Loki Appreciation 2018

[Raye]

I loved the Sims 3! And that's a good looking Strange LOL

And look what I found for him (and later Loki) to wear:



I also found some better boots for Zelma to wear. who would have thought chunky military boots would be so hard to find for women?

Strange is to to level 5 (of 10) of his career, though his magic and alchemy practice is lagging because it eats up so much of his time. I am considering taking him on vacation for today (Zelma has a wish to go to China, anyway) so he can just practice magic the whole time without getting fired from his job. And when Loki arrives, i think i will definitely delay getting him going in a career so i can just get his magic skills up first. But I think 5 of 10 is pretty good, considering he gets replaced tomorrow. He has some awards and stuff too, but I am not going to put them out in the house, i am just going to keep them in his inventory for now so he can put them out in his new place as a sad reminder of what he USED to have.

Also, I got the game working with the Steam Controller, the overlay is wonky in the game, so i have to edit the config from the desktop, but it works, and i actually like it better than the mouse and keyboard, that controller is amazing. The idea that I am playing Sims 3 with a controller is kind of mind blowing.

I think Strange's feeling towards Loki actually sleeping/dating Zelma would be less...good? I guess to me, it's just going to come off as Zelma being another aspect of his life that Loki's taken over to greater effect. Of course, we know there are plenty of reasonable reasons for Zelma to want to sleep/date Loki. He's seemingly closer to her age, he's been drawn to be rather good looking, and he can be quite nice. It also looks like he's trying to make Strange's home more habitable at least partially for her benefit and he's complimenting her library. They're both book geeks and very intelligent people. And as you guys have pointed out, isn't this really sort of a break for Loki? He gets to go to bars, just sort of hang out and relax a bit. His not wanting to see minor cases is as much about how stretched thin he is with everything as anything else.

Of course, Strange doesn't know that, but seeing Loki not taking his job seriously is going to wear on him.

Yeah, I think Strange is probably going to be fairly possessive of Zelma to an extent, even though she is her own woman and can make her own decisions. And yes, it is entirely possible that she and Loki just... get along. As has been pointed out before, she is quite similar in a lot of ways to a women Loki has been involved with before, (though usually as just friends) he clearly likes that sort of person. And beyond just treating her nice, for all we know they may have some shared tastes in books or movies or whatever. Also, I know we don't have a lot to go on there, but I was kinda getting the vibe that maybe Strange and Zelma did not part on the best of terms?

and yeah, it would be easy for Strange to look at Loki being stretched thin and trying to keep a dozen plates spinning as him just being neglectful of his Sorcerer Supreme duties, since many of the plates Loki's got spinning are secret ones.

Would Strange have already summoned The Chaos King? It seems too soon, but could The Chaos King have been the one who contacted Strange to summon him?

That's the part i am least sure of. I am just trying to figure out what would cause the 'ghosts' to argue, and that's one possibility.

but I guess we find out tomorrow!

[Rosebunse]

Wow, a controller for The Sims 3? I always preferred my mouse and keyboard so I have no idea how you're doing it. How do you work with moving the house items around? I've been playing Sims 4 a bit and I actually prefer it in some ways to Sims 3. Not as many customization options, but far less loading.

Tomorrow! So many questions will be answered tomorrow! TOMORROW!

It's pretty clear that Strange and Zelma didn't part on the best of terms. And why? Because she wasn't hard enough on Loki? Because she decided to work with Loki? And Strange is even on Twitter about this. Strange has taken to Twitter to complain about Loki!

[Raye]

Wow, a controller for The Sims 3? I always preferred my mouse and keyboard so I have no idea how you're doing it. How do you work with moving the house items around? I've been playing Sims 4 a bit and I actually prefer it in some ways to Sims 3. Not as many customization options, but far less loading.

I have been keeping an eye on Sims 4, waiting for them to add witches/magic, but nope, no dice, so Sims 3 it is for this. I don't like playing it with normal sims so much, i need my wacky aliens and fairies and stuff, and so far i think 4 only has aliens and vampires? but yeah, the loading in sims 3 is awful. and eventually a saved game just begins lagging so bad as to be unplayable, i guess too many relationships and stuff bogging things down.

