As Thor: The Dark World is set to open, I thought that I would pay tribute to the biggest draw of the Marvel Movie Universe: Tom Hiddleston AKA Loki, God of Mischief! He is the most interesting character they have right now and deserves his own film! Or at least be in every following Marvel film!
Loki first appeared as we know him in JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #85 (O'62), two issues after Thor's debut. He quickly established himself as Thor's arch-enemy and greatest foe, appearing on more covers of Journey Into Mystery and Thor than any other adversary!
As examples please observe:
JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #88 (Ja'63)
Of course, Loki showed up a LOT more than that, most notably in Avengers #1 (S'63). But despite the differences between the mythological Loki and the Marvel version, Loki remains the Grand Villain of the Norse Gods/the Aesir. So let's delve into Loki's storied past, shall we? And I have a couple of Thor questions too!
But if it's all the same to you, I'll have that drink now!
Okay let us begin:
- Loki was always shown being feared and shunned by the Asgardians yet he was still considered a Prince of the Realm. Did he have a palace there? Servants? I mean when he wasn't imprisoned or exiled!
- And did he possess any real authority there? Or did Odin order everyone not to obey him?
- Odin, despite sentencing him to all sorts of punishment, did seem to have a blindspot about Loki. He never noticed how jealous, bitter and conniving his creepy looking son was growing. Nor did Thor for that matter. Odin was supposed to be able to predict the future. Did he set his sons against each other so their powers would be honed to maximum effectiveness? Was Loki merely a test for Thor in their father's eyes? Was that why Odin adopted Loki? So someone could challenge Thor?
- And did Loki really want Odin dead? Or Thor? He craved his father's approval; his acknowledgement that Loki was superior to Thor; that he was worthy and that Odin didn't make a mistake by adopting him. Granted, Loki wasn't a nuanced character until Walt Simonson wrote Thor. He surely was no Doctor Doom or Red Skull in terms of motivation. He was a petty little boy who thought everyone hated him and loved his brother, their father included. He wanted all of Asgard to pay for his pain and anger. But what did he really want? What was his endgame? Did he really want to be the All-Father? I can't see that making him happy!
- The problem with Loki was how to defeat him on Earth. They tried to make water a weakness or have an anti-radiation chamber contain him. Even Odin yelling at his Opposing Offspring was enough to stop a battle! But he should have been nearly unstoppable on Midgard with his sorcery, shape shifting and teleportation. I guess simply smashing him on the floor a dozen times will suffice!
- Did Loki ever have any real connection with the Frost Giants as he would have been a prince there as well? Did Loki ever consider himself part of them?
- Did Loki ever kill anyone? In the Avengers movie, he killed eighty people but in the comics, Odin decreed that no Asgardian could kill a mortal and all the bad guys followed that order! Now that's authority! Making rules that the ruleBREAKERS obey!
- Is Loki a prisoner of his own story? Is he destined to fail? Can he change? Must Loki always be....the God of Evil? Has he been denied his "Happily Ever After"? And is Odin to blame?
Now a few new Thor queries:
- Did Thor ever use any non-strength, non storm raising godlike powers? Y'know like make plants grow or heal the sick, that sort of thing.
- Mjolnir must be really enchanted because Thor threw that thing at mortals and never killed them! Even if the hammer wasn't magical, throwing a hammer that size with super strength at someone's head would be fatal. I guess it has a "stun setting"!
- I'm surprised that Iron Man never tried to examine Mjolnir. Even if Stark didn't believe in magic or Norse gods, he would have to admit that Thor's hammer was an impressive weapon. Did even the Avengers truly realize how powerful Thor was?
That's all for now! If you have any adopted brothers, please be nice to them!
Replies
I can't answer all of it, but I do remember some stuff. After Thor was cursed by Hela not to heal anymore and settled that by being in the Destroyer armor and getting out of it he visited Loki in Loki's own palace and broke his arm, So Loki definitely has a palace there. And a wife too I think.
In a What-If once when the Avengers traveled to Asguard to help Thor in a civil war against Odin Thor confronted his father and pointed out that no matter what Loki did he was forgiven and no matter what Thor did Odin just gave him more to do. Odin said that he was just trying to make sure that Thor was tough enough to handle things.
Loki has shifted at times. When Tir (Asguardian god of war) rebelled against Odin Loki went along with him for a bit and then at the last moment declared that he was the god of mischief, not evil. I don't think he wanted them both dead all of the time. When Surter pulled Odin down into the pits Thor and Loki both yelled "Father" in the same tone of voice. I think he loves them in spite of himself.
