Loki Appreciation 2018

[Drakeon]

It could also be that whole dialogue was just him scheming and not all of it was factual.

I mean....it IS Loki we are talking about after all.

[rpmaluki]

I did consider that but what would be his end game in convincing them he's changed if he's lying? One thing I know is you should never take Loki at face value, never trust him, even when he's being sincere. it's what makes him fascinating. Unfortunately, I still don't like that like than line because I feel it's so out of place compared to the panel in #17 where he was talking to Freyja and you saw how cold the relationship had become at the end of AoA. This is a change I didn't expect but at the same time I should have, based on this being Aaron's book.

It's a dichotomy between Ewing's AoA and Aaron's Thor. Loki himself doesn't seem to have changed much between the books except his looks. It could be a case of a few beats that are missing between #17 AoA and #3 TMT that I could have at least appreciated seeing so the difference made sense now. There's the missing 8 months or whatever, perhaps Loki had a change of heart about all his parents, if that's the case, I would have loved to see how it came about.

Now if he's playing Jane because in his heart, only his brother can wield mjolnir and be Asgard's savior and his playing nice so he can get to the bottom of where Thor is (dead or alive, worthy or unworthy) then I say okay, I'll play along with Loki trying to worm his way back to his mother's good graces while working with Jane. I prefer Loki with his million agendas and keeping his cards very close to the chest.

Edit: I realise that I just answered my own question at the beginning of this post, lol.

Edit 2: By #17 I mean an earlier issue. I only can't remember specifically.

[Raye]

It could also be that whole dialogue was just him scheming and not all of it was factual.

I mean....it IS Loki we are talking about after all.

Except everything he says lines up exactly with what was established in Agent of Asgard, we KNOW he wants to create create a new role for himself and no longer play the bad guy, just like he said. the only thing a bit off is the mother thing. And I'm not exactly sure what that was meant to do to convince Jane.

The thing I am most worried about is him getting beaten too easily. Loki was given a huge badass moment in the previous issue, I just hope it wasn't simply to demonstrate he was powerful so it would be more impressive when Jane beat him.

[Drakeon]

Given his sigh in that last panel Im gonna say hes not being beaten easy. He can casually survive his head being torn off and being repeatedly beaten by a hammer Im sure he will handle himsef well and work to earn Janes trust and show her that force isnt always the answer.

[rpmaluki]

I think his head coming off so easily is Loki just being his facetious self, kind of like when he challenged King Loki in #16 (or is it #17) and let KL burn him into a crisp only to appear next to the burnt flesh in a new body of sorts. I don't think it's so easy to beat Loki anymore, not unless you can somehow counter his ability to manipulate his own/the story and limit his new ability. The guy can jump from panels like he's breaking the fourth wall or something because he understands what he is while the other characters still only see him as the god of lies.

[Shura]

Given that preview image with a lot of Lokis I bet this conversation has not ended with his head cut off (not having head never was a problem for him to bein with
If Loki really wants this war to end he´s going to need help and even if Odin helped him before, right now he´s not the one who is doing right, Freyja is the better choice even if she did wrong with him before, so it seems logic to me if Loki wants her to trust him, but the line was a bit exaggerated, they even put enfasis in " mother" and "proud of" so maybe there´s something more, also it contradicts the last issue where he said that he doesn´t follow the whims of his ancestors of something like that, so like always is all "wait and see"

[Kirsty1996]

Good preview!

I don’t think Loki’s tricking Thor at all here I think he’s completely genuine. Of course this is Loki and no one can ever be 100% sure.

On the whole mother thing. I don’t think it’s anything to worry about whether it’s genuine or not. I don’t think this changes anything for Loki nor does it means he’s contradicting what he said. Loki never said he didn’t want to make his parents proud but I think he wants to do that by being him and being a version of himself that his mother could be proud off. But he made no omission to it though or made it sound like it was going to be an obsessed goal of his like it was with Odin.

I also don’t think he’s out to impress her.

Overall I think Loki is in the same place he was at the end of AOA being his own person, writing his own story and yes ignoring what the ancestors want from him.

