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mischieve(note: this journal is highly outdated, but writer is up to date with MCU and Disney+ content, so feel free to pester either version if you so please!)
Loki certainly doesn’t start out as your stereotypical comic book movie villain. He isn’t evil simply for the sake of being evil, he isn’t hateful and vengeful simply because the hero needs someone to stand against. No, Loki starts out as the occasionally annoying but still … relatively good natured little brother of the crown prince of Asgard, Thor.
He is a calm and collected individual, reserved, preferring to keep to himself. He tends not to engage in social events unless it is required of him, not out of anxiety but simply a greater interest in reading and furthering his studies in the field of magic. Even so, Loki once did enjoy accompanying his brother Thor on his adventures, cementing what was once a very strong bond between them. But he is not brash and reckless like Thor, taking time to carefully plan strategies and escapes instead of running headlong into a battle bellowing war cries with arms swinging.
In Asgard’s warrior-centric society, Thor is easily the more popular and well liked among the brothers, enjoying the rush of battle and shows of strength and valor like everyone else, so it’s no wonder that Loki’s preference for magic and illusions has made him the outcast. He is often teased and mocked for it, and Loki let his anger fester into hatred and arrogance - he is a prince, and far more clever than his oafish brother, therefore he deserves respect. Regal as he once was, he has a penchant for the finer things in life as a result of centuries living as royalty among the gods. And he can be a charmer when he wants to be, but it’s only ever if the outcome would be in his own benefit. He takes great satisfaction in causing and watching the suffering of others, whether as the result of a simple trick or an elaborate scheme. Like any schoolyard bully, Loki feels better about himself if he can deflate someone else’s ego and prove himself the stronger, or more clever one among them. He sees others around him as inconsequential and lesser beings, either toys to play with or obstacles in his way.
As such, living in Thor’s shadow for well over a millennium hasn’t exactly produced the best results. Loki had always known he was different, not only in physical appearance but also in skill, opting to study magic instead of the sword. But for so many years, Loki had watched on while his then brother received all of the kingdom’s praise and glory, with none of it reserved for him. Though their mother doted on them and was even the one to teach Loki magic in the first place, Loki felt he never received the same affection from Odin that Thor did, and it soured their relationship to the point of animosity later on.
Loki wallowed in his rejected feelings and over the years, he became a bitter, cold person. He isolated himself, becoming greedy, selfish, and incredibly arrogant - far above meager humans and other realms, and he sees his fellow Asgardians as brutish, warmongering barbarians.
Living for a thousand years, raised to believe that the frost giants were great and terrible monsters to be feared, the discovery that he is a frost giant himself provides a great deal of inner conflict for Loki. He’s spent so long hating the frost giants, that even though he finally learns he is one of them, it does not stop him from trying to wipe out the entire realm of Jötunheim all together. It’s almost an extension of self hatred, that he despises his real heritage so badly that he wants to destroy all reminders of it, and be heralded as a great Asgardian warrior like his father and brother.
It was when he finally learned that his family never really was his family that everything fell apart. Loki sees the truth of his heritage as utter betrayal, believing that the father he had tried to prove himself to all these years was only ever using him for political advantage when the time was right. His anger towards them grows, though even still he could not hate them. When Odin falls into the Odinsleep and Loki inherits the throne by default, he does not use the power to exact revenge on those who had wronged him. Instead, he uses the opportunity to craft a plan to destroy another realm and prove to Odin that he is worthy of being his son, and not "just another stolen relic." Odin himself had done the very same centuries ago, so surely if Loki could prove he could follow in his father’s footsteps better than Thor could, then he would be accepted.
That acceptance and approval was all Loki had ever wanted, to be worthy of the same love Thor was given all those years. But it wasn’t as if he went about it in the best way. Mass genocide of an entire race that Asgard was once at peace with isn’t exactly the best way to win approval, and neither was amassing an alien army for a global takeover. That’s the biggest fault with Loki: he fully believes he is in the right, that his actions are 100% justified and everyone else is at fault for all the problems in his life. He yells at Thor for locking him up in Asgard’s prison cell when their mother Frigga is killed, despite imprisonment being his well deserved sentence for his crimes.
