History Characters / MarvelComicsLoki

* AmplifierArtifact: The Norn Stones are his most prominent, though he has a collection of these.

* CoolHelmet: Complete with [[CrownOfHorns horns]], although it looks better on his live action incarnation.

* DaddysLittleVillain: {{Averted|Trope}}. His [[SarcasmMode dear]] ComicBook/{{Hela}} is neither little -- thrice his size, in fact (apparently giantism skips a generation) -- nor particularly fond of him. Their relationship is rather ... strained, at best, and though they sometimes co-operate, she generally wants nothing to do with him. Unfortunately for him, as the Goddess of the Dead she is much more powerful than he is as well, and worse, he may even be destined to someday end up in her custody. Apparently, she thinks him rather ... childish; he's the God of Mischief, after all. [[spoiler:Though the fact that she's not really his daughter at all might have something to do with it.]]

* DeadpanSnarker: Very much so.
* DistaffCounterpart: So unmatched is Loki that he is his ''own'' DistaffCounterpart. [[ComicBook/EarthX Not for the first time, either.]]

* DoppelgangerSpin: He had this power since the first Avengers story, though he uses it more frequently in the movies.
* EasilyForgiven:
** Thor and Odin ''always'' forgive him in the end and give him another chance, but he refuses to accept their mercy.
** Averted with his return as a child. Odin has apparently run out of patience, with Thor being the only reason he has not been banished or killed. The ''only'' person who has forgiven him is Thor. Everyone else wants to kill him.

* EvilChancellor: Prince Balder could not have had [[BlatantLies a more trustworthy adviser...]]

* HandBlast: Just in case you start thinking he's all guile and manipulation, he can certainly take care of himself in battle with these.

* RedemptionEqualsDeath: The first time he took responsibility for his deeds and sided with heroes, he got torn apart by an eldritch horror.
* {{Retcanon}}: As alluded to in the Progressively Prettier section, Loki was redesigned to be much more conventionally attractive thanks to the popularity of Creator/TomHiddleston's portrayal of him in the movies.

* SiblingRivalry: With Thor, of course.
* SorcerousOverlord: On the occasions he managed to ascend to the throne of Asgard.

* SuperpowerLottery: When you are from a race of {{Physical God}}s that can lift tons above one's head and has mastery over sorcery, this isn't really surprising. [[http://www.killermovies.com/forums/f98/t551221.html This website]] recounts his powers and abilities.
* SuperStrength: While not on the level of Thor, he still ''is'' a Frost Giant, and much stronger than humans by far. Eric Masterson found this out the hard way.
** During a magic brawl with Strange, Zelma Stanton tries breaking them up by nullifying Loki and Strange's magic. Unfortunately, the spell only cancels their magic, leaving Strange a mere human and Loki with his inherent Frost Giant strength, which he proceeds to use to send Strange flying with his fist.

* VoluntaryShapeshifting: When disguises are called for, mostly.

* {{Archenemy}}: To Thor.

* TheBadGuyWins: Several times, he has succeeded in his quest to rule Asgard. In early issues, this was done by stealing his adoptive father's Odin-ring, which made him supreme ruler. When Thor tried to protest, their father responded by [[http://www.supermegamonkey.net/chronocomic/entries/scans13/T191_Mouth.jpg removing his mouth]]. Of course, such conquests rarely last more than a few issues.

* BlackMagic: He uses this often.

* CainAndAbel: He's the Cain to Thor's Abel.
* CardCarryingVillain: He ''is'' the God of Mischief and Evil, after all.

* DistaffCounterpart: Loki bears the dubious honor of being one of the few characters to become his ''own'' DistaffCounterpart.

* EvilChancellor: To Balder, during his tenure as Asgard's king in the JMS run.

* HandBlast: One of his main forms of attack.

** He also gave The Hood some [[AmplifierArtifact Norn Stones]] when his arrangement with Dormammu predictably took a bad turn. He's quite fond of this. He didn't let The Hood keep the Norn Stones since he found the Avengers needed them to fight [[ComicBook/TheSentry the Void]]. After all, he wouldn't let somebody keep something like those even if he needed them himself.

* IgnoredAesop: Under Jason Aaron's run, Story Loki has completely forgotten the CharacterDevelopment that they had undergone throughout ''Agent of Asgard'' and has resumed playing the role as the villain/AntiHero. [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation Or just chose to play that role to keep the story going]]. [[spoiler:They actually temporarily erased their memories to become their future prime counterpart, eventually regaining them]].

