In comics, Loki is nicknamed the God of Mischief for his casting of illusions. But is he really the God of Mischief in the comics, or is this simply a nickname given to him because he is the adopted brother and son of Thor and Odin, respectively (because Thor and Odin are gods)?
asked Apr 30, 2014 at 13:26
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Are you specifically restricting to the comics? Odin specifically has a line about this in the movies.– phantom42Commented Apr 30, 2014 at 13:29
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@phantom42 Yes, as now specified in the question lol– PartyKingThrandeezyCommented Apr 30, 2014 at 13:32
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2Technically none of them are gods, they were only deemed gods by humans / (creatures of midgard) who did not understand what they were or their powers.– CandiedMangoCommented Apr 30, 2014 at 13:37
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1"Are. You. A. God???"– DVK-on-Ahch-ToCommented Apr 30, 2014 at 15:02
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2@DVK - When someone asks you if you're a god, you say "YES"!– ValorumCommented Apr 30, 2014 at 17:30
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3 Answers
Yes. Well... No. It sort of depends on your definition of "Gods".
Technically, Loki is a Frost Giant of Jotunheim, which Marvel describes as
enormous superhuman beings.
They are not actual gods.
Loki, however was adopted by Odin. Again, from Marvel:
Loki is one of several powerful beings from the magical realm of Asgard, who have been worshipped as gods.
Marvel explains Asgard:
Asgard is a small planetary body that serves as home to the Norse gods such as Thor, and their ruler, Odin.
They are not actually gods.
Marvel describes Thor:
Thor is one of several powerful ancient beings who dwell in a magical realm called Asgard. Through history, these beings have been revered and worshiped as gods.
To the Norse, Loki is a "God" - just as Thor and Odin are, but none of the Asgardians (much less the Giants of Jotunheim) are actually gods. They are powerful ancient beings with superhuman powers - but not gods.
answered Apr 30, 2014 at 13:43
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1Might be worth mentioning what, if any, actual gods exist in the Marvel universe. That is, are all gods in the Marvel universe like the Asgardians, or are some actually gods? One-Above-All is probably a good place to start.– DampeS8NCommented Apr 30, 2014 at 13:53
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@DampeS8N I actually almost asked that question a while back. I don't remember why I never did. Commented Apr 30, 2014 at 14:32
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I think this nails it pretty well on the head. The fact is, if you regard the Asgardians as gods, then yes, but it comes down to your beliefs and the mythos. As the Asgardians generally don't believe themselves to be gods, I'll go with no, just really powerful. Commented Apr 30, 2014 at 19:08
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I dunno, when the council of Allfathers convened during the Chaos War, Odin got to sit at the table same as the other pantheons. The problem is that the line kind of blurs. Commented Apr 30, 2014 at 20:41
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Nicely done. The Asgardians and the lands of Jotenheim in the MCU seem to function more as high tech aliens cultures connected in some kind of ongoing conflict. Commented May 16, 2015 at 3:13
In the comics, they are not gods. Not Odin, nor Thor, nor Loki.
This answer contains spoilers from Thor and Thor 2
This is explained by Odin in Thor, when Loki exclaims that he is a God and demands to be treated as such. Odin replies that he is not; that he was born, shall live, and shall die just like any mortal being.
Gods also can't be killed - at the very least it is extremely unheard of. In Thor 2: The Dark World, Thor's mother, Frigga, was killed by a stab while trying to protect Jane. Thor's companions are also near-fatally injured in Thor, but return for help soon enough that they are healed.
However, in Norse mythology, Loki is a god. He also helps others, but also causes problems. He usually appears in the form of a salmon, mare, seal, or even an elderly woman, as he is a shapeshifter (whereas in the comics and movies he is a Frost Giant). He is referred to as a trickster god.
In Norse mythology, Thor is the God of Thunder and Odin is the Allfather and ruler of Asgard, as he is in the Marvel comics and movies.
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I think in the comics (as opposed to the movies) the Asgardians are gods.– WadeCommented Aug 25, 2016 at 16:30
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"Gods also can't be killed" You are aware of Ragnarok, right? The original believers in the Norse pantheon believed their gods could be and would be killed. Commented Dec 27, 2020 at 1:20
No, he's a giant (according to Norse mythology research I've done). He is also a "sorcerer", as he has the powers of a god, without actually being a god. He is commonly referred to as a god, but technically speaking, he's a giant.
answered May 1, 2014 at 18:59
