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Loki (comics)
Encyclopedia
Loki is a fictional character, a supervillain
that appears in publications by Marvel Comics
. He is the adoptive brother and archenemy of the superhero Thor
. He is based on the being of the same name
from Norse mythology
. The character first appeared in Venus #6 (August 1949) and was created by writer Stan Lee
, scripter Larry Lieber
, and penciller Jack Kirby
.
In 2009, Loki was ranked as IGN
's 8th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.
' publication Venus #6 (August 1949), where Loki was depicted as a member of the Olympian gods exiled to the Underworld
. He made his first official Marvel appearance in Journey into Mystery
#85 (October 1962), where Loki was reintroduced by brothers and co-writers Stan Lee
and Larry Lieber
and he was redesigned by Jack Kirby
.
As one of Thor's arch-nemeses, Loki has frequently made appearances in Thor-related titles like Journey Into Mystery and Thor
, as well as other Marvel Universe
titles such as The Avengers
. He was the starring character in two four-issue miniseries (2004 and 2010).
Loki played a key role in the 2010s company-wide "Siege
" storyline.
Laufey
in battle, Odin found a small Asgard
ian-sized child hidden within the primary stronghold of the Frost Giants. The child was Loki, and Laufey kept him hidden from his people, ashamed of his son's small size. Odin took the boy because he showed strength when Odin slew his father in combat and raised him as his son alongside his biological son Thor
.
Throughout their childhood and into adolescence, Loki was resentful of the differences in which he and Thor were treated by the citizens of Asgard. The Asgardians valued great strength, tenacity, and bravery in battle above all things, and Loki was clearly inferior to his foster brother Thor in these areas. What he lacked in size and strength, however, he made up for in power and skill, particularly as a sorcerer
. As Loki grew to adulthood, his natural talent for causing mischief would make itself manifest and earned him a nickname as the "God of Lies and Mischief"; his mischievousness eventually became malice as his hunger for power and revenge grew stronger. Several times he tried to use tricks to get rid of Thor, like telling him to guard a hole in the wall he had made. In time, his reputation grew from being a playful and mischievous trickster
to the "God of Evil
". Over the centuries, Loki attempted on many occasions to seize rulership of Asgard and to destroy Thor. He even helped the Storm giant Ghan to escape Thor planning to get a debt from him later, and aided other enemies of Asgard, planning to take over. Odin, who had grown weary of Loki's mischief, magically imprisoned him within a tree until someone would shed a tear for him. Loki eventually freed himself by causing a leaf to strike Heimdall
, the guardian of Bifrost
, in the eye, which made him shed a tear. Loki compiled an extensive criminal record in Asgard, and was frequently exiled. He met the Sorceror Eldred, who taught him black magic
. He repaid Eldred by later giving him to the Fire demon Surtur.
itself, and he often fought with Earth's superhuman heroes to defend their planet and, often, Asgard itself. He first battled Thor on Earth in modern times after escaping from the tree; Loki then manipulated the Hulk
into wreaking havoc using an illusion of dynamite on train tracks, while in astral form in an attempt to lure Thor to Asgard, which inadvertently led to the formation of the Avengers
as several other heroes came to meet the Hulk.
Thor was one of the founding members of this superhuman team, and often led them in battle against his brother. Several times Loki, while not directly battling Thor himself, caused threats for Thor to battle, like increasing the mental powers of a carnival fortune teller Sandu, making him powerful enough to lift buildings with his mind, and releasing a Lava man called Molto by accident when he caused a long-dead volcano to explode. When Loki convinced Odin to punish Thor, Odin took away half of Thor's power, after which Loki returned the memory of the 23rd century villain Zarkko. Zarkko defeated Thor and took him back to help conquer his time period, although the God of Thunder was able to finally capture the villain. Loki even released Mr. Hyde and Cobra
by paying their bail, then doubled their powers. Loki told them to kidnap Jane Foster
, which he knew would attract Thor's attention, but they were again defeated.
Among Loki's better known henchmen was the human criminal Carl "The Crusher" Creel, whom Loki transformed into the superhuman criminal known as the Absorbing Man
. Creel would prove to be a formidable adversary to Thor over the years. Loki went so far as to attempt to turn Odin against Thor and to steal Thor's enchanted hammer, Mjolnir in an attempt to free himself, but all his efforts failed. When he convinced Odin to go to Earth and leave him in charge of Asgard with part of the Odinforce, he released Skagg, the largest Storm Giant, and Surtur, the huge Fire Demon, to try and destroy Odin. However Thor and Balder helped defeat the monsters, and Loki was sent to serve the Trolls. Loki was responsible for the Destroyer being awakened, by leading a Hunter to the Temple where the Destroyer armor resided using his mental abilities while Thor was nearby, causing the Hunter's soul to animate the armor, but Thor forced the Hunter to return to his body, then buried the armor under thousands of tons of rock. The Absorbing Man was brought back to Earth by Loki, and battled Thor, but Loki quickly took him to Asgard when Thor was on the verge of defeating him. The Absorbing Man defeated the Asgardians without too much trouble and absorbed Odin's attacks. However Loki and his ally were exiled into space due to a trick by Odin. He sent his astral form back to Earth and took over the Destroyer armor, attempting to take over Asgard, but Odin sent Balder to discover the location of Loki, then used his powers to send Loki out of the Destroyer armor.
was later recounted. Loki returned from his exile in space, but was then stripped of his powers and exiled to Earth by Odin. Loki plotted to gain new powers from Karnilla
; however, this accidentally created the Wrecker
, who gained Asgardian powers when he was mistaken for Loki after knocking him out and putting on his helmet just before Karnilla appeared in response to Loki's ritual. He almost killed Thor by collapsing a building on him, as Thor had been stripped of all his powers except his strength by Odin. Loki then fomented a battle between Thor and the Destroyer
animated by Sif. Loki then took command of Asgard during the Odinsleep, using his right as the 'son' of Odin before Thor could claim it, but fled when Asgard was invaded by Mangog
as he realized that this new foe was too powerful.
Loki later usurped the throne of Asgard by taking the Odinring, but fled again when Asgard was invaded by Surtur. Much later, Loki usurped the throne of Asgard again, and set the Destroyer against Thor once more. Shortly after that, Loki caused the temporary death of Balder using mistletoe, as he had conspired with Hela to cause Ragnarok if his last plan failed. At this time, Loki's estranged wife Sigyn returned to Asgard. When Loki was chained and a viper dripped poison onto his face as punishment for killing Balder, Sigyn tried helping him. Loki attempted to bring about Ragnarok, but was foiled by Odin. Alongside Tyr
and his forces, Loki stole the golden apples of Idunna and invaded Asgard with help from the Midgard serpent, but then changed sides and aided Odin's forces in defeating Tyr.
Despite Loki's hatred of his half-brother and father, Loki helped to defend Asgard from destruction from Surtur and his fire demons. This was because Surtur's goal was to destroy Asgard, whereas Loki sought only to rule it. Alongside Odin and Thor, Loki battled Surtur, and witnessed the seeming demise of Odin. Not long after that, Loki transformed Thor into a frog for a time, using the Twilight Sword. Thor was turned back when Volstagg destroyed one of the machines Loki had used to transform Thor. He then involved the X-Men
and Alpha Flight
in a plot to gain favor with "Those Who Sit Above in Shadow" by trying to prove that he could do a truly good deed by offering to grant the wishes of the two teams - such as giving Puck
a normal body while granting Rogue
the ability to touch again - but he failed the test because he tried to force the gifts on the heroes after they rejected them, the two teams recognizing that accepting Loki's gifts would be betraying their principles given his nature.
". With these prime movers, he set in motion a plot against the Avengers and other heroes. He sent the Juggernaut against Thor, and cast a spell that caused temporary bouts of weakness in Thor. He battled the combined forces of the West Coast and East Coast Avengers. His identity was ultimately revealed, and he was defeated by the Avengers. Loki would actually die at the hands of Thor, although, manipulation of the time stream would later bring him back.
, Morwen, a foe of Strange's former master, is released, taking Tessa Black, a child of Loki, as a host. With Strange unavailable, she is detected and confronted by both Loki and Spider-Man
(Spider-Man having played a part in the crisis that resulted in her escape). When Spider-Man saves Tessa by distracting Morwen long enough for Loki to make contact with her, Loki proclaims he owes one debt to the wallcrawler.
, sometimes referred to as "The Twilight of the Gods". Loki fulfilled the prophecy by forging Uru weapons for his army after he found the forge used to create Thor's hammer, Mjolnir. Not even Thor's hammer could break the shields and it was shattered in a nuclear-scale explosion. This battle consumed all who participated in it and it was revealed that the continuing Asgardian cycle of the birth, life, and death was presided over by beings known as "Those Who Sit Above in Shadow" who drew sustenance from the energies expended during these cycles. In the final confrontation between Loki and Thor prior to the final battle that would bring Ragnarök to a close, Thor declared Loki to be less than those he vanquished. His punishment was to strip Loki of a body to make his body match his stature. Thor then hung Loki's head from his belt so he could watch the final moments of the end of days. All Asgardians perished in this last Ragnarok except for Thor, who would disappear into a deep sleep. This time, "Those Who Sit Above" followed the Asgardians in death and were unable to revive them. Upon Thor's return, it was revealed the Asgardians existed on Earth in mortal guises.
After the Ragnarok, Loki returned in a new female form and was revealed to have been working with Doctor Doom
, plotting to manipulate events so Thor unwittingly resurrected his greatest Asgardian enemies.
After Loki's resurrection, she claimed to make a new vow: to never lie again. However, she manipulated Balder to make him a new successor to the throne of Asgard, and potentially start a civil war against Thor.
It was revealed that Loki retained his male form after Ragnarok but hid himself inside a female body (which originally belonged to Thor's reborn lover Sif) in order to sell to Thor the idea that he wished to change. Combining his magic with that of Hela, Loki traveled to the past and set into motion the events that led to his younger self being adopted by Odin, starting by turning Bor into snow. His reasons for doing this were later revealed as a means to eliminate Bor, Thor's grandfather.
was a Skrull
, resulting in a mob of Asgardians nearly attacking him, although Thor used his hammer to stop the rumor by showing Bill could lift it.