* MagicStaff: Gained one in the last issues of ''Agent of Asgard''. Technically it's Freyja's StaffOfAuthority transformed by King Loki into the shape known from Film/TheAvengers2012. Later completed by Story!Loki who added the [[SealedEvilInACan jewel]] to it... as in the soul (story) of King Loki.

* [[ShesAllGrownUp They're All Grown Up]]: They took over the body of Kid Loki but later while with the Young Avengers, they become the very attractive Teen Loki thanks to Wiccan.
-->'''Kate''': ''Now'' he looks like trouble.

* ThatManIsDead: They're pretty adamant on claiming that past Loki died in the ''Siege'', and they aren't him. Which can also read as a toned down version of NeverMyFault in this case. [[spoiler:Meaning they say that they're not the murderer, but the weapon, and insist that they didn't really have any choice in how Loki's last gambit would play out. Issue 13 of ''Agent of Asgard'' proves this is, for all intents and purposes, true.]]

* TokenEvilTeammate: Of the ''Young Avengers'', albeit their level of evil is up to debate. [[spoiler:Were more evil than they claimed to, but also less evil than they thought themselves to be.]] Even after leaving the team at least Miss America considers them her [[FriendlyEnemy frenemy]].

** Loki's role in ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld''. Malekith killed his and Thor's mother Frigga, and Thor convinced him to go along with a plan of his for revenge.

* CrownOfHorns: Loki has more or less always worn a crown, helmet, or headdress with two horns projecting at the front. In early appearances, the horns were quite implausibly huge; later artists were usually more restrained, though more flamboyant treatments have periodically reverted to the "infeasibly large horns" version. (The Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse treatment of the character has picked up this idea from the comics.)

* CoolAndUnusualPunishment: In ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'', after his defeat at the end of the first season, Odin locked him in a prison wherein a giant snake dripped poison into his eyes. A punishment copied from the original mythology, no less.

* ''ComicBook/{{Loki|2004}} Vol. 1'' (2004 miniseries)

* ''ComicBook/{{Loki}} Vol. 2'' (2010–2011)

* ''ComicBook/{{Loki}} Vol. 3'' (2019-2020)

Loki returned as a woman, but regained his masculinity in short order, and once again worked towards taking over Asgard and the defeat of Thor. But Loki paid a heavy price for his actions and he died once again, only to rise once more, this time as a child; as he had schemed to manipulate Hela into having his name removed from the Book of Hel, thus when he died, he would be reborn instead of truly dying. Kid Loki was innocent and trusting, but still as wily as the God of Mischief was.

[[AC:Anime]]

* TheTease: Loki flirts with ''everybody''. It's a bit harder to notice when they look like a kid because most people have Anti-ShippingGoggles for that sort of thing. But yes, they do it with almost everybody, guys, gals, it's the same for them.

!! Tropes associated with Loki and his various incarnations:

* AdaptationDyeJob: While the myths never mention Loki's hair color, many depictions portray him with red hair, whereas in here he is a brunette.
* AffablyEvil: Depending on his mood, but just because he's [[ManipulativeBastard a ruthless manipulator]] doesn't mean he can't be ''civil'' about it.

* AmnesiacDissonance: The point of the "Kid Loki" arc – he was a preteen again, with no memories from before his preteen years (except for in his nightmares). Therefore he does not remember his hatred of Thor, which started when they were teens. Instead, he [[BigBrotherWorship adores him]]. [[spoiler:Eventually he came to remember him, but his feelings towards him remained warm.]]

* AstralProjection: One of his numerous skills is to project his spirit.
* TheBadGuyWins: Several times, he has succeeded in his quest to rule Asgard. In early issues, this was done by stealing his adoptive father's Odin-ring, which made him supreme ruler. When Thor tried to protest, their father responded by [[http://www.supermegamonkey.net/chronocomic/entries/scans13/T191_Mouth.jpg removing his mouth]]. Of course, such conquests rarely last more than a few issues.

** He also served as this during the first season of ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes''.

* BuffySpeak: He's approximately equivalent to a human of about twenty-one years of age now that he's gotten a fresh start in a new body, and has become quite fond of Western pop culture. Is it any wonder he sometimes does the... adjective fail thingy?

