Loki versus Mandarin (616 versions of both characters) in the Khazan Arena, with the usual defaults.
Loki versus Mandarin (616 versions of both characters) in the Khazan Arena, with the usual defaults.
At first glance, it seems obvious that Loki would beat Mandarin because Thor would beat Iron Man. But that's not how we roll here. Loki is a god, so he certainly has an advantage in terms of experience. He also has superhuman strength and durability, and is a sufficiently powerful spellcaster that he was easily beating early Dr. Strange, before Strange became Sorcerer Supreme. And as God of Mischief, Loki is notorious for his cunning, trickery, and illusions. Mandarin is a high-end criminal mastermind with impressive martial arts ability and some chi manipulation, plus those 10 alien rings. He is tough enough to endure repulsor ray blasts, and can shatter steel with his bare hands. Sometimes Mandarin has a force field, but not often enough for it to qualify a standard equipment. The ten rings include effects like disintegration, darkness, illusion, blasts of heat, cold, and electricity, as well as mind-control and apparently superhuman speed for the wielder.
Thanks to the speed from the Spin ring, Mandarin is at least getting in one attack right before Loki. Maybe not a steel-shattering hand strike due to the default Khazan distance, but enough for an attack with at least one ring. Loki can resist the mind control, and probably the illusions and maybe even disintegration and cold due to his dense frost giant physiology. Mandarin should probably open with either a heat or electrical blast, but it is unlikely to be enough to put Loki down at the bell. Loki can probably rally enough to strike back with magical attacks, or even just defend himself with magic long enough to start using illusions. I think Mandarin can make a flashy entrance, but ultimately Loki will take this.
I'd say the Loki show did a decent job of lowering the ceiling for harming Loki, frankly.
Mandarin should do just fine if he gets the first hit off
Yeah, but if you... man, we're getting into weird analogy territory, like if you disintegrated Superman's arms he wouldn't be able to go "fool! Little did you know that my arms and I are one and can be remade from me!" and will his arms back into being from pure nothingness. - Pendaran
Arx Inosaan
I read the title, but I still didn't realize this was the comics versions until shellhead's second post lol
Doesn't one of Mandarin's Rings turn people into beetles/stone/etc? What's 616 Loki doing about that?
“The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.”
-Stephen McCranie
That ring doesn't affect things other than matter, meaning any force-field or energy blast, even a weak one, can block it. The question is, can Loki put up a force-field or force-blast in time? I don't think he walks around with one on like Iron Man.