, consisting of herself, Norman Osborn
, Emma Frost
, Doctor Doom, Namor, and the Hood
. Osborn gathered them to obtain their support for his plans for his "new world order." Osborn offered the Cabal solidarity and the resources to accomplish their own agendas. In return Osborn asked for their public support/registration, as well as cooperation in fulfilling any request he may have of them. When asked what she wanted, Loki responded she wanted Asgard and wanted it back in the heavens where it belonged.
In Thor #600, it was revealed Loki traveled to the past to ensure Bor
, father of Odin and first king of Asgard, perished in battle against the Frost Giants. He turned the Asgardian king to snow after luring them to him with a Frost Giant. In the present day, Loki revived Bor from some snow in New York City, but placed a spell on him to mistake everything around him as an enemy, causing him to attack everything in sight. He was further aggrieved by the belief that his son's failure to resurrect him could only mean he was killed in battle. Thor arrived on the scene but Loki's enchantment caused Bor to see Thor as a monster. Sensing Odin's power inside what he saw as a demon, Bor attacked Thor, attempting to avenge his son. While Thor and Bor fought, Loki made Balder aware of Bor's identity and the two rushed to New York to stop Thor from killing him (Thor never met Bor until now and was unaware of his identity). Thor was forced to kill Bor fearing the entire planet would be destroyed in the wake of their battle, due to Bor's vast power. In the aftermath of the battle, Loki reminded Balder that the resurrected Bor was technically the king of Asgard when Thor killed him and the punishment for killing the king was banishment from Asgard. Balder was forced to agree. After Thor's banishment, Loki made arrangements to have all Asgardians, but not Asgard itself, moved to Latveria
at the invitation of Doctor Doom.
Loki, along with Balder, attended a dinner hosted by Doctor Doom to secure a new home for the Asgardians in Latveria. She was caught off guard by Balder's insistence that since they are leaving Asgard, Thor should be allowed to rejoin them. Loki was able to calm Balder before he offended Doom too much. She later appeared before Blake and Thor to tell them that she would be returning to her male form shortly and that he had come to the realization that his body was meant for Sif. Loki explained that, after Ragnarok, when the Asgardians were being placed into human hosts, Sif's soul was placed into a dying human. When Thor sent out the call for the Asgardians to return, Sif's host was too weak to hear the call. When Thor mass-summoned the Asgardians, Sif's body was created but her soul could not be placed into it. Sif's body went looking for a soul with no body and found Loki. Loki told them that the transfer from his female form to his male form would probably kill Sif's host and she urged Blake and Thor to find Sif and say goodbye. By the time Thor restored Sif, Loki was back in his male form. Following the Hood's depowerment at the hands of Doctor Strange
, Brother Voodoo
, and the Son of Satan
, Loki offered the Hood a second chance.
appeared in her astral form recruiting a team of Avengers to face the Elder God
Chthon. It was soon revealed that Wanda was Loki in disguise. The Avengers, unaware of Loki's trick, followed the false "Wanda's" instructions. Her goal was to throw Norman Osborn
off balance, as shown during the second meeting of the Cabal. After Thor was banished due to her trickery, Loki intended to put "cracks in Osborn's armor" and gradually "widen" these cracks through the Mighty Avengers. Pietro Maximoff
, desiring to see and converse with his sister, joined the Mighty Avengers. He raced around the world searching for her, not knowing that his nephews Billy
and Tommy
had just done so and also failed to find her.
However, Loki had planned on the deaths of Pietro and Cassandra Lang
, fearing they may be wedges in her plans. She cut off communications from the former, and tried to convince Hank Pym to expel Cassie after placing a spell on her to prevent her from saying anything bad about her disguise. The latter, however, invited her fellow Young Avengers
into the Infinite Avengers Mansion (an extension of the PymPocket), to prove that the Scarlet Witch was evil. When Wiccan
cast a spell to bring Scarlet Witch to them, Loki appeared as Scarlet Witch and stated that Cassandra Lang sealed their fate. Just then, Ronin appeared and ambushed the "Scarlet Witch." He determined that she was not Wanda by kissing her and stating that the real Scarlet Witch would have used her power to revive Cassandra's father. Wiccan then chanted a spell to reveal her true form. Afraid of exposure, Loki was forced to leave swearing all their deaths. The continued achievements of the Mighty Avengers strained Osborn to the breaking point. Loki decided to play the final card that would break Osborn by unleashing the Absorbing Man, who had absorbed the power of the Cosmic Cube
. In the Dark Avengers
, Loki was in Norman Osborn's office and manipulated him into becoming the Green Goblin again, as Siege begins.
He then revealed a plot to Osborn that would take advantage of Volstagg
's presence in Chicago. Since Volstagg had gone for adventures like Thor, the U-Foes
could attack him and destroy a packed Soldier Field
during an American football game killing thousands while he and Osborn watch in astral form. Loki then warned Balder about Obsorn's impending attack on Asgard and claimed he tried to convince Osborn not to attack. He killed an Asgardian who prophesied the attack and sends Heimdall's chamber beneath Asgard so he couldn't warn the Asgardians in time. Loki, when Osborn called out to him for their aid, sent the Hood and his syndicate as reinforcements to help Osborn's forces against the Avengers. Loki later appeared to Balder, telling him that he would have simply pardoned Thor instead of banishing him if he had not wanted the throne of Asgard for himself. Balder later banished Loki from Asgard.
Some time after he magically disguised himself as Osborn's Green Goblin persona to lay siege to Asgard, Loki encountered the Disir
(the Valkyries of Bor) after he lured them using several wandering god's souls he imprisoned as bait, revealing that he desired to gain their service as his slaves. The 13 Disir unite and assault him as one, but Loki managed to defeat them using extraordinary swordsmanship skills, thus forcing them to submit to him and declare him the victor. Loki meets with Hela and asks her what she will give in exchange for a new Hel, to which she answers 'Anything.' He meets with Mephisto, demonstrating the power of the Disir and agreeing to lend him the Disir for a hundred and one days in exchange for the demon lord granting a portion of his netherworld to his daughter Hela for one thousand and one years, as her new "Hel", which Mephisto agrees to. In exchange for this, Hela erased Loki from the Books of Hel, thus he was no longer tied to Hel or Asgard, gaining absolute freedom. Mephisto asked Loki why he had resorted to such schemes, to which Loki replied it was more fun this way.
When the combined forces of the New Avengers, Young Avengers
and the Secret Warriors
defeated the Dark Avengers
, Thor demanded to know where Loki was. Norman Osborn could only tell him that he was dead, just like the rest of them as the true form of the Void appeared. As the creature tore apart the three teams, Loki began to repent, realizing that what had happened to Asgard was not what he wanted. He begged his father, Odin, to return to him the Norn Stones, which were taken away from the Hood and given to the trickster. He used their power to empower the three teams and give the powers of the Hood's gang to them and fight back against the Void. However, the Void sensed Loki's hand in this and attacked him, the stones not affecting him directly. As Loki was torn apart by the Void's tendrils in front of a shocked Thor, his last words were to apologize to his brother. Thor resolved to avenge his fallen brother and destroyed the Void and the Sentry with a lightning strike. He took the Sentry's remains into outer space, and released them into the Sun.
, France
, Loki was a street hustler
going by the name of Serrure (the French word for lock), who feigned simple card tricks in front of an audience while an accomplice pickpocketed them. Thor, in civilian disguise, gave chase, resulting in the restoration of Loki's memory, but not of his past life with the exception of a guilty conscience for things he cannot remember. With nothing to lose, Loki followed Thor, who restored part of his identity to him (though he remains in the form of a child), and asked when did Thor get so old, to which Thor smiled. Thor took Loki to the remains of Asgard where plans were made to help the refugees of the World Tree. With the resurrection of Odin, Loki was frightened away and fled with Thor who lambasted Odin for scaring him away. Running into Iron Man
, Loki was saved by Thor who defended his own reasons for bringing the trickster back.
Odin prepared all of Asgard for an unknown battle and imprisoned Thor for attempting to protect Midgard from being scoured. Loki, who disagreed with Odin's actions, was put to work by Volstagg
into cleaning the stables of Thor's goats to keep him out of trouble and danger. Using the wool of one of the goats, Loki descended into the roots of the World Tree
at the advice of Ikol to ask questions from the Nornish women who live there. After receiving his answers, Loki wept but decided to turn to the imprisoned Thor for his opinion before making his final decision. Breaking into the prison by stealth, Loki asked his brother what he would do if he had to let something bad happen in order to prevent something worse from happening and what if it cost him everything. With Thor's answer, Loki decided to free one of the imprisoned Hel Wolves and bind it to him in servitude using the bridle of Thor's goats. He revealed he needed help from one more 'personage' before heading for the realm of Hela
.
Loki has extensive training in magic, and possesses the ability to manipulate magical forces for a variety of purposes: energy projection, creation of force field
s, temporarily increasing his own physical strength, granting superhuman abilities to living beings or inanimate objects, flight, hypnosis
, illusion casting, and inter-dimensional teleportation
.
Loki's magical abilities have been described as equal to those of Karnilla
, the most skilled sorceress of Asgard. His illusion casting can fool cities, and through extreme effort, he has been able to break free of technology in the possession of Apocalypse
.
Apparently, Loki possesses some extrasensory abilities and is capable of astral projection
and casting his thoughts across great distances—even across dimensional barriers, like that between Asgard and Earth—even if he is unable to move. He cannot read the minds of other beings, although he can influence their actions, and once briefly hypnotized Thor, as well as controlling a flock of birds. However he could not coerce Thor to give him Mjolnir. If someone has evil thoughts, Loki can influence their actions even if he is in Asgard and the subject is on Earth, and he can influence other events to a degree, such as driving a missile from its path, or redirecting a radio signal.
