#Loki in trying to be like Thor and prove himself worthy like Thor has in his mental state actually managed to become what Thor was

[tobiasdrake]

You know. Sometimes you look back at decisions made by entirely separate creators and it's like, fuck, with a more cohesive creative vision to connect these things together this could have been fire.

Like. Hear me out.

Thor 1 writes Loki as internally racist against the Jotuns. Upon discovering that he's a Jotun child taken as a spoil of war by Odin and then deciding that means he could never truly be worthy in Odin's eyes, Loki goes off. He creates an elaborate plan to give himself casus belli for complete unadulterated genocide against the Jotuns.

He's not trying to steal Odin's throne; He already has it. He even saves Odin's life as part of the plan, when it'd be so easy to let Odin die and then I guess Loki's king forever. Rather, he's trying to prove himself a Real True Son of Asgard by wiping Asgard's rival off the face of the map forever.

The Avengers writes Loki as a shameless fascist who thinks commonfolk exist purely to kneel to a strongman dictator, and that the natural state of people is to be ruled by their betters. The movie directly, on purpose compares his belief system to the fascist rhetoric of Nazi Germany so it can act like its take on Loki is deep.

Thor: Ragnarok says outright that Asgard is a colonizer state that became what it is through bloody conquest and subjugation. It asserts that any claim the nation may have to being this noble virtuous protector nation is just imperialist propaganda by an old fascist who ran out of enemies to subjugate and started to reconsider how he wanted history to remember him.

So. Like. Okay.

Loki is convinced that his ethnicity makes him unfit for Asgard and intends to commit a genocide against his own people to prove himself a Real True Son of Asgard.

Loki's belief system is directly called out as fascistic and reminiscent of Nazi Germany.

Asgard was secretly an imperialist colonizer state built on the bones of the subjugated, conquered, and enslaved this whole time.

...what a fantastic one-two-three punch this could have made if anyone involved in making any step of this process had been writing their film with the other two in mind.

There is a fantastic switch buried in these three films where it seems like Loki has a perverted idea of Asgard and then it turns out, no, actually, he really was behaving in the spirit of the culture that shaped him all along. Loki was the Real True Son of Asgard the whole time, and that was the problem.

[abby118]

There is one thing that I didn't quite understand about Loki in Thor 1 and that I don't think has been addressed enough. when she sent the "destroyer" to Midgard, I know she intended to stop the 3 sif warriors/ladies who even committed treason. she however was actually pushing herself to kill them. and he had even gone so far as to kill Thor. This seems extreme to me though since we know he loved Thor more than anyone else. and even though he had been abused by him and his friends for a tho

To start this off, let's focus on Heimdall - I think his treason didn't come as a surprise to Loki (it wouldn't be the first time after all, and that instance had happened under Odin's rule), though he might have hoped it wouldn't come so quick. Heimdall allowed the W3/Sif to pass and thus broke his oath to the throne. They were off to end Thor's banishment and bring him back to Asgard.

This is where Loki's plans start faling apart and I've seen someone in the fandom refer to it as him playing speed chess which I found rather fitting. He no longer has the time to think his decisions through the way it would be needed. Naturally, he opts for the action that would buy him the most time - stalling the W3/Sif/Thor and cutting off their access to Asgard. However, Heimdall attacks him and attempts to behead him. I believe Loki expected this as well; you can see that he came prepared. He used the Casket to freeze Heimdall and I take it as proof that he didn't aim to kill him. He could've used Gungnir but instead went for the relic he must've held significant resentment for, given that it is from Jotunheim. That wasn't a random choice.

In the meantime, the W3/Sif arrive to Midgard and find Thor.

Loki knew Thor would hear of his lies once reunited with his friends and he wasn't wrong. They told him the truth and were ready to take him back. Then, the Destroyer showed up and did what it was supposed to do - it stalled them.

Now, whether Loki was or wasn't trying to kill them is up for debate but he was certainly familiar with the extent of their abilities and knew they were no beginners. He had to send something that wouldn't be defeated easily. It worked up until Thor decided to intervene and the plans had to shift once again.

I don't think he wanted to kill Thor; he realised that despite everything, he did seem to change. He paused and took that into account but it wasn't enough to soothe the built up tension and hurt he felt. Yes, Thor did apologise but for once in his life, Loki wanted to be the winner.

He puts out the fire within the Destroyer but strikes him anyway. It did almost kill him and I do think would Thor have actually died, Loki would've regretted it later, once the chaos would've died down. Again, this has been brought up before, but we don't know how familiar he was with the degree of injury mortals can handle. That could've played a part. Thor becomes worthy and is able to wield Mjölnir again, which restores his powers and heals him. He defeats the Destroyer and eventually returns to Asgard.

I especially like the parallel between their situations. Both of them experienced their losses and were broken by what happened to them except for the fact that Thor regained what he'd lost whilst Loki kept falling further. I think it reflects their overall experience in life in which Thor is allowed to make mistakes and learn from them whilst Loki's attempts to prove himself, to equal, fall unseen because he was the spare, the tool to keep around would Thor need him.

[deathmetalunicorn1]

Um so, reader was a princess, and when she was alive if you wanted to court her, you had to beat her in a fight. If you lost you had to pay, with money, property, clothes, crops, animals, food. Anything really. And many many men tried but all failed. So she had a lot of stuff when she died (I imagine that she probably had feasts with all the food that she got)

So reader is a participant in ragnarok, and says like “if you win I’ll let you court me”

with Buddha, Loki, Thor, Lu Bu, Jack, Poseidon, Hades, Kojiro, Ares, Hermes, and Odin

(this is based off of the princess that if you lost you had to gift her, I think, ten horses. So when she died she had like 10,000 horses)

Ah you mean Khutulun! Great-great-granddaughter of Genghis Khan himself!

-You were a Mongol nomadic princess, part of a once great nation that by the time you were born was beginning to wane. However, just because the nation’s power was waning, didn’t mean your own was.

-You were the strongest of your siblings, the only girl out of thirteen brothers, able to beat them in any sort of combat sport from archery to horseback riding to your personal favorite, wrestling!

-None could oppose you, even men two to three times your size, you always pinned them, you always won!

-This stemmed from the deal you made with your father, giving him power as a bonus, that you would only marry someone if they beat you in wrestling, and if they lost, they had to give you 100 horses.

-You settled down after your father’s reputation took a blow, after you remained unmarried, despite the 10,000 horses you now called your own.

-In Valhalla, your reputation preceded you, as you rose in your prime, when you were winning horses left and right, as well as food, treasure, and fine silks, and you were delighted to meet truly strong people, ones you could test your strength against.

-Many were eager to find out if your legends were true, if you were undefeatable, many were cocky and quickly learned that your legends were completely true, as you beat them left and right, making it look easy!!

-Despite getting to challenge warriors from all over the world and from all points in history, you quickly grew bored with these weaklings that kept trying to challenge you, day after day, wanting you for their own, but your stipulations remained intact, if they wanted the chance to court you, they needed to beat you and so far, none were worthy to do so.

-That is, until you met (Love) who just seemed to radiate power, power that quickly caught your interest and you could feel your pulse rushing as he came, seeking you out, as he was curious if your strength was really all that.

-You cracked your knuckles, giving him a flirty wink, “If you beat me you can date me.” While surprised at your arrogance in your skills, he agreed, wanting to test himself.

-Was stunned, staring up at the sky as you bent over him, hands on your hips, huffing lightly. He didn’t win, but he sure as hell gave you a workout, more than anyone ever had in your whole life, alive or dead. You beamed down at him, “That was fun! Wanna go again?” he groaned as he sat up, feeling achy and stiff all over, “You’re inhuman, I hope you know that.” You weren’t bothered, “I just know what I want, and I want someone who can beat me- that proves that they’re strong.” He grinned up at you, taking your hand as you spoke, “C’mon, let’s go get something to eat and drink- you can try again tomorrow.” Despite the pain he felt, he wanted to try again, feeling drawn to you.