In stark contrast to Loki's inner turmoil and insecurities, outwardly he is an overconfident pile of sass and knives. He is remarkably talented at concealing his inner emotions, for a time - if he's pushed to his limits, everything comes crashing down and Loki lashes out, shouting and threatening and often stabbing at whatever's in his way. On the outside, Loki is an entirely different person. He is overconfident, overdramatic, and oversensitive to personal jibes and remarks. Loki projects the image of a criminal mastermind, but no matter how much he tries, his plans backfire often spectacularly. He's dug himself into a hole with all his attempts to reclaim his dignity and validate his existence in his mind, but rather than change his actions and climb out to become a better person, Loki inadvertently digs himself in deeper with every step he takes. When Thor confronts him on Stark Tower and tells him they can fix this problem together, rather than giving in and choosing to help, Loki decides instead to stab Thor and run away. Not exactly the best way to solve your problems.
While it isn't definite yet what happened between the time Loki fell from the Bifröst and the time Loki arrived on Earth, it's pretty evident that whatever it was shook him greatly. The Other - a hooded alien being that confronts Loki about his mission to invade Earth and is in close talks with Thanos, an upcoming villain in the franchise - tells Loki specifically that if his plan fails, "he will make you long for something as sweet as pain." From this, we can essentially determine that Loki bargained his way out of a terrible fate by promising the Chitauri race (and likely Thanos himself,) that their army could take over a planet with Loki ruling in his stead. Both his own selfish goal to rule as king and the fear from such a significant threat are driving him to commit the crimes he does in The Avengers. But he could've avoided the entire situation if he chose to be the better person.
And let's face it, Loki really isn't a great villain nor the great benevolent ruler he sees himself as. He repeatedly gets his ass handed to him by each of the Avengers one by one, and he is brought back to Asgard as a prisoner for his crimes.
The Dark World takes place a year after the events in New York, and Loki was saved from a death sentence by Frigga, and instead imprisoned for the rest of his days. Even after a well deserved berating from Odin, Loki doesn't change his mind about a thing. Instead, he spends that year stewing in his own madness, focusing on the betrayal and lies he'd been told rather than reflecting on the morality of his actions. Frigga is the only person who visited him, but since she's one of the people who'd lied to him, it isn't as if Loki was going to take her at her word for anything. Despite how much he does still care for her, he still spites her for that lie.
With nothing to do besides read the books Frigga brings him, by the time the dark elves invade Asgard, Loki sees the opportunity to have a little fun. The monstrous Kurse begins breaking prisoners out of their cells, but he decides to leave Loki where he is - either because he could tell he was more trouble than he was worth, or because he wasn't worth the effort at all - and Loki tells him to "take the stairs to the left," leading to a room where Kurse could destroy the device that controls the magic force field around Asgard's palace and thereby letting the dark elf army in. Loki's intent was to simply cause further trouble, and perhaps bargain his way out of his prison cell to freedom, but when he learns that by doing so he'd accidentally guided Kurse to where Frigga was confronting Malekith, guilt finally reaches him and Loki realizes he'd made a mistake with grave consequences.
Loki hates others to see him in a weak position, one of the results of being raised as a prince in an imperialist monarchy, a society that revolves around power imbalances. The strong are revered, and the weak are mocked. All his life, Loki did his best to prove that he was just as strong as the others, especially compared to his brother Thor. So when he is finally at his lowest point, he hides the truth behind an illusion when Thor comes to fetch him from his cell. Thor knows Loki well enough to know that Frigga's death would affect him significantly and calls him out on his trick, forcing Loki to reveal that he'd destroyed his prison cell in his grief. It is rock bottom for Loki, the first of his actions that he is made to face the consequences of.
