While we may have seen our beloved God of Mischief’s untimely departure at the very beginning of Avengers: Infinity War, we also witnessed his return in Endgame. This, however, would not be the same Loki of the original timeline but rather an alternate one spawned from the changes brought by the Avengers’ time-hopping adventures. Loki managed to escape with the Space Stone after the Battle of New York and is now presumably running AMOK about different places and apparently time as well.
Recently, Marvel Studios has shown an image of Loki in front of a movie theatre showing Jaws in what appears to be 1975 America. This highly implies that the Loki TV series on Disney Plus will be dealing with the god making his way through multiple periods in history and influencing events there. One rogue Loki in the present is bad news but one meddling with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) timeline? That spells absolute catastrophe…and we cannot wait for it!
Marvel Studios reveals first look at the new 'Loki' series for Disney+
(via @Disney | https://t.co/qfmoXFD8Ai) pic.twitter.com/SINGFg7EfB
— Fandom (@getFANDOM) June 9, 2019
Our heads are spinning about the far-out and possible implications coming out of this news. I know we say this quite a bit sometimes but this could very well change the MCU as we know it! Here are five major MCU events that Loki could alter in his favour!
1. The War with the Jotuns (Circa. 965 A.D.)
In 2011’s Thor, it was revealed in a flashback that the Jotuns (or Frost Giants) had invaded Midgard with plans of conquering the realm circa 965 A.D, landing in Tonsberg, Norway. Odin along with the armies of Asgard, however, intervened in defence of mankind, defeating Loki’s father, the Jotun King Laufey. Around this time, Odin had also found a young Loki abandoned by his father in a temple before adopting the small Jotun as his son.
This is arguably one of the most important events in Loki’s history. The moment his people fell and Odin’s lies began, albeit benevolent ones. At the end of the Battle of New York, Loki was being hauled off to an Asgardian prison with his entire Chitauri armies annihilated. Now Imagine if he had given his invasion on Earth yet another try but this time much earlier.
Imagine if he had gone back in time and usurped his father’s throne using the power of the Space Stone. He could convince the Jotuns of a new plan to conquer not just Midgard but all Nine Realms. No Avengers, no Thor and no S.H.I.E.L.D to foil him. Furthermore, he would be in possession of one of the most powerful artefacts in the MCU, the Casket of Ancient Winters. It is a weapon capable of freezing entire worlds over in an endless torrent of snow and ice. He could wield both the Casket and the Space Stone in his campaign against the forces of Asgard. Where his father failed, he would succeed. His only true opposition would be his future adoptive father Odin and Hela, who by the way regarded the Casket as “weak” in Ragnarok. Still, if he plays his cards right, he just might be the Lord of the Nine Realms.
2. World War II (1939-1945)
During World War II, Hitler wasn’t the only one looking out to take over the world. Johann Schmidt aka The Red Skull had similar ambitions of launching an empire that shall never end. Schmidt had collaborated with Hitler and the Nazis for a time in search of ancient Norse “magic” to conquer Europe. Hitler intrigued with the idea provided the man with the necessary means to find the Tesseract (Space Stone).
Schmidt became the head of the secret organization HYDRA, which at the time was a branch of the Nazi government. Then Captain America comes in, saves the day, the Tesseract is picked up by S.H.I.E.L.D. before Loki steals it. The rest is history. If Loki had arrived in Nazi Germany and presented himself to Hitler, who was really into Norse mythology, as a literal Norse God, I’m pretty sure he’d have an empire at his feet.
Schmidt’s search for the Tesseract would have been useless seeing that Loki already has one. It’s most likely that Schmidt would volunteer himself and HYDRA to be Loki’s right hand. Under Loki’s leadership and ambition, they could win the war against the Allies. He could even kill Abraham Erskine before he ever transformed Steve Rogers into Captain America, thus destroying any chance of real resistance. I would totally pay money to see the MCU’s version of The Man in the High Castle. An alternate version of history where the Nazis rule the world under Loki’s tyranny and a new team would have to rise against him. Please, Marvel, make it happen!