Also we need to take into consideration which mother he could be talking about. Now it’s most likely he’s talking about Freyja but there could be a chance he’s talking about his birth mother, unlikely but not something to be ruled out entirely.

Yeah I don’t think Loki will be beaten easily by Thor. I think she will have a battle on her hands if Loki is forced into fighting her. The problem that Thor had is that this Loki probably is the toughest Loki any Thor would be up against. For starters he has a clear head so he won’t be making any rash moves out of anger and vengeance. Also he’s full of self-confidence.

I think Thor was a little rash at the end to be honest and I think she let her emotions of past meetings get the better of her. I can understand why because Loki has done some horrible things to her and the people she loved in the past. But Thor is in the middle of an upcoming war with enemies piling up against her and hardly any allies in the situation. Most of Asgard is against her all except Freyja, Heimdall and maybe Sif and the warriors three. There’s also Odinson. But with Odin, Cul and the magical council all after Thor’s blood, she can’t afford to be acting rash. I don’t think Thor should trust Loki but more think if she wants to risk yet another enemy.

[Raye]

Given his sigh in that last panel Im gonna say hes not being beaten easy. He can casually survive his head being torn off and being repeatedly beaten by a hammer Im sure he will handle himsef well and work to earn Janes trust and show her that force isnt always the answer.

Oh, I didn't think that was the end. That really would be pathetic, lol. we know he's got to get to the illusions of many Lokis page at the very least. It's just that it is Thor's book, so...

And yeah, Jane gave him like, no chance at ALL, just bam, hammer to the head as her first move. I get that she has good reason to be cautious around him, but the alternative here is certain defeat at the hands of Malekith's army, she should hear him out at least.

[Drakeon]

That panel made me laugh cause it was like Loki saying "Really? This again?"

Made me think back to the Ragnarok dissasembled arc with Thor carrying Lokis head around with him.

[GreenScar1990]

Given that Loki was clever enough to survive the incursion and powerful/cunning enough to defeat Those Who Sit Above in Shadow, who are basically gods of gods, I don't see anyone (let alone Jane Foster/Thor) ever defeating him in combat. But of course, the writer intends to have her face Odin, who should simply one-shot her like he done numerous times to Thor Odinson, so I guess that doesn't matter.

But if I had to guess from the unlettered previews, Loki is on an entirely higher level of power. He may be the manifestation of every Loki in the entire multiverse/omniverse. In other words, a God of Gods. At least that's how I view him since Loki: Agent of Asgard ended.

[rpmaluki]

Loki is definitely very very powerful right now.

[Raye]

Thing is I don't think he will or should remain at the same level as he was at the very end of Agent of Asgard. it makes him essentially invincible, which equals incredibly boring stories. He needs to be able to be defeated. I just don't want it to be a cheap and easy defeat.

[Riimi]

Given that Loki was clever enough to survive the incursion and powerful/cunning enough to defeat Those Who Sit Above in Shadow, who are basically gods of gods, I don't see anyone (let alone Jane Foster/Thor) ever defeating him in combat. But of course, the writer intends to have her face Odin, who should simply one-shot her like he done numerous times to Thor Odinson, so I guess that doesn't matter.

But if I had to guess from the unlettered previews, Loki is on an entirely higher level of power. He may be the manifestation of every Loki in the entire multiverse/omniverse. In other words, a God of Gods. At least that's how I view him since Loki: Agent of Asgard ended.

I figured that Loki would be helping Thor take on Odin. I mean, we haven't seen the end of this issue, so we don't know for certain that they end up working together, but Thor's kinda in a tight corner right now. I figured when Thor confronted Odin Loki would do his narrative thing to make all the dice roll in her favor, and I think it's still more likely that Odin is being mind controlled by Cul or w/e and it's just enough to make him come to his senses than that they straight up beat him.

The second part's a bit more out there, speculation wise, but Loki helping her is something I'd bet money on (and this issue seems to be focused on setting that up).

Thing is I don't think he will or should remain at the same level as he was at the very end of Agent of Asgard. it makes him essentially invincible, which equals incredibly boring stories. He needs to be able to be defeated. I just don't want it to be a cheap and easy defeat.