Loki is an adept shapeshifter
and can change into animals (examples include transmogrification to a salmon, horse, etc.) or impersonate other people, such as Thor or Captain America
. However, he does not necessarily gain the abilities of whatever he turns into, although minor natural abilities such as flight in bird form tend to work. He has also turned clouds into dragons, and animated trees to attack Thor.
At times Loki imbues himself with magical abilities that enable him to withstand injuries that would prove fatal to another Asgardian, such as being beheaded by Balder. He has likewise successfully protected himself against the Controller
's control disk, the mental influence of the Voice, and the power-sapping abilities of Rogue
.
Loki crafted a method of cheating death. He will be reincarnated upon any "death" of his body now that he has arranged with the incarnations of death that his name is erased from the books of Hell.
Aside from his mystical abilities, Loki possesses a brilliant intellect. However, his arrogance, his passionate hatred of Thor, and all-consuming lust for power greatly impeded his ability to bring his well-laid plans to fruition. He is an expert manipulator and schemer, is sometimes armed with a sword or a whip, and has used magical items (such as the Norn Stones) to enhance his powers.
, Loki duped Odin into transforming Thor into a woman and he cast a spell across Bifrost that would prevent Thor from returning to Earth if he ever returned to Asgard. Among several heroes, in this reality, he opposed the Celestials
due to finding out the falsehood of the Asgardians' origins. Realizing that his form was actually solely dependent on his convictions (as that of all Asgardians), he became an angelic being with a very ambiguous appearance. With his new state, he was instrumental in defeating the Absorbing Man and he later formed the new Avengers and became the new Thor.
line of series, the original Asgardians were no more. However, belief in them had grown into a full-fledged religion with many followers. Seeking to take advantage of this, a corporation called Alchemax decided to create their own pantheon
. One of the company's scientists, Jordan Boone, decided that he wanted to have powers and sneaked himself into the program. He ensured that he avoided the receiving of a computer chip implant which would give him falsified memories of his godhood. Jordan became the Loki of the program, but fled before the program and their floating fortress were destroyed. He later reappeared and remade himself as the villainous Halloween Jack who went about trying to warp the entire world with a Virtual Unreality Projector. His plan would have succeeded if not for President Doom
stepping in with the help of the X-Men
Meanstreak
and Krystalin
. Halloween Jack was supposedly killed in 2099 World of Tomorrow #2, but made an unexpected cameo
in X-Force #92. He was somehow pulled from the time-stream before his death and redeposited in the present where he pestered Domino
. Since then his resident time period and/or location have been unknown.
universe, Loki is shown dead, having been killed and eaten by the Zombie Avengers.
, he kidnaps several major superheroes, brainwashes them so that they are more violent, and returns them to Earth so that they will destroy their reputations, knowing that his spell will be permanent the moment they shed innocent blood. Eventually this plot is foiled by the superheroes of Earth, especially Captain America, who shatters the gem Loki was using to create the spell before any innocents can be killed. In battle, Loki badly injures Captain America, but, because of his actions, Loki is banished to the limbo realm and is joined by the Hulk, who intends to punish him for affecting the Hulk with his spell and driving him to attack the other heroes.
Within the Avengers Next
miniseries, it is revealed that Loki's daughter (within the MC2 universe), Sylene, is on a mission to restore Asgard as a way to honor her father and to prove herself to the Asgardians. Unfortunately, her plan is not only to transform Midgard/Earth into a version of Asgard but also to eliminate the Avengers, since Loki was blaming himself for his part of indirectly creating the team.
universe, when Loki tampered with Iceman
's powers, he left Iceman unable to touch other humans without ending their lives.
, which is dropped on him after he increases his size.
as the evil stepbrother of Thor
.
The Ultimate version of Loki has the ability to "shuffle time and space", and in his first appearance, causes a ripple during Thor's conversation with Volstagg
. In the restaurant, Loki is apparently in the background, which would mark his first "appearance" (he is mentioned and his powers apparently used, but he is only briefly seen). Loki comes to Earth after escaping from the Room Without Doors and begins to cause havoc, especially for Thor and the United States
after assisting the Liberators. Through his power he creates the persona for himself of "Gunnar Golmen," the head scientist of the Norwegian extension of the "European Defense Initiative," the European counterpart to The Ultimates, and turns Thor into "Thorlief," Gunnar's brother, a former mental patient who stole the technology that Gunnar created for the Initiative.
Later in the story, he confronts the captive Thor and gloats that it is all just another one of their games, and informs him that there is a traitor in the ranks of the Ultimates. When Thor requests assistance from the guards, Loki is nowhere to be seen, though he appears as a snake around Thor's neck after they leave (most likely a nod to the real Loki in Norse mythology). At the end of Ultimates 2 #9, Loki states that the reason he joined the Liberators was that "They had a Norse god on their side. It's only fair you should get one too", and that "Odin sent his son to bring the world peace. I couldn't resist the opportunity to mess that up." However, he is hesitant to use his abilities overtly as he claims Odin will then be able to find him. Yet once all The Liberators are defeated, he decides to do things himself. After revealing to the Ultimates who he is, he rises into the air and changes the color of the sky. At that moment - thanks to the Scarlet Witch 'calculating the odds' of someone showing up to defeat him - the sky opens and Thor, his brother, appears for revenge.
Issue 13 shows further demonstrations of his power by attempting to trap Thor in an illusion and withstanding a direct blow from Thor's hammer uninjured, claiming it cannot hurt him. During this battle, Thor mentions that Loki's powers have weakened for an unexplained reason. After Loki summons an army of monsters to battle the Ultimates and nearly kills Thor, the thunder god then proceeds to summon allies from Asgard while he strikes Loki with his hammer, sending him back to Asgard where Odin awaits him.
Loki's motivation for his actions is not completely revealed. He mentions several motivations from a desire to cause World War III to Odin favoring Thor over him and attempting to gain Odin's favor. Throughout the whole ordeal Loki regards humans as mere playthings for his pranks. In addition to creating a Norwegian super-soldier program that was supposedly part of an EU initiative and making people believe it was real, even though Norway is not part of the European Union
, he claimed to have been the one who framed Captain America
for treason, regarding the failure of humans to realize the problems with these assertions as humorous.
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
that appears in publications by Marvel Comics
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. He is the adoptive brother and archenemy of the superhero Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
. He is based on the being of the same name
Loki
In Norse mythology, Loki or Loke is a god or jötunn . Loki is the son of Fárbauti and Laufey, and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. By the jötunn Angrboða, Loki is the father of Hel, the wolf Fenrir, and the world serpent Jörmungandr. By his wife Sigyn, Loki is the father of Nari or Narfi...
from Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
. The character first appeared in Venus #6 (August 1949) and was created by writer Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
, scripter Larry Lieber
Larry Lieber
Lawrence D. "Larry" Lieber is an American comic book artist and writer, and the younger brother of Marvel Comics' writer, editor and publisher Stan Lee....
, and penciller Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
.
In 2009, Loki was ranked as IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's 8th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.
Publication history
Loki made his first Marvel Comics appearance in Timely ComicsTimely Comics
Timely Comics, an imprint of Timely Publications, was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman, and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics....
' publication Venus #6 (August 1949), where Loki was depicted as a member of the Olympian gods exiled to the Underworld
Hades
Hades , Hadēs, originally , Haidēs or , Aidēs , meaning "the unseen") was the ancient Greek god of the underworld. The genitive , Haidou, was an elision to denote locality: "[the house/dominion] of Hades". Eventually, the nominative came to designate the abode of the dead.In Greek mythology, Hades...
. He made his first official Marvel appearance in Journey into Mystery
Journey into Mystery
Journey into Mystery was an American comic book series published by Atlas Comics, and later its successor Marvel Comics. It featured horror, monster, and science fiction stories...
#85 (October 1962), where Loki was reintroduced by brothers and co-writers Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
and Larry Lieber
Larry Lieber
Lawrence D. "Larry" Lieber is an American comic book artist and writer, and the younger brother of Marvel Comics' writer, editor and publisher Stan Lee....
and he was redesigned by Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
.
As one of Thor's arch-nemeses, Loki has frequently made appearances in Thor-related titles like Journey Into Mystery and Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
, as well as other Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
titles such as The Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
. He was the starring character in two four-issue miniseries (2004 and 2010).
Loki played a key role in the 2010s company-wide "Siege
Siege (comics)
Siege is a fictional character, owned by Marvel Comics, who exists in the Marvel Universe.-Creative origins:John Kelly was initially created by Dwayne McDuffie and Gregory Wright as a pseudo-preview of their then-upcoming relaunch of Deathlok as well as to provide existing in-continuity backstory...
" storyline.
Fictional character biography
After slaying the King of the Frost giantsGiants (Marvel Comics)
There are different kinds of Giants in Marvel Comics. The most popular of the Giants are the Giants of Johunheim, fictional race of people based on the giants of actual Norse legends.-Giants of Jotunheim:...
Laufey
Laufey (comics)
Laufey is a fictional character appearing in the Marvel Comics universe, sharing a name with the frost giantess from Norse mythology. Laufey was King of the Frost Giants and father of Loki, the archenemy of the superhero Thor.-Publication history:...
in battle, Odin found a small Asgard
Asgard (comics)
Asgard is a fictional realm within the Marvel Comics universe based on the Asgard of Norse mythology and is home to the Asgardians and other beings of Norse mythology...
ian-sized child hidden within the primary stronghold of the Frost Giants. The child was Loki, and Laufey kept him hidden from his people, ashamed of his son's small size. Odin took the boy because he showed strength when Odin slew his father in combat and raised him as his son alongside his biological son Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
.