Got Strange to level 8 of his ghostbusting career, pretty much been leaving Zelma to her own devices as long as it does not involve a romance. Have also tweaked the house a bit to add some more doors, the original basically had you walking around the house in a big spiral to get anywhere which was not convenient at all. Will also expand the upper floor some when Loki gets there so i have some more room for just general stuff i need and display things i come across. Been fun so far, but it will be when Loki gets there that it should really pick up.

and the Steam controller is... unique. it has trackpads in place of the right stick and the d-pad, so you can use it as a mouse. Not as precise as a mouse, but far more precise than a joystick. And you can use Steam to rebind absolutely everything on it anyway you like, ans since for some stupid reason Sims 3 does not let you rebind any keys, this was my way of rebinding stuff the way i liked it. There are a bunch of people out there who try it for an hour and their muscle memory betrays them and they declare it awful because it isn't what they are used to, so it gets some shitty reviews from people like that. but if you give it a chance, it is fantastic, I haven't touched my 360 controller since i got it.

Tomorrow! So many questions will be answered tomorrow! TOMORROW!

I am pretty excited, i subbed to it on comixology so i will be getting it very early in the morning, they usually arrive around 3am here if you are subscribed, and i will definitely be reading it as soon as i get up.

It's pretty clear that Strange and Zelma didn't part on the best of terms. And why? Because she wasn't hard enough on Loki? Because she decided to work with Loki? And Strange is even on Twitter about this. Strange has taken to Twitter to complain about Loki!

Where did you see the twitter thing?

[Rosebunse]

I think I might have dreamed up the Twitter thing...Wow, break in the matrix for me!

What a weird controller. But if it works, it works! You know what the weird thing is about Sims 4? Well, since the loading times are so short, I find that I only play maybe 40 minutes at a time. But then I realized that that's more or less the time I played on Sims 3, just it felt longer because of all the loading. Yeah, no witches yet. But they do have easy to do male pregnancy, which is fun! And sometimes annoying because they get surprise pregnancies and over populate my lot.

OMG, that is so exciting! I can't wait for the spoilers! Or the issue. Whichever I get to first. The crazy thing is, this issue isn't just big for Strange but could go a long ways to explaining a lot of other series going on right now. Especially since it looks like Aaron is the next big guy at Marvel with Bendis leaving Marvel

[Raye]

Well, that was pretty good. I was wrong about how it went, but that is ok. And there was a surprise guest appearance I wasn't expecting, at least not quite yet. We may need to rethink Strange's current headspace though.

spoilers:

so, turns out that the person Strange is talking to in the captions is Wanda, and while he seems to be ok with his new life as a veterinarian, she does not. It may be that she and the other mages sort of goad him into action. She and the others certainly did not seem to take him at all seriously at the bar, and it resulted in Loki getting all pissed off and attacking them. Also, it is revealed that he is searching for some particular, and presumably powerful, spell. But they say that even if they knew where it was, they wouldn't tell him. Then he texts Zelma saying he thinks he just screwed up. So I think the attack really was just him being super frustrated. The surprise guest appearance was Jane, she comes to confront Loki, convinced it is a trick of some sort, he seems dejected that no one is taking him seriously, insists he wants to help, that he took the role because Strange was unfit. Of course, his intentions are called into question a bit when, to prove his good intent, he takes Jane to where the Frost Giants are gathering to attack Midgard, as we saw on that teaser spread in Thor's book. He says they hid their entrance from Heimdall through dark magic, but as the Sorcerer Supreme he 'sees everything.' This seems to convince her, but we know how he REALLY knows about their arrival. So like, on the one hand he is lying about how he knows, on the other, this is him betraying Malekith and Laufey, since now Thor knows they are planning to attack. But then again, maybe her knowing won't hurt the plans, maybe they were gonna attack tomorrow anyway and this isn't enough time to spoil those plans. I kind of like to think this is the beginning of his betrayal of Malekith though, we all know that has to come at some point. Also, it is just casually revealed that he does indeed know it is Jane under that helmet. But to himself, not her.

end of spoilers

So yeah, I liked it. Never did find out what haunted eyeballs guy's deal was though, that panel where he asks what happened to Loki was the last one he appeared in, so if that is a thing, gotta wait till next issue for it.