            -Ares, Kojiro, Jack, Hermes, and Loki

-He couldn’t believe it, he had lost! He was one of the strongest warriors in Valhalla and he lost to a maiden of all things!! You beamed as you offered your hands to help him up, banged and bruised but grinning as you had finally gotten what you wanted, a match that made you work for the win! He took your hands after seeing the gesture and you easily pulled him to his feet, “You’re the closest anyone has ever gotten! You’re pretty strong!” he felt a bit flattered at your praise because you meant every word of what you had said. He ached, but in a good way, as you gave him what he also wanted, someone who could stand up to him for more than a few seconds. The two of you ended up going out for food and drinks, not a date, as you asked him to fight you again tomorrow and he grinned at your enthusiasm. You truly were unlike any woman he had ever met before and he didn’t want to let you go.

-Buddha, Thor, Lu Bu, Poseidon, Hades, and Odin

[gayometer]

Idk if u do yandere but can u do platonic yandere god’s reaction to Zeus’ child daughter ( 13 yrs old ) who is like rapunzel. Like in addition to her great adorable beauty she has absolutely gorgeous blonde hair which is like seventy feet long and can be used to heal, make ppl younger, and even revive ppl who has died in ragnarok. She also has beautiful singing voice that can soothe anyone who listens to it. And is overall very cheerful and optimistic. Also if u dont do yandere u can just make the gods just really fond of her.

Thank u!

The most protected angel

Fem! Reader

As Anon said it's PLATONIC (which should be said cause they're greek gods)

Also don't mind me putting in Tangled references everywhere

Warning: I don't condone this behavior, this is for entertainment for fictional characters. "Yandere" in real life is a SERIOUS problem if you have a problem with manipulation, gaslighting DNI this entire post.

ZEUS who uses his position to scare off anyone who he doesn't approve of. Zeus engraves in your brain that humans will only use you, they don't care about you, they only want to use your powers for their own benefit.

HADES who takes it upon himself to show you how dangerous the human realm is, you're safer with your father. Hades takes it upon himself to "prove" that you're safer with them. You should only trust gods that you father approves of.

POSEIDON who will belittle any suitor who thinks they have a chance with you, being his youngest niece also means he will use that as an excuse as to why you can't do certain things and that you're too naïve to be on your own.

ADAMAS who will control his temper so he doesn't frighten you, he will leave you with either Hades or Zeus if he ever feels his temper going out of control.

APHRODITE who will give you anything you want when it comes to fashion, Aphrodite does your hair and makes sure you have the best clothes. To her you are the only goddess who is more beautiful then her, she makes sure you know that and will join in when Poseidon belittles any god or human who thinks they're worthy of your hand.

HERMES who makes it his mission to prove that Zeus is right, he might even team up with Hades to make sure you stay by their side. Hermes also makes sure you're eating well and that your hair isn't a mess, don't get him wrong he knows that Aphrodite is more then capable of taking care of your hair, but it's just so long and it's always dragging on the floor so let him check your brother is just a worry wart ok?

HERACLES who tries his best to keep your innocence, you're too kind and pure to be out there all alone. Don't get me wrong he loves humanity, but father knows best so listen to him.

ARES who just like Heracles will try his best to keep your innocence, especially about war, someone as kind and gentle as you shouldn't know about that.

LOKI who teams up with Hades and Hermes to "prove" that you're just naïve and can't trust others. Your father knows what's best for you and the others will make sure to always prove that Zeus is right.

THOR who takes his position as your "bodyguard" extremely seriously, he doesn't let any suitors get close to you.

ODIN who will take advantage that he's also a father, he'll tell you that you're too gullible to even leave any of the gods side. They all just want to take advantage of your abilities.

SHIVA who gaslights you saying you're not "in love" with that human, you just invented that whole "romance" thing. All you need is your father and the other gods, you don't need a partner.

BUDDHA who sees how naive you are and gullible you are, you shouldn't be out there all alone, Buddha is much more lenient but don't let that fool you, he's just as dangerous as your father.

ZERO who is your only playmate, he's basically your Pascaal, just much more protective and makes sure you don't leave the heavens.

BEELZEBUB who watches you from the cameras, courtesy of your father. Beelzebub tells Zeus everything that goes on, so be careful....he's always watching.

[lokiinmediasideblog]

Thor + Balder=Marvel!Thor (3/3)

I have not watched TLAT and don't plan to do so. So I won't take that into consideration. Also, note I have read a small percentage of Thor comics and have a preference for those that have Loki on them (especially if Loki isn't "just evil").

Marvel!Thor's Similarities to Balder:

In the MCU, Loki kills him and he comes back to life. In the comics, Marvel!Thor and Marvel!Loki have a Cain and Abel dynamic. In the mythology, Balder dies when Loki hands a mistletoe arrow to the blind god Hodr (and Balder's twin brother) to shoot at the "indestructible" Balder in a game where everyone was throwing things at Balder for the lulz.

All of Asgard loves him and acts like he's perfect. In the MCU, Thor's friends are loyal to him no matter what he did. They are ready to try to unbanish him right away despite Thor nearly starting a war. In a large portion of the comics, it gets quite annoying how often and constantly Thor is being praised. I find myself eye-rolling so often. In the mythology, Balder is "the fairest of the Gods" and everyone loves him, and Frigga goes around making everyone and even fucking plants and rocks swear oaths to never harm Balder. Of course, she forgets a sprig of mistletoe. When Balder dies, they try to bring him back by making everything cry for him, but the giantess Thokk (believed to be Loki in disguise) refuses.

Considered to have been influenced by Jesus. Balder dies and comes back after Ragnarok to the new world. It's believed the Christian Snorri altered Balder for his purposes. The Thor (2011) movie was originally approached by writer Mike Protosevich with the intention of turning an Old Testament God into a new Testament God. MCU!Thor dies protecting a town and comes back to life after proving himself worthy (Fun fact, it was originally going to be set in the Middle Ages not 2011 NM but for budget reasons this was changed).

Not as hot-headed or bloodthirsty as myth!Thor. I consider Marvel!Thor to be an amalgam of myth!Balder and myth!Thor personality-wise.

Marvel!Thor is often compared to the sun despite being a storm god, and Balder is the god of Light. Thor's sunny disposition came from myth!Balder. It's my belief that had Balder a cooler/less Jesus-like title than "God of Light", Marvel would have Balder comics and not Thor comics.

MCU-specific: Frigga is his biological mother. In neither comics or mythology is Frigga Thor's mother. She's Balder's mother. And the closest thing to a Balder in the MCU is Thor.

Prophetic dreams of bad things to come. In AoU, MCU!Thor dreams of Asgard's ruin. In the Norse myths, Balder dreams of his own death, which prompts Frigga to seek oaths from EVERYTHING that they won't harm Balder (making him invincible) but forgets a sprig of mistletoe for being "too young".

An example of the convenient narrative bullshit I consider to be "Balder-like" in Marvel Thor (on par with "everything cried for Balder except evil Loki"):

Marvel!Thor's Similarities to Thor (They were basically added to make the Marvel amalgam "edgier" and "manlier"):

Hammer. The main difference is that in the myths the ability to lift the hammer is due to some gloves and a belt Thor outfits himself with. It has nothing to do with whatever Odin considers "worthy."

