking, that would work out perfectly for her to then be able to track down America Chavez. Doctor Strange 2 revealed that Chavez could genuinely be a one-of-a-kind being in the multiverse because she doesn't dream, and she's never encountered her multiverse counterparts in over 70 universes. Keep in mind that Wanda was seeking to steal America's power. That ambition seems more advantageous to Chthon, especially since he desperately wants to find a way to escape his dimension. Thus, Chthon's master plan could have easily exploited Wanda's love for her children to steal America's power. Once obtained, Chthon could possess the Scarlet Witch as his avatar and use the new multiversal power to grant him access back to Earth's dimension.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness may have included some misdirection with the Scarlet Witch. America Chavez compared the Scarlet Witch's pursuit of her to "a henchman who works for a demon." Audiences probably naturally assumed that the "demon" referenced was the Scarlet Witch, but it could very well be Chthon (the only other demon specifically named.) If this theory proves true, Wanda could've been the very henchman all along. Worst of all, the heroes of the MCU will have even more significant problems to face if Chthon ever does return to Earth's dimension.