Ps. He is not in Thor today, but the berserkers he made for Agger are.

[Riimi]

So, there's a lot of speculation mixed in with the spoilers (because of course there is), but I can't speculate without spoiling stuff, so...

spoilers:

Okay, Loki is almost assuredly lying about not having to pay a price, but is trying to ingratiate himself to the others/get their help. Now I really wonder what's behind that door, lol. We also see that he's not at the bar to relax. I think he was both showing off but lost a bit of self-control due to his temper. Not exactly uncommon for him, but his ability to tell Zelma that he thinks he messed up is an indication of how close they've gotten. I think part of the reason he likes very straightforward/honest people is because he feels he's able to be honest with them (and they'll call him on his bullshit when he's not). Jane showing up was unexpected, as was the fact that she left without hitting him in the face, though it's nice to see where this stands in the timeline. I think Cates left open the possibility that he's selling out the frost giants to trick Jane for some greater nefarious purpose, although the fact that he knows who she is and hasn't moved against her is good indication that he's not. I think he's probably known since their fight early in TMT, but that's left ambiguous. However, his claim that there's no one else to protect Earth is demonstrably false, since Steven's not dead or anything--but Cates has already said we should be asking why Loki was interested in being the Sorcerer Supreme. Playing Devil's advocate, since protecting earth is now his job, he's in the perfect position to allow Malekith to invade, which is probably how he's selling it to the Dark Council. I don't think this is the case (I think it's much more likely to tie into the Celestial Host and Legacy, as we've discussed) and redeploying Jane against the Frost Giants could also allow him to keep his cover (re: Malekith) a little while longer. Yes, I'm jumping back and forth between forth for what he's doing, because, like I said, they left a lot of possibilities open. On a different note, I find Loki using emoticons to be absurdly cute.

end of spoilers

[Raye]

So, when should we be assuming everyone in this thread besides just the early birds on Comixology or the right part of the globe have read it?

spoilers:

The door will obviously be important, but I have no idea what could be behind there. The only thing i can think of might be Imperator, who is the new sink for Strange's price, so basically the new Mr Misery. He had him locked in the basement where Misery used to be kept, and then it was just never mentioned again. But I THINK Zelma would have known about that? And given how Loki and Zelma are talking very familiarly and openly, I am pretty sure she would have just told Loki if it was that. Also, Loki seemed to know the story there, as evidenced by him explaining about repairing the cloak... so.... dunno. And yes, you are probably right about why he likes very bluntly honest people. And Strange may not be dead, but his powers were DRAMATICALLY weakened by the Empirikul/Imperator, and while he seems to have been recovering his powers, he is still nowhere near what he used to be. I think that is all Loki meant, to protect against big threats, you need big power, which Strange lacks at the moment. But yes, we finally saw his undercover position with Malekith and Laufey being used for some good, which was nice. and yeah, the texting page was too cute. I hope we see some of Loki and Zelma face to face next issue.

end of spoilers

Also, I said once this issue hit, I would add Loki to the household, so here is my new Loki:


https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.n...7871D3B062894/
may need to click the link to read the traits i chose for him.

not a ton of hair selections for him right now, so it's swept back rather than all in his face, i may look around for some hair mods that may fit. And the cloak will only appear when he's in his work outfit.

also, while the Ghost Hunter career was a good fit in a lot of ways, I mean, I already did it with Strange now, (and I may finish it off before booting him out of the house, will let him and Loki meet easily that way, anyway. downloaded a career for a veterinarian for him, as well, though it is just a rabbit hole career, not a fun and active one like Ghost Hunter) I think I am going to go for Fortune Teller/Mystic for Loki: http://www.carls-sims-3-guide.com/ca...tuneteller.php that seems to fit Loki, I think?