War-mongerer tendencies- In Thor 1 MCU!Thor nearly starts a war over an insult and kills some Jotuns along the way. In the myths, Myth!Thor's favorite past time was smashing things into puree with Mjolnir, especially Jotnar (mass murder was his favorite hobby). The comics are weird, and there's so many runs I feel weird making a broad generalization. But most of them have problematic elements because they'll portray Asgard as always good if they were written before a certain year/decade.

Uses physical violence for intimidation. In the beginning of TR, Thor threatened to bash Loki's skull in after finding out Loki survived. The comics show him casually manhandling or beating the shit out of Loki for a variety of reasons(sometimes warranted, sometimes not). In the myths, Thor is sicced after Jotnar and Loki on various occassions, and it ends up badly for the the Jotnar and Loki.

Anger management issues. See above examples.

Reacts very badly to insult. In the MCU, he nearly starts a war over being called "princess." In the mythology, he is rather pissed off about having to wear a dress and pretend to be Freyja.

Myth!Thor and Marvel!Thor differences:

Thor is respected/feared in the myths but he's not as charismatic as the Marvel version. He's not the one even the fucking rocks cried for to bring back from Hel. That's a Balder trait added onto Thor. Whereas in the comics, even Marvel!Balder is whining about how he's not as strong/perfect as Marvel!Thor.

Myth!Thor is crueler. Marvel softened him up (and it was pretty clear they would have picked Balder had he a cooler title).

Obligatory Thor is a red-head in the mythology.

Thor's hammer in myths was given to him by Loki who made a wager with some dwarves to restore Sif's hair and bring gifts to the Aesir/Vanir. Lifting it is also not dependent on worthiness, but on a powerbelt and some gloves. In Marvel, the hammer usually existed before Thor and Loki (unless it's a Norse-inspired run like Loki (2010)).

Thor's biological mother isn't Frigga in the mythology or comics, but she is in the MCU.

Myth!Thor in a nutshell^^^

Lazy Citations

This may not be as thorough because I don't have the energy to go through all the comics.

Previous parts of this post series:

[worstloki]

*wakes up in the middle of the night* no but when Loki was offering Thor the throne at the end of The Dark World as Odin he said one son wanted the throne too much while another would not take it but in that moment neither Thor nor Loki wanted the position because now both know the burdens that come with it and how Odin had ruled and Loki hadn’t ever wanted the throne for itself but to be an equal to Thor and in Thor 1 Thor had been impatient and arrogant and started a war over being denied his place as King so the phrase not only doubles over to call Thor out on flaws he now himself admits to since there is only one Odinson but it is also an open admission that he himself sitting there right now does not want the crown because he is ‘another’ and Odin’s legacy in the end, right there, right then in that scene was amounting to neither son wanting to be a part of what Odin had built through his imperialist practices (even if Thor was only just coming to terms with that) and through disregarding the lives of others and that’s something both sons, Thor included, now sees and THEN Thor replies with how he’s try to live with honour as Loki died and acknowledges them both on equal footing which is all Loki had wanted and hearing “Is that not legacy enough?” before being offered the hammer, the fr*ckin hammer that Odin had put between them to declare Thor more worthy, and Loki declines taking it from Thor because he never wanted to drag Thor down or take the throne from him but just having it was the chance to prove that he wasn’t less and it reflects how now he doesn’t even see the need to compete and he finally thinks his brother is capable of ruling well without starting wars and suddenly there’s no one who wants the dumb chair just Loki knowing that he doesn’t need to be Thor and Thor taking the time to reflect on himself and admit that the brother he knew and cared for was still there and hoping to make himself equal to Loki and Loki who still looks up to Thor and it’s the perfect complementary half to the way their developments in Thor 1/Avengers 1 had them mirroring each other and taking the place the other was in because now they’re both on the same side and they got there themselves and the words of their shared antagonist “our survival will be your legacy” apply to Thor and Loki too because Frigga died and Odin isn’t to be looked up to as a pillar of strength and what these two brothers have is a relationship that was put through the blender because of secrets and lies but neither cares for that because even when he thinks him dead Thor sees Loki’s worth and Loki knows the death effected him enough to try and change more and now Thor is rejecting his birthright and just handing it to Loki without knowing it’s him but it’s the same birthright that Loki had argued with Odin on only earlier and so you have both of them who would take up the responsibility but doesn’t see it as their place and that’s why Thor and Loki working together from the get-go when more secrets and lies came forth in Ragnarok with Odin’s actual death should have been the natural progression in both of their arcs and in reconciling their relationship they should have either shared or abolished the throne by the end of the trilogy because literally one person would want the throne and it would be Hela as a symbol for what Odin stood for which only makes Thor’s role as an inheritor of a colonial empire trying to make amends and Loki’s role as the colonized relevant again from Thor 1 and should have tied the loose ends up with Mjolnir’s destruction having no significant impact because it also stood as a symbol of the wedge drawn between Thor and Loki which they already shared sentiment enough with each other to have agreed on as not a determiner of worth and this makes Endgame even worse because Thor has fallen back on letting the hammer be an indication of worth while avoiding acknowledgement of Loki at all while also being King after the both of them already expressed no interest in having the position and they were finally so close to being seen as equals in each other’s eyes and were respecting each other and both had decided to move on from the ideas they had been raised on and only had each other left because they always end up with each other again and 

[andsheloved]

series

perfect illusions - he needs to get the tva to trust him, you need to prove to them that you're more than just mobius's sidekick, it's a match made in heaven really, that is until more things get revealed than either of you initially anticipated. (f!reader) (fluff & angst)

one shots

mr. and mrs. smith - after a new member is introduced to the team, loki begins to imagine a life beyond the tower, not unlike many times before, but his daydream receives an interesting addition, you. (f!reader) (fluff)

just the way you look tonight. - maybe fairy tales aren’t just made of magic and flowing gowns in glittering ballrooms, maybe fairy tales aren’t made of something tangible, maybe they’re built from the feelings that you find when you realize you love someone, perhaps fairy tales aren’t just stories after all. (f!reader) (fluff)

keep your head down - an ancient asgardian ritual has you seeing double and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. All you can do now, is keep your head down. (f!reader) (dark!fic - angst and horror)

a worthy try - loki reflects on all that you are, and how maybe one day, all that he is may be good enough to have you. (f!reader) (fluff & minor angst)

all i wanted - when loki finds himself finally being accepted by the rest of the team, you begin to wonder what your relationship really meant to him. (f!reader) (angst & fluff)

drabbles

loki had never felt compelled to watch a disney movie before, but after you convinced him to watch frozen for the first time, he suddenly gets a bit of a confidence boost. (gn!reader) (fluff)

loki gets a bit nervous to ask you something before bed, but he doesn't know just how happy you are to oblige. (gn!reader) (fluff)

loki tries out a few new pet names for you (f!reader) (fluff)

"take my hand, just trust me" (gn!reader) (fluff)

