[Editor’s note: The following containsspoilersforLoki, Season 1, Episode 4, “The Nexus Event."]
Another week, anotherLoki, and another Loki — literally, as Episode 4, “The Nexus Event,” introduces Marvel Cinematic Universe fans to a handful of brand-new and increasingly bizarre Loki variants.
The various new versions of Loki are far from the only Easter Eggs crammed into “The Nexus Event,” as directorKate Herronand episode writerEric Martinmade sure to pack Episode 4 with plenty of juicy winks, nods, and references for eagle-eyed (and eared) fans to consume.
Young Sylvie Has Some Familiar Toys
In the episode’s opening scene, the audience is transported to Sylvie’s original timeline, where we see the young Goddess of Mischief doing what kids do: using their imagination and playing with toys. Unlike our Earthbound toys, though, Sylvie is telling herself stories of the Valkyries while playing with a wooden wolf doll that likely represents Fenris, Hela’s giant pet wolf that’s seen inThor: Ragnarok.
Ravonna Renslayer’s TVA Designation: A-23
As young Ravonna Renslayer attempts to arrest and process even younger Sylvie at the Time Variance Authority headquarters, it’s revealed that Renslayer’s old uniform number — from before she became one of the TVA’s higher-ups — was A-23. A-23 is likely a reference to Avengers #23, the comic book that not only represents Renslayer’s first appearance in Marvel Comics, but also features Kang the Conquerer, her famed love interest.
Losing Is in Loki’s Nature
As Sylvie and Loki sit on Lamentis-1, gazing upon the impending arrival of their certain doom as it crashes down on the horizon, Sylvie wonders what it means to be a Loki and if their defining trait is that they lose.
“Do you think what makes a Loki a Loki is that we’re destined to lose?" Sylvie wonders defeatedly.
This notion of Loki being an inherent loser harkens all the way back to one of the character’s earliest Marvel Cinematic Universe appearances in 2012’sThe Avengers, when Agent Coulson told the God of Mischief something similar:
“You’re going to lose. It’s in your nature,” Coulson famously and heroically remarked. “You lack conviction."
Also, in an appropriate twist, Loki is taken by surprise and “stabbed” in the back, just as he killed Coulson inThe Avengersas well as (as noted by Mobius) many other people.
“Kree, Titans, Vampires”
Perhaps the most obvious of all the Easter Eggs in “The Nexus Event,” Mobius drops a massive, in-your-face reference to three other types of beings the populate the Marvel Cinematic Universe, two of which we’ve already met: Kree, Titans, and Vampire.
The Kree, of course, is Ronan the Accuser’s alien race that is also the primary antagonists ofCaptain Marvel. In addition toGuardians of the GalaxyandCaptain Marvel, the Kree also appear inGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,Avengers: Endgame, and are mentioned inSpider-Man: Far From Home. The Kree also figure to play a role in the upcomingCaptain Marvelsequel, 2022’sThe Marvels.
Meanwhile, Titan is the homeworld of the Mad Titan Thanos. As for vampires, while audiences have yet to officially encounter one in the MCU, that darkness is certainly on its way to the franchise with Wanda in possession of the Darkhold, and projects likeMoon KnightandBladearound the corner in Phase 4.
Of the many traits that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become known for, the franchise’s penchant for timely quips ranks near the top. This week, though, Loki didn’t find himself in the mood for wisecracks following the TVA’s arrest of him and Sylvie:
“I know you’ve got some quip you’re dying to say,” Mobius points out.
“I don’t have a quip. I’ve got nothing to say,” Loki retorts. Unsurprisingly, though, the next sentence wound up being a quip, as he remarks that he should have as much security detail as Sylvie.
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As Loki wallows in the genuinely terrifying Time Loop Prison, his torturer takes the form of Lady Sif (Jaimie Alexander).
Lady Sif, the Asgardian warrior, ally of Thor, and member of the Warriors Three makes her first physical appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe sinceThor: The Dark Worldback in 2013. (While Lady Sif’s name was mentioned in 2017’sThor: Ragnarok, she did not physically appear on-screen.)
Ravonna’s Franklin D. Roosevelt High School Pen
Mentioned in our Episode 2 Easter egg article, Mobius once again takes a lingering look at Ravonna’s Franklin D. Roosevelt High School pen. Given the knowledge about the TVA that the audience now possesses, it stands to reason that this pen that has Mobius so intrigued will pop up again before the season’s end. Who knows — maybe in his past life, Mobius grew up in Brooklyn and is the inventor of the jet ski.
“If You Love Me (Really Love Me)”
One of the trademarks ofLokithus far has been its subversive use of pop songs, as Episode 2 opened withBonnie Tyler’s 1984Footloosesoundtrack hit “Holding Out For A Hero,” while Episode 3 kicked itself off to the sounds ofHayley Kiyoko’s “Demons.” Episode 4 continues that trend asBrenda Lee’s rendition of “If You Love Me (Really Love Me)” plays as the credits roll.
Loki Variants in the Post-Credit Scene
“The Nexus Event” containedLoki’s first post-credit sceneand it was a doozy, as it revealed that Loki not only survived his encounter with the TVA’s Existence Erasing Baton of Death (patent pending), but that other Loki variants have done the same, particularly: Classic Loki (Richard E. Grant’s hilariously costumed character), Kid Loki, Alligator Loki, and Boastful Loki.
“Is this Hel?”
Upon first viewing, it appears that Loki — quite reasonably — asks the other Loki variants if he’s in hell. A deeper dive into the closed captions, though, reveals that Loki actually asked “Is this Hel?”, which, in addition to the likes of Asgard and Midgard, is one of the Nine Realms in Norse Mythology.
