If You Haven’t Seen Episode Four Of Loki, Stay Far Away
The TVA would have to label you as a variant if you saw anything you didn’t want to. So go watch episode four of Loki before continuing.
Will the Real Loki Please Stand Up?
In grand MCU fashion, episode 4 of Loki gave us the stinger of all stingers. While we have all come to expect the unexpected when these little mid and post-credits scenes pop up; making us salivate for the next piece of the story like so many Pavlov’s Dogs; the introduction of more Lokis than you can shake a Mjolnir at is one of the most brain-melting reveals yet.
The Nexus Event was a pretty intense episode. Dripping with pain, revelations, and the ever deepening mystery of who runs the TVA. While we wait until next week to see if the puppet-master pulling the strings of the robotic founders of the TVA is Kang the Conquerer or more likely Miss Minutes. We also desperately want to know what the deal is with the newly introduced Loki variants.
Loki asks himself if he is in Hell (or Hel if you’re Asgardian) after being “pruned” by Ravonna Renslayer. After facing down the Time Keepers with Sylvie and coming to the realization that the proverbial plot has only thickened, our anti-hero looks up at a dystopian skyline and four Loki variants—the plot thickens even more it would seem…
Loki, I Have A Feeling We’re Not in Kansas Anymore…
So where did our God of Mischief end up? Is he actually in Hel? What about a pocket universe? Is he on Battleworld? How cool would that be if Loki was trapped on a planet built by Doctor Doom and fashioned from hundreds of worlds and countless heroes into one big, bad-ass battle arena?
Yeah, we probably shouldn’t be holding our collective breath for that one. I mean, we haven’t even met the MCU Doctor Doom yet so there’s that. But there is a ruined Stark/Avengers Towner in the background, so there is that.
The other question is what happened to all the other variants caught and pruned by the TVA? Did the scuzzy guy who has a grudge against bureaucracy and taking a number while on queue end up there? What about Mobius? Will we ever see our jet ski loving agent again? With two more episodes to go, the answer to Loki’s current whereabouts are more than likely to come sooner as opposed to later.
Loki—Come With Me if You Want to Live!
Loki; the most narcissistic, self-righteous, glorious purpose burdened character in the MCU has certainly put a new spin on the notion of self-love. While we learned that the Loki/Sylvie connection can apparently create one hell (pun most assuredly intended) of a nexus event, we have no idea what is to come with the revelation that Loki has found himself in the presence of well, himself, or at least more variants of himself.
Let’s look at these Loki from left to right and see what hints these characters might have for the future of Loki’s story.
One Loki
Let’s start with Boastful Loki (Deobia Oparei). This Loki does not seem to have a counterpart to the comics. He’s certainly dressed the most like a traditional Norseman. But he’s also wielding what appears to be a version of Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir. Though one that is gold and silver and seems to be made from a wrench and steel railing. This version of Loki may be something similar to Sylvie. Who for the most part seems to be an amalgamation of Lady Loki and The Enchantress from the comics,
Two Loki
Next we have Gator-Loki or as I’m going to refer to him for the time being (assuming we get his name next week), Gloki! We know even less about this reptilian God of Mischief than Boastful Loki. Although, I’m willing to bet dollars to donuts that this scaly fella is a reference to that time Loki turned his brother Thor into a frog. A frog who went by the name Throg. Yes this actually happened in the comics and Thor Ragnarok made reference to this silly event. To be fair, with an adorable set of golden horns like his, we don’t really need to know any more about this delightful swamp-dweller.
Three Loki
In the middle we have our first definitive variant in Kid Loki (Jack Veal). In the comics, Loki, upon his death, was able to eventually place his essence into the body of a child and relive life as a mischievous youngling. Free from his memories and centuries of evil misdeeds. This younger Loki eventually joined the Young Avengers. He eventually betrayed them and then came back into his adult form, memories of his evil past intact. The whole thing was kind convoluted with Loki becoming Lady Loki before Kid Loki, his eventual betrayals and redemptions, and deaths and re-births but what comic book doesn’t have it’s convoluted stories?
Four Loki
Finally we come to Classic Loki (Richard E. Grant). It’s no surprise that Marvel sought out this masterful actor to fill in the green cloak and yellow horns of a version of Loki that looks like it has stepped right off the pages of Marvel Comics in the 1960s. Additionally, in the comics, Kid Loki was “haunted” by a version of Classic Loki. A version known as Ikol who helped to guide and inform the younger version until the two eventually merged and restored the Loki we all know and love.
I Am Loki of Asgard
Obviously there is a lot to unpack from this episode and we only have a week to do so. What happens with our titular character, Sylvie, and these new variants is going to be exciting for sure but of course we know that. What we don’t know is how a man as self-centered as Laufeyson, is going to find a way to work with himself. Or how he’ll stop the TVA from putting more of himself wherever the hel (this pun was not intended) he is.
Could the TVA be run by another set of Loki variants? Might we see the greatest Loki-on-Loki action outside of fan-fiction? Can Gloki (Gator Loki) be any cuter than he already is? I suppose we will have our answers when we tune in next week—same Loki time. Same Loki channel…
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