Loki’s second episode has been released on Disney+. There are several Easter eggs and secret tidbits to find throughout, in addition to the unexpected reveal of a new figure entering the fray (who may not be who we think they are). There are actually a tonne of Easter eggs that relate to the Sacred Timeline itself! Let’s examine several Easter eggs from Lokiepisode 2 and discuss what they represent.
Major spoilers for Loki’s second episode follow naturally from this.
Just so everyone is aware, Easter eggs are not direct, overt allusions to the comics that Marvel Studios is adapting. You can find articles referring to Lady Loki and Loki’s daggers as Easter eggs if you browse the internet. That is not an Easter egg. Continue reading below for some actual Easter eggs.
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
This episode opens with a renaissance fair that takes place in 1985 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. This allusion reaches back into the background of Marvel Comics.
The editor and writer of Marvel Comics, Mark Gruenwald, is originally from this Wisconsin town. If you’ve never heard of him, he’s the man behind Flag-Smasher, Battlestar, and U.S. Agent, three Marvel Comics characters that readers of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier should recognise.
But deeper than that, Mark Gruenwald’s likeness was actually the inspiration for the comic book character Mobius. Owen Wilson’s distinctive moustache, what is it? That is entirely due to Gruenwald’s authentic moustache. Therefore, a lot of the amazing things that will be happening in the Marvel Cinematic Universe this year are thanks to Gruenwald.
Frost Giant Loki
When Mobius is discussing which variety of Loki they might run into when going to the Renaissance Fair to find the lethal variant that has been hunting the TVA, a number of different Lokis are displayed. The original Loki appears to present a variant without the blue Frost Giant skin covering. Remember, Loki is a shape-shifter, and one of his earlier shifts was to change his blue skin to a more normal flesh tone in order to separate himself from his Frost Giant ancestry.
More Hexagons
Wanda Maximoff’s artificial television world, which she developed in New Jersey, was shaped in part by hexagons, which were particularly prevalent in WandaVision. That’s how it became known as The Hex, which also serves as a pun on witchcraft.
At this episode of Loki, a hexagon coaster that Mobius is instructed to place his drink on in Ravonna Renslayer’s office is shown in a clear shot. Although we’re not sure what it’s supposed to represent, an inset shot that shows the drink on the coaster might be trying to get our attention.
Franklin D. Roosevelt High School
Because we don’t know what it refers to, this might not be considered an Easter egg. Although it seems unusual to focus on such a minor detail that appears to have no bearing on the plot, we wanted to draw attention to it.
Mobius discovers the judge’s pen says “Franklin D. Roosevelt High School” as he handles some paperwork and persuades Revonna Renslayer to allow him continue employing Loki in this new variation case. He assumes it was a gift from a different agent she likes, possibly the same one who gave her a memento from a previous case in the form of a snowglobe.
We predict that Mobius will eventually learn about this fact and conclude that Renslayer is up to something sinister. It’s the kind of tiny clue that, when discovered, would make perfect sense to a detective seeking to solve a mystery. That may imply that this crooked Loki counterpart is trying to foil Renslayer’s scheme and may not actually be the main antagonist of the series.
Se7en Needle Drop
A little bit of David Fincher may be seen in Loki, which has a look that is evocative of both Se7en and Zodiac. But there is actually a much more overt allusion to Se7en, and the director Kate Herron has even confirmed it. The filmmaker has acknowledged: “I’m sure aficionados of that movie will spot the little needle drop reference to Se7en in episode 2 right away.”
When Loki seeks to gain access to more resources from the Time Variance Authority library, the needle drops in question. He seeks assistance from a clerk who is playing Johann Sebastian Bach’s Orchestral Suite no. 3 in D major. That song just so happens to be playing in Fincher’s dark masterpiece when Detective Mills (Brad Pitt) and Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman) are doing their study on the murderer they’re looking for. We’d better play “In Motion” from the Social Network soundtrack when Loki is working diligently the next time in the library.
Thor #372
We adore the subtle nods to comic books that appear in Marvel Studios’ productions for film and television. In this instance, the TVA library’s background features the number 372. Just as this is the TVA’s second debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor #372 also happens to be the TVA’s second appearance in Marvel Comics.