Throughout their childhood and into adolescence, Loki was resentful of the differences in which he and Thor were treated by the citizens of Asgard. The Asgardians valued great strength, tenacity, and bravery in battle above all things, and Loki was clearly inferior to his foster brother Thor in these areas. What he lacked in size and strength, however, he made up for in power and skill, particularly as a sorcerer
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
. As Loki grew to adulthood, his natural talent for causing mischief would make itself manifest and earned him a nickname as the "God of Lies and Mischief"; his mischievousness eventually became malice as his hunger for power and revenge grew stronger. Several times he tried to use tricks to get rid of Thor, like telling him to guard a hole in the wall he had made. In time, his reputation grew from being a playful and mischievous trickster
Trickster
In mythology, and in the study of folklore and religion, a trickster is a god, goddess, spirit, man, woman, or anthropomorphic animal who plays tricks or otherwise disobeys normal rules and conventional behavior. It is suggested by Hansen that the term "Trickster" was probably first used in this...
to the "God of Evil
Evil
Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...
". Over the centuries, Loki attempted on many occasions to seize rulership of Asgard and to destroy Thor. He even helped the Storm giant Ghan to escape Thor planning to get a debt from him later, and aided other enemies of Asgard, planning to take over. Odin, who had grown weary of Loki's mischief, magically imprisoned him within a tree until someone would shed a tear for him. Loki eventually freed himself by causing a leaf to strike Heimdall
Heimdall (comics)
Heimdall is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe, loosely based on the god Heimdallr of Norse mythology. He first appeared in a comic in Journey into Mystery #85 and was created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby...
, the guardian of Bifrost
Bifröst
In Norse mythology, Bifrost or Bilröst is a burning rainbow bridge that reaches between Midgard and Asgard, the realm of the gods...
, in the eye, which made him shed a tear. Loki compiled an extensive criminal record in Asgard, and was frequently exiled. He met the Sorceror Eldred, who taught him black magic
Black magic
Black magic is the type of magic that draws on assumed malevolent powers or is used with the intention to kill, steal, injure, cause misfortune or destruction, or for personal gain without regard to harmful consequences. As a term, "black magic" is normally used by those that do not approve of its...
. He repaid Eldred by later giving him to the Fire demon Surtur.
Battles with Earth's heroes
Loki's schemes eventually came to include EarthEarth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
itself, and he often fought with Earth's superhuman heroes to defend their planet and, often, Asgard itself. He first battled Thor on Earth in modern times after escaping from the tree; Loki then manipulated the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
into wreaking havoc using an illusion of dynamite on train tracks, while in astral form in an attempt to lure Thor to Asgard, which inadvertently led to the formation of the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
as several other heroes came to meet the Hulk.
Thor was one of the founding members of this superhuman team, and often led them in battle against his brother. Several times Loki, while not directly battling Thor himself, caused threats for Thor to battle, like increasing the mental powers of a carnival fortune teller Sandu, making him powerful enough to lift buildings with his mind, and releasing a Lava man called Molto by accident when he caused a long-dead volcano to explode. When Loki convinced Odin to punish Thor, Odin took away half of Thor's power, after which Loki returned the memory of the 23rd century villain Zarkko. Zarkko defeated Thor and took him back to help conquer his time period, although the God of Thunder was able to finally capture the villain. Loki even released Mr. Hyde and Cobra
Cobra (comics)
The Cobra is the alias of two fictional comic-book supervillains that appear in the Marvel Comics universe.-Klaus Voorhees:Klaus Voorhees, the original Cobra, was also known as The Human Cobra and is currently known as the original King Cobra...
by paying their bail, then doubled their powers. Loki told them to kidnap Jane Foster
Jane Foster (comics)
Jane Foster is a Marvel Comics supporting character who for many years was the nurse employed by Dr. Donald Blake, the secret identity of the Norse god superhero Thor.-Publication history:...
, which he knew would attract Thor's attention, but they were again defeated.
Among Loki's better known henchmen was the human criminal Carl "The Crusher" Creel, whom Loki transformed into the superhuman criminal known as the Absorbing Man
Absorbing Man
The Absorbing Man is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery #114 The Absorbing Man (Carl "Crusher" Creel) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first...
. Creel would prove to be a formidable adversary to Thor over the years. Loki went so far as to attempt to turn Odin against Thor and to steal Thor's enchanted hammer, Mjolnir in an attempt to free himself, but all his efforts failed. When he convinced Odin to go to Earth and leave him in charge of Asgard with part of the Odinforce, he released Skagg, the largest Storm Giant, and Surtur, the huge Fire Demon, to try and destroy Odin. However Thor and Balder helped defeat the monsters, and Loki was sent to serve the Trolls. Loki was responsible for the Destroyer being awakened, by leading a Hunter to the Temple where the Destroyer armor resided using his mental abilities while Thor was nearby, causing the Hunter's soul to animate the armor, but Thor forced the Hunter to return to his body, then buried the armor under thousands of tons of rock. The Absorbing Man was brought back to Earth by Loki, and battled Thor, but Loki quickly took him to Asgard when Thor was on the verge of defeating him. The Absorbing Man defeated the Asgardians without too much trouble and absorbed Odin's attacks. However Loki and his ally were exiled into space due to a trick by Odin. He sent his astral form back to Earth and took over the Destroyer armor, attempting to take over Asgard, but Odin sent Balder to discover the location of Loki, then used his powers to send Loki out of the Destroyer armor.
Taking over Asgard
Loki's destiny to be the cause of RagnarokRagnarök
In Norse mythology, Ragnarök is a series of future events, including a great battle foretold to ultimately result in the death of a number of major figures , the occurrence of various natural disasters, and the subsequent submersion of the world in water...
was later recounted. Loki returned from his exile in space, but was then stripped of his powers and exiled to Earth by Odin. Loki plotted to gain new powers from Karnilla
Karnilla
Karnilla is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:Karnilla the Norn Queen is a sorceress and the Queen of Nornheim...
; however, this accidentally created the Wrecker
Wrecker (comics)
The Wrecker is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Wrecker was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appears in The Mighty Thor #148 The Wrecker (Dirk Garthwaite) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics....
, who gained Asgardian powers when he was mistaken for Loki after knocking him out and putting on his helmet just before Karnilla appeared in response to Loki's ritual. He almost killed Thor by collapsing a building on him, as Thor had been stripped of all his powers except his strength by Odin. Loki then fomented a battle between Thor and the Destroyer
Destroyer (Thor)
The Destroyer is a fictional object that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The object first appears in Journey into Mystery #118 The Destroyer is a fictional object that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The object first appears in Journey into Mystery #118 The...
animated by Sif. Loki then took command of Asgard during the Odinsleep, using his right as the 'son' of Odin before Thor could claim it, but fled when Asgard was invaded by Mangog
Mangog
Mangog is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Thor #154 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
as he realized that this new foe was too powerful.
Loki later usurped the throne of Asgard by taking the Odinring, but fled again when Asgard was invaded by Surtur. Much later, Loki usurped the throne of Asgard again, and set the Destroyer against Thor once more. Shortly after that, Loki caused the temporary death of Balder using mistletoe, as he had conspired with Hela to cause Ragnarok if his last plan failed. At this time, Loki's estranged wife Sigyn returned to Asgard. When Loki was chained and a viper dripped poison onto his face as punishment for killing Balder, Sigyn tried helping him. Loki attempted to bring about Ragnarok, but was foiled by Odin. Alongside Tyr
Tyr (Marvel Comics)
Tyr is a fictional character, an Asgardian god in the Marvel Comics Universe, loosely based on the Norse god of the same name. Along with Thor and Balder, he is one of Odin's biological sons.-Fictional character biography:Tyr is the Asgardian god of war...
and his forces, Loki stole the golden apples of Idunna and invaded Asgard with help from the Midgard serpent, but then changed sides and aided Odin's forces in defeating Tyr.
Despite Loki's hatred of his half-brother and father, Loki helped to defend Asgard from destruction from Surtur and his fire demons. This was because Surtur's goal was to destroy Asgard, whereas Loki sought only to rule it. Alongside Odin and Thor, Loki battled Surtur, and witnessed the seeming demise of Odin. Not long after that, Loki transformed Thor into a frog for a time, using the Twilight Sword. Thor was turned back when Volstagg destroyed one of the machines Loki had used to transform Thor. He then involved the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
and Alpha Flight
Alpha Flight
Alpha Flight is a fictional superhero team published by Marvel Comics, noteworthy for being one of the few Canadian superhero teams. Created by John Byrne, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #120 ....
in a plot to gain favor with "Those Who Sit Above in Shadow" by trying to prove that he could do a truly good deed by offering to grant the wishes of the two teams - such as giving Puck
Puck (comics)
Puck is the codename of two fictional characters, a father and daughter pair who are both members of Alpha Flight, in the Marvel Comics universe.-Puck :...
a normal body while granting Rogue
Rogue (comics)
Rogue was first slated to appear in Ms. Marvel #25 , but the book's abrupt cancellation left her original introduction story unpublished for over a decade, before seeing print in Marvel Super Heroes #11 in 1992. Rogue's first published appearance was in Avengers Annual #10...
the ability to touch again - but he failed the test because he tried to force the gifts on the heroes after they rejected them, the two teams recognizing that accepting Loki's gifts would be betraying their principles given his nature.
"Acts of Vengeance"
In disguise, Loki manipulated a group of master villains into engineering the "Acts of VengeanceActs of Vengeance
"Acts of Vengeance" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through several titles published by Marvel Comics from December 1989 to February 1990.-Publication history:...
". With these prime movers, he set in motion a plot against the Avengers and other heroes. He sent the Juggernaut against Thor, and cast a spell that caused temporary bouts of weakness in Thor. He battled the combined forces of the West Coast and East Coast Avengers. His identity was ultimately revealed, and he was defeated by the Avengers. Loki would actually die at the hands of Thor, although, manipulation of the time stream would later bring him back.
Debt to Spider-Man
Through a time traveling adventure with Doctor StrangeDoctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
, Morwen, a foe of Strange's former master, is released, taking Tessa Black, a child of Loki, as a host. With Strange unavailable, she is detected and confronted by both Loki and Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
(Spider-Man having played a part in the crisis that resulted in her escape). When Spider-Man saves Tessa by distracting Morwen long enough for Loki to make contact with her, Loki proclaims he owes one debt to the wallcrawler.