Eventually, Loki is able to confront Kurse in a sneak attack while Kurse is fighting Thor. It backfires, with Kurse impaling Loki on the same blade, but Loki is able to set off one of the grenades Kurse was carrying and kills him. While in Thor's arms uttering very convincing last words, Loki admits "I didn't do it for him," referring to Odin. The words are left open ended, and Loki could have been referring to Frigga, to Thor, or possibly (and most likely) himself. He is left there while Thor returns to Earth to fight Malekith, and he makes his way back to Asgard, seemingly killing Odin and taking his place on Asgard's throne. As much as Frigga's death did affect him, Loki is still in it for himself, no matter what.
The only exception to Loki’s hatred was Frigga. Loki had a closer bond with her than he did with Odin, and it’s very plain to see that her death at the hands of the dark elf Kurse in The Dark World affects him greatly, to the point of having a tantrum in his cell and agreeing to assist Thor in helping to stop the elf Lord Malekith’s own evil schemes, in order to avenge her death. Or so he would have Thor believe, anyway, as it turned out to be a part of his plan to escape his prison cell and claim Asgard’s throne by posing as Odin. Exactly how he managed to accomplish it all has yet to be seen.
After all he’s been through, it is quite difficult if not impossible to earn Loki's trust. He has been lied to and hurt by the people he cared the most for, and now it is even more difficult to get him to warm up to anyone as a result. He is still a trickster, who enjoys the occasional prank and bout of mischief as is his nature, but they can take on a more malicious tone if he's in the wrong mood. It is far too easy to get on Loki's bad side now, simply because it’s much easier to use and exploit the abilities and talents of others for his own benefit. And then stab them in the back once they’ve outlived their usefulness. Loki is only ever in it for himself, with his skewed morals and twisted view of the universe and his role in it. Loki remains cruel and ruthless no matter what the situation, and is not one to be trusted.
(Ragnarok, Infinity War + Endgame information to be added)
Loki certainly doesn’t start out as your stereotypical comic book movie villain. He isn’t evil simply for the sake of being evil, he isn’t hateful and vengeful simply because the hero needs someone to stand against. No, Loki starts out as the occasionally annoying but still … relatively good natured little brother of the crown prince of Asgard, Thor.
He is a calm and collected individual, reserved, preferring to keep to himself. He tends not to engage in social events unless it is required of him, not out of anxiety but simply a greater interest in reading and furthering his studies in the field of magic. Even so, Loki once did enjoy accompanying his brother Thor on his adventures, cementing what was once a very strong bond between them. But he is not brash and reckless like Thor, taking time to carefully plan strategies and escapes instead of running headlong into a battle bellowing war cries with arms swinging.
In Asgard’s warrior-centric society, Thor is easily the more popular and well liked among the brothers, enjoying the rush of battle and shows of strength and valor like everyone else, so it’s no wonder that Loki’s preference for magic and illusions has made him the outcast. He is often teased and mocked for it, and Loki let his anger fester into hatred and arrogance - he is a prince, and far more clever than his oafish brother, therefore he deserves respect. Regal as he once was, he has a penchant for the finer things in life as a result of centuries living as royalty among the gods. And he can be a charmer when he wants to be, but it’s only ever if the outcome would be in his own benefit. He takes great satisfaction in causing and watching the suffering of others, whether as the result of a simple trick or an elaborate scheme. Like any schoolyard bully, Loki feels better about himself if he can deflate someone else’s ego and prove himself the stronger, or more clever one among them. He sees others around him as inconsequential and lesser beings, either toys to play with or obstacles in his way.
As such, living in Thor’s shadow for well over a millennium hasn’t exactly produced the best results. Loki had always known he was different, not only in physical appearance but also in skill, opting to study magic instead of the sword. But for so many years, Loki had watched on while his then brother received all of the kingdom’s praise and glory, with none of it reserved for him. Though their mother doted on them and was even the one to teach Loki magic in the first place, Loki felt he never received the same affection from Odin that Thor did, and it soured their relationship to the point of animosity later on.