"i'm so proud of you." (gn!reader) (fluff)

loki wasn't gentle, he wasn't warm, he wasn't kind, at least that's what everyone had told him. he didn't deserve such gentleness from anyone, but then you touched him. (gn!reader) (fluff)

loki thinks about forever, and how he'd like you to be a part of his. (gn!reader) (fluff)

loki discovers a peculiar midgardian tradition that you apparently have never taken part in yourself, loki decides he has to change that. (gn!reader) (fluff)

loki catches you staring (gn!reader) (fluff)

you get jealous, and so does loki (gn!reader) (slight angst & fluff)

when loki takes you to asgard, he thought he would only see the painful memories of his youth as he walked through the halls, but now, all he can see is you. (gn!reader) (fluff)

when you and loki are sent on a mission that requires you to act as romantic partners, you can't help but let your mind wander to a reality where your relationship could be real. (gn!reader) (fluff & slight angst)

two times loki showed you he loved you, and the one time he told you. (gn!reader) (fluff)

loki realizes just how much power you hold over him, and thinks on how he wouldn't have it any other way. (gn!reader) (EXTREME fluff)

loki helps you through a panic attack. (gn!reader) (comfort)

loki gets flustered when you try a few pet names on him. (gn!reader) (fluff)

loki's spent a lifetime being told just how frigid and cold he is, but just as he began to believe it, you touch him, and suddenly the world is warm. (gn!reader) (fluff)

you had been told by everyone that loki was cold, distant, and angry, but when he begins to seek out your touch, you're not certain that's true anymore. (gn!reader) (fluff)

loki didn't think he had ever indulged thor so generously, but then again, thor had never yet asked about you. (gn!reader) (fluff)

after you're injured on a mission, loki reveals his deeper feelings for you. (fluff) (gn!reader)

when loki is sent out on a longer mission you aren't surprised when you begin to miss him, what does surprise you, is how much anger you feel when he finally returns. (gn!reader) (angst & fluff)

headcanons

if there is one thing loki never forgets, it's you. (gn!reader) (fluff)

tags

soft thoughts

to be written

the mr. and mrs. smith collection - a series of one shots in which loki gets everything he's ever wanted, a chance at a normal life, with you. (f!reader) (fluff)

when words fail - loki tries to find a way to tell you something he's always meant to say. (f!reader) (fluff)

strangers by nature - loki shouldn’t be getting jealous of the man making you laugh across the room, he barely knows you, but maybe he doesn’t want to be strangers anymore. (f!reader) (fluff & slight angst)

[lazy-cat-corner]

Watching Encanto has given me a deeper perspective on Thor’s character arc in Endgame and I have to thank Isabela for that lmao! Because I think the two have a lot in common!

We all know Thor’s depression came from trauma and watching his whole family die, but it’s not just that that traumatized Thor. His response to the trauma is the response that happens when the golden child in the family becomes a disappointment or no longer lives to family’s expectations.

We joke about how Odin favors Thor and treats Loki like garbage, but it’s true. Thor was the golden child. For those who aren’t familiar with the term, it’s often used in narcissistic parenting to describe the child in the family that is perfect and loved regardless any flaws they may have. To put it simply, they’re the perfect sibling. Every dysfunctional/abusive family has one. They get better treatment and kinder punishments.

Like Isabela, Odin’s form of control is holding the golden child up to a higher standard for the less favored child to look up to and both Thor and Isabela share the burden of being perfect for the patriarch (or in Isabela’s case, matriarch) of the family.Thor’s always been the main character. The one destined to be king and built to bear all responsibilities the Allfather has.

But what happens when the golden child fails?

Their entire character and accomplishments are an extension of their (and their abusive parent’s) identity. Once they step out of line, all of that comes crumbling down with them. It doesn’t matter how many lives they saved or awards they received, if they prove they’re not as infallible as everyone believes them to be, their strength fades. Which is what happens to Thor.

His entire identity is gone. His identity as a king, a brother, an Avenger. None of that matters after Infinity War because Thor believes he’s not worthy.

Worthiness for mjolnir isn’t what really matters. I think mjolnir is a metaphor for something bigger that Thor himself might be too afraid to admit. I think when Thor says “I’m still worthy!” He’s not just happy about being worthy to wield mjolnir, he’s happy to learn that his worthiness was never attached to his identity as a golden child. That he can rebuild himself as a person and become a new brand of perfect in his eyes. Not someone who is indestructible but  someone that is confident in themselves and feels genuine love from the ones around him. Someone allowed to mess up and try again (if they want to).  

Thor’s transformation in Endgame is somewhat similar to Isabela’s (but not as dramatic). There’s a blend of old Thor and new Thor. There are qualities of him that made him “perfect” mixed in with new things that wouldn’t necessarily be seen as perfect. His messy hair, his beard, storm breaker, but his old battle armor is still the same and he incorporated Asgardian braids into his style. 

I am excited to see Love and Thunder because I hope Thor completes his transformation and finds his identity as Thor and not as Thor: Odin’s Golden Child.

[lucianalight]

Hi! In the first two Thor movies Loki is set up as a troubled soul. We were told that Loki was troubled when he was growing up, but still cared for his brother. So, why in Ragnarok did he stab Thor and was portrayed like he didn't care for him at all? Was Loki actually violent when he was a child (even though we are directly shown in Thor 1 that his violent tendencies only happened after the Frost Giant invasion) Also, was Loki always a narcissist as portrayed in Ragnarok *as in superiority*? xo

Hi! In the first two Thor movies Loki is set up as a troubled soul. We were told that Loki was troubled when he was growing up, but still cared for his brother.

Hi! I'm not sure what you mean by saying Loki was troubled growing up. If you mean he was dealing with lots of pain, abuse and neglect, trying to reach up to his father's expectations and be seen and accepted as Thor's equal instead of constantly being mocked, silenced and ignored, then I agree with you. But if you mean he was a troublemaker then that's a retcon established by TR.

From what we see in Thor 1, Loki is trying to protect the nine realms from Thor's rule but he uses wrong ways to do it. But as Loki finds out about the lies and is dealing with identity issues and internalized racism on top that he gets more desperate to prove himself as a worthy son to Odin, and he uses more violence and in the end has a mental break down. All of this were also confirmed by the screen writer of Thor 1.

"As Odin’s younger son, Loki has always known the throne of Asgard will never belong to him. He has, however, tried his best to be a good brother to Thor and a son Odin could be proud of. When Thor travels to Jotunheim, it is Loki who sends a message to their father in order to prevent an all-out war. Still, he cannot stop Odin from banishing Thor. When the king falls into Odinsleep soon after, Loki takes the throne."

This is how Loki was portrayed before TR which later they changed it. Image is taken from this post that that has explained the retcon more in details and I recommend reading it.

So, why in Ragnarok did he stab Thor and was portrayed like he didn't care for him at all? Was Loki actually violent when he was a child?

Loki didn't stab Thor in TR though? If you mean the snake story that's again an improvisation with no canon basis and it's a retcon. Because no, from what we saw in Thor 1 Loki wasn't a violent child. He was a silent, curious child while Thor was the one who stated that he intended to slay all the monsters aka Frost Giants when he grow up.

If you mean Loki betraying Thor when in return Thor uses the obedience disk on him, that was a thoughtless last minute addition to the movie, with lots of plot holes and you can read all the issues about that scene in here.

But even then if you analyze Loki's behavior objectively and ignore the narrative framing and his villain coding, Loki actually comes off as more empathetic and caring than Thor.

Also, was Loki always a narcissist as portrayed in Ragnarok *as in superiority*?

No, Loki was never a narcissist.

You can read more about all the issues that TR has in this masterpost.

[iamanartichoke]

I’m not feeling super meta-y today, but I wanted to post this before I forgot: 

The moment where Thor says, “You can’t kill an entire race,” and Loki says “Why not?” and laughs is a very interesting moment. I think that a lot of viewers take his laugh (well, grin) as though he’s mocking Thor and mocking Thor’s newfound empathy for the Jotuns. This mockery further paints Loki as the villain, standing there laughing at the hero who’s trying to do the right thing. 

I don’t think that’s happening at all. Others may have pointed this out, so I’m sorry if I’m repeating anyone, but I think that Loki genuinely thinks that Thor is joking. 

It’s like - 

“You can’t kill an entire race!” 

“Why not?” Loki returns blankly; Thor’s statement has taken him by surprise, as it’s very much not consistent with the Thor who, three days ago, literally marched into Jotunheim seeking, if not war, at least a battle. 

He starts to smile, waiting for Thor to join him; Thor, after all, has long vowed to slay every last Frost Giant. But Thor remains stone-faced, and after a moment Loki realizes, with a sudden, cold, clarity, that Thor is serious. Thor genuinely believes that Loki cannot finish off the Jotuns. Had Midgard truly changed him so much in so little time? 

