Is the 'Loki' Ending Revealed in the Marvel Comic Books?

There's just one more episode of Loki to go on Disney+ and audiences will have to wait until Wednesday, July 14, to find out who's behind the TVA—or will they?

Episode 4, "Journey Into Mystery," was filled with Marvel Easter eggs and story details that may hold the clues as to what will happen in the season finale.

We last saw Loki and Sylvie walking off towards a mysterious structure in The Void after defeating Alioth, with a little help from Classic Loki.

Films and TV series in the MCU often borrow story lines from the Marvel comics and Loki is no different. Let's take a look at the comic book origins of some of the elements adapted into Loki, and see if the comics hide the answers as to what is going on in the Disney+ series.

Loki in the Comic Books

Loki has appeared in six Marvel Cinematic Universe movies before starring in his own show, but his character has developed even further across this season.

Multiple versions of Loki are seen in Episode 4, similar to the comics which have featured Lady Loki and Kid Loki.

Lady Loki, Sylvie as she prefers to be known, seems to be a nod to Sylvie Lushton who becomes the Enchantress in the Young Avengers. This is very apt as Sylvie's main power in Loki is enchanting people.

More recently in comic books like the Young Avengers and Loki Agent of Asgard, Loki has been gender fluid and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and that was reflected during the series. During a conversation with Sylvie he confirms he likes men and women.

The Time Variance Authority in the Comics

The TVA in Loki has a lot of similarities to the comics but there are some unique differences stylistically and in story that sets it apart.

First featured in Thor #371 in 1986, the TVA is a vast bureaucracy that governs the multiverse and separate timelines. However, the big difference between the comics and the series is that the workers at the TVA are lifetime employees who are born and bred to complete their functions within the organization. As we've come to learn in Loki, their employees are former variants who had previous lives elsewhere.

The TVA have had major storylines with the likes of She-Hulk, Hawkeye, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, but rarely come into contact with Loki in the comic books. This means, for the most part, viewers are treading on new ground and it's hard to know for certain which way the story will turn next.

Within Marvel Comics the TVA are led by the Time-Keepers but the Disney+ series subverted expectations by revealing them to be fakes in Episode 4. Episode 5 ends with Loki and Sylvie presumably going to confront whomever created these robotic Time-Keepers.

Villains and the TVA

One of the biggest threats within the comics, big enough to rival Thanos, is Kang the Conqueror. Kang is essentially a time-traveler, known by many names throughout history, who comes face-to-face with the Avengers in the comic books. He and his dynasty have also come up against the TVA previously over territorial disputes as seen in Avengers Forever #9 and Fantastic Four Annual #27.

The presence of Alioth in "Journey Into Mystery" suggests Kang could be about to enter the MCU via Loki. Alioth, the large cloud-like being, has shared many story lines with Kang in the comic books as well as uneasy alliances.

Castle Theories

Many theories circulating online, including Chocaloki's on Reddit and Eric Franco on Inverse, believe that Loki and Sylvie are heading towards Castle Limbo which is a known domain of Kang, or as he's later known, Immortus.

Another theory suggested by Inverse is that the castle seen at the end of Epsiode 5 of Loki is Castle Doom, the lair of Fantastic Four villain, Victor von Doom, aka Doctor Doom. The Fantastic Four and their characters have been confirmed to be arriving in the MCU and this could be a way in for the character.

Classic Marvel Misdirects

Marvel Studios have become the masters of misdirect when it comes to fan expectations. With so many theories and predictions out there believing Kang is the big baddy pulling the strings at the TVA, it could turn out to be someone else entirely. This has happened before with the Mandarin in Iron-Man 3 and the identity of Star Lord's father in Guardians of the Galaxy.

There's only one way to find out for sure what is going on in Loki, and that's by watching the final episode when it airs on Disney+ on Wednesday, July 14.