[Rosebunse]

Aren't spoilers out out past 10am?

I actually think this was a big day for Loki. We had some interesting questions raised by the newest Thor issue and the big reveal in the new Guardians of the Galaxy issue as well. And did anyone else love Jane in this issue? She could have been mean to Loki, could have smashed his face in and no one would have been mad at her. Instead, she sees that something is off with Loki and seems to be trying to be, well, nice to him. As much as she can bring herself to be. I mean, the poor guy is trying to impress her with his pitiful stitched together cloak-he made the thread himself.

But the thing is, is Loki being so pitiful because he's genuinely getting annoyed and tired of everyone not liking him despite his trying to help everyone? Or is it an act to try and get sympathy from Jane?

[Raye]

Jane was pretty cool this issue, but it is a pretty stark contrast to the first time they met, (well, first time in Thor mode) where he barely got 2 words out before she threw a hammer at his head. And she has MORE reason to hate him now, she's seen him at Malekith's side. But i still think it worked. At first she was just confused by what he meant, when he basically gave up without a fight, then she realized he was just... sad. Whether that sadness was an act or not, it's kind of hard to say. He said to Zelma that he was just going to be 'late' so i don't think he intended to actually allow himself to be locked in an Asgardian prison. But at the same time, I do think a lot of what he said was true. It could have been just him throwing in enough of the truth to make the lie believable, but I dunno, but given all we know about him from JIM onward, i think a lot of what he said rang true. Even if he does have a larger plan in motion than JUST be the Sorcerer Supreme.

[Rosebunse]

Seems like it was sort of hard for Jane to be mad a him when he looked so sad and pitiful. I guess we all thought that this would be a win for Loki, but he's given no one any reason to like or respect him. Everyone knows he's a liar, a cheat, and a child murderer who literally stabbed his mother in the back. He and Strange are both depressed people at the moment. That'll be fun to deal with. I'm still not sure that the eyeball guy wasn't Strange. I mean, he's certainly not going to tell Wanda of all people that he's summoned The Chaos King.

I also think his little speech at the bar was significant. He not only calls himself Odin's son, but he also refers to himself as the god of myths and legends, which basically sounds to me like the god of stories. So, I guess that thing isn't entirely dead.

OK, so, as for about Guardians of the Galaxy, I think I know why that Soul Gem is so big: It has the souls of the pre-Incursion 616 universe in it and had to grow to accommodate that much information. This would make it far more powerful for anyone to get, but especially Loki, someone who's soul isn't in the stone and who is still the god of stories.

[Raye]

Except the gem was purple, that means it is the Space Gem (in comics continuity, they're all different in the movies) not the Soul Gem, which is green. And yeah, i know, Loki kinda has to get all of them to complete the Infinity Gauntlet as shown in the teaser, but the one he was specifically after, and the one they stated earlier in this arc in a bit of a retcon to be an information storage device, is the Soul Gem. Granted, i just skimmed it.

And though it made sense for the issue, and all, I am just kinda ready for Loki to have some fun. So i hope it's not all mope mope mope, since that's most of what we've been getting in thor anyway.

[Rosebunse]

Except the gem was purple, that means it is the Space Gem (in comics continuity, they're all different in the movies) not the Soul Gem, which is green. And yeah, i know, Loki kinda has to get all of them to complete the Infinity Gauntlet as shown in the teaser, but the one he was specifically after, and the one they stated earlier in this arc in a bit of a retcon to be an information storage device, is the Soul Gem. Granted, i just skimmed it.

And though it made sense for the issue, and all, I am just kinda ready for Loki to have some fun. So i hope it's not all mope mope mope, since that's most of what we've been getting in thor anyway.

Good point. I was so excited! But still, if the Space Gem is so huge, then what about the Soul Gem? Will it be huge? And why is it huge and how is that going to effect Loki's plans?

