In spite of the fact that Loki has only very recently made the transition from supervillain to anti-hero, the God of Mischief has not forgotten where he came from. Loki has put his skills as a trickster to good use by serving as King of Jotunheim and as a special advisor to Thor. He does this in order to defend the Ten Realms from Asgard’s various foes. However, the notoriety he gained while spreading terror throughout the Marvel Universe continues to be a problem for him. Even in this day and day, many people continue to believe that he is a treacherous coward who is merely biding his time until the ideal chance to betray Asgard presents itself.
Miguel O’Hara discovered in issue #2 of Spider-Man 2099: Exodus (written by Steve Orlando, Marco Castiello, Antonio Fabela, and VC’s Joe Carmagna), that Loki’s successor Valkyrie told her that he ultimately lived up to his reputation by deserting his people when they needed him the most. This information was provided to Miguel O’Hara by Valkyrie. However, unknowingly setting in motion a chain of events that allowed a new generation of Asgardians to re-build and start over, Loki ensured that his family’s legacy would live on by turning his back on Asgard during its darkest hour. This was Loki’s contribution to ensuring that his family’s legacy would live on.
Near the end of the “Age of Heroes,” Alchemax began a full-scale invasion of Asgard as part of its mission to subdue all forces that stood in the way of it establishing dominion over the Earth. Developing a legion of genetically modified troops and monsters modeled after the fierce combatants and monstrous creatures from Norse mythology in order to form an army. Even though Loki was the one who initially led Alchemax’s assault, the adopted son of Odin eventually realized that he couldn’t stand to see his home and family destroyed. However, rather of attempting to assist them in repelling the invasion, he ran away from the conflict in order to save himself.
Loki ultimately came found Valkyrie and the struggling band of survivors that she protected after spending years racked by remorse while roaming through the wastelands of Earth. Valkyrie was protecting them from harm. Loki managed to persuade Valkyrie to assist him in exacting revenge on Asgard despite the fact that he did not recognize her and questioned the veracity of her identity. Valkyrie eventually acknowledged that she was one of Alchemax’s soldiers when he was successful in persuading her that his motives were honorable. After being humbled by the valor and dignity displayed by the genuine Valkyries, she fled the battlefield in shame and made it her mission to assist people who were in need while also carrying on the heritage of the Valkyries.
Loki was eventually successful in acquiring a sample of water laced with the DNA of a Celestial that might be utilized to restore Asgard. This was made possible with the assistance of Valkyrie. Together, Loki and Valkyrie were able to put an end to all of Alchemax’s synthetic dragons by utilizing the fragments of the Bifrost that were still intact in order to journey to Asgard. In the end, Loki offered himself as a sacrifice and took the killing stroke for his enemies. Valkyrie used the water to create a new Asgard inhabited by oppressed human outcasts rescued from Earth and imbued with Asgardian divinity through Loki’s blood. Loki entrusted the future of Asgard to Valkyrie with his dying breaths. Valkyrie used the water to create a new Asgard inhabited by oppressed human outcasts.
The striking similarities that exist between Loki and Valkyrie were the driving force behind Loki’s decision to place his faith in her. Valkyrie, much like he, is a natural liar and has constructed her identity on a falsehood, although one that was told with good intentions. Each of them contributed to the invasion of Asgard in their own way, but neither she nor Loki could bring themselves to see the invasion through to its conclusion and instead ran away. In the end, they both wanted to make up for their wrongdoing, and they chose to do it by assisting people who were considered social outcasts.
Despite Odin’s best efforts to make his adopted son feel at home in Asgard, Loki’s other Asgardians frequently avoided him throughout his boyhood. This was despite Odin’s best efforts. This led to him having a deeply ingrained sense that he didn’t belong, which in turn shaped him into the resentful and vindictive person he ultimately became. Loki always had the desire to be accepted by his biological family, despite the fact that he insisted that his adopted household held no significance for him. In the final moments of his life, Loki revealed that he considered his role as the God of Outcasts to be the most significant aspect of his divine identity. He also stated that he desired to assist other individuals in finding acceptance and a sense of belonging, despite the fact that he himself had never experienced either of these things.
Valkyrie made sure that the new Asgard, which emerged from the ruins of the old one, would be a more welcoming and inclusive place by granting Loki’s last request and ensuring that it would be fulfilled. The people who live in “New Asgard” not only have a new home because of Loki’s efforts, but they also have the capacity to defend themselves, which makes them extremely helpful allies in the Spider-man of 2099’s mission to overthrow the Green Goblin. Although some people may remember Loki as a coward, the fact is that his final act of cowardice ended up being the thing that saved Asgard.