* CardCarryingVillain: He ''is'' the God of Mischief and Evil, after all. [[spoiler:His future self, King Loki, laughs his ass off at the assumption that a magic sword, which forces anyone stabbed by it to face the whole truth about himself can have any effect on him - he knows exactly what a villain he is and loves every moment of it.]]
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: His original incarnation was evil, hated Thor and wanted nothing more than to rule Asgard. Since his subsequent rebirths, he's more neutral than evil, is on semi-good terms with Thor and doesn't have any interest in ruling Asgard.

* ChronicVillainy: [[spoiler:Right before allowing himself to be overwritten by his memories]], his child self called him out on it.

* DatingCatwoman: He once had a prolonged relationship with ComicBook/{{Storm|MarvelComics}} of the ComicBook/XMen, when she and the ComicBook/NewMutants were stranded in Asgard -- he even gave her back her ElementalPowers, as she had been depowered at the time. When he was... persuaded... to send them all back to Midgard, he offered her a chance to stay with him as his queen, and even admitted that being with her might have been worth losing the throne. While she turned down his offer, he sentimentally took the molten remains of the thunder-hammer he had used to empower her and reshape it into a statue of her to keep as a memento.

* DeadpanSnarker: Very much so. His live action incarnation has some moments of this that are likely the funniest moments in the ''Avengers'' film.
* DealWithTheDevil: He has been pressed-ganged into deals with actual devils at times, such as his forced alliance with [[ComicBook/DoctorStrange the dreaded Dormammu]], but he has been on the better end of this more often than not; Crusher Creel, the Absorbing Man, is just one of many mortals who have gained [[SuperEmpowering special gifts]] courtesy of him.

** Initially averted with his Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse incarnation. Thor and Odin do not forgive him after his attempted invasion of Migard, and Thor only releases him since he expected him to help deal with Malekith. But eventually played straight in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'', where [[spoiler:Odin declares his love and even praises Loki for managing to enchant him before dying, and Thor and Loki finally reconcile after Loki returns in a BigDamnHeroes moment to evacuate Asgard.]]

* KickTheDog: [[https://dcomixologyssl.sslcs.cdngc.net/i/4086/8795/4d9cb7145821a.jpg?h=dd60ac78ce18512a49eb6ee95cdc5975 When confronting the Power Pack]], he used the fact that their grandmother was dying to his advantage and taunted them about it.

* LevelAte: One of his [[EvilIsPetty more frivolous]] acts of mischief was to change buildings and cars into candy.

* MindControl: He has used this on the [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Hulk]] and various others, mortal and otherwise, with varying degrees of success. As an EvilSorcerer, he can do it any time, but how effective it is depends on the mind.

* NotDistractedByTheSexy: He is not so easily swayed by a pretty face and body, but on occasion he has been distracted by [[WorldsMostBeautifulWoman both Lorelei and her sister Amora the Enchantress]].

* OtherworldlyAndSexuallyAmbiguous: His younger self [[spoiler:and also his later God(dess) of Stories incarnate]] would change gender for no reason other that they could (and he only could like he was thanks to some limitations placed on his shapeshifting those days), and would also identify accordingly. Yes. That's ''Goddess'', or ''Mistress'' or generally ''she'' when Loki is a woman. Thank you very much.
* PapaWolf: His relationship with his children can be strained ''at best'', but as it became evident with his (temporary) partnership with Spider-Man, he ''does'' [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes care for his progeny]], and as Morwen [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown painfully learned]], [[RoaringRampageOfRescue he does not take lightly anyone possessing them]].

* PetTheDog:
** After his plan to lure the X-Men and New Mutants to Asgard culminated in him having to return them all to Earth while he gained nothing from his efforts, while he deprived most of them of the new powers or gifts they had acquired during their time there, he specifically stated that he wouldn't be so cruel as to subject Karma to regaining the excess weight she'd lost during her time there (prior to her coming to Asgard, Karma had been possessed by the Shadow King and her body had bloated up considerably as the villain indulged his appetites, only slimming down due to the strain of her time in the deserts around Asgard).
** When he becomes king of Jotunheim, he comes across another runt frost giant about to be killed by some of his kin for stealing the lid to a pot. Loki empathizes with the giant and protects him, even giving him a special position so the other giants will not harm him.