Ragnarök
It was prophesied Loki would lead Asgard's enemies into the "Eternal Realm" and aid them in destroying it in a final conflict known as RagnarökRagnarök
In Norse mythology, Ragnarök is a series of future events, including a great battle foretold to ultimately result in the death of a number of major figures , the occurrence of various natural disasters, and the subsequent submersion of the world in water...
, sometimes referred to as "The Twilight of the Gods". Loki fulfilled the prophecy by forging Uru weapons for his army after he found the forge used to create Thor's hammer, Mjolnir. Not even Thor's hammer could break the shields and it was shattered in a nuclear-scale explosion. This battle consumed all who participated in it and it was revealed that the continuing Asgardian cycle of the birth, life, and death was presided over by beings known as "Those Who Sit Above in Shadow" who drew sustenance from the energies expended during these cycles. In the final confrontation between Loki and Thor prior to the final battle that would bring Ragnarök to a close, Thor declared Loki to be less than those he vanquished. His punishment was to strip Loki of a body to make his body match his stature. Thor then hung Loki's head from his belt so he could watch the final moments of the end of days. All Asgardians perished in this last Ragnarok except for Thor, who would disappear into a deep sleep. This time, "Those Who Sit Above" followed the Asgardians in death and were unable to revive them. Upon Thor's return, it was revealed the Asgardians existed on Earth in mortal guises.
Return
Doctor Doom
Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
, plotting to manipulate events so Thor unwittingly resurrected his greatest Asgardian enemies.
After Loki's resurrection, she claimed to make a new vow: to never lie again. However, she manipulated Balder to make him a new successor to the throne of Asgard, and potentially start a civil war against Thor.
It was revealed that Loki retained his male form after Ragnarok but hid himself inside a female body (which originally belonged to Thor's reborn lover Sif) in order to sell to Thor the idea that he wished to change. Combining his magic with that of Hela, Loki traveled to the past and set into motion the events that led to his younger self being adopted by Odin, starting by turning Bor into snow. His reasons for doing this were later revealed as a means to eliminate Bor, Thor's grandfather.
"Secret Invasion"
In "Secret Invasion" storyline, Loki was with the Asgardians when she goaded them into believing the injured Beta Ray BillBeta Ray Bill
Beta Ray Bill is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Thor #337 and was created by writer-artist Walt Simonson....
was a Skrull
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
, resulting in a mob of Asgardians nearly attacking him, although Thor used his hammer to stop the rumor by showing Bill could lift it.
Dark Reign
Following the Skrulls defeat, Loki was introduced as a member of the CabalCabal (comics)
The Cabal is a comic book secret society of supervillains and antiheroes in Marvel Comics' main shared universe. The group was formed in the Dark Reign storyline very shortly after the Secret Invasion event.- History :...
, consisting of herself, Norman Osborn
Green Goblin
The Green Goblin is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 ....
, Emma Frost
Emma Frost
Emma Grace Frost is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129 , and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne....
, Doctor Doom, Namor, and the Hood
Hood (comics)
The Hood is a fictional character, a supervillain, and a crime boss in the . Created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artists Kyle Hotz and Eric Powell, the character first appeared in The Hood #1 .-Publication history:...
. Osborn gathered them to obtain their support for his plans for his "new world order." Osborn offered the Cabal solidarity and the resources to accomplish their own agendas. In return Osborn asked for their public support/registration, as well as cooperation in fulfilling any request he may have of them. When asked what she wanted, Loki responded she wanted Asgard and wanted it back in the heavens where it belonged.
In Thor #600, it was revealed Loki traveled to the past to ensure Bor
Borr
Borr or Burr was the son of Búri and the father of Odin in Norse mythology. He is mentioned in the Gylfaginning, part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda....
, father of Odin and first king of Asgard, perished in battle against the Frost Giants. He turned the Asgardian king to snow after luring them to him with a Frost Giant. In the present day, Loki revived Bor from some snow in New York City, but placed a spell on him to mistake everything around him as an enemy, causing him to attack everything in sight. He was further aggrieved by the belief that his son's failure to resurrect him could only mean he was killed in battle. Thor arrived on the scene but Loki's enchantment caused Bor to see Thor as a monster. Sensing Odin's power inside what he saw as a demon, Bor attacked Thor, attempting to avenge his son. While Thor and Bor fought, Loki made Balder aware of Bor's identity and the two rushed to New York to stop Thor from killing him (Thor never met Bor until now and was unaware of his identity). Thor was forced to kill Bor fearing the entire planet would be destroyed in the wake of their battle, due to Bor's vast power. In the aftermath of the battle, Loki reminded Balder that the resurrected Bor was technically the king of Asgard when Thor killed him and the punishment for killing the king was banishment from Asgard. Balder was forced to agree. After Thor's banishment, Loki made arrangements to have all Asgardians, but not Asgard itself, moved to Latveria
Latveria
Latveria is a nation in the . It is an isolated European country ruled by the supervillain Doctor Doom, supposedly located in the Banat region. It is surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains, and also borders the Symkaria to the south. Its capital is Doomstadt.-Publication history:Latveria first...
at the invitation of Doctor Doom.
Loki, along with Balder, attended a dinner hosted by Doctor Doom to secure a new home for the Asgardians in Latveria. She was caught off guard by Balder's insistence that since they are leaving Asgard, Thor should be allowed to rejoin them. Loki was able to calm Balder before he offended Doom too much. She later appeared before Blake and Thor to tell them that she would be returning to her male form shortly and that he had come to the realization that his body was meant for Sif. Loki explained that, after Ragnarok, when the Asgardians were being placed into human hosts, Sif's soul was placed into a dying human. When Thor sent out the call for the Asgardians to return, Sif's host was too weak to hear the call. When Thor mass-summoned the Asgardians, Sif's body was created but her soul could not be placed into it. Sif's body went looking for a soul with no body and found Loki. Loki told them that the transfer from his female form to his male form would probably kill Sif's host and she urged Blake and Thor to find Sif and say goodbye. By the time Thor restored Sif, Loki was back in his male form. Following the Hood's depowerment at the hands of Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
, Brother Voodoo
Brother Voodoo
Brother Voodoo is a fictional character, a supernatural superhero in the Marvel Universe. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Gene Colan, he first appears in Strange Tales #169...
, and the Son of Satan
Daimon Hellstrom
Daimon Hellstrom, also known as the Son of Satan and Hellstorm, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:He first appeared in Ghost Rider Daimon Hellstrom, also known as the Son of Satan and Hellstorm, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics...
, Loki offered the Hood a second chance.
Mighty Avengers
The Scarlet WitchScarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
appeared in her astral form recruiting a team of Avengers to face the Elder God
Elder Gods (Marvel Comics)
The Elder Gods are fictional characters from the Marvel Comics universe. They were the first generation of Earth's gods, apparently inspired by Greek mythology and the Cthulhu Mythos.-Fictional group history:...
Chthon. It was soon revealed that Wanda was Loki in disguise. The Avengers, unaware of Loki's trick, followed the false "Wanda's" instructions. Her goal was to throw Norman Osborn
Green Goblin
The Green Goblin is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 ....
off balance, as shown during the second meeting of the Cabal. After Thor was banished due to her trickery, Loki intended to put "cracks in Osborn's armor" and gradually "widen" these cracks through the Mighty Avengers. Pietro Maximoff
Quicksilver (comics)
Quicksilver is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
, desiring to see and converse with his sister, joined the Mighty Avengers. He raced around the world searching for her, not knowing that his nephews Billy
Wiccan (comics)
Wiccan is a comic book character, a member of the Young Avengers, a team of superheroes in the Marvel Universe. His appearance is patterned on that of Thor and Scarlet Witch....
and Tommy
Speed (comics)
Speed is a fictional character and member of the Young Avengers, a team of superheroes in the Marvel Universe. His appearance is patterned on that of Quicksilver and first appeared in the comic book Young Avengers #10...
had just done so and also failed to find her.
However, Loki had planned on the deaths of Pietro and Cassandra Lang
Cassandra Lang
Stature is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. She is the daughter of the late Scott Lang . Cassie Lang is a member of the Young Avengers and The Initiative...
, fearing they may be wedges in her plans. She cut off communications from the former, and tried to convince Hank Pym to expel Cassie after placing a spell on her to prevent her from saying anything bad about her disguise. The latter, however, invited her fellow Young Avengers
Young Avengers
Young Avengers is an American comic book series written by Allan Heinberg and published by Marvel Comics. It follows a group of young superheroes, each of whom patterns themselves after a member of the long-established Marvel superhero team the Avengers....
into the Infinite Avengers Mansion (an extension of the PymPocket), to prove that the Scarlet Witch was evil. When Wiccan
Wiccan (comics)
Wiccan is a comic book character, a member of the Young Avengers, a team of superheroes in the Marvel Universe. His appearance is patterned on that of Thor and Scarlet Witch....
cast a spell to bring Scarlet Witch to them, Loki appeared as Scarlet Witch and stated that Cassandra Lang sealed their fate. Just then, Ronin appeared and ambushed the "Scarlet Witch." He determined that she was not Wanda by kissing her and stating that the real Scarlet Witch would have used her power to revive Cassandra's father. Wiccan then chanted a spell to reveal her true form. Afraid of exposure, Loki was forced to leave swearing all their deaths. The continued achievements of the Mighty Avengers strained Osborn to the breaking point. Loki decided to play the final card that would break Osborn by unleashing the Absorbing Man, who had absorbed the power of the Cosmic Cube
Cosmic Cube
The Cosmic Cube, called the Tesseract in the film Captain America: The First Avenger, is the name of a fictional object that appears in the Marvel Universe. The concept was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appeared in Tales of Suspense #79 .-Publication history:The first Cosmic Cube...
. In the Dark Avengers
Dark Avengers
Dark Avengers was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is part of a series of titles that have featured various iterations of the superhero team the Avengers...
