Posted by seeker on 10/8/2008, 9:57 pm
161.31.83.101
Loki was recently ranked by Marvel as the #1 villain in the Ultimate Universe, but if one thinks about it was Loki really a villain?
Recently I've been reading some essays online and elsewhere about Loki's role in traditional Norse mythology. And he has always been something of an odd duck. He is born from giants, but is one of the Aesir. He disrupts the order of things and causes mayhem for the gods, but ultimately most of his actions in the end help the gods. He cut off Sif's hair, but in the end secured the gods their best treasures. He talked the gods into accepting the giant's deal to build the wall and in the end Odin got Sleipnir and the Aesir got a wall for free. He seems to be able to do things that other gods cannot do due to either shame or custom.
I've even seen arguments that state the deaths of Balder and Ragnarok are both not so much villanious acts as Loki acting in the best interest of the Aesir. The argument for Balder being that way he was safe in the underworld to avoid Raganrok. Considering Odin knew of Raganork one would think he would have known what Loki was planning. Also, Raganrok itself in the myths may not be thought of as necessarily evil, but simply the cyle of change that was part of the world. Loki has been called a trickster, god of mischief, god of chaos, god of destruction, god of fire, etc. All are in a way methods or aspects of change. In a way Loki is a god of change and Ragnarok is just another way of him fulfilling this role. Ultimately, if the next world is better to, to the benefit of both gods and mankind.
Now, take a look at Ultimatess. Ultimate Thor was sent by Odin to bring peace to the world. (Ironic considering the warlike nature of the Aesir, but....) He spoke out against the military-industrial complex while supporting environmentalism and various other "liberal" policies. From the looks of Ultimates 1 and 2 Thor had been at this for about a year and a half and wasn't getting very far. He had written some self-help books and joined the Ultimates to do some good while increasing his public profile, but wasn't taken seriously. Most people though of him as merely another superbeing with delusions of godhood. About the only people he attracted were conspiracy theorists, people rebelling against the system for the sake of rebellion, and other people no one would listen to.
Now bring in Ultimate Loki. Loki claimed one reason he was doing what he was doing is as a god of michief he was creating chaos. Loki himself pretty much eliminated Thor from the equation, heightened tensions around the world, and framed Captain America. His full involvement is unknown, but he may have been the one to pull the Liberators together. He united the enemies of America who either just hated it or wanted to contain its military aggression. In the end he was defeated by Thor.
Look at what he accomplished through his actions far sooner than Thor did with all his words. He showed how dangerous America's military aggression was and the problems with the Ultimates being aligned so close with the American government. He proved Thor's claims to godhood. He even made Thor the hero of the hour by being defeated by him even though that was pretty much Odin's doing. As a god one would think people would take Thor a bit more seriously.
At the end of Ultimates 2 Thor said everything he had been sent to do was finally coming to be and that "change" was in the air. Loki full filing his role as a god of change brought those changes about in a way Thor never could. As the trickster gods Loki acted in a way Thor never could and still be considered the good guy. It may not have been Loki's intention, but his actions once again ultimately hadd beneficial consequences.
So, in the end was Loki really such a bad guy, or by fulfilling his role as god of mischief his he somehow beyond or excused?
thoughts?
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