* TakeOverTheWorld: Loki seeks to become the lord of all creation and someday make [[KneelBeforeZod all bow before him]].

* TookALevelInBadass: In his earliest appearances, he was more of a nuisance than a major threat, but it wasn't long before Loki became ''truly'' menacing.
* {{Troll}}: Ironically for a guy who comes from a race named "Frost ''Giants''," he does occasionally scheme, manipulate, annoy or outright hurt people just for "[[ForTheEvulz funsies]]".
* UglyGuyHotWife: Loki used to be ugly, yet his wife was the beautiful Sigyn. He also had a brief love affair with Lorelei.
* TheUnfavorite: He considers himself Odin's least-favourite son and wants to make him regret what he considers as having [[WellDoneSonGuy underestimated him]] by making all of Asgard bow at him feet. Or, as his [[spoiler:God of Stories incarnation]] decided, [[StoppedCaring screw them]]; they won't sacrifice themselves for their acceptance anymore. [[spoiler:He refused Odin's "SoProudOfYou" and mocked his King!Loki incarnation for wanting it in the first place]]. [[CueTheFlyingPigs Well yes]]. It '''was''' the [[ComicBook/SecretWars2015 end of the world]].

* VillainTeamUp: He will sometimes work with other villlains if needed. He once led almost every mortal villain to perform [[TitleDrop Acts of Vengeance]].

* WouldntHurtAChild: At least until his teen incarnation came around. Turns out existentially scarring himself by [[spoiler:destroying and assimilating his child self]] got him slightly fond of them, so he's at least against child murder, as the Angels of Heven can attest. Wiccan owes his life to his [[spoiler:[[ConscienceMakesYouGoBack unwillingness to complete the plan]] of [[DrivenToSuicide tricking him into committing suicide]]]], even if he endangered the world by doing so.

%%* {{Archenemy}}: To Thor.

%%* BlackMagic: He uses this often.

%%* CainAndAbel: He's the Cain to Thor's Abel.

* ChronicVillainy: No matter how many second chances Thor and Asgard are prepared to give him, Loki simply can't seem to help but play the villain's part. This becomes a plot point in ''Agent of Asgard''. [[spoiler: No matter how much he himself wanted to change, because everyone wanted him to be the villain it was the role he would take.]]

* PetTheDog: When his mortal daughter Tess Black gets possessed by an ancient sorceress of chaos, Loki goes out of his way to save her, and considers himself indebted to Spider-man for helping him save her.

* AmnesiacsAreInnocent / AmnesiacDissonance: Loki has no memories of his adult self's evil acts, or his motivations for committing them.

* AmbitionIsEvil: One of his main ambitions is to take the throne of Asgard, and he'll stop at nothing to take it.

** Of many ''Thor'' stories, as well as both the first [[ComicBook/TheAvengers Avengers]] story and the [[Film/TheAvengers2012 film]] (though, admittedly in the latter he was in an alliance with [[spoiler:ComicBook/{{Thanos}}]], but he stayed [[TheManBehindTheMan in the shadows]] the entire time). [[spoiler:He's also the true villain of ''ComicBook/JourneyIntoMystery'' and ''ComicBook/LokiAgentOfAsgard'', despite being the hero of both; Loki is truly complicated.]]

* ClassicVillain: {{Pride}} and Ambition are his principal traits, and he also possesses [[GreenEyedMonster Envy]].

* OtherworldlyAndSexuallyAmbiguous: His younger self [[spoiler:and also his later God(dess) of Stories incarnate]] would change gender for no reason other that he could (and he only could like he was thanks to some limitations placed on his shapeshifting those days), and would also identify accordingly. Yes. That's ''Goddess'', or ''Mistress'' or generally ''she'' when Loki is a woman. Thank you very much.

* PrettyBoy: His ''ComicBook/LokiAgentOfAsgard'' and Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse incarnations certainly typify this trope.

* RedemptionDemotion: After his death in ''Siege'', the subsequent Lokis that came after the original were far less capable in their sorcery than the original. However, it's justified for both Kid and Teen Loki. For the former, being reborn meant that his young body is incapable of handling of such magicks. As for the latter, it's simply because he's too [[BrilliantButLazy lazy]] to bother himself from learning the advanced stuff, instead relying on his guile and manipulative nature to get ahead, and it works.

** His Ultimate incarnation does, however, hew more true to the original myth, though he's still Thor's adoptive brother.