(^^This was written off the top of my head, please don’t judge me. But you get the idea.)

For a thousand years, Thor’s narrative has been, “I’ll hunt down and slay every last one of them!” His narrative has been Asgardians = good and Jotuns = bad, and their attempt to steal the Casket was, while infuriating to Thor on the coronation-ruining-level, probably the excuse Thor had been waiting for. 

So Loki is like, “look! This is a problem that needs to be solved! I’m going to solve it for you and for us so that the Jotuns are never again a threat.” 

And Thor comes back with, “Oh well you can’t actually do that.” 

What else was Loki supposed to say except “Why not?” 

He grins like Thor has told a joke and the punch line is coming. He grins like Thor’s pulling his leg. And when it becomes obvious that Thor is not, in fact, joking, Loki’s smile fades. He understands that Thor isn’t joking, but he doesn’t understand why. 

“Why this sudden love for the Frost Giants?” isn’t meant to be mocking. Loki’s genuinely asking, when did the narrative shift? When did the rules change? Because I was under the impression that this race has always been our enemy, this race is now a threat that needs to be eliminated before things escalate into full-blown war, and if I can both get rid of this enemy and avoid losing any Asgardians in a war, I’d be doing everyone a favor. So what the actual fuck do you mean, ‘you can’t kill an entire race’? Why. Not.? 

The moment is so swift, that shift from confused to lmao to oh wait you’re serious? but it’s there - and this is not even touching on Loki’s own, personal turmoil of proving himself, in the midst of an identity crisis, while being a regent king whose inner circle immediately decided treason was cool, like, five minutes after Loki sat on the throne. 

So I mean, imagine the emotional whiplash Loki must have felt. The confusion, the anger, this extra layer of betrayal, wherein not even Thor will support Loki in his plan even though Thor’s own plan was not much better and happened less than a week ago. 

(Note that I am not saying Loki’s plan should have been supported - genocide isn’t cool, kids - but I am saying that while Loki and Thor’s relationship was, at this point, fraught with all of the tension between them in regards to ‘worthiness’ and ‘the throne,’ Loki presumably at least thought Thor would back him up on the whole killing-the-Jotuns-to-stop-a-war thing.) 

So, yeah ... Loki genuinely doesn’t understand why genocide is wrong. He doesn’t understand why Thor, of all people, is telling him it’s wrong. And I wonder if he doesn’t somehow interpret this as another failing on his own part. That is, Asgard has been subjugating other peoples for millenia. The genocide of the Dark Elves is a cultural legend. Odin entertains Loki and Thor as children by telling them battle stories, ffs. 

Asgard is a kingdom built on the oppression and genocide of anyone weaker than they are or who doesn’t fall in line with what Asgard wants, and its people are raised in a warrior-centric society where these are things to be proud of - 

- and yet suddenly when Loki tries to do what he thinks he’s supposed to do, it’s wrong? Loki’s doing the wrong thing and his actions against Jotunheim are strikes against him and his general being? Why is Loki always the one who ends up holding the short end of Gungnir? Fuck you and the horse you rode in on, Thor, I’m doing this and I am right to do it. 

I, too, would like to know “why not?”

[thesuperiorloki]

The writing for Loki got so sloppy after TDW. In that film he was given a complete arc and bringing him back to life with no concrete plan makes the narrative line awkward. It wasn’t rendered impossible to work with, but that possibility was wasted by Marvel bringing him back with no forethought and then hiring writers that didn’t care about or understand Loki’s past or motivations, which caused his story and characterization to become disjointed and unsatisfying to anyone who was paying attention.

Loki’s motivation in his first three films was to feel worthy and to gain a sense of control over his life. His flaws came from seeking that worthiness and control in the wrong ways, first by trying to destroy Jotunheim and then by trying to rule Earth (level of culpability for the second act debatable because Marvel refuses to confirm exactly how much power Thanos had over him). This narrative circle was closed in TDW when he acts selflessly to avenge his mother, help protect Jane, and assist Thor in defeating Malekith: he proves himself a trustworthy ally in carrying out Thor’s plan and demonstrates he can do the right thing for the people he loves and that he cares about and can protect others. Through these actions he proves he is worthy. Furthermore, when he is dying and repeating “I’m sorry”, it is possible to infer he is not only apologizing to Thor for his mistakes in that moment but for every wrong he has committed. So he not only narratively repents for his misdeeds through his actions, he verbally repents for them as well. That’s a complete arc.

Deciding at the 11th hour to not only keep Loki alive but to show him having returned to Asgard and ascending the throne flushes all of that characterization and growth right down the toilet. It’s so clear that Marvel threw that scene in at the last minute without fully thinking it through.

The thing is, Loki could have walked away from this mistake relatively intact if Marvel had gone back and addressed issues in his past that did still need resolving, such as finally gaining control over his own narrative and realizing his own value. Instead, they permanently hamstrung him by hiring first Waititi and then Waldron, two people who have expressed not only ignorance and indifference to Loki as a character but at times open contempt. Rather than touch on Loki’s Jotun heritage or his father’s lies and neglect, Waititi and Waldron chose to retcon him into a one-dimensional power-hungry narcissist, whose tribulations are selfish, pathetic, and self-inflicted. Waldron purposefully ignores the good he did in TDW, Ragnarok, and IW and reframes the narrative to make it look like he was uncaring and ungrateful for his innocent family because he was too self-centered to see how much they loved him. That’s all canonically bullshit and provably false. By making up character flaws he never had, Waititi and Waldron prevented Loki from getting closure on his real struggles and messily severed his narrative arc into something un-mendable.

Insult to injury, Waldron and crew frame Loki’s healing in the show as coming through abuse and yet more indifference. He is manipulated, gaslit, belittled, and beaten and this is presented as the much-needed impetus that snaps him out of his sniveling myopia and forces him to actually care about others by stepping back and accepting his rightful place as inherently lesser. The series actually presses turbo-rewind on any growth Loki achieved during the film timelines and forces him right back to square one, where he is pushed aside and silenced and undervalued. It even goes a step further and adds a dash of physical abuse because nothing cures self-hatred like a good old-fashioned beating, amirite? Sickening.

To me the lack of thoughtfulness and care that Marvel demonstrably put into continuing Loki’s story after TDW is unacceptable for the largest and wealthiest media company in the world: Disney has the money and the influence to hire any writer they should so desire with just a single ring of the phone. There is simply no excuse for the nosedive in the quality of writing and I have no respect for Feige for letting it get in this state. I personally feel everything from Ragnarok on was thoroughly and excessively disrespectful to all of the hard work that Tom, Kenneth, and the writers who gave a damn about Loki put in to create the character that everyone fell in love with in the first place. It was the heart and the vulnerability and the human struggle that we connected with and Marvel just wiped that all away like it was nothing. I don’t think I’ll ever understand why.

Anyway, I don’t know how to end this, so have an emoji of my mental state: 🤪

[loving-all-for-loki]

i really love your writing sm. could I maybe request something with Loki and reader being slow to realize that the feeling is mutual? if you dont mind <3

A/N: Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoy my writing, that makes me very happy to hear. I tried my best with this, I wasn’t really sure how to go about it, but I think I did a fun little twist to it. The italics are flashbacks. ALSO, you don’t need to know the song “Stuck In The Middle” to read this, but it will make this fic a little bit cuter if you do, so go stream it! It’s by Tai Verdes (actually just go listen to his whole album TV). I hope you enjoy this, nonnie.