, Loki was in Norman Osborn's office and manipulated him into becoming the Green Goblin again, as Siege begins.
Siege
Loki was present at the Cabal when Norman Osborn denied to bring Namor to Doctor Doom. When the Doombot posing as Doctor Doom unleashed insect-like robots, Loki advised to the Hood to take flight. Following Osborn's talk with the President, Loki advised to recreate an incident similar to the Stamford Incident that would bring about the invasion upon Asgard.He then revealed a plot to Osborn that would take advantage of Volstagg
Volstagg
Volstagg is a fictional character, a charter member of the Warriors Three, a trio of Asgardian adventurers and supporting cast of Thor in the . He is not taken from mythology but an original creation, modeled on Shakespeare's Falstaff in character and name....
's presence in Chicago. Since Volstagg had gone for adventures like Thor, the U-Foes
U-Foes
U-Foes are a fictional comic book supervillain team appearing in various series published by Marvel Comics. The group first appeared in Incredible Hulk #254...
could attack him and destroy a packed Soldier Field
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
during an American football game killing thousands while he and Osborn watch in astral form. Loki then warned Balder about Obsorn's impending attack on Asgard and claimed he tried to convince Osborn not to attack. He killed an Asgardian who prophesied the attack and sends Heimdall's chamber beneath Asgard so he couldn't warn the Asgardians in time. Loki, when Osborn called out to him for their aid, sent the Hood and his syndicate as reinforcements to help Osborn's forces against the Avengers. Loki later appeared to Balder, telling him that he would have simply pardoned Thor instead of banishing him if he had not wanted the throne of Asgard for himself. Balder later banished Loki from Asgard.
Some time after he magically disguised himself as Osborn's Green Goblin persona to lay siege to Asgard, Loki encountered the Disir
Dísir
In Norse mythology, a dís is a ghost, spirit or deity associated with fate who can be both benevolent and antagonistic towards mortal people. Dísir may act as protective spirits of Norse clans...
(the Valkyries of Bor) after he lured them using several wandering god's souls he imprisoned as bait, revealing that he desired to gain their service as his slaves. The 13 Disir unite and assault him as one, but Loki managed to defeat them using extraordinary swordsmanship skills, thus forcing them to submit to him and declare him the victor. Loki meets with Hela and asks her what she will give in exchange for a new Hel, to which she answers 'Anything.' He meets with Mephisto, demonstrating the power of the Disir and agreeing to lend him the Disir for a hundred and one days in exchange for the demon lord granting a portion of his netherworld to his daughter Hela for one thousand and one years, as her new "Hel", which Mephisto agrees to. In exchange for this, Hela erased Loki from the Books of Hel, thus he was no longer tied to Hel or Asgard, gaining absolute freedom. Mephisto asked Loki why he had resorted to such schemes, to which Loki replied it was more fun this way.
When the combined forces of the New Avengers, Young Avengers
Young Avengers
Young Avengers is an American comic book series written by Allan Heinberg and published by Marvel Comics. It follows a group of young superheroes, each of whom patterns themselves after a member of the long-established Marvel superhero team the Avengers....
and the Secret Warriors
Secret Warriors
The Secret Warriors is a Marvel series featuring Nick Fury and Team White, a fictional team of superpowered agents in the . Created by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev, the characters were introduced in Mighty Avengers #13, and debuted as a team in Secret Invasion #3, both published in...
defeated the Dark Avengers
Dark Avengers
Dark Avengers was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is part of a series of titles that have featured various iterations of the superhero team the Avengers...
, Thor demanded to know where Loki was. Norman Osborn could only tell him that he was dead, just like the rest of them as the true form of the Void appeared. As the creature tore apart the three teams, Loki began to repent, realizing that what had happened to Asgard was not what he wanted. He begged his father, Odin, to return to him the Norn Stones, which were taken away from the Hood and given to the trickster. He used their power to empower the three teams and give the powers of the Hood's gang to them and fight back against the Void. However, the Void sensed Loki's hand in this and attacked him, the stones not affecting him directly. As Loki was torn apart by the Void's tendrils in front of a shocked Thor, his last words were to apologize to his brother. Thor resolved to avenge his fallen brother and destroyed the Void and the Sentry with a lightning strike. He took the Sentry's remains into outer space, and released them into the Sun.
Reincarnation
Thor, missing his brother, resurrected him and Loki returned to life in the form of a young boy. Now located in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Loki was a street hustler
Confidence trick
A confidence trick is an attempt to defraud a person or group by gaining their confidence. A confidence artist is an individual working alone or in concert with others who exploits characteristics of the human psyche such as dishonesty and honesty, vanity, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility,...
going by the name of Serrure (the French word for lock), who feigned simple card tricks in front of an audience while an accomplice pickpocketed them. Thor, in civilian disguise, gave chase, resulting in the restoration of Loki's memory, but not of his past life with the exception of a guilty conscience for things he cannot remember. With nothing to lose, Loki followed Thor, who restored part of his identity to him (though he remains in the form of a child), and asked when did Thor get so old, to which Thor smiled. Thor took Loki to the remains of Asgard where plans were made to help the refugees of the World Tree. With the resurrection of Odin, Loki was frightened away and fled with Thor who lambasted Odin for scaring him away. Running into Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
, Loki was saved by Thor who defended his own reasons for bringing the trickster back.
Journey Into Mystery
With the Asgardian population other than Thor still wary of Loki, Loki revealed to his brother that he was attempting to learn more about Earth and humans, to which Thor approves. When a magpie exploded in his quarters carrying a key, it led to a chain of events where at the end, Loki was contacted by an echo of his former incarnation, who revealed he chose to sacrifice himself fighting the Void as part of a greater plan which would involve his death and return. The child Loki refused to follow this path, wanting to be his own person, and transformed the spirit of his former self into a magpie named Ikol. On returning to Earth, he witnessed Odin striking down Thor.Odin prepared all of Asgard for an unknown battle and imprisoned Thor for attempting to protect Midgard from being scoured. Loki, who disagreed with Odin's actions, was put to work by Volstagg
Volstagg
Volstagg is a fictional character, a charter member of the Warriors Three, a trio of Asgardian adventurers and supporting cast of Thor in the . He is not taken from mythology but an original creation, modeled on Shakespeare's Falstaff in character and name....
into cleaning the stables of Thor's goats to keep him out of trouble and danger. Using the wool of one of the goats, Loki descended into the roots of the World Tree
World tree
The world tree is a motif present in several religions and mythologies, particularly Indo-European religions, Siberian religions, and Native American religions. The world tree is represented as a colossal tree which supports the heavens, thereby connecting the heavens, the earth, and, through its...
at the advice of Ikol to ask questions from the Nornish women who live there. After receiving his answers, Loki wept but decided to turn to the imprisoned Thor for his opinion before making his final decision. Breaking into the prison by stealth, Loki asked his brother what he would do if he had to let something bad happen in order to prevent something worse from happening and what if it cost him everything. With Thor's answer, Loki decided to free one of the imprisoned Hel Wolves and bind it to him in servitude using the bridle of Thor's goats. He revealed he needed help from one more 'personage' before heading for the realm of Hela
Hela (comics)
Hela is a fictional character, the Asgardian goddess of death in the Marvel Comics universe, based on the Norse goddess, Hel. The ruler of Hel and Niffleheim, the character has been a frequent foe of Thor...
.
Powers and abilities
Loki is a member of the race of Frost Giants of Jotunheim, although not a giant in stature. He possesses physical attributes equal to a fit average member of the race of superbeings known as Asgardians, such as superhuman strength; stamina (his Frost Giant metabolism grants him superhuman levels of physical stamina in practically all activities); durability; and immunity to all known diseases and toxins, as well as some resistance to magic.Loki has extensive training in magic, and possesses the ability to manipulate magical forces for a variety of purposes: energy projection, creation of force field
Force field
A force field, sometimes known as an energy shield, force shield, or deflector shield is a concept of a field tightly bounded and of significant magnitude so that objects affected by the particular force relating to the field are unable to pass through the central axis of the field and reach the...
s, temporarily increasing his own physical strength, granting superhuman abilities to living beings or inanimate objects, flight, hypnosis
Hypnosis
Hypnosis is "a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination."It is a mental state or imaginative role-enactment . It is usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction, which is commonly composed of a long series of preliminary...
, illusion casting, and inter-dimensional teleportation
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
.
Loki's magical abilities have been described as equal to those of Karnilla
Karnilla
Karnilla is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:Karnilla the Norn Queen is a sorceress and the Queen of Nornheim...
, the most skilled sorceress of Asgard. His illusion casting can fool cities, and through extreme effort, he has been able to break free of technology in the possession of Apocalypse
Apocalypse (comics)
Apocalypse is a fictional character who is an ancient mutant that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Factor #5 , created by writer Louise Simonson and designed by artist Walter Simonson...
.
Apparently, Loki possesses some extrasensory abilities and is capable of astral projection
Astral projection
Astral projection is an interpretation of out-of-body experience that assumes the existence of an "astral body" separate from the physical body and capable of traveling outside it...
and casting his thoughts across great distances—even across dimensional barriers, like that between Asgard and Earth—even if he is unable to move. He cannot read the minds of other beings, although he can influence their actions, and once briefly hypnotized Thor, as well as controlling a flock of birds. However he could not coerce Thor to give him Mjolnir. If someone has evil thoughts, Loki can influence their actions even if he is in Asgard and the subject is on Earth, and he can influence other events to a degree, such as driving a missile from its path, or redirecting a radio signal.
Loki is an adept shapeshifter
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
and can change into animals (examples include transmogrification to a salmon, horse, etc.) or impersonate other people, such as Thor or Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
. However, he does not necessarily gain the abilities of whatever he turns into, although minor natural abilities such as flight in bird form tend to work. He has also turned clouds into dragons, and animated trees to attack Thor.