* SealedEvilInACan:
** Odin once imprisoned Loki in a tree. He would become free only if his plight caused someone to shed a tear. No one missed him strongly enough to want to cry, so he resorted to [[WhenTreesAttack poking Heimdall in the eye with a leaf]].
** Something similar happened to his Ultimate incarnation, imprisoned in "The Room Without Doors" for causing Ragnarok, though he was eventually freed by a human accomplice.
* SiblingRivalry: With Thor, of course. ''Film/{{Thor}}'' highlighted his conflict with him and what it was like growing up in his shadow.
* SmugSnake: He's extremely overconfident, and his plans don't go ''quite'' the way he wants them to, including occasions in which he's the one responsible for his own failures, and does not take them as well as he could. But if you were a PhysicalGod and master of sorcery with a genius level intellect, you'd be high on yourself too.

* SuperEmpowering:
** He turned Crusher Creel into the Absorbing Man and has given powers to several other less known villains.
** He also gave The Hood some [[AmplifierArtifact Norn Stones]] when his arrangement with Dormammu predictably took a bad turn. He's quite fond of this. He didn't let The Hood keep the Norn Stones since he found the Avengers needed them to fight [[ComicBook/TheSentry the Void]]. After all, he wouldn't let somebody keep something like those even if he needed them himself.

* ThoseWackyNazis: His Ultimate Universe's incarnation utilized Nazis to attack Asgard, and bring about Ragnarok.

* TrashLanding: His confrontation with Sigurd (the Ever-Glorious) resulted in them falling into a pile of trash. The rest of that confrontation... [[CurbStompBattle did not go well for Loki]]. Loki still managed to get the last laugh on him, though.

* TheUnfavorite: He considers himself Odin's least-favourite son and wants to make him regret what he considers as having [[WellDoneSonGuy underestimated him]] by making all of Asgard bow at him feet. Or, as his [[spoiler:God of Stories incarnation]] decided, [[StoppedCaring screw them]]; he won't sacrifice himself for their acceptance anymore. [[spoiler:He refused Odin's "SoProudOfYou" and mocked his King!Loki incarnation for wanting it in the first place]]. [[CueTheFlyingPigs Well yes]]. It '''was''' the [[ComicBook/SecretWars2015 end of the world]].

* WeaksauceWeakness: When he first appeared, he had one - he couldn't use his powers ''when wet''. Against Thor, who as God of Thunder can easily make it rain. Do you wonder why this is ignored now?

* DisappearedDad: Discounting his relationship with his iconic children (Jormundgandr, Fenris and Hela), Loki hasn't been a stellar father to the children he sired with human women either.

%%* EvilChancellor: To Balder, during his tenure as Asgard's king in the JMS run.

%%* HandBlast: One of his main forms of attack.

* ItsAllAboutMe: No matter what he says, just about everything he does is self-serving.

* NiceJobFixingItVillain: He once schemed to pit Thor in a deadly battle against the [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Hulk]], but ComicBook/IronMan, ComicBook/AntMan and ComicBook/TheWasp showed up as well. Loki's plot was soon uncovered, and -- much to his later irritation -- he ended up inadvertently bringing the Avengers together.
* TheNthDoctor: Loki erased himself from Hela's books in ComicBook/DarkReign so no Loki goes to the afterlife since. Which means when a new one arrives after an unfortunate death, which is predictable as DeathIsCheap in comics, he/she/them will be a different person (so the Loki of the past is not the same as Kid or the 3rd despite all being Loki). He wasn't aiming for this effect, but when did Loki's plans ever not involved unexpected consequences?

* SealedEvilInACan: In his first [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] comic appearance, he had been magically imprisoned inside a tree by Odin as punishment for his antics.

* StartOfDarkness: Loki was originally a weak and abnormally short Giant, who was regularly belittled by his own parents. However, following an encounter with his time travelling future self, Loki embraced his inner hatred and manipulated his own father into fighting a losing battle against Odin. This in turn led to him being adopted by Odin, then growing up into one of the most fearsome villains in the Marvel universe.

* AmbiguousGender: This Loki can be a woman whenever they feel like, and would do so for no other reason. Odin outright calls them his "child who is both his son and daughter" on at least two occasions.

* EvilAllAlong: They were this at the beginning of Young Avengers. If we go by his future self, they've gonna be this eventually despite all their good intentions. [[spoiler:They do manage to avert ''that'' particular evil future self that was plaguing them at least.]]