Stuck In The Middle

Loki x reader

Word count: 2255

Warnings: fluff, maybe swearing I don't remember lol

Tony decided to throw another one of his giant parties, but no one is really sure why. There’s no holiday, no accomplishment to celebrate. All you know is that the tower is filled to the brim with high named people and well rounded faces. Music is blaring as people lounge around drinking or casually dancing. The Avengers are all around, scattered among the faces.

You on the other hand are leaning against a wall drinking some pop and trying to ignore the creepy men that hit on you. Parties are fine, you don’t mind them, but you don't go around gloating about your business or accomplishments. You watch Tony walk around getting praised by millionaires and celebrities with a smirk on your face. Shaking your head, you look down and give your glass of water more attention than the people.

“You really should get out there.”

Steve stands next to you with his little suit on that makes you laugh. You’re not used to seeing him all dressed up.

“I’m not a boaster. I’ll dance here and there, but conversation isn’t my forte.”

“You're having a conversation with me, so what does that say?” He laughs.

“I don’t need your technicalities, Cap,” you laugh as well.

“You don’t even have to talk to people you don’t know. We’re all here.”

“Fair enough.”

“Do you want me to stay here with you?”

“No, Steve. Go have fun.”

He smiles at you before returning to his seat at the bar by Bucky and Sam. You smile at the three of them. You do truly love your friends, even if they bother you during alone time.

“Why would you enjoy them if they bother you?”

“Loki, stop reading my mind.”

“I can’t. You’re quite loud,” he jokes.

You roll your eyes as you take another sip of your water.

“Do you not like these grand parties?” He asks.

“Eh, I don’t mind them. Just not a bragger.”

“Ah, yes. One night dedicated to gloating about your own accomplishments while putting down others.”

“No, that’s the Oscars,” you joke.

“Who is Oscar?”

“Never mind. Why you go out and dance? I bet you have some moves.”

“Not without a partner. I’m more of a partner dancer.”

“Well, there’s plenty of pretty girls around you to ask to dance.”

“Why dance with a pretty girl when I have the most beautiful one right here leaning against a wall and ignoring everyone? That’s more my style.”

“Loki, I’m flatter,” you laugh, “is this your way of asking me to dance?”

“Possibly. Thor has been bugging me to ‘get out there’ and I don’t like anyone here beside you.”

“Such a gentleman.”

Loki rolls his eyes as he takes your hand in his and leads you to the dance floor. The song changes into a fun chill song you recognize as “Stuck In The Middle”. You and Loki dance together as the two of you laugh. At some point, he pulls you into him, holding him at your chest.

“Remember when we first met?” He asks.

“Yeah, I do. You were arguing with Tony and Thor.”

“I want to return to Asgard and I will no matter what you say.”

“You’re a war criminal serving time here for your attacks. If you even attempted to go back, the American army would shoot you down.”

“And good luck to them.”

“My brother is a god, Man of Iron, do not forget.”

“Shut it, point break. You can try to leave if you want to die.”

Loki scoffs at Tony’s threat. As he goes to open his mouth, he sees a girl wander into the living area and scour the kitchen. The three watch her in silent and she opens every cabinet. Loki is curious by the girl with her long black hair and sweats on, clearing not caring about the argument happening. She finally turns around with her mouth filled with pretzels from shoving them in. She looks at the two gods and Tony with a wide eyed look, clearly asking “what” in her face and shrugging.

“Am I interrupting something?” She asks after swallowing.

Tony laughs and shakes his head, walking over to her and placing a hand on her shoulder.

“You’re fine, sweetheart. We’re just having a disagreement. Go enjoy your pretzels,” Tony chuckles.

Loki watches the way she submits to Tony and follows his lead, wondering who she is and why she listens to Tony without hesitation.

“I was so intrigued by you, this small little thing who looked so full of life. What happened to her?”

You laugh hard, “You got to know me, that’s what.”

Loki hadn’t seen the innocent girl in two weeks, wondering if she was even real. There had been some kind of glow to her so had he known better, he’d say she’s an angel.

Loki decided to coop himself up in the library while he was stuck on Midgard. Since he was stuck here, he thought he’d at least spend time doing something enjoyable. He’d spend hours in there until he had read every book and started to reread them. Then, as if the universe had heard him, the innocent girl had returned, putting a book away and getting a new one. She immediately walked out of the room and down to the tower’s elevator. Without hesitation, Loki got up and followed her at a quick pace, wanting to get in the elevator at the same time. As he walked in, they stood in silence next to each other and Loki realized he had no plan.

“I’m Loki. I don’t think we properly met.”

“Y/N.”

Loki feels his heart pound as she speaks to him with her heavenly tone. She sounds exactly like he thought she’d sound. It fits her so perfectly and he wants nothing more than to listen to her talk all day.

“I apologize for anything you heard the other day. Stark and I don’t see eye to eye.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she laughs, “He can strike a nerve sometimes.”

“That is an understatement,” Loki says, losing himself in his anger towards the billionaire.

You laugh at his comment which eases his anger. Loki is filled with joy knowing you find humor in his words, learning you’re not as stuck up as the other Midgardians.

“You read?”

“Yes, I love to.”

“What’s your favorite book?”

“Sense and Sensibility.”

“I don’t think I know that one.”

“It’s a Midgardian classic,” you say with some snark.

“I’ll have to read it. May I ask what you are doing for the rest of the day?”

The elevator opens and the two of you walk off, Loki still following you with awe.

“I’m going to spar with Steve for a little bit. You can join if you want.”

“I will not participate, but will not refuse to be of company.”

You smile at him as you walk towards the training room. Steve stands there getting ready and is surprised to see the stoic god behind you.

“Is he joining?”

“Just to watch.”

Loki sits down on the bench and leaves you to get changed and stretch. He can’t comprehend how something as sweet as you can be so willing to fight one of the super soldiers. He can’t even lie that he’s scared for you, but he’s soon proven wrong in seconds as you knock Steve down to the ground in a sweet kick. You and the super soldier go at it and you prove to be a worthy match for Steve. Loki is shocked by your swiftness and strength, clearly underestimating you.

“Well, I’m impressed.”

“I didn’t expect you to be as tough as you are.” “Wow, you underestimated me. I’m hurt, Loki,” you tease.

“I’ve learned to expect the unexpected with you.”

“How so?”

“I think we all remember your silly holiday ‘April fools’.”

April fools is one of your favorite holidays and now that the trickster god is living with you, all of the avengers are on high alert all day. No one realized he didn’t know about the special day, so Loki wondered why everyone seemed to ignore him more than usual. He walked into the living space to see you sitting on the couch with another book.

“Did I do something?” He asks.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m aware I’m not well liked, but it seems that I haven’t seen anyone all day except for you right now.”

“It’s because its’ April fools and they’re scared of you.”

A little ping of pride hits Loki.

“They’re scared of me? And what is April fools?”

“It’s a dumb holiday here where you prank people and they’re worried you’re going to pull something. After all, you are you.”

“You have a whole day dedicated to messing with people?”

“Yeah, usually it’s something simple like telling people you’re pregnant when you’re not or tying the spray nozzle on the sink together so everyone gets wet when they use it. Other people go big which is what they expected from you.”

“That doesn’t shock me,” he laughs.

“Yeah, I wanted to prank them, but I think they’ve left the building entirely.”

“You say we have the tower to the two of us?” Loki can think of a couple ways he’d spend alone time with you, but the idea of messing with the Avengers with your help is too tempting. He’ll have to put his other ideas to the side for the moment. “We can still do something.”

“Like what?”

“I’m not sure, but you could think of something, I’m sure.”

“We could glue everything down so you can use anything?”

“Like stick the together?”

“Exactly, but we could use your magic so we could reverse it later.”

“I like how you think.”

About two hours later, the Avengers return from wherever they had been throughout the day and run to their rooms to avoid Loki. As soon as they noticed the two of you relaxing on the couch, they tensed up and sprinted. You pretended to not have told Loki about anything and watched them get nervous, trying to hide your amusement.