At times Loki imbues himself with magical abilities that enable him to withstand injuries that would prove fatal to another Asgardian, such as being beheaded by Balder. He has likewise successfully protected himself against the Controller
Controller (Marvel Comics)
The Controller, real name Basil Sandhurst, is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in the Marvel Universe. He specializes in mind control, and is a frequent foe of Iron Man. Marvel Comics writer Archie Goodwin created the character, and Marvel artist George Tuska designed him.-Fictional...
's control disk, the mental influence of the Voice, and the power-sapping abilities of Rogue
Rogue (comics)
Rogue was first slated to appear in Ms. Marvel #25 , but the book's abrupt cancellation left her original introduction story unpublished for over a decade, before seeing print in Marvel Super Heroes #11 in 1992. Rogue's first published appearance was in Avengers Annual #10...
.
Loki crafted a method of cheating death. He will be reincarnated upon any "death" of his body now that he has arranged with the incarnations of death that his name is erased from the books of Hell.
Aside from his mystical abilities, Loki possesses a brilliant intellect. However, his arrogance, his passionate hatred of Thor, and all-consuming lust for power greatly impeded his ability to bring his well-laid plans to fruition. He is an expert manipulator and schemer, is sometimes armed with a sword or a whip, and has used magical items (such as the Norn Stones) to enhance his powers.
Earth X
In the reality of Earth-9997Earth X
Earth X is a 1999 comic book limited series written by Jim Krueger with art by John Paul Leon and published by Marvel Comics. Based on Alex Ross' notes, the series features a dystopian future version of the Marvel Universe....
, Loki duped Odin into transforming Thor into a woman and he cast a spell across Bifrost that would prevent Thor from returning to Earth if he ever returned to Asgard. Among several heroes, in this reality, he opposed the Celestials
Celestial (comics)
The Celestials are a group of fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters first appear in Eternals #1 and were created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
due to finding out the falsehood of the Asgardians' origins. Realizing that his form was actually solely dependent on his convictions (as that of all Asgardians), he became an angelic being with a very ambiguous appearance. With his new state, he was instrumental in defeating the Absorbing Man and he later formed the new Avengers and became the new Thor.
Guardians of the Galaxy
In the Guardians of the Galaxy timeline (Earth-691), Loki is alive and well in the 31st Century. He lives on the moon, ruling over the Inhumans.Marvel 2099
In the Marvel 2099Marvel 2099
Marvel 2099 is a Marvel Comics imprint, started in 1992, that explores one possible future of the Marvel Universe. It was originally announced by Stan Lee in his "Stan's Soapbox" column as a single series entitled The Marvel World of Tomorrow, which was being developed by Lee and John Byrne...
line of series, the original Asgardians were no more. However, belief in them had grown into a full-fledged religion with many followers. Seeking to take advantage of this, a corporation called Alchemax decided to create their own pantheon
Pantheon (gods)
A pantheon is a set of all the gods of a particular polytheistic religion or mythology.Max Weber's 1922 opus, Economy and Society discusses the link between a...
. One of the company's scientists, Jordan Boone, decided that he wanted to have powers and sneaked himself into the program. He ensured that he avoided the receiving of a computer chip implant which would give him falsified memories of his godhood. Jordan became the Loki of the program, but fled before the program and their floating fortress were destroyed. He later reappeared and remade himself as the villainous Halloween Jack who went about trying to warp the entire world with a Virtual Unreality Projector. His plan would have succeeded if not for President Doom
Doom 2099
Doom is a Marvel Comics anti-hero featured in the Marvel 2099 comic book series Doom 2099. The character is based on Doctor Doom, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
stepping in with the help of the X-Men
X-Men 2099
X-Men 2099 was a comic book series published by Marvel Comics from 1993 to 1996 that chronicled the adventures of an X-Men team in the year 2099. It extends the Marvel 2099 imprint, which features other future versions of popular Marvel characters, such as Spider-Man 2099 and Hulk 2099...
Meanstreak
Meanstreak (comics)
Meanstreak is a fictional character created by Marvel Comics for their futuristic comic book line Marvel 2099 in X-Men 2099. His creators were John Francis Moore and Ron Lim.-Fictional character biography:...
and Krystalin
Krystalin
Krystalin is a fictional character in Marvel Comics's 2099 universe, a look at superheroes in the year 2099. She was one of the founding members of a future incarnation of the X-Men called X-Men 2099.-Fictional character biography:...
. Halloween Jack was supposedly killed in 2099 World of Tomorrow #2, but made an unexpected cameo
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in X-Force #92. He was somehow pulled from the time-stream before his death and redeposited in the present where he pestered Domino
Domino (comics)
Domino is a Marvel Comics character, best known as a member of the X-Men offshoot X-Force. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist/co-writer Rob Liefeld, she first fully appeared in X-Force, vol...
. Since then his resident time period and/or location have been unknown.
Marvel Zombies
In the alternate Marvel ZombiesMarvel Zombies (series)
Marvel Zombies is a comic book metaseries published by Marvel Comics. The series features zombie versions of Marvel Universe superheroes who have been portrayed as both protagonists and antagonists through the different limited series within the metaseries....
universe, Loki is shown dead, having been killed and eaten by the Zombie Avengers.
MC2
In the reality of Earth-982, Loki decides to bring an end to the "Age of Heroes", still regretting the fact that his actions led to the creation of the Avengers. In the series Last Hero StandingLast Hero Standing
Last Hero Standing is a 5-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics in 2005. It was written by Tom DeFalco and drawn by Pat Olliffe ....
, he kidnaps several major superheroes, brainwashes them so that they are more violent, and returns them to Earth so that they will destroy their reputations, knowing that his spell will be permanent the moment they shed innocent blood. Eventually this plot is foiled by the superheroes of Earth, especially Captain America, who shatters the gem Loki was using to create the spell before any innocents can be killed. In battle, Loki badly injures Captain America, but, because of his actions, Loki is banished to the limbo realm and is joined by the Hulk, who intends to punish him for affecting the Hulk with his spell and driving him to attack the other heroes.
Within the Avengers Next
A-Next
A-Next is the Marvel Comics' MC2 universe version of the Avengers. The team made its first appearance in What If? #105, the first comic featuring Spider-Girl, and the team's origin story was told in the A-Next #1, cover dated October 1998....
miniseries, it is revealed that Loki's daughter (within the MC2 universe), Sylene, is on a mission to restore Asgard as a way to honor her father and to prove herself to the Asgardians. Unfortunately, her plan is not only to transform Midgard/Earth into a version of Asgard but also to eliminate the Avengers, since Loki was blaming himself for his part of indirectly creating the team.
Mutant X
In the Mutant XMutant X (comics)
Mutant X was a comic book published by Marvel Comics featuring Havok, a mutant and former member of the X-Men, who was transported into a parallel dimension. It was written by Howard Mackie....
universe, when Loki tampered with Iceman
Iceman (comics)
Iceman is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men vol. 1 #1, ....
's powers, he left Iceman unable to touch other humans without ending their lives.
Old Man Logan
In this alternate timeline, Loki is crushed by the Baxter BuildingBaxter Building
The Baxter Building is a fictitious 35-story office building in Manhattan whose five upper floors house the Fantastic Four's headquarters in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:...
, which is dropped on him after he increases his size.
Ultimate Universe
Loki appears in the second volume of The UltimatesUltimates
The Ultimates is a fictional group of superheroes that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team was created by writer Mark Millar and artist Bryan Hitch, and first appeared in The Ultimates #1 , as part of the company's Ultimate Marvel imprint...
as the evil stepbrother of Thor
Ultimate Thor
Ultimate Thor is a superhero in the Ultimate Marvel Universe based on the Marvel Universe version of Thor who is in turn based on the god of the same name of Norse mythology....
.
The Ultimate version of Loki has the ability to "shuffle time and space", and in his first appearance, causes a ripple during Thor's conversation with Volstagg
Volstagg
Volstagg is a fictional character, a charter member of the Warriors Three, a trio of Asgardian adventurers and supporting cast of Thor in the . He is not taken from mythology but an original creation, modeled on Shakespeare's Falstaff in character and name....
. In the restaurant, Loki is apparently in the background, which would mark his first "appearance" (he is mentioned and his powers apparently used, but he is only briefly seen). Loki comes to Earth after escaping from the Room Without Doors and begins to cause havoc, especially for Thor and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after assisting the Liberators. Through his power he creates the persona for himself of "Gunnar Golmen," the head scientist of the Norwegian extension of the "European Defense Initiative," the European counterpart to The Ultimates, and turns Thor into "Thorlief," Gunnar's brother, a former mental patient who stole the technology that Gunnar created for the Initiative.
Later in the story, he confronts the captive Thor and gloats that it is all just another one of their games, and informs him that there is a traitor in the ranks of the Ultimates. When Thor requests assistance from the guards, Loki is nowhere to be seen, though he appears as a snake around Thor's neck after they leave (most likely a nod to the real Loki in Norse mythology). At the end of Ultimates 2 #9, Loki states that the reason he joined the Liberators was that "They had a Norse god on their side. It's only fair you should get one too", and that "Odin sent his son to bring the world peace. I couldn't resist the opportunity to mess that up." However, he is hesitant to use his abilities overtly as he claims Odin will then be able to find him. Yet once all The Liberators are defeated, he decides to do things himself. After revealing to the Ultimates who he is, he rises into the air and changes the color of the sky. At that moment - thanks to the Scarlet Witch 'calculating the odds' of someone showing up to defeat him - the sky opens and Thor, his brother, appears for revenge.
Issue 13 shows further demonstrations of his power by attempting to trap Thor in an illusion and withstanding a direct blow from Thor's hammer uninjured, claiming it cannot hurt him. During this battle, Thor mentions that Loki's powers have weakened for an unexplained reason. After Loki summons an army of monsters to battle the Ultimates and nearly kills Thor, the thunder god then proceeds to summon allies from Asgard while he strikes Loki with his hammer, sending him back to Asgard where Odin awaits him.