* HometownNickname: In Ms. Marvel, Bruno (one of Kamala's friends) called them "Hipster Viking" not because he knew they were from Asgard, but because he thought they were from Williamsburg (apparently people from funds dress weird there).

** Invokes this Trope by comparing themselves to [[Series/GameOfThrones Tyrion Lannister]] to convince the Young Avengers to trust them.

* ThatManIsDead: They're pretty adamant on claiming that past Loki died in the ''Siege'', and they aren't him. Which can also read as a toned down version of NeverMyFault in this case. [[spoiler:Meaning they say that they're not the murderer, but the weapon, and insist that they didn't really have any choice in how Loki's last gambit would play out. Issue 13 of Agent of Asgard proves this is, for all intents and purposes, true.]]

* ForWantOfANail: Their presence and meddling unwittingly derailed the timeline quite a bit. Them possessing Thor made the All-Mother ask Loki to become Asgard's agent, and their continued presence worked wonders on Loki's "human" connections (with Lorelei, Verity, Sigurd, and Odin). And when they wanted to see Thor and Angela fight he averted a bloody war (and caused the whole Angela series). etc. In ''Loki: Agent of Asgard'' #6 their future still qualified as a CloseEnoughTimeline, but that was ''before'' the current Loki decided to break it entirely. Also there is an official alternate universe number (Earth-14412) for it now. In 2019's ''Thor'' #12, however, they tell Loki that Earth-14412 is inevitable. Bare in mind, though, that that issue is a dream sequence full of out of character moments and general nonsense, and the Venom!Loki in it isn't much like the version from ''Loki: Agent of Asgard'' this entry is about. What this implies is up to the reader.

* MagicStaff: Gained one in the last issues of Agent of Asgard. Technically it's Freyja's StaffOfAuthority transformed by King Loki into the shape known from Film/TheAvengers2012. Later completed by Story!Loki who added the [[SealedEvilInACan jewel]] to it... as in the soul (story) of King Loki.

* AbusiveParents: Laufey was ''not'' a good father. In one particularly [[TearJerker poignant]] scene, a time-travelling adult Loki took revenge on a wounded Laufey with a sword, screaming "YOU WILL NEVER STRIKE ME AGAIN!"
* AffablyEvil: Depending on his mood, it can become FauxAffablyEvil.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Thor was this to Loki during their childhood in Asgard. This, coupled with AbusiveParents above, is basically Loki's FreudianExcuse.

* {{Archenemy}}: To Thor.

* BlackMagic: He uses this often.

* BrainsEvilBrawnGood: In comparison to Thor.
* BreakoutVillain: In the movies. In the comics the general consensus was that he was sort of cool sometimes but also one note (almost everything he ever did went back to his FreudianExcuse sooner or later). Until his death and rebirth as Kid Loki that is.
* CainAndAbel: He's the Cain to Thor's Abel.

* ChronicVillainy: No matter how many second chances Thor and Asgard are prepared to give him, Loki simply can't seem to help but play the villain's part.
** This becomes a plot point in ''Agent of Asgard''. [[spoiler: No matter how much he himself wanted to change, because everyone wanted him to be the villain it was the role he would take.]]
* ConsummateLiar: Loki is the god of this trope, as he is literally the God of Lies (well, occasionally he'll also deny it just for the heck of it). He also manages to play with it -- people know they can't trust him, so he simply factors in the not being trusted into what he says. He's literally so good that he can manipulate a person when they know who he is, that he's evil, and that he's probably manipulating them and shouldn't be trusted.
** In ''ComicBook/LokiAgentOfAsgard'' they even befriended a LivingLieDetector (Verity Willis, who is pretty much BlessedWithSuck, both because of her power and the friendship) and then successfully lied to her. She sarcastically congratulated to the feat later.
* CoolHelmet: His iconic horned helmet.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Loki's early childhood which is littered with implications of neglect and possible physical abuse. Also the fact he's a runt giant, which means he's like 1/5 the size of his kindred. This is often an explanation for his self-loathing and mean behavior.

** Though averted with Loki's return as a kid; Odin has apparently run out of patience, with Thor being the only reason Kid Loki has not been banished or killed. The ''only'' person who has forgiven Loki is Thor. Everyone else wants to kill him.

