on Everything Burns (through JiM 644)

[xparrot]

So just read Journey into Mystery 644, and...our theory about where it's going re: Thor & Loki is holding so far...

Last week, after seeing the preview of the first 3 pages of this issue, gnine and I came up with the theory that by the end of Everything Burns/Gillen's run on JiM, Loki is going to successfully save the realms from Surtur, but Thor is not going to forgive him his betrayal, that this was the last straw. Because Thor isn't angry with Loki for trying to destroy the universes - he's angry at him for the personal betrayal. "If one be a trickster, the other must be a fool" - and Thor is tired of playing the fool. Even if he realizes that Loki's plan all along was not to kill Thor but to get him to Hela to lead the armies of the dead - Loki still didn't tell him, still didn't trust him, still betrayed him. Even if it was for the best reasons - Thor is not a liar or a trickster himself, and giving the game away could've been deadly - being used like that, having his love and trust used like that, is a terrible thing, and that it's for about the thousandth time doesn't make it easier to forgive.

It's a pain which, after the latest issue, Loki now has firsthand knowledge of himself - what it's like to be the betrayed, rather than the betrayer. First Leah, and now Thori. The parallels between Thori and Loki have been there all along - the young creature that everyone warned was a monster, irredeemable and rotten to the core, only worthy of being destroyed. But Loki gave Thori a chance - and Thori lived up (down) to his expected nature. So is that Loki's fault for raising his dog badly? Or could nothing have made Thori loyal to him? The same questions that can be asked of Thor, regarding Loki - and Thor falling in the lava felt the same pain Loki did, seeing Thori bring the Hel-wolf.

Gillen and Fraction have said this arc's all about testing Thor & Loki's relationship, finding its limit, and maybe this is it; maybe Thor's had enough. He's realizing that Loki is always going to play him for a fool, and he keeps falling for it…and maybe they once used to laugh about it together, but not any more. And that will indeed change everything, flip their whole dynamic on its head, if Thor is the one who can't forgive - especially if Loki understands how he feels. If Loki is instead the one reaching out to Thor, calling him brother when Thor refuses it? Trying to make amends not only for his past self but for his own deeds - maybe trying to trust people, seeing what happens when he doesn't, learning that the only way to be trusted is to trust others...or will he try to get out of it some other way? Try to rewrite himself, or use magic, or give up and give himself over to Ikol...? (and what is the deal with Ikol anyway???*) Preview pics seem to indicate (possibly misleadingly) that kid!Loki survives beyond JiM - if he's driven from Asgardia and has to make a home and friends elsewhere...ah, so curious to see where this could go! (even if it's comics so is bound to screw it up...) (...and of course it better eventually end with Thor coming back around, I couldn't bear it otherwise...)

* If Ikol isn't "real" and Loki doesn't know it - then all three of his closest comrades will have betrayed him. A hard lesson, but maybe one he needs...

Comments

[pervert-bitch.livejournal.com]

Yes, all of this. I've ben emotionally compromised by this comic, I can't stop thinking about this. And damn I felt Loki's pain for Thori's betrayals and Thor's pain too. Next issue is the last one, right? I don't know how they are going to resolve this in one issue.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

This comic is agony to read, I don't know why I'm doing this to myself! /o\ (but it's so goooood...)

...and yeah, one more issue, and then an epilogue/aftermath issue (or two?) in JiM - but it's still a lot to tie up in a very little time. Oh, comics, your pacing is unique...

[sholio]

I haven't read it since I'm picking these up in the trades (though this is one of those cases where I don't really care if I get spoiled, because if I'm going to have my heart thoroughly stomped on, I'd like to know beforehand) but wow, I can see why you brought up the similarity to Neal and Peter in White Collar. Only, I guess, with the trust issues cranked up to maximum!

The cyclical/nothing-ever-changes aspect of comics is really frustrating here, because I like your idea a lot -- Loki having to be the pursuer rather than the pursued, the forgiver rather than the forgiven ... but I don't know how long any lessons he might learn from it would stick, because he's an archvillain and therefore he's always got to be The Bad Guy.

(I can't help also thinking of the similarity to the reversal in Peter and Walter's situation in the fourth season of Fringe. Except in that case, the lessons did stick ...)

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

I actually would say that JiM is good enough that you want to read it unspoiled...but since reading it is, er, a traumatic experience, I can see your point ^^;

Oh, I am sooooo curious where this is going! I really don't know if this is where it's heading, it just seems like a possibility, and one I really want...I didn't even realize how much I love relationship role-reversals, but there is something so satisfying about getting to see the one character reaching out instead of being reached to (Peter and Neal, yeeeeah, like I said, issues of trust vs faith vs love have been on my mind a lot ^_^ Only so much worse, both in the extremeness of the betrayals, and in their history...)(And Peter & Walter, YES, I never would have made that connection but while the characters & the relationship are totally different, the reversal is the same...)

The one hope I have is that though this is comics - it's Marvel, which has let Magneto be on the good side for extended periods (actually I think he's currently an X-men now?). They have other complex shades-of-gray villains - which Loki has not been until recently, but then they took him there, and now, between him being so popular in the movie, and how popular JiM and kid!Loki has been...it might be worth their while to stick with this? *fingers crossed* Right now it's really not being set up for kid!Loki to go away, but...this is comics, they move FAST, who can say what next issue will bring!

[raeve.livejournal.com]

I am soooo happy I finally caught up with J.I.M. so now I can read your awesome reviews/thoughts/speculations! *squee*

Gawd, I could barely handle Thor's despair in this issue! ;A; Actually, the entire lava sequence (throughout the last 3 issues) has nearly killed me, but...but it was so pretty. I couldn't look away from it. @__@

I still can't decide if I think Ikol is real or not. :/ Didn't another character actually see/acknowledge Ikol at one point though?

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Thor in the lava, yes...so tragic! I really can't blame him...I would've given up on Loki a long, long time ago, were I him. At the same time...it's so sad! Oh Loki, why must you make life so difficult for yourself, baby... ;___;

As far as I know, the only person besides Loki (and maybe Thori?? not sure!) who has ever directly acknowledged Ikol is Leah, and she has been in Loki's head before, so might be able to see more than what's there. If it wasn't Ikol, then I am really curious what Leah was talking about when she said if they knew "his true insanity"!

[raeve.livejournal.com]

Ahhh yes! So it was Leah. I was too lazy to go back and check.

I really hope Loki and Leah can return to being BFFs and ride off into the sunset together, especially if Thor decides to disown Loki for awhile.