It’s only minutes later when they all run back in yelling at you about how they can’t pick anything up or open drawers. Loki looks over to you among the chaos and smiles, seeing the wide proud smile across your face.

“That was a lot of fun. You surprised me in the past though, too.”

“Whatever do you mean?” He laughs.

You had gotten hurt on a mission and found yourself with a broken arm. Every day activities became 10x harder because you have to do it with your non-dominant hand and it’s started to get annoying. You’ve been attempting to make yourself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for about 25 minutes now. Loki walked in to see you struggling with peanut butter all over your hand and a glob on the bread. There’s a giant tear in the middle of the piece you’re spreading it on and a frown on your face.

“You look like you’re struggling.”

“Thank you, captain obvious!” You exclaim in an angry tone, glaring daggers at the god.

“Do you need some help?”

“I would love some because clearly, I’m having some difficulty.”

Loki comes over and helps you finish making your sandwich. You sit down to eat but because of your bad mood, you don’t even want it now. Loki notices your distress and shakes it head, waving his hand by.

“You’re healed, now eat your sandwich.”

You look at him in confusion until you realize your arm doesn’t hurt as much when you move it. You rip off your cast and feel around to feel how your arm is completely healed.

“Thank you!”

“You can be very sweet sometimes.”

“Don’t let Stark hear that, he’ll think I have mind controlled you.”

The Avengers all sit around the bar and watch you and Loki dance. They have a big smile on their face as they see you two have fun, laughing and talking. Thor has never seen his brother look so relaxed and joyful before, it’s refreshing to see him happy. Steve and Tony don’t miss the way you look at Loki, it’s filled with more love than any friends would look at each with.

“You think there’s more there?” Thor asks.

Steve and Tony turn to look at him with confused yet amused faces. “Thor, you really are an idiot,” Tony laughs.

The song comes up to the last chorus and you and Loki have stopped talking. He swings you around and holds his body next to yours. The music get’s both of your attention.

Cause we’re stuck in the middle of lover and friends

And we’re losing every part of the benefits

You’ve hurt me more than I ever knew

But it’s shitty because I’m doing the same to you

As the lyrics set in, you remember all the things Loki has done for you. Making your PB&J, recommending books, keeping you company when the Avengers are away, dancing with you at New Years parties, giving you a hug when you return from missions, and not leaving your side when you’re hurt. Loki thinks of all the things that made you bearable. Your sense of humor, the smile on your face when you see him, the way you’ll reread books you love, the way you make fun of others with him, and how you defend him when they make fun of him.

“I think I like you,” you both say.

[deathmetalunicorn1]

Hello good morning! And also welcome back. Can I request a Yandere Ror Gods x valkyrie reader?

(God) has been in love with the reader, time passed it turned as a obsession. When (God) learned that the reader will do volundr with their respective human fighter, which is also the reader's lover, it angered (God). I will leave you what will be the ending.

The gods are Thor, Poseidon, Heracles, Hades, Hermes, Odin, Loki.

The human fighter can be the God's original rival in the rounds of the ror series. Thanks a lot.

-He only had himself to blame, seeing you with another man, a human of all things. Had he not procrastinated, just choosing to watch you from afar, then maybe he would have been the one you’re smiling up at.

-His affection for you started long ago, many years, he admired you for your strength but also your kindness.

-As a Valkyrie, you were a warrior and a skilled one at that, but he also saw you with children, allowing them to hold your hands and pull you along after them, giving them such soft smiles.

-He wanted to approach you, to speak with you, but was content watching you from afar.

-Now he was there, watching you hugging another man from behind, pressing a soft kiss into his cheek, in love with another.

-You were unaware of (God’s) affection for you, as you had never spoken to him that wasn’t just a formal greeting, showing them respect, so he couldn’t blame you.

-He could, however, blame the human, fully prepared to get rid of this human and appear in your time of need, to comfort you.

-That is, until he learned you were going to be partnering with your lover as a Völundr in Ragnarok, the battle for humanity’s salvation.

-(God) knew, if you lost, if he won against your lover, you would be lost with him, you would crumble to dust, never to be seen again.

-Thor- It was hard for him to put his personal feelings aside, as he didn’t want to hurt you. However, he was able to get a momentary distraction with Lu Bu, who had proved himself as a worthy opponent, and dare he say it, Thor considered him a friend. The two were all smiles, fighting against one another, getting the challenge they both so desperately wanted. In the end, Thor proved himself to be the better warrior; his eyes couldn’t tear from your body, broken and bleeding, now fading away. He not only lost the love of his life, but also the only person who managed to go toe-to-toe with him, even if you did love Lu Bu rather than him. Thor refused to fight again.

-Poseidon- His mind was calculating the whole time during his match, trying to figure out if there was a way to get you and Kojiro to come apart, to break the bond. That way he could kill the lowly human that took you from him, and you would be safe and with Poseidon. These calculations, however, turned to Poseidon’s downfall, he was distracted and Kojiro was fighting for a non-selfish reason and Kojiro ran him through, slicing his body into several large chunks. As Poseidon fell, he glared at Kojiro but his eyes softened, seeing you appear beside the samurai and he kept his eyes on you until he vanished.

-Hercules- He didn’t want to hurt you, he didn’t want to fight you, but seeing you with a serial killer of all people, set his blood ablaze with fury. He had to rescue you, thinking Jack had tainted you, there was no way a Valkyrie like you was with a serial killer willingly. Jack could see his hesitance in fighting, like he didn’t want to hurt Jack, but was soon able to realize, Hercules didn’t want to hurt you. When you appeared, radiantly glowing, Jack could see the adoration Hercules had for you, as well as feelings of regret. When Hercules hugged Jack close, he was also hugging you, allowing himself to be killed, to keep you safe, to keep humanity safe.

-Hades- Not happy that you were bonded to his opponent, he didn’t want to hurt you; Hades was now faced with a dilemma, he could win the fight for the gods, but lose you, or let Qin Shi Huang and you win, and lose his life in the process. Despite being the king of the underworld, death was something Hades had never even thought about before, but knowing that you Valkyries were giving the humans an edge to fight on equal terms, Hades had to face reality sooner or later. Hades decided to go all out, not willing to pull any punches and if you and this human managed to beat him, then he could die peacefully with the knowledge he had a hard fight. As he vanished, he gave you a small, mysterious smile, one that confused you, as Hades gave a small nod to Qin Shi Huang, recognizing him as the true winner.

-Hermes- Your opponent was overconfident, cocky even, thinking Hermes could only play the violin, but Hermes had to admit, he didn’t look like a fighter, looking more like a butler. Knowing you were bonded to this man, this human, brought him so much anger and sorrow and he refused to hold back. (Human) was struggling, that was apparent, but he managed to land some harsh blows on the god, putting up a fight. Hermes managed to disarm (Human), throwing the blade away, as he knew that blade was you before he grabbed it, using you against (Human), against your lover. You broke the Volundr, not wanting to hurt your love any longer and with that, Hermes charged, running your love through, killing him instantly. You wept over your fallen love, watching him disappear and Hermes felt regret, making you cry, but hopefully now, he would have a chance to approach you.

-Odin- This magic was unusual for him, despite knowing many types of magic and knowing how they work, Volundr was one that was new for the All Father. Odin learned how it works, and what it could do, but now, facing (Human), with you as his Valkyrie, he needed to learn how to break it, to save you from your lover’s fate. Odin had no qualms fighting against your lover, the human who had managed to get you before he could, but did his best to not damage you, as you had taken the form of a sword. He would defend against you, but did his best to not cause any damage, at least until he could figure out the magic. At the end of the fight, Odin was the loser, fading slowly away, focusing too much on getting you, rather than paying attention to his opponent. Odin regretted losing you twice, both due to his own fault.