Loki wallowed in his rejected feelings and over the years, he became a bitter, cold person. He isolated himself, becoming greedy, selfish, and incredibly arrogant - far above meager humans and other realms, and he sees his fellow Asgardians as brutish, warmongering barbarians.
Living for a thousand years, raised to believe that the frost giants were great and terrible monsters to be feared, the discovery that he is a frost giant himself provides a great deal of inner conflict for Loki. He’s spent so long hating the frost giants, that even though he finally learns he is one of them, it does not stop him from trying to wipe out the entire realm of Jötunheim all together. It’s almost an extension of self hatred, that he despises his real heritage so badly that he wants to destroy all reminders of it, and be heralded as a great Asgardian warrior like his father and brother.
It was when he finally learned that his family never really was his family that everything fell apart. Loki sees the truth of his heritage as utter betrayal, believing that the father he had tried to prove himself to all these years was only ever using him for political advantage when the time was right. His anger towards them grows, though even still he could not hate them. When Odin falls into the Odinsleep and Loki inherits the throne by default, he does not use the power to exact revenge on those who had wronged him. Instead, he uses the opportunity to craft a plan to destroy another realm and prove to Odin that he is worthy of being his son, and not "just another stolen relic." Odin himself had done the very same centuries ago, so surely if Loki could prove he could follow in his father’s footsteps better than Thor could, then he would be accepted.
That acceptance and approval was all Loki had ever wanted, to be worthy of the same love Thor was given all those years. But it wasn’t as if he went about it in the best way. Mass genocide of an entire race that Asgard was once at peace with isn’t exactly the best way to win approval, and neither was amassing an alien army for a global takeover. That’s the biggest fault with Loki: he fully believes he is in the right, that his actions are 100% justified and everyone else is at fault for all the problems in his life. He yells at Thor for locking him up in Asgard’s prison cell when their mother Frigga is killed, despite imprisonment being his well deserved sentence for his crimes.
In stark contrast to Loki's inner turmoil and insecurities, outwardly he is an overconfident pile of sass and knives. He is remarkably talented at concealing his inner emotions, for a time - if he's pushed to his limits, everything comes crashing down and Loki lashes out, shouting and threatening and often stabbing at whatever's in his way. On the outside, Loki is an entirely different person. He is overconfident, overdramatic, and oversensitive to personal jibes and remarks. Loki projects the image of a criminal mastermind, but no matter how much he tries, his plans backfire often spectacularly. He's dug himself into a hole with all his attempts to reclaim his dignity and validate his existence in his mind, but rather than change his actions and climb out to become a better person, Loki inadvertently digs himself in deeper with every step he takes. When Thor confronts him on Stark Tower and tells him they can fix this problem together, rather than giving in and choosing to help, Loki decides instead to stab Thor and run away. Not exactly the best way to solve your problems.
While it isn't definite yet what happened between the time Loki fell from the Bifröst and the time Loki arrived on Earth, it's pretty evident that whatever it was shook him greatly. The Other - a hooded alien being that confronts Loki about his mission to invade Earth and is in close talks with Thanos, an upcoming villain in the franchise - tells Loki specifically that if his plan fails, "he will make you long for something as sweet as pain." From this, we can essentially determine that Loki bargained his way out of a terrible fate by promising the Chitauri race (and likely Thanos himself,) that their army could take over a planet with Loki ruling in his stead. Both his own selfish goal to rule as king and the fear from such a significant threat are driving him to commit the crimes he does in The Avengers. But he could've avoided the entire situation if he chose to be the better person.
And let's face it, Loki really isn't a great villain nor the great benevolent ruler he sees himself as. He repeatedly gets his ass handed to him by each of the Avengers one by one, and he is brought back to Asgard as a prisoner for his crimes.