3. The Founding of S.H.I.E.L.D. (1949)
In a short film featured on the Iron Man 3 Blu Ray titled Marvel One-Shot: Agent Carter, we see Howard Stark and Peggy form Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division (S.H.I.E.L.D). An organization formed to protect the United States, and eventually the world, from internal and external global threats. Threats like terror organizations, rogue metahumans…and the occasional alien invasion led by a Norse deity. The usual stuff.
If it had not been for Stark and Carter forming the agency, a lot of Loki’s plans could have come to past. It was them that researched and held on to the Tesseract while looking for Steve Rogers. It was the very same agency, under Nick Fury’s vision, that created the foil to his invasion: The Avengers. But what would happen if none of them had ever existed? Simply put we would have one very happy Loki.
He could travel back to 1949, murder Howard Stark and possibly disband the entire project. Stark was the brains of the entire operation, taking him out of the equation would cripple if not destroy S.H.I.E.L.D. before it ever took off. There is however an even more intriguing idea. We know that Loki is a master of illusions and a notorious shapeshifter.
What if Loki not only murdered Stark but also took his form and assumed the position as one of the founders of the agency! He could manipulate the agency into doing his bidding and perhaps even become the leader of the secret HYDRA cell within the organization. We could (I mean this half-jokingly) get an Agents of Loki show too!
4. Before the Battle of New York (2012)
Before the Battle of New York, Loki found himself being detained by S.H.I.E.L.D. after a battle with the Avengers in Germany. Knowing he was outmatched, he surrendered. His imprisonment, however, was not too long seeing that he had planned on turning the Avengers on one another. His intention being to trigger the Hulk into causing enough chaos for him to get away, grab his Scepter before arriving at Stark Tower to bring the Chitauri force to Earth. A solid plan altogether but I think Loki can do better, especially knowing what he knows now. So, let’s try this again but this time with two Lokis!
To avoid confusion we’ll distinguish the one that got away with the Tesseract as future-Loki and the one still in captivity as past-Loki. Future-Loki could teleport himself much earlier to Stark Tower while the Avengers are still looking for the location of the Tesseract. There, he could bring the invasion force to Earth much earlier before the Avengers could get their bearings. Then while the team is scrambling to figure out what to do, past-Loki’s plan happens simultaneously with a brainwashed Clint Barton attacking the Avengers and the Hulk causing chaos on the Helicarrier.
If future-Loki wants to properly cement his victory he could go and find past-Loki before being questioned by Black Widow, informing him of Romanov’s deception. He’d probably kill her then and there before impersonating her and retrieving the Scepter as Romanov. By the end, you have the Avengers in shambles, totally unprepared for an early Chitauri invasion.
5. Banner Before the Hulk (2001)
Remember the time Hulk turned Loki into a human ragdoll and smashed him about on the floor? Definitely not one of Loki’s prouder moments, I imagine he’s not exactly the forgiving type. So what better way to get even with the Hulk than to kill Banner before he ever gains his powers? After the September 11 attacks in 2001, General Thaddaeus Ross was given the task of replicating Erskine’s Super Soldier formula.
Among the scientists he had brought on board for the project was one Dr Bruce Banner. Banner discovered a way to recreate the formula by replacing Erskine’s vita radiation with gamma radiation. Without that stabilizing component, it mutated Banner into a rage-filled-roided-out giant with superhuman strength and durability. The same one that would play a key role in destroying Loki’s invasion force.
Loki could travel to the early 2000s, find puny Banner and beat the ever loving shit out of him before having him murdered. Honestly, I wouldn’t put it past him to do something like that. If he’s a little more far-sighted, he could capture Banner, make him give up the secrets to the alternate Super Soldier serum and create his very own army of Hulks. If he manages to retrieve his Scepter, he could probably control his brainwashed Hulkified minions to do his bidding. And after replicating the formula and having Banner create his army, Loki could just kill him and be done with it. That would be the ultimate payback for his humiliation at the Hulk’s hands.
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