Loki's motivation for his actions is not completely revealed. He mentions several motivations from a desire to cause World War III to Odin favoring Thor over him and attempting to gain Odin's favor. Throughout the whole ordeal Loki regards humans as mere playthings for his pranks. In addition to creating a Norwegian super-soldier program that was supposedly part of an EU initiative and making people believe it was real, even though Norway is not part of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, he claimed to have been the one who framed Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
for treason, regarding the failure of humans to realize the problems with these assertions as humorous.
Film
- Loki appears in the animated direct-to-video film Hulk vs. ThorHulk VsHulk Vs is a 2009 direct-to-video animated film from Marvel Animation and Lionsgate, featuring the Incredible Hulk in two short film battles, one against Wolverine, the other against Thor. Both short films have been rated PG-13 by the MPAA. The animation was by Madhouse, and Kaare Andrews provided...
voiced by Graham McTavishGraham McTavishGraham McTavish is a Scottish television and film actor.He has played the character Warden Ackerman in Red Dwarf in five episodes of series 8. McTavish has also had many supporting roles in British dramas and films such as Casualty, Jekyll, The Bill, Taggart and Sisterhood...
. - Loki appears in the animated direct-to-video film, Thor: Tales of AsgardThor: Tales of AsgardThor: Tales of Asgard is a 2011 direct-to-video animated film based on the Marvel Comics character, Thor. It is eighth in a series of animated films produced by Marvel Animation and distributed by Lionsgate Entertainment...
. - Tom HiddlestonTom HiddlestonThomas William "Tom" Hiddleston is an English actor. He is perhaps best known for playing Loki in the 2011 Marvel Studios film Thor.-Early life and education:...
portrays Loki in the live-action Marvel StudiosMarvel StudiosMarvel Studios, originally Marvel Films, is an American television and motion picture studio based in Manhattan Beach, California. Marvel Studios is a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment, a self-contained part of the The Walt Disney Company conglomerate....
film ThorThor (film)Thor is a 2011 American superhero film based on the comic book character of the same name published by Marvel Comics. It is the fourth film released as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe...
directed by Kenneth BranaghKenneth BranaghKenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from Northern Ireland. He is best known for directing and starring in several film adaptations of William Shakespeare's plays including Henry V , Much Ado About Nothing , Hamlet Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from...
. - Tom Hiddleston will reprise the role of Loki in the upcoming film The Avengers directed by Joss WhedonJoss WhedonJoseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
.
Television
- Loki appears in the Thor segment of The Marvel Super Heroes.
- Loki appears in the Spider-Man and His Amazing FriendsSpider-Man and His Amazing FriendsSpider-Man and His Amazing Friends is an animated series produced by Marvel Productions starring established Marvel Comics characters Spider-Man and Iceman and an original character, Firestar...
episode "The Vengeance of Loki", voiced by John StephensonJohn Stephenson (actor)John Stephenson is an American actor and voice actor. He has also been credited as John Stevenson...
. - Loki was scheduled to appear in an unproduced episode of The Avengers: United They StandThe Avengers: United They StandThe Avengers: United They Stand is an animated series based on the Marvel Comics superhero team The Avengers. It consists of 13 episodes, which originally premiered on October 30, 1999, and was produced by Avi Arad and distributed by 20th Century Fox Television...
. - Loki appeared in The Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad Show is an American cartoon series by Marvel Animation. It is based on the Marvel Super Hero Squad action figure line from Hasbro, which portray the characters of the Marvel Universe in a cartoonish super-deformed-style...
episode "Oh Brother", voiced by Ted Biaselli. - Graham McTavishGraham McTavishGraham McTavish is a Scottish television and film actor.He has played the character Warden Ackerman in Red Dwarf in five episodes of series 8. McTavish has also had many supporting roles in British dramas and films such as Casualty, Jekyll, The Bill, Taggart and Sisterhood...
reprises his role as Loki during the first season of The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest HeroesThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest HeroesThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes is an American animated television series by Marvel Animation in cooperation with Film Roman based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers. The show debuted on Disney XD in Fall 2010 starting with a 20 part micro-series. A second season has been...
.
Video games
- Loki appears in Marvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate Alliance is an action role-playing game developed for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox and Xbox 360 by Raven Software and published by Activision. The game was simultaneously ported to the PlayStation Portable and Wii by Vicarious Visions, and to Microsoft Windows by Beenox...
voiced by Larry CedarLarry CedarLarry Cedar is an American actor and a voice actor best known as one of the players of the highly-acclaimed Children's Television Workshop mathematics show, Square One TV on PBS from 1987 to 1994. He also played Alex the Butcher in a series of commercials for Kroger in 1989...
. - Loki appears in Marvel Super Hero SquadMarvel Super Hero Squad (video game)Marvel Super Hero Squad is a video game developed by Blue Tongue Entertainment, Mass Media, and Halfbrick and published by THQ. It was released on October 20, 2009 for the Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable and Wii...
voiced by Ted Biaselli. - Loki is referenced in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2.
- Loki appears in Thor: God of ThunderThor: God of ThunderThor: God of Thunder is a 2011 third person single-player video game based on the film Thor developed by Liquid Entertainment and co-written by Matt Fraction, the Eisner Award-winning writer of the comic book series...
voiced by Tom HiddlestonTom HiddlestonThomas William "Tom" Hiddleston is an English actor. He is perhaps best known for playing Loki in the 2011 Marvel Studios film Thor.-Early life and education:...
based on the live-action filmThor (film)Thor is a 2011 American superhero film based on the comic book character of the same name published by Marvel Comics. It is the fourth film released as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe...
. - Loki appears as a villain character in Marvel Super Hero Squad OnlineMarvel Super Hero Squad OnlineMarvel Super Hero Squad Online is a MMOG for younger audiences based on the Marvel Super Hero Squad franchise.The MMOG officially was released as a open beta on April 29, 2011 and a closed beta was released in early 2011. The first debut trailer for Marvel Super Hero Squad Online was released on...
, voiced by Ted Biaselli.
Motion comics
- A four episode motion comicMotion comicA motion comic is a form of comics combining elements of print comic books and animation.-History:The earliest examples of motion comics are found in independent creations such as Broken Saints....
titled Thor & Loki: Blood BrothersThor & Loki: Blood BrothersThor & Loki: Blood Brothers is a four episode motion comic from Marvel Knights Animation released in April 2011. It is based on the 2004 miniseries Loki by Robert Rodi and Esad Ribic....
, based on the graphic novel, Loki by Robert RodiRobert RodiRobert Rodi is an American novelist, playwright, comic book writer, essayist, and performance artist.-Biography:...
and Esad Ribic, was released on March 28, 2011 on iTunesITunesiTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
, Xbox LiveXbox LiveXbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
, and the PlayStation Network.
Toys
- Loki is the 37th figurine in The Classic Marvel Figurine CollectionThe Classic Marvel Figurine CollectionThe Classic Marvel Figurine Collection is a collection made by Eaglemoss Publications, through which consumers can collect hand painted lead figurines of the Marvel Comics characters. While regular figurines height is around 9 cm, bigger figurines are produced: bulky characters like the Hulk are...
. - A figure of Loki was released in wave 13 of Toy Biz's 6" Marvel LegendsMarvel LegendsMarvel Legends is an action figure line based on the characters of Marvel Comics, initially produced by Toy Biz, then by Hasbro. This line is in the scale, with spin-off lines in the , , and scale.-History:...
line. There was also a chase variant featuring Loki wearing the Crown of Lies. - There have been three figures of Loki released in the Marvel MinimatesMinimatesMinimates are a block-styled miniature action figure originally created by Art Asylum in 2002 and now released by Diamond Select Toys. The basic Minimate figure design has a 2" tall body that resembles an extremely simplified human form with 14 points of articulation, higher than average for block...
line. A figure of Loki in his classic costume was released in wave 16; a figure of Loki in Sif's body was released in wave 33; and a figure of Loki as he appears in the Thor film was released in wave 39. - Loki first appeared in wave 5 of the Marvel Super Hero SquadMarvel Super Hero SquadMarvel Super Hero Squad is an action figure line marketed by Hasbro beginning in 2006. The line features scale replicas of comic book heroes from the Marvel Comics universe. Each figure is portrayed in a cartoonish super-deformed-style. The line was designed for younger collectors but has become a...
line, packaged with Thor. The same figure has since been repainted and re-released two times, once in the Battle for Asgard's Vault 3-pack packaged with Thor and the DestroyerDestroyer (Thor)The Destroyer is a fictional object that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The object first appears in Journey into Mystery #118 The Destroyer is a fictional object that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The object first appears in Journey into Mystery #118 The...
, and again in the fourth collector's pack. - 3 figures of Loki will be released in HasbroHasbroHasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
's 3.75" Thor: The Mighty AvengerThor: The Mighty Avenger (toy line)Thor: The Mighty Avenger is a toy line manufactured by Hasbro based on the Marvel Comics film, Thor. It is composed mainly of 3.75" scale action figures....
movie tie-in line. - Loki comic version figure will be released in Hasbro's 6" Thor: The Mighty Avenger movie tie-in line.
- Loki, as he appears in the film Thor, will be released as a figure in the 7" Marvel SelectMarvel SelectMarvel Select is a line of action figures based on superheroes and supervillains from the Marvel Universe that has been designed and released by Diamond Select Toys since 2002...
line. - In 2011, a figure of Loki in his classic attire was released in Hasbro's 3.75" Marvel UniverseMarvel Universe (toyline)Marvel Universe is a 3 3/4" action figure line manufactured by Hasbro, featuring characters from the Marvel Comics universe. It first hit stores in early 2009 and features detailed sculpting, multiple points of articulation, and accessories...
Gigantic Battles line, packaged with a 12" Frost GiantGiants (Marvel Comics)There are different kinds of Giants in Marvel Comics. The most popular of the Giants are the Giants of Johunheim, fictional race of people based on the giants of actual Norse legends.-Giants of Jotunheim:...
figure.
External links
- Loki at Marvel.com