Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Immortal Thor #7! The relationship between Thor and Loki has consistently been tumultuous at best, murderous at worst, and always heartbreakingly tragic. And now, that sentiment rings even more true after fans learn Thor’s new ‘nickname’ for himself that he coined for the sole purpose of antagonizing Loki – perhaps, even, to the point of villainy.
In a preview for The Immortal Thor #7 by Al Ewing and Martín Cóccolo, Loki is in the middle of recanting a quest from their shared past with Thor. As much younger gods, Loki and Thor went on a mission to see Skrymir of Utgard. The two arrive at the giant’s castle, only to find a large, locked door they cannot break through. Loki says that maybe they should turn back, only for Thor to smack him on the head and call Loki a coward, while simultaneously calling himself the cruel, aforementioned new nickname: ‘the True Son of Odin’.
Thor calls himself the True Son of Odin, which is something Loki jokingly repeats, assuredly in an effort to make light of a comment that fans know is a sensitive topic for him. The very nature of Loki’s villainy is born from him feeling inadequate, and like he doesn’t belong. That’s what pushed Loki to fight so hard for the throne of Asgard during his prime as a Marvel Comics villain, to prove that he was also a ‘true son of Odin’. And now, it’s revealed that Thor had been stoking that villainous fire within Loki their entire childhood.
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Thor’s New Nickname Suggests He Helped Turn Loki into a Villain
‘The True Son of Odin’ is a constant reminder of what Loki isn’t, and was desperate to prove.
While Loki is now more of a mischievous ally to Thor than an outright villain, their original villain/hero relationship was always so much more impactful than basically any other due to the fact that, throughout their entire childhood, they were good friends as well as siblings. The two went on adventures together, like the one in this issue, and they regularly teased each other just as friends and siblings do. However, Thor was blind to how badly he hurt Loki with every slight, which is why he eventually apologized to his sibling later in life.
Thor didn’t know how his own arrogance and bullying would truly impact Loki. He thought it was all in good fun, but Loki was sensitive to the fact that they were adopted, and didn’t feel like a true member of their own family. And with Thor giving himself nicknames like this, it’s easy to see why Loki would feel this way. Thor reinforced all of Loki’s worst anxieties for hundreds of years during their adolescence, meaning slights like this new nickname were the very things that may have driven Loki to villainy in the first place.
Thor’s New Nickname is a Perfect Example of How Much He’s Changed
This ‘nickname’ isn’t just an example of the type of casual bullying Loki experienced from Thor throughout their lives that perhaps contributed to Loki becoming a villain, but it also shows how much Thor himself has changed. Before he was cast to Earth by Odin to learn humility – and long before he became the All-Father himself – Thor was an arrogant warrior/adventurer who thought very little of anyone who wasn’t him. This allowed him to conquer lesser foes with ease, without pity or empathy, but it also made him cruel even towards people he claimed to love – including Loki.
While this ‘nickname’ might be new to fans, it’s one that Thor gave himself hundreds of years before the current time period of Marvel Comics canon, meaning it’s not one that’s going to stick around. However, it does offer great insight into the nature of Thor and Loki’s relationship, and makes it much more tragic than fans knew.
The Immortal Thor #7 by Marvel Comics is available February 28, 2024.
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