Who is Lady Loki in "Loki" episode 2?

Disclaimer: Spoilers for “Loki” episode two below.

Following the twist in episode two of “Loki” on Disney+, Sophia Di Martino was revealed to be playing a female variant of Loki the TVA is hunting. In Marvel Comics, this character is known as Lady Loki. While the origins of the character in the MCU are to be determined, one can look to her comic book appearances to learn more about Lady Loki.

Scene from Marvel Studios’ LOKI, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.

First Appearance

Lady Loki was first introduced in “Thor Vol.3 #5” by J. Michael Straczynski. During this volume of comics, Thor searched for fallen Asgardians’ souls to resurrect them following their deaths in Ragnarok. These souls were embedded in the bodies of unsuspecting humans. After freeing the souls, Thor was surprised to see Loki’s soul resurrected in a new body intended for Lady Sif’s soul.

Personality

Lady Loki retains the same personality traits and powers of her previous male form since both share the same essence. Lady Loki used her new form to trick other Asgardians into thinking that she changed her ways. She wanted them to believe that the new body symbolized a fresh start.

Credit: Marvel (Art from *Thor* #5, drawn by Olivier Coipel)

To the surprise of no one, Lady Loki still practiced her trickster ways. She partook in banishing Thor from Asgard and worked with villains like Norman Osborn and Doctor Doom.

Lady Loki as Scarlet Witch?

In the “Dark Reign” storyline, Lady Loki masqueraded as Scarlet Witch to assemble a new Avengers team. This new team consists of Vision, U.S. Agent, Hercules, Amadeus Cho, Stature, and Hank Pym as The Wasp. She assembled them to defeat the Elder God Chthon.

Things got complicated when Quicksilver arrived since he believed Lady Loki was his lost sister. Luckily, the new superhero team figured out Lady Loki’s ruse, using magic and a kiss from Hawkeye to remove her disguise.

While Scarlet Witch is not set to appear in “Loki,” I’m sure Marvel fans wouldn’t mind seeing Elizabeth Olsen play a variant of the god of mischief.

Loki’s Gender

Loki having forms that appear as male and female may be confusing for readers. Before the premiere of the series, a teaser for “Loki” revealed that Loki identifies as genderfluid. This fluidity lines up with Loki’s comic appearances and stories in Norse mythology.

Credit: Marvel (Art from Loki: Agent of Asgard #16, drawn by Lee Garbett)

In numerous tales in Norse mythology, Loki takes on many different forms, including a horse, salmon, and elderly woman named Þökk. Despite resemblance or gender changes, Loki is still the same Loki.

Future Implications

Lady Loki is one of many Loki variations found in Marvel Comics. Other popular forms of Loki’s character include Kid Loki and King Loki. Since Lady Loki is now in the “Loki” series, perhaps these forms can appear as future variants for the TVA to track down? Only time will tell.