Roxxcart
They wind up in the middle of a storm shelter at a superstore named Roxxcart when Loki discovers that the TVA needs to start looking at places where huge disasters are occurring that can conceal when a variant event is taking place. This alludes to Roxxon, a huge organisation from Marvel Comics. Roxxon has been mentioned in previous Marvel TV shows, including Agents of SHIELD, Daredevil, Runaways, and even Cloak & Dagger. However, Roxxon has an even more intriguing connection to Marvel Comics.
Roxxon had a significant role in Thorcomics during the tenure of Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman. That’s also the comic book arc that, as we’ll see in Thor: Love & Thunder next year, transforms Jane Foster into the Mighty Thor. Maybe that sequel will include another visit from Roxxon (or Roxxcart).
Marvel Locations Attacked on the Timeline
Many important Marvel locations are involved in the attack when the Variant (more on that later) launches a number of TVA reset grenades at various points on the Sacred Timeline. Here they are along with a brief reference to where we’ve previously seen them:
- Vormir April 23, 2301 The planet where the Soul Stone had to be retrieved in Avengers: Endgame
- Asgard February 16, 2004 Thor’s homeworld
- Sakaar, Tayo August 13, 1984 The junkyard planet from Thor: Ragnarok
- Ego December 27, 1382 Star-Lord’s father, who was a living planet
- Titan October 13, 1982 The moon of Saturn where Thanos hails from
- Hala January 3, 0051 The home planet of the Kree from Guardians of the Galaxy
- Xandar September 24, 1001 The home planet of Nova Corps. from Guardians of the Galaxy
There doesn’t appear to be a rhyme or reason for the references to actual locations on Earth to be included in this attack, at least not yet. There don’t seem to be many significant catastrophes or noteworthy historical events to make them renowned. Perhaps a member of the Lokicrew is paying homage to their home state of Tennessee as the towns of Kingsport and Cookeville are both located there. Additionally, New York 1947—the year that a portion of the Agent Carter series took place—is mentioned. That might stoke the fire surrounding a certain Captain America time travel rumour.
Also worth mentioning is that Knowhere and Niflheim are depicted before the timeline unravels. The mining settlement of Exitar is located in Knowhere, which also houses the severed head of a deceased Celestial avatar. In Guardians of the Galaxy, it was also where the Collector kept all of his many possessions. Niflheim, on the other hand, is the home of the Frost Giants. On one of the TVA monitors, Nidavellir is also mentioned in passing. This is the star where Thor, Rocket, and Groot travelled in Avengers: Infinity War in order to build Stormbreaker in order to slay Thanos.
A-23 and San Diego
Mobius refers to a snowglobe that is resting on Ravonna Renslayer’s shelf in an earlier scene as a prize from a previous case. He can’t help but call it out because it’s from a case he wasn’t involved with. The base is revealed in a subsequent picture, and it bears the name “San Diego”; at first, it is too far away to make out any details of what it might be. There isn’t anything in Marvel Comics concerning snowglobes and San Diego, but we believe this might be a hint to visitors to that city for Comic-Con.
We witness Ravonna Renslayer in her office as the chronology begins to spiral out of control, reaching for her baton that is stored nearby with her other awards. Her previous Minutemen helmet, which she wore when she worked for the TVA in a lower position, is one among the other objects that is positioned there. Her helmet has the designation A-23 painted on it. Marvel Comics’ Renslayer made his debut in issue 23 of Avengers.
Sylvie Lushton?!
The new role played by Sophia Di Martino is referred to in Loki as “The Variant” in the credits. Everyone, including ourselves, has assumed that this is Lady Loki because she is a woman and she is shown by the TVA as a female version of the God of Mischief. However, “The Variant”—who is wholly distinct from Lady Loki—is listed in the Castilian Spanish credits under the name Sylvie.
Sylvie Lushton, a human girl from Oklahoma who appears in Marvel Comics, acquires magical abilities soon after the Asgardians establish their new home in Oklahoma. Loki, who was engaging in some of his old conniving, actually gave her these abilities because he “loved the concept of creating a mortal who suspects she’s one of my kind.” What a moron.
Later on, Sylvie assumes the identity of Enchantress, not to be confused with the Suicide Squad character of the same name. She might be angry at Loki for mistreating her so carelessly and seeking retribution. She explicitly states to Loki, however, that her actions have nothing to do with him. There are many options here, but as we have only had a brief interaction with this individual thus far, we are unsure of what to anticipate just yet.
The second episode ofLokiis streaming now on Disney+.
