When it comes to all things Asgardian in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we fall into the same sort of issues that Marvel’s comic book universe has always had to contend with. First of all, this pantheon of Norse gods and goddesses have over a thousand years of history before the very first appearance of Thor in 1962’s Journey Into Mystery #83.
When Jack Kirby and Stan Lee started putting their own stamps on this adaptation of the old legends, many liberties were taken. Over the decades, hundreds of creators added and subtracted powers, character development, and other elements which would alter the overall persona of these vaunted figures. Loki is no exception in this convoluted process. These issues eventually went beyond the comics and seeped into the films. It’s all part of some very common geek debates which could apply to any character.
What are Loki’s powers? What is his true history? How physically strong is he? Is he really as evil as he seems? Once we start thinking more closely about Loki, inconsistencies begin to emerge about the Old Trickster God. Whether it’s the product of lazy writing, miscommunication between continuity gatekeepers, or just plain people making things up as they go along, it’s pretty clear that Loki ends up being misunderstood not only by Odin, but by audiences as well. This does seem strangely fitting for the God of Mischief.
Ready to question everything you think you know about Thor’s sort-of-brother? Here are 20 Things Everyone Gets Wrong About Loki!
He Shouldn’t Have Been Beat Up by the Hulk So Easily
Possibly the most satisfying moment in the very first Avengers movie was when, near the end, Hulk confronts Loki. The evil god starts making a speech about how much more superior he is, how he will not allow his lessers to push him around, and then Hulk pummels him into pulp. It was an awesome scene, one of those times that an instant resolution worked perfectly.
When we step back to think about it, Loki really is a god. Sure, Hulk is "the strongest one there is." But clever Loki could have created illusions, influenced Hulk’s weak mind, or even just step out of the way. Instead, we see brute force take down a guy who somehow survived falling into a black hole at the end of Thor and was wily enough to strike a bargain with Thanos. Not so believable now, is it?
He’s Not Always a Guy
One of Loki’s most potent magical abilities is his uncanny talent for shape-shifting into other forms. In the comics, he’s been able to disguise himself as mist, and in the movies, he ed himself of as none other than Odin. In the comics, he goes a little bit further by fully being reborn as a woman after an untimely demise. Loki’s not just any old woman – he inhabits the body of Lady Sif, who has been Thor’s on-again, off-again gal-pal.
Let’s not forget that Thor himself was a woman for quite some time in the comics cannon. As gender-fluidity continues to be explored in popular culture, twists like this only give creators and fans more to work with.
He Couldn’t Have Fooled Asgard So Easily Disguised as Odin
Right after the opening act of Thor: Ragnarok, after the Thunder God’s dispatching of the fire demon Surtur, the blond brawler returns to Asgard to reunite with his dad Odin, the king of the Asgardian pantheon. The one-eyed ruler is acting like an overindulgent teenager. Surrounded by servants almost literally peeling grapes for him, it’s obvious he’s getting into some serious hedonism. Not only that, he’s erected a glorious statue of Loki and enjoying a play about how awesome Loki is.
Naturally, Thor sees through this ruse: that’s not Odin, that’s Loki in disguise. How do a whole bunch of gods not see through this?
Without Loki, Odin Could Not Have Beaten Surtur
In Thor: Ragnarok, the fiery deity Surtur ultimately fulfilled prophecy and burned Asgard down to the ground. It was not so in the unforgettable 1980s comics run by legendary artist/writer Walter Simonson. In that story arc, Odin needed to combine his own powers with that of his sons, Thor and Loki, to defeat the monster. While ostensibly a noble act, the trickster made no bones about his motivations: saving his own skin. After all, the end of all things would include him!
In the final confrontation, Thor declared: “For Odin!” Odin declared: “For Asgard!” And Loki smugly added: “For myself!” Even if it’s just for convenience’s sake, Loki isn’t always all bad.
Other Wizard-Gods Are Tougher Than Him
When weighing the virtues and shortfalls of mystical conjurers, many factors have to be taken into consideration. While Defenders comics, it turns out he was far weaker than we would have thought.
The ruler of the Dark Dimension, and Doctor Strange’s nemesis, Dormammu, overpowered Loki-- and by a lot. Despite first working as allies, the Dreaded One easily dispatched the Asgardian when he had outlived his usefulness, even blinding him. While Loki seems like he should be a heavy-hitter in the magic god biz, he is clearly not.
He Has No Asgardian Blood
Royal families are funny constructs. Over the eons, they have employed familial relationships in ways modern folk would find distasteful. Marriages of conveniences are common, even between adversaries, as a means of preserving peace. Close relatives often marry, and in rarer occasions, complete outsiders are brought into the regal court as equals. The Biblical tale of Moses is one such example, as the Pharaoh took in an orphan baby from the reeds to raise as his own. So it was with Loki.
Odin found the abandoned son of the king of the Frost Giants, Laufey, only to take him and adopt him as the brother of his own biological son, Thor. In adulthood, he is elevated to prince, and even vies for the throne. As far as we know, he is the only Asgardian who does not in fact share that divine blood, and yet he can technically rule over them all!
Frigga Didn’t Have to Give Him the Throne During the Odinsleep
There is much to be said for a mother’s love. While Loki’s many shenanigans over the centuries endangered Asgard and infuriated Odin, the Queen Frigga, always had a soft spot for this problem child. During the events of the first Thor film, Odin falls into the “Odinsleep,” a periodic regenerative process which leaves the one-eyed god unconscious, vulnerable, and unable to perform his functions as head of state for an extended time.
Who does Frigga appoint as temporary ruler of Asgard while Odin slumbers? Loki, of course. Overlooking his dangerous misdeeds, and ignoring obvious better choices, she gives the keys to the kingdom to her own bad boy.
He’s Not Straight
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is not well known for taking especially progressive stances. The LGBT representation in its big-screen offerings is really out of step with our modern world. In Thor: Ragnarok, audiences might catch an implication that Valkyrie had been in a relationship with another woman. There are subtler hints when it comes to Loki’s orientation – but it may well be coming down the line.
In the comics, it has already been established that Loki doesn’t seem to have a solid gender preference. We can no longer state with confidence that the God of Mischief is straight, a fact that millions of male Tom Hiddleston fans may rejoice over.
Loki Could Have Saved Asgard from Ragnarok
In some ways, Loki can often be his own worst enemy. Throughout the events of Thor: Ragnarok, he seems to be playing both sides of a very dangerous game. First, when he’s pretending to be the benevolent Odin, and later, when he sides with the unpredictable and powerful Grandmaster. Eventually, he even he toys with the events which lead to Ragnarok.
He's ostensibly allied with Thor in the defense of Asgard, but we need to wonder why he doesn’t more forcibly employ his magic and powers of deception to address the situation with Hela. After all, if he’s powerful enough to retrieve Surtur’s crown and wily enough to pretend to be Odin, he should be maniacal enough to take on the Queen of the Underworld. But he doesn’t, and Asgard fell.
As a Frost Giant, He Should Be Much Bigger
One of the sad core features of Loki’s backstory is the fact that he was abandoned by his own father because he was born a runt. Unlike the vast majority of his Frost Giant brethren, the Trickster God is only about the height of an average human being. For that “handicap,” he is rejected.
Does it make sense that he wouldn’t actually be taller than a human, even as a “dwarf giant?” After all, these guys are over 40 feet tall. If Loki was only, say, 10 or 15 feet tall, he would still be considered kind of short by Frost Giant standards.