-Loki- Furious and violent, charged at (Human) with no hesitation, blaming him for taking you away, and now Loki was determined to take you back, one way or another. His fury blinded him, while it made him stronger, it made him reckless, and (Human) took advantage of that, beating Loki back. You had known Loki for years and you had never seen him in such a rage, not like this, it honestly frightened you, and you were one of the bravest Valkyries. When (Human) blocked another blow, he was easily able to tell that Loki wasn’t looking at him, it was like Loki was looking into him, looking at you, something you were quick to realize as well. You steeled your nerves, which (Human) felt and he charged, running Loki through. Loki refused to back down, even as he was crumbling away, Loki kept attacking, shouting out your name before he was dust. You held (Human) tightly once the bond broke, shaking in fear and he held you close, soothing you.

[bebx]

Yes, Mobius meeting Frigga would be so perfect and sweet. I wonder how he would react to Odin, though. Maybe if Odin's parenting was at least C+, Mobius would be willing to show him some respect and try to get along with him, but I guess if Odin was being a Dickfather to Loki his whole life, Mobius would be furious with him and he would also want to protect Loki from Odin. What do you think?

We’re in the Mobius-meeting-the-in-laws era and I’m here for it.

I think, if anything, Mobius’s not outright telling Odin to f*** off the second they met would be out of respect for Loki, not for Odin.

Because, sure, Loki may have told everybody he hated Odin, but I still don’t think he would want someone to start a war with Odin, especially not on his behalf. Not because Odin being disrespected by Mobius (or by anybody) would anger Loki but because it would make Loki feel like he couldn’t protect himself, like he needed someone to stand up for him. I don’t think he’d want that, even though he’d appreciate the thoughts of Mobius wanting to stand up for him.

And since Mobius has studied Loki, he’s fully aware Odin is far from being the Father of the Year, and I bet he’s furious, too. Though he’s more mature — or at least has decent amount of self-control — than to start throwing insults, because he knows that that will 100% end in absolute disaster. Odin is still the the king, basically a god who rules the nine realms. Piss him off and it might be Loki who pays the price, too, considering Odin’s power and what he’s capable of.

So the best way would be to just stay away, do not engage. Keep the anger to himself. I bet it would take Mobius quite an effort to keep his cool, but it was still better than spitting insults at Odin’s face and suffering from the consequences.

Would he want to protect Loki from Odin? I think, since Odin never physically harmed Loki, (not that we know of, talking only about the MCU) I think ‘protect’ wouldn’t be the best word to describe the situation, but Mobius would want to make up for what Odin failed to give Loki his entire life. And by doing that, he would tell him he’s so much more than what his father made him out to be, that Odin was wrong about his ‘birthright was to die’ , that he’s not Thor’s shadow and that he’s just as worthy as his brother is, if not more.

I think that would be Mobius’s way of protecting Loki from Odin, by making sure Loki knows the cruel words Odin said to him, about him, couldn’t be farther from the truth. And that Loki doesn’t need Odin’s approval. He doesn’t need to prove himself to someone who doesn’t know how to value him.

If Mobius can make Loki believe that, I believe it’ll bring Mobius peace, too. At the end of the day, they have each other. And that’s more than enough.

[themattress]

I Grade: Loki

Appearance: The Marvel incarnation of Loki is almost perfectly depicted visually on film. And I say almost because...I’m sorry, I know that it’s faithful to the comics, but that horned helmet is fucking ridiculous. If you somehow were able to take it seriously at first, you most likely won’t be able to after Tony Stark calls Loki “Reindeer Games” because of it. It’s just stupid.

GRADE = 4

Performance: What can I say about Tom Hiddleston and his portrayal of Loki that hasn’t already been said? There’s a damn good reason he got his own Disney+ series, he’s just that good as this character. He captures all of the tragedy, the anger, the glee, the deceptiveness, the glibness, and the contradictory chaos that the role calls for. He IS Loki, plain and simple.

GRADE = 5 

Motivation: Loki’s motivations are complex and evolving. At first, he just seeks to spite his brother Thor out of jealousy due to the screwed-up way Odin raised the two of them. But in the process of doing this, he ends up discovering the truth about his lineage, which causes a mental and emotional breakdown. He then is thrust upon the throne of Asgard unexpectedly, which solidifies his goal: keep Thor banished forever, then kill his birth father Laufey and commit genocide on the Frost Giants in the ultimate denial of his biological reality, earning Odin’s pride and respect and proving himself worthy of being his son and an Asgardian.

When Thor returns and stops Loki’s attempted genocide, coupled with Odin making it clear he did not want Loki to do any of this, Loki breaks even further and almost kills himself. He survives, but only because he is rescued by Thanos, who proceeds to torture him into submission. Granted the Mind Stone which forcibly keeps his negative thoughts and feelings burning, Loki’s mission is now to go to Earth and let Thanos’ forces through with the Tesseract. They will kill half the planet’s population, Thanos will take the Mind Stone back and the Space Stone within the Tesseract, and Loki will be granted rulership over Earth. And make no mistake, Loki sincerely DOES want that position. Having given up on ever pleasing his father, he now wants to spite him and his brother by taking his own throne by force and being a stronger ruler than them. Loki has decided this is his destiny; his “glorious purpose”.

Loki, at his core, is someone who hurts very deeply inside, then ends up in awful situations and chooses the worst possible choice at every turn because he fears that taking the right choice will only cause him more hurt. Rinse and repeat; it’s a vicious cycle. At once both supremely arrogant and self-loathing, he feels he has something to prove to justify his existence...and he’ll prove it no matter how many other existences he has to nullify to do so. 

GRADE = 5

Villainy: On both a personal and widespread scale, Loki’s villainy dwarfs that of any of the other villains in Phase One. He betrays his own kingdom by sneaking the Frost Giants in just to spite his brother on his coronation day, which ultimately leads to said brother’s banishment when he makes a predictably rash response, then later brings Laufey into Asgard just to kill him and then try to commit genocide on the Frost Giants by weaponizing the Bifrost. And between that, he lies to Thor about their father being dead in order to keep him in exile, then when his ploy is exposed sends a weapon of mass destruction to attack the town on Earth that Thor is staying in, almost straight-up murdering the powerless Thor in the process.

While serving Thanos, he slaughters and terrorizes the people of Earth indiscriminately and forcibly mind controls some like Erik Selvigg and Clint Barton into helping him. He is also responsible for allowing Thanos’ forces to invade New York City, leading to mass death and destruction which could have been even worse if not for the assembling of the Avengers. Additionally: he murders Phil Coulson, continues to do harm to his brother Thor, and....this.

GRADE = 5

Resolution: ”HULK SMASH!”

Afterward, Loki is sentenced to prison in Asgard, then finds a measure of atonement when he joins forces with Thor to protect the Nine Realms from the threat of the Dark Elves and (more importantly to him) avenge the death of their mother Frigga, ultimately sacrificing his own life.

....Oh wait, no, he’s still alive, and now he’s on the throne of Asgard. He does jack shit with it until it’s time for another atonement and reconciliation with his brother followed by another death, this time at the hand of Thanos. Sorry, was this second go-around really necessary? 

GRADE = 4

Final Grade: 4.5; one of the MCU’s greatest villains. Love or hate him, you gotta respect him.

[worstloki]

Loki’s been calling Asgard out for its hypocrisy and genocide and colonialism since 2011 but apparently it wasn't as important until Thor got around to realising that it was an issue and naturally that took him literal years to do, and even then it was because his life was literally crumbling around him and he saw a detailed colour-coded diagram 🙄🙄