Subjugation

When I rewatched the first scene Avengers after delving into EXPECTED LOKI FEELS, it really gets to me how incredibly broken this guy is. He looks like he hasn't got much sleep when you put him next to a picture of him from Thor (as well as Hiddleston's eyebrows not being dyed and shaped I cannot believe somebody noticed this). There's red around his eyes, he's got these awful bags, and his eyes which I CANNOT figure out if they're green or blue look so manic.

In Avengers, from the first scene to Germany to even getting beat down by the Hulk, he's definitely got this god complex since, you know, he is a Norse deity after all - however, connecting that with Thor, there's probably insecurity there. How he feels a need to keep telling humans YOU WERE MADE TO BE RULED, FEAR ME, WORSHIP ME, I AM A GOD. There are people who feel secure knowing there is a higher being watching over them, planning out what happens next - but Loki is not that being because he lacks the conviction of being a GOOD GOD. Many gods in theologies like God Himself, Zeus on a good day, and especially Thor as seen after he meets Jane Foster are known for showing virtue; Loki does not.

But Loki fails to realize this, which is why Thor and perhaps he himself both know that "throne would suit you ill". When he learned of his true heritage in Thor, his whole upbringing was essentially shattered. He wasn't Aesir at all, he was Jotunn: the enemy race, the bad guy, the monster. In Avengers, I feel like while parts of it were definitely distractions, he might be projecting his need to prove that like Thor AND HIMSELF, he should be revered and respected even if it means by force. What Loki fails to realize that you can lead the horse to water but you cannot make it drink (although horse references in regards to Loki is essentially opening up a big can of worms )

I could write a whole essay but I felt like doing something other than the tearful, sad and depressed Loki fanarts - which are AMAZING do not get me wrong I love them, but every time I even attempt to draw this little shit from Avengers, he usually turns out looking nuts. You cannot excuse a person's actions for their past especially when the consequences are so dire; you need to accept conviction to move towards redemption. We need to see more of Loki's dark side. We need to see that he has broken and has fallen off the edge of sanity the day he fell off the Rainbow Bridge. Whether or not those pieces can be recovered is something Loki has to figure out for himself (as he kind of sort of tries to and sometimes succeeds in Siege #4 and Journey of Mystery - which if you love conflicted Loki, you should totally read these issues).

The Avengers (c) Marvel