I'm sure we'll be having some fun...and sadness...but yeah, I was hoping for Loki to be catching a break here and instead he's just more depressed after being humiliated in front of practically every magically inclined character in NYC. You have to hand it to Gabriel Hernandez Walta, who actually did manage to give us a wide range of Loki. Sad Loki, cute Loki, happy Loki, killer Loki, angry Loki, etc. So many Lokis!

I always love Walta's art so much! It reads like a fairytale or storybook even when it's depicting incredible violence and negativity. It's perfect for Loki and Strange and I can't wait to see his Chaos King!

[Raye]

Well, Wolverine's gem, the Mind Gem, was normal sized, so i don't think they are all this large. dunno why this one is so big. It's certainly not going to fit on the gauntlet like this. But the guardians have Ant-Man on the team now, so, y' know, Pym Particles, i guess.

Not sure if humilitated exactly, he kinda showed them when he just... vanished the bar. i mean. is it gone for good, now? But they were clearly never going to take him seriously.

ps. maxed out Strange's career, fulfilling his lifetime wish. now to take it all away from him, and end this awkward living arrangement with the 3 of them in one house. but would he be in a house or an apartment? (I'm playing on Bridgeport)

[Rosebunse]

Well, Wolverine's gem, the Mind Gem, was normal sized, so i don't think they are all this large. dunno why this one is so big. It's certainly not going to fit on the gauntlet like this. But the guardians have Ant-Man on the team now, so, y' know, Pym Particles, i guess.

Not sure if humilitated exactly, he kinda showed them when he just... vanished the bar. i mean. is it gone for good, now? But they were clearly never going to take him seriously.

ps. maxed out Strange's career, fulfilling his lifetime wish. now to take it all away from him, and end this awkward living arrangement with the 3 of them in one house. but would he be in a house or an apartment? (I'm playing on Bridgeport)

Marvel may have screwed Hank Pym several times over, but Pym Particles explain everything!

He vanished the bar after getting laughed at. He basically threw a tantrum in front of a bunch of people who's help he was hoping to have and now he looks like an immature child trying to sit at the adult's table. I assume the bar isn't gone-gone, just...probably misplaced or in Hell or Jersey.

Looking at this, how was Loki going to make it so the various magic users didn't have to pay a price? Where would that go? Of course they weren't going to trust him after that. Was he hoping to use the Soul Gem to help with that? Could any of the Gems help with that?

Oh, and please update us on when shit hits the fan! Are you playing them on total free-will?

[Riimi]

I interpreted the end of the bar scene as him (accidentally) teleporting everyone out of the bar. Whatever the logistics, it was nice in both showing how much power he has and showing that he still loses his cool when his competence is called into question, even when ostensibly being good. (And does he seem a bit more powerful here? I guess I'm not used to a fully-powered Loki enough to know how hard he should hit, and we haven't seen him use too much magic in TMT. I was already wondering if he didn't go all out in his fight against Jane--he was definitely conflicted during it--and I'd like to think this confirms it. Not saying he would necessarily win in an all-out fight against her, but it would be quite the fight).

I was also trying to figure out the timeline, because I wanted to say that the first thing he did after Fate was snapped was become Sorcerer Supreme, but then realized I'm not sure if that would work. I don't think he was Sorcerer Supreme yet during the last issue of Thor, when we see him in Jotunheim. There must have been some time before that issue and when the Mangog arrived, which would mean it was pretty much the first thing he did. Looking back, I think he may have just gone with Malekith for lack of other options and was too scared of being rejected/having it not work to try to be good again (especially after having his parley with Jane fall apart and seeing no other option but to stab Freyja), which is why he was miserable but didn't do anything. He could have meant to eventually betray him, but rather in the way I mean to clean my room--preferably, tomorrow.


In the Sims, since you've had them all living together, I could just see Loki and Strange becoming friends in a total free-will campaign, and being all like "Nooo, you're doing it wrong."