* EvilChancellor: To Balder, during his tenure as Asgard's king in the JMS run.
* EvilMentor: In magic, to his son Vali and later to [[{{ComicBook/YoungAvengers}} Wiccan]].

* GodOfEvil: ...and mischief and lies.
* HandBlast: One of his main forms of attack.
* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: Loki actually hates himself and has a raging inferiority complex. However, he loves to hide it behind false arrogance and superiority.
** We see more of the unmasked inferiority complex with Loki as a child, since he's a kid who knows everyone but his big brother hates him... and worse, that the person he used to be means he ''deserves'' it.

** He actually insists that he's not really the "God of Lies", just mischief. Of course, he's such a good liar anyway, who could ever tell?
** He's so good that even when people know not to trust him (which has been Status Quo for fifteen real-time years), he still ends up manipulating them anyways.
* TheManBehindTheMan: A number of Thor's other enemies were created by Loki.
* MasterOfIllusion: He loves this, so he uses this to trick his opponent or escape.
* MemoryGambit / CloningGambit: [[spoiler:The reason for Kid Loki's existence proved to be this.]]

* NiceJobFixingItVillain: He once schemed to pit Thor in a deadly battle against the [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Hulk]], but [[ComicBook/IronMan some]] [[ComicBook/AntMan other]] [[ComicBook/TheWasp heroes]] showed up as well. Loki's plot was soon uncovered, and -- much to his later irritation -- he ended up inadvertently bringing the Avengers together.

** BackFromTheDead: Fortunately, Thor brings him back to life, now as a child with no memory of his evil deeds or his previous life beyond the age of twelve, but still has the guilt of what happened. With Thor's encouragement he becomes a kid hero.

* ThirdPersonPerson: Has a habit of doing this in various comics.
** Ikol did it as well, but it makes sense since he is no longer Loki, Kid Loki is. Of course, Ikol also refers to "Loki" in the sense of what Loki means to the world at large and as a being, not directly referencing Kid-Loki.

* AbortedArc: Subverted. Franchise/SpiderMan once aided him in subduing his wayward daughter, leaving Loki with [[http://arousinggrammardotcom.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/spiderloki12.jpg a debt to pay.]] Due to the Siege, and other [[ComicBook/OneMoreDay events]], it seemed doubtful he'd ever have the chance, but in ''Amazing Spider-Man'' #795 (Feb. 2018) Loki finally pays it.

* DealWithTheDevil: He has been pressed-ganged into deals with actual devils at times, such as his forced alliance with [[Comicbook/DoctorStrange the dreaded Dormammu]], but he has been on the better end of this more often than not; Crusher Creel, the Absorbing Man, is just one of many mortals who have gained [[SuperEmpowering special gifts]] courtesy of him.

* ForTheEvulz: Comicbook/NormanOsborn was an amusing toy for him... for a while.

* MotherOfAThousandYoung: As Franchise/SpiderMan was once surprised to learn, [[ReallyGetsAround Norse gods have a lot of time on their hands.]] While most of Loki's children are normal enough and mortal, he does have a few that are either immortal, such as Hela and Vali Halfling, or have... not inherited his handsome looks, such as Fenrir and the Midgard Serpent.

** This became more difficult in the Autumn 2014 event ''Comicbook/{{Axis}}'', due to the Comicbook/RedSkull tampering with the brain of Charles Xavier and letting himself be possessed by ComicBook/{{Onslaught}}. Not to mention Doctor Doom trying to kill him to prevent him from what he'll become afterward. [[spoiler:Loki simply broke the timeline and freed himself from that particular future for good.]]

* TheUnfavorite: He considers himself Odin's least-favourite son and wants to make him regret what he considers as having [[WellDoneSonGuy underestimated him]] by making all of Asgard bow at him feet. Or, as his [[spoiler:God of Stories incarnation]] decided, [[StoppedCaring screw them]]; he won't sacrifice himself for their acceptance anymore. [[spoiler:He refused Odin's "SoProudOfYou" and mocked his King!Loki incarnation for wanting it in the first place]]. [[CueTheFlyingPigs Well yes]]. It '''was''' the [[Comicbook/SecretWars2015 end of the world]].

* BigBad: Of many ''Thor'' stories, being Thor's ArchEnemy, as well as the first ''[[Comicbook/TheAvengers Avengers]]'' story, and one of the main threats in the Marvel Universe.