I figure after centuries with the hammer Thor is just really good at throwing it hard or soft, just like Cap's shield is to Cap.
I think if Tony had ever been able to lift the hammer he would probably have scurried back to his lab with it, but he couldn't so just grabbing some of Thor's hair to clone him was all that he could do. Probably did a lot of scanning of Thor while Thor was sleeping though and I wouldn't put it past him to sneak a look at Thor while Thor was in the shower.
Loki has been shown to have lands and a castle during Simonson's run.
He's also been in charge of Asgard before during the Odinsleep.
If the Guardians of OA and Odin had a stupidity contest, I don't know who would win.
I'm sure Loki killed someone at some point, but I don't recall it being shown.
Loki is supposed to be the god of Mischief. However, that doesn't really work so well in the comics where actual villains are required. So yes, I'd say he's stuck in his own story, as are all the Asgardians. Sooner or later, Ragnarok's gonna come and Thor will die killing the Midgard Serpent.
Regarding Thor, he was shown opening vortexes to other dimensions, at least in Avengers. I think that ability was frequently forgotten however. There was also the super-hypnotism.
I think Thor was pretty good about not throwing Mjolnir at anyone unless he just needed to, mainly at super-powered opponents. I think if he did have to throw it at someone who couldn't survive the hit, he'd throw it at their feet and attempt to knock them over that way.
Tony Stark was plenty busy prior to Civil War. I'm sure he subscribed to the idea that magic was science that no one understood yet. If he had been able to lift Mjolnir, I imagine he would have attempted to analyze the metal. Of course, while Thor was Donald Blake, it would have been impossible because he'd only have 60 seconds to do the analysis.
Exactly what I meant, Randy. The Odinsleep, designed to take Odin out of the picture for a while, always leaves someone else in charge of Asgard and it's always not Thor. Loki just waltzes in and despite his past crimes, declares that he will rule while Odin sleeps as is his right as a Prince of Asgard!
And everyone goes along with this as Loki abuses his authority, waiting for Thor to fight their battles for them!
As for Ragnarok, Loki is fated to die in battle against Heimdall, not Thor and that must grate on him even more!
I don't think Loki believes the prophesies.
...Is there a line/concept in the new movie where Odin says " We're not gods " (the Asgardians) or something like that ?
I saw something that suggested that .
Bluntly , is this , then , a " musn't offend certain kinds of conservative Christians who raise a fuss over this sort of thing (Um , tho' I believe that a concept of Odin , etc. , as " gods " could be defined as " not in THAT sense " , someone pointed out the Justice League summer team-up where Wonder Woman said something...) , as IIRC I am told an 80s TV-movie version of Thor did ?
Loki believes in Ragnarok. That's partially why he's so angry. He's being forced to play a role that gives him nothing but scorn from his fellow Asgardians. Loki the Villain. Loki the Betrayer. Loki the Traitor. That could be a reason why he wants to dethrone Odin and defeat Thor: to break the cycle and write a new saga!
Mark S. Ogilvie said:
The TV movie The Incredible Hulk Returns had Thor be a Viking warrior consigned to Limbo until he learns humility or something. A nerdy doctor, Don Blake, can summon him by drawing out the hammer and shouting "ODIN!". And yes indeed the reason why was because Middle America may not want to watch a show featuring a pagan god.
In both Avengers animated series, Thor is described as the Prince of Thunder or an Immortal, never a god.
Emerkeith Davyjack said:
Philip Portelli said:
Did Loki ever kill anyone? In the Avengers movie, he killed eighty people but in the comics, Odin decreed that no Asgardian could kill a mortal and all the bad guys followed that order! Now that's authority! Making rules that the ruleBREAKERS obey!
I think that Odin's decree is binding. His saying that they won't kill mortals doesn't mean they're afraid to do it; it means they aren't capable of doing it just because he says so. I think the same applies to Mjolnir: it's not that it's super-heavy, it can't be lifted by anyone but Thor because Odin said it couldn't.
...In the 60s Gantray-Lawrence series he was ' the GOD Of Thunder ~ Mighty Thor ! " . (And Tony Stark was " acool exec with a heart of steel "...Really , the junking of the EZ put-up video function here...
Philip Portelli said:
Philip Portelli said:
In both Avengers animated series, Thor is described as the Prince of Thunder or an Immortal, never a god.
In the Avengers movie, Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark is rattling off descriptions of the Avengers and refers to Thor as a demi-god. I believe the term demi-god refers to an individual who has one parent who is mortal and one who is a god, so this isn't a good description of Thor. Besides, we have had numerous movies over the years (and recently) involving the Greek gods. Those movies don't seem to bring out protesters, so why would Thor?
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