BY MATT TUCK
Thor #617 was already a hot issue, but Loki’s Episode Four mid-credits scene will turn up the heat even more. SPOILER ALERT.
CAUTION: SPOILERS FOR LOKI EPISODE FOUR. YOU’VE BEEN WARNED.
Like everything Marvel Studios releases, the latest episode of Loki gave fans and theorists ample conversation starters. After dropping Nexus events - which implies Nexus Beings and the Nexus of Realities - and a casual mention of vampires existing in the MCU, it was the mid-credits scene that had the internet buzzing the loudest.
In the closing moments of the episode, it appeared the Loki variant from Endgame had been “pruned” from existence. Then he awoke in what appeared to be an apocalyptic version of New York City complete with a crumbling Avengers Tower, possibly post-Avengers and Loki’s invasion. That’s when he met a group of variants - three Lokis and one African-American Thor with what appeared to be a handmade Mjolnir.
Among the Lokis, there was one wearing a traditional Silver Age Loki costume that looked like bad cosplay, as well as an alligator with Loki’s headdress, and Loki as a child. All these variants will help propel prices for those key issues, particularly for the debut of Kid Loki. Here’s your latest market update for three minor keys with big potential.
THOR #617
This was clearly one of the worst-kept secrets in all of Marvel. Since Loki was first announced in 2019, there was rampant speculation that all the Loki variants would be part of the show. After all, the God of Mischief has had multiple forms in the comics, most notably Kid Loki and Lady Loki. Connect the puzzle pieces, and those two Lokis were at the top of the list to appear in the series.
That speculation caused prices for Thor #617 to immediately swell. Up until 2019, no one cared about this comic or Kid Loki. There was just one 9.8 graded copy sold before then, and that one went for $10 in 2011. After the Loki rumors started churning, values immediately ballooned. The FMV for Kid Loki’s first appearance went from unwanted to $110. Last year, that fair market value rose to $116. Before Episode Four aired, the standard cover had sold for a record-high $415 on June 6. There is little doubt that will be surpassed any moment now.
Don’t forget there is a variant cover floating around the auction sites. The Tron variant of Thor #617 last sold for $400 in May. Since Kid Loki is not on the cover art for that edition, I would imagine collectors would prefer the standard version.
THOR ANNUAL #16
The previous episode of Loki hinted that the MCU version of Sylvie was not the same as the Sylvie Lushton from Young Avengers. In the comic universe, Sylvie was created by Loki as an agent of chaos. She would later take the name Enchantress, following in Amora’s footsteps.
While the MCU Sylvie has similarities to the comic Sylvie, including her enchantments, Episode Four firmly establishes that the live-action character is a hybrid of Sylvie Lushton and Lady Loki. That should further boost values for Thor Annual #16, which was the debut of Loki’s female form.
Still, this is the God/Goddess of Mischief we’re dealing with, so nothing is set in stone just yet. Who knows where Loki will take Sylvie’s character going forward?
Like Thor #617, this has been a hot comic from the beginning of the Disney+ show. So far this year, three 9.8s have traded hands online with a high of $510 on June 19. If you need a copy and don’t want to spend that much, the raw copies are selling for about $20-$30 on eBay.
THOR #364
There were so many questions surrounding that awesome mid-credits scene. I was left pondering Alligator Loki (or Crocodile Loki, I suppose). What is his deal? Clearly, he is meant as a joke, but he could have another comedic implication.
Why would there be a Loki variant that transformed into an alligator? A horse would have made more sense, considering the strange tale of Loki morphing into an equine to seduce a Frost Giant’s stallion and giving birth to an eight-legged magical horse. Instead, Marvel Studios went with an alligator. Could this possibly be an allusion to Throg?
In the comics, when Thor was a frog, he befriended another toad, Puddle Gulp. After Thor returned to his Asgardian form, Puddlegulp had an adventure of his own, evading the Piper and his alligators. That is when Puddlegulp lifted Mjolnir to become Throg, Frog of Thunder.
Thor: Ragnarok made the Frog of Thunder canon after Loki’s self-serving play revealed that he had transformed his brother into a frog. Could it be that in the MCU version of the events, Loki became an alligator to torment Thor? It would seem fitting.
Since DC announced its League of Super-Pets movie, Marvel fans have wondered if the Pet Avengers could be on the way. That has fueled rising prices for Thor #364. The 9.8 set a record high on June 9 after one sold for $499. Before that, a 9.6 earned a record $175 in March.
THE LOKI CORPS
I have wondered if Thor: Love and Thunder is preparing for the Thor Corps, but could the God of Mischief have his own Loki Corps brewing? It appears that way, and I suspect we will see more variants before the final episode.