* ChildOfTwoWorlds: Rarely touched upon but the fact that he is a small Frost Giant adopted by Asgardians; hated, feared and mistrusted by ''both'', really didn't help their mental state or identity issues. In Comicbook/{{Thor 2014}} as Spoiler Character 2 (probably) denied both. [[IAmWhatIAm Loki is Loki]].

** In ''Comicbook/LokiAgentOfAsgard'' they even befriended a LivingLieDetector (Verity Willis, who is pretty much BlessedWithSuck, both because of her power and the friendship) and then successfully lied to her. She sarcastically congratulated to the feat later.

* EvilMentor: In magic, to his son Vali and later to [[{{Comicbook/YoungAvengers}} Wiccan]].

* RedemptionEqualsDeath: During the ''Comicbook/{{Siege}}'' event, Loki realizes that he's been making a massive mistake: He wanted to make Asgard greater than ever, but let his hatred of Thor get in the way of that. [[spoiler: In a last ditch effort to stop the Void, he uses the Norn stones to empower the New Avengers to give them a fighting chance. When this doesn't work, Loki takes the full brunt of the Void, dying while tearfully apologizing to Thor.]]

After his death in ''Comicbook/{{Siege}}'', Comicbook/{{Loki}} was resurrected as a preteen without his adult memories, powers, or emotional baggage. He was the lead character during the run of Creator/KieronGillen on ''ComicBook/JourneyIntoMystery''.

[[PronounTrouble He/she]]... or rather they... are the Loki who was born from the death of Kid Loki at the end of ''Comicbook/JourneyIntoMystery'', who cursed themselves with their first breath, and the world (including [[YouBastard the readers]]) with the second. Oddly they're pretty much neither of their predecessors, but instead take elements from both well still somewhat forming their own identity. "Star" of ''ComicBook/YoungAvengers'' and ''ComicBook/LokiAgentOfAsgard''.

** Issue 24 of [[ComicBook/Thor2020 Thor (2020)]] reveals that [[spoiler: the original, [[Comicbook/LokiAgentOfAsgard Agent of Asgard-era]], God(dess) of stories is still around and arrived at the TVA following the end of their series.]] Interestingly, [[spoiler:they imply that the post-Secret Wars Loki isn't them. Referring to themselves as "The Ghost of Christmas Past" and post-Secret Wars Loki as "what comes next."]]

* WildCard: Sort of. As they put it, "I don't '''do''' sides." They do seem to be semi-consistently inclined to help the heroes, helping Thor in his new book and as T'Challa points out when Tony Stark assumes they've gone bad again (after the "emo anti-hero phase"), he actually orchestrated the formation of a new Avengers team (and destruction of [[spoiler: the Final Host]] in the process) by playing the villain. Even still, you'd best be on your guard, because you can never really quite tell what they're going to do next...

* BreakThemByTalking: Somewhat ambiguous; since becoming the God of Stories, Loki has been able to effectively talk is way out of many situations, by weaving a story to the listeners. [[spoiler: Just after the collapse of the multiverse, Loki was able to make the Those Who Sit Above in Shadow flee by forcing them to question own existence by telling a story that implied that they were made by the Asgardians so they had something to believe in.]]

* DatingCatwoman: He once had a prolonged relationship with ComicBook/{{Storm}} of the ComicBook/XMen, when she and the ComicBook/NewMutants were stranded in Asgard -- he even gave her back her ElementalPowers, as she had been depowered at the time. When he was... persuaded... to send them all back to Midgard, he offered her a chance to stay with him as his queen, and even admitted that being with her might have been worth losing the throne. While she turned down his offer, he sentimentally took the molten remains of the thunder-hammer he had used to empower her and reshape it into a statue of her to keep as a memento.

* DoesNotLikeShoes: At least in their introduction, they're barefooted. They've also lost their gloves and wear much shorter sleeves and pants-legs, though its possibly the result of their recent creation or their sudden growth/height gain (according to Verity they're half a foot taller than Loki was at the time). After becoming Loki prime, they wear a pair of boots.

* ''ComicBook/Loki2004 Vol. 1'' (2004 miniseries)

* ''[[ComicBook/Loki2004]] Vol. 1'' (2004 miniseries)

* ''ComicBook/{{Loki}} Vol. 1'' (2004 miniseries)