The Dark World takes place a year after the events in New York, and Loki was saved from a death sentence by Frigga, and instead imprisoned for the rest of his days. Even after a well deserved berating from Odin, Loki doesn't change his mind about a thing. Instead, he spends that year stewing in his own madness, focusing on the betrayal and lies he'd been told rather than reflecting on the morality of his actions. Frigga is the only person who visited him, but since she's one of the people who'd lied to him, it isn't as if Loki was going to take her at her word for anything. Despite how much he does still care for her, he still spites her for that lie.
With nothing to do besides read the books Frigga brings him, by the time the dark elves invade Asgard, Loki sees the opportunity to have a little fun. The monstrous Kurse begins breaking prisoners out of their cells, but he decides to leave Loki where he is - either because he could tell he was more trouble than he was worth, or because he wasn't worth the effort at all - and Loki tells him to "take the stairs to the left," leading to a room where Kurse could destroy the device that controls the magic force field around Asgard's palace and thereby letting the dark elf army in. Loki's intent was to simply cause further trouble, and perhaps bargain his way out of his prison cell to freedom, but when he learns that by doing so he'd accidentally guided Kurse to where Frigga was confronting Malekith, guilt finally reaches him and Loki realizes he'd made a mistake with grave consequences.
Loki hates others to see him in a weak position, one of the results of being raised as a prince in an imperialist monarchy, a society that revolves around power imbalances. The strong are revered, and the weak are mocked. All his life, Loki did his best to prove that he was just as strong as the others, especially compared to his brother Thor. So when he is finally at his lowest point, he hides the truth behind an illusion when Thor comes to fetch him from his cell. Thor knows Loki well enough to know that Frigga's death would affect him significantly and calls him out on his trick, forcing Loki to reveal that he'd destroyed his prison cell in his grief. It is rock bottom for Loki, the first of his actions that he is made to face the consequences of.
Eventually, Loki is able to confront Kurse in a sneak attack while Kurse is fighting Thor. It backfires, with Kurse impaling Loki on the same blade, but Loki is able to set off one of the grenades Kurse was carrying and kills him. While in Thor's arms uttering very convincing last words, Loki admits "I didn't do it for him," referring to Odin. The words are left open ended, and Loki could have been referring to Frigga, to Thor, or possibly (and most likely) himself. He is left there while Thor returns to Earth to fight Malekith, and he makes his way back to Asgard, seemingly killing Odin and taking his place on Asgard's throne. As much as Frigga's death did affect him, Loki is still in it for himself, no matter what.
The only exception to Loki’s hatred was Frigga. Loki had a closer bond with her than he did with Odin, and it’s very plain to see that her death at the hands of the dark elf Kurse in The Dark World affects him greatly, to the point of having a tantrum in his cell and agreeing to assist Thor in helping to stop the elf Lord Malekith’s own evil schemes, in order to avenge her death. Or so he would have Thor believe, anyway, as it turned out to be a part of his plan to escape his prison cell and claim Asgard’s throne by posing as Odin. Exactly how he managed to accomplish it all has yet to be seen.
After all he’s been through, it is quite difficult if not impossible to earn Loki's trust. He has been lied to and hurt by the people he cared the most for, and now it is even more difficult to get him to warm up to anyone as a result. He is still a trickster, who enjoys the occasional prank and bout of mischief as is his nature, but they can take on a more malicious tone if he's in the wrong mood. It is far too easy to get on Loki's bad side now, simply because it’s much easier to use and exploit the abilities and talents of others for his own benefit. And then stab them in the back once they’ve outlived their usefulness. Loki is only ever in it for himself, with his skewed morals and twisted view of the universe and his role in it. Loki remains cruel and ruthless no matter what the situation, and is not one to be trusted.
(Ragnarok, Infinity War + Endgame information to be added)
there are no men like me.