Yeah, I've been thinking that he probably needs nerfing at some point. I'd say he's a low to mid level reality warper right now (not high level because he needs to work within the bound of narrative and can't just snap his fingers, but the argument could be made) which makes it difficult to use him and almost impossible outside the main series (like how Doctor Strange was commonly less powerful if he ever showed up in cross overs, or ran the risk of being an "I win" button). So far, it seems likely he's maintained most of his power level from the end of AoA (enough to make me wonder if Jane is narrating too loudly, given their proximity), but I don't think it's something that can be sustained for too long. I had initially hoped that he'd be pulled into the whole "Magic being weird in ANAD" stuff that I think has shown up in Scarlet Witch and Doctor Strange (I read the solicits, but not the issues, so I may be off base) and have something happen as a result of that, but I feel like Aaron wants to establish his character before having other writers use him, so....idk.

[cosmicjoke21]

Ha, that was funny, how Loki just sort of sighs over having his head torn off by Thor here. He really is powerful. Well, I was talking to Lee Garbett at one point, and he told me that he and Ewing had planned on having Loki be on about the same power level as Thor (Odinson) by the end of their run, so that gives you an idea. He's super powerful, but not like out of control. Anyway, Jane Thor shouldn't be able to beat him, and I don't think it's going to come to a fight like that anyway here. She blew her top, Loki's like, okay, that didn't work, but I don't think he's going to attack her. He doesn't seem pissed at all, just slightly frustrated that she isn't listening. And clearly, he isn't manipulating her, at least not the way he did with those frost giants, or Thor would be hearing voices in her head right about now. It's just a wait and see thing. I don't think it's going to be an issue of "let's beat each other up and see who comes out on top". Loki's never worked that way anyway, and especially now. What makes him so dangerous, besides just his incredible power level, is that you never can predict how he's going to approach you.

[Raye]

Yeah, don't think Loki actually wants to fight, though I don't think Jane will be giving him much choice in the matter.

I figured that Loki would be helping Thor take on Odin. I mean, we haven't seen the end of this issue, so we don't know for certain that they end up working together, but Thor's kinda in a tight corner right now. I figured when Thor confronted Odin Loki would do his narrative thing to make all the dice roll in her favor, and I think it's still more likely that Odin is being mind controlled by Cul or w/e and it's just enough to make him come to his senses than that they straight up beat him.

The second part's a bit more out there, speculation wise, but Loki helping her is something I'd bet money on (and this issue seems to be focused on setting that up).



Yeah, I've been thinking that he probably needs nerfing at some point. I'd say he's a low to mid level reality warper right now (not high level because he needs to work within the bound of narrative and can't just snap his fingers, but the argument could be made) which makes it difficult to use him and almost impossible outside the main series (like how Doctor Strange was commonly less powerful if he ever showed up in cross overs, or ran the risk of being an "I win" button). So far, it seems likely he's maintained most of his power level from the end of AoA (enough to make me wonder if Jane is narrating too loudly, given their proximity), but I don't think it's something that can be sustained for too long. I had initially hoped that he'd be pulled into the whole "Magic being weird in ANAD" stuff that I think has shown up in Scarlet Witch and Doctor Strange (I read the solicits, but not the issues, so I may be off base) and have something happen as a result of that, but I feel like Aaron wants to establish his character before having other writers use him, so....idk.

Yeah, it's a bit odd that like magic is dying elsewhere, but it does not seem to be affecting Loki (or Malekith, for that matter) at all. Especially odd since Aaron is writing Doctor Strange where that is mostly going down, so obviously he's perfectly well aware of what's happening. Right now I am just chalking it up to Thor being a bit in the past right now relative to some other books. So maybe it will begin affecting Loki like next arc or something and he gets a bit of a power down. Then again, maybe Asgardians are simply immune to what's going on in Strange's book.

And yeah, I agree that it will most likely end with Thor and Loki teaming up to take down Odin, so it won't be like Jane is more powerful than Odin.