The Secrets Of WandaVision’s Darkhold Spellbook Are Revealed

This article contains spoilers for Darkhold Alpha #1.

Marvel Comics has finally revealed the secrets of the Darkhold, the forbidden book of dark magic introduced to the MCU in WandaVision. The Darkhold is Marvel’s most sinister book of dark magic, created by the Elder God Chthon who ruled Earth but was banished from this dimension millions of years ago. But he left behind a collection of scrolls that served as a conduit for his power, a way for him to ultimately return. These were transcribed on stone, and later on to parchment, bound together into the Darkhold.

The Darkhold contains the most dangerous spells in Marvel lore. Because Chthon existed beyond time, he was able to foresee the emergence of countless creatures and potential threats, and he inscribed details of them within its pages. To name something is to gain power over it, allowing him to manipulate monsters such as the N’Garai, Hell-hounds, and even the Demogorge, a creature that literally feeds on magic. The MCU introduced its own version of the Darkhold in WandaVision, where the Book of Sins even contained details on the Scarlet Witch – suggesting that Wanda has potentially fallen under Chthon’s influence, should the “rules” of the Darkhold’s magic be similar in the MCU.

Darkhold Alpha #1, by Steve Orlando and Cian Tormey, finally reveals the full history of the Darkhold in Marvel Comics. According to this issue, the original Darkhold was inscribed on the flesh of one of Chthon’s brothers, meaning their pages cannot be destroyed – and this act was the reason Chthon’s fellow Elder Gods banished him from Earth. The pages of the Darkhold were copied down – but it seems every copy diluted its power. The true Darkhold was ultimately buried in the subterranean city of Abysmia, and merely opening its pages is to risk unleashing a storm of madness upon the Earth – what Scarlet Witch describes as a “psychokinetic cataclysm” that would destroy the entire planet. Orlando and Tormey’s Darkhold Alpha #1 further reveals how Chthon can be defeated. He was once pushed back to his realm by a mystical band of five known as the Darkhold Defenders: the Dreamer, the Hunter, the Stoic, the Fool, and the Artist, a mystical union who drove him back.

Orlando and Tormey’s Darkhold saga – delayed for some time due to the pandemic – has long been one of the most anticipated books coming out this year. That is because it has the potential to rewrite Marvel’s magical lore, revealing the true history and power of the so-called Book of the Damned, exploring exactly how Chthon’s influence works through the spells contained within its pages. This first issue is only the beginning of this process, revealing the original Darkhold’s true power and suggesting every copy of the book has less power than the original. Now that this first Darkhold has been uncovered, the full power of Chthon is unleashed upon the Earth, and by the end of Darkhold Alpha #1, it is clear the Elder God’s madness is truly a force to be reckoned with.

It will be interesting to see whether any of these ideas apply to the MCU’s Darkhold. The Darkhold studied by Scarlet Witch in WandaVision clearly isn’t written on the flesh of an Elder God, meaning it must be a copy – perhaps providing a way to fix the contradiction between WandaVision‘s Darkhold and the one seen in Agents of SHIELD, because they could simply be different copies. But if it is a copy, then its power is diminished, meaning Wanda may be able to resist it – just as Scarlet Witch resists it in Darkhold Alpha #1 Only time will tell.

About The Author

Thomas Bacon
(4894 Articles Published)

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Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers, as well as a Peer Mentor for new writers and a member of the Care Team, offering support and a listening ear to members of the Comics group. A lifelong fan of major franchises including Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Marvel, Tom is delighted his childhood is back – and this time it’s cool. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon.

A graduate of Edge Hill University, Tom remains strongly connected with his alma mater as a volunteer chaplain. He’s heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he’s into British politics too.

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