Who Is Tommy, a.k.a. Speed, and Will He Appear in AGATHA ALL ALONG?

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As a longtime fan of Marvel Comics, I am beyond excited about the potential introduction of Speed (Tommy Maximoff) into the MCU. His backstory resonates deeply with me, as I too come from a less-than-ideal upbringing and found solace in the pages of comic books. The struggles and triumphs of characters like Tommy, who despite their troubled pasts, rise to become heroes, are an inspiration.

In episode six of Agatha All Along, the complete backstory of Joe Locke’s character “Teen” was unveiled, revealing that his character is actually Billy Maximoff, also recognized as Wiccan. We now understand that Billy is on a quest at the end of the Witches’ Road to find his missing twin brother, Tommy Maximoff. If Billy’s soul managed to escape from Wanda’s hex in WandaVision, then it stands to reason that Tommy should still be out there somewhere, correct? However, we don’t know much about Tommy yet, and if he exists within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, who might he be? Let’s delve into Tommy’s background as depicted in the Marvel Comics, where he is known as the swift superhero Speed.

Tommy Maximoff Was Created from Parts of Mephisto by the Scarlet Witch

Similar to Wiccan, Speed’s roots stem from the Marvel Comics of the ’80s. This was a period when the Scarlet Witch and the android Vision left Avengers duty to settle in the suburbs and have a family. Wanda used magic to give birth to twins, William and Thomas. However, it was later discovered that Billy and Tommy were merely magical constructs, unconsciously created by Wanda from remnants of Mephisto’s soul, the demon lord. Eventually, they vanished, with Agatha Harkness erasing Wanda’s memory about their existence. Essentially, the series ‘WandaVision’ loosely reflects these events.

For several years, the twins were mostly overlooked in comic book stories. However, a significant event occurred in 2004 when the Scarlet Witch almost destroyed the Avengers following her power loss in “Avengers Disassembled”. After this catastrophe, Vision implemented a recruitment plan for young heroes to form the new generation of Avengers. One of these recruits was Billy Kaplan, a teenager with powerful magical abilities who went by the name Wiccan. It was later revealed that he was actually the reborn version of Billy Maximoff. This raises the question: if Billy has been reincarnated, where does that leave his twin brother Tommy?

Tommy Maximoff Becomes Tommy Shephard, the Speedster Hero Known as Speed

Following the establishment of the Young Avengers, Billy embarks on a quest to recruit more adolescent superheroes. At this stage, he’s not actively seeking out Tommy, as he’s unaware that Tommy is Wanda’s son. The team eventually discovers Tommy Shepherd, a teen from Springfield, New Jersey, who hails from a fractured household and had an unprivileged upbringing compared to Billy. Similar to the Avenger Quicksilver, Tommy possesses super speed abilities. However, these powers inadvertently caused him to disintegrate his school when they manifested, leading to his confinement in a state-of-the-art detention center designed as an upgrade of juvenile hall. Therein, he was subjected to sinister experiments aimed at transforming him into a deadly weapon. Fortunately, the Young Avengers intervened and saved him, allowing Tommy to meet his brother Billy for the first time.

Young Avengers Speed and Wiccan Search for their Mother Wanda

Over time, they both discovered their true identities: they were the reborn souls of Wanda and Vision’s children. The comics don’t elaborate much on how or why this rebirth occurred. Perhaps their souls traveled back in time and were born to different parents, or as Wanda speculates, they inhabited the bodies of two American teenagers. In any case, Tommy Shepherd adopted the name Speed and joined the Young Avengers alongside his brother. Later, these young heroes reunited with their mother, the Scarlet Witch, in Young Avengers: The Children’s Crusade. Speed, who is openly bisexual, had brief relationships with teammate Kate Bishop/Hawkeye and later David Alleyne/Prodigy, another mutant recruit for the team.

Will Speed Make His MCU Debut in Agatha All Along?

As a gamer diving deep into Agatha All Along, I’m on a mission to find my missing brother, Tommy Maximoff. I can feel him out there, somewhere. That’s why I embarked on the quest to the Witches’ Road. It seems like Billy’s soul took over another body, just like mine did, but perhaps it didn’t happen instantly. In the post-credit scene of WandaVision, we witness the Scarlet Witch using the Darkhold to locate her lost sons. She hears a child’s voice calling for his mother, but it’s only one voice, not two. Given that Billy reincarnated immediately into William Kaplan’s body, could that voice we hear be just Tommy’s?

It’s possible his spirit didn’t find a new body right away, and that’s what Wanda heard. It’s also possible he didn’t become Tommy Shephard until after the events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. He could have been a wandering soul for some time. The rules of this kind of magic are unclear in the MCU. For all we know, Tommy appears in the second half of Agatha All Along. And while he might be an existing MCU character, we have a strong feeling Tommy Shepherd will be played by someone not yet seen in the Marvel films or series. One thing’s for sure: Speed absolutely will show up in the MCU sooner or later, leading us closer to a Young Avengers movie or series.

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2024-10-18 02:32