Warning: This article contains spoilers for Loki Episode 2
At the end of Loki's second episode "The Variant," a second Loki is seemingly revealed. Played by Sophia Di Martino, this Lady Loki variant could also be Sylvie, Enchantress from the comics that Loki himself bestows with powers.
Evidence for this theory comes from the Castilian dub cast list, but also a report on Sylvie Laufeydottir can also be found hidden in Episode 2. No matter who this character's true identity is, the Loki Variant has a plan.
The way she executes that plan is shown, but her endgame and motivation remain unknown. Along with her motivation, it's unclear what the ramifications of bombing the Sacred Timeline will be as this series continues.
LADY LOKI'S PLAN
It's revealed that Lady Loki has been collecting reset charges, with the intent to sync them up and unleash hell on the TVA's Scared Timeline. It appears her plan works perfectly when in a 2050 Roxxcart store dozens of reset charges are engaged and transported all across Earth and space.
The time bomb she constructs is incredibly clever. All the reset charges are connected via wires that all stem from a Tempad in order to transport the reset charges to their various times and locations. This wide-stretching use of the Tempad allows her to send Sacred Timeline-breaking charges all across time and space simultaneously, overwhelming the TVA.
Early in Episode 2, Loki explains that "reset charges prune the affected radius of a branched timeline, allowing time to heal all its wounds." Based on that description, just sending reset charges as they normally are calibrated wouldn't accomplish anything in a location following the Sacred Timeline. It would appear that Lady Loki is in some way (possibly magic) reversed engineered the reset charges to not prime the affected, but prune the unaffected.
Some notable non-Earth locations featured on the TVA's screen showing the different Nexus events happening at once are Vormir, Asgard, Sakaar, Ego, Titan, Hala, and Xandar. Not only does where they are sent vary greatly, but when they are sent even more so.
For example, the reset charge sent to Vormir was in 2301 and the one sent to Hala was in 51 A.D. Maybe in time audiences will learn why she is targeting these planets and specific Earth locations at those specific times.
However, this could also just be completely random and the goal is to simply cause chaos and ultimately defeat the TVA (or Kang the Conqueror) and their divine flow of time.
IS LOKI IN THE NEGATIVE ZONE?
The Negative Zone in the comics is an alien dimension that is mostly uninhabited and made up entirely of antimatter. The Negative Zone is older than our universe, already contracting in on itself, and will eventually implode. It's important to note that anyone who enters the Negative Zone must reverse the polarity of their molecular structure, or they will be decimated.
Reed Richards accidentally discovered the Negative Zone in Fantastic Four #51 while searching for alternate realities. Planet Zero in the Negative Zone actually has already been seen on the big screen during Fox's Fan4stic in 2015.
With an MCU Fantastic Four film directed by Jon Watts planned for the latter half of Phase 4, a reference to them in Loki wouldn't be farfetched. Head writer Michael Waldron has even said that aspects of Marvel's first family inspired their version of the TVA.
So where is the Negative Zone in Loki? In promotional material and trailers for Disney+'s latest MCU series, a purple planet or area has been seen. In the images both Loki and Lady Loki are present on the planet. Some have speculated this is Vormir or even Earth somewhere after another apocalyptic event.
This purple planet could very well be the Negative Zone, the perfect hiding spot away from the TVA. In theory, this could be one of the places that the TVA isn't entirely aware of, even though the TVA's whereabouts are a huge mystery. However, Lady Loki appears to be supremely intelligent and the TVA time-travel devices seem to have no limit for how far they can travel (time and space) in an instant.
She already used the reset charges against the TVA, why not take advantage of their transporter to hide where no one will ever find them?
Another aspect of the Negative Zone that could lend well to the plot of Loki is that time moves faster there than in normal reality. As this show revolves around time, time travel, and the protection of time, throwing in another wild card to how time works would be on-brand.
EXPOSING KANG THE CONQUEROR
"This isn't about you" may be the most important line of this episode. Lady Loki clearly doesn't care about overthrowing the TVA and clearly has something else in mind.
A popular theory circling the internet is that Kang the Conqueror is the one behind the TVA and their questionable mission to protect the Sacred Timeline. Despite Jonathan Majors not expected to appear until Ant-Man: Quantumania, it's impossible not to think of Marvel's most villainous time-traveler when watching a series about the flow of time.
Lady Loki is getting at something seemingly bigger than the TVA. She has seemingly thrown their entire purpose into complete flux by the end of just the second episode in the series. Loki has been moving at a remarkable rate when it comes to character development (Loki seeing his life play out in Episode 1) and pushing the plot forward (Lady Loki sets the Sacred Symbol on fire by the end of Episode 2).
Despite Majors denying any knowledge of a Kang cameo, with four episodes left it feels like anything is possible before this series wraps in July. If the TVA is just a ploy, or cover up to a greater plan by Kang, maybe that is what Lady Loki is chasing. What's the point of overthrowing an organization that isn't really pulling the strings?
When you consider how the Time-Keepers aren't available (Mobius has never even met them) and that there is very little information available for TVA Agents from the past or future, it isn't a stretch to believe the TVA isn't exactly who they say they are.
As fans tune into Episode 3, the series is set to take a turn in the plot and possibly give Tom Hiddleston's Loki a new purpose and mission. Loki will continue on Wednesday (the new Friday) June 23 on Disney+.
