Daily Prompt: The God of Mischief

Write about evil: how you understand it (or don’t), what you think it means, or a way it’s manifested, either in the world at large or in your life.

When I think about evil, I think about the way it manifests and I’m a firm believer in the idea that we create our own worst enemies. As a huge fan of Marvel, the biggest character that comes to mind, whose evil was manifested, is the God of Mischief, Loki. Now, know this. I know nothing of the myths of Loki from either the comics or just mythology in general. I got all of my information about him from Tom Hiddleston’s portrayal of him in the films Thor, The Avengers and Thor: The Dark World.

That being said, I will first off say that Loki is very misunderstood. Like most villains, there is the idea that no one really understands or cares what they are going through. I feel this way about Loki. He was initially a good person. He wanted nothing more than to be like his brother Thor. And not in the sense that he wanted to actually be Thor, but in the sense that he wanted to be his equal. But how is the youngest son ever going to be equal to the brother who, from the beginning, knew he was destined to be a King and already had the mentality to boot? Loki even says in the movie Thor, “I never wanted the Throne! I only ever wanted to be your equal!”

It’s only until Loki finds out his real identity that he starts rebelling. But again, this rebellion comes from the fact that he feels unloved by the people who took him in and subsequently lied to him all of his life. His father says he loves him, his mother says he is her son but who is he really? Loki takes it as he will never be a King of Asgaard because he is, in fact, not an Asgaardian and thinks that that is the main reason why Odin will not let him be king. Now, this God has become an outsider in his own home. He no longer feels as though his family is his family. His brother thinks he is better than him and his parents lied to him for years. This is what initially pushes Loki over the edge.

Here, Loki’s thirst for destruction is manifested through his outsider status, as well as, his desire to still prove something to his father. In fact, he always had to prove something to his father. He needed to prove that he was just as good a warrior as Thor, that he was just as good a son as Thor and that he was just as capable of being King. But despite how many times he tries to prove himself, it is never good enough. Without his father’s approval and love, Loki thinks that the only way to prove he is worthy is to defeat the enemies that have threatened to destroy them. But he does so by allying with them. Loki thinks that by causing destruction and death, that his father will see himself in his youngest son. Odin, a powerful warrior himself, prides himself on his abilities to not only keep the enemies at bay but also keep them in their place. Loki thinks that if he does this same thing, then Odin will love him in the same fashion that he loves Thor.

But that doesn’t happen. Loki even says “I did this all for you father. For you.” and Odin flat out tells him “no.” It’s after this final lack of faith and love that makes Loki who he really is. Yes, he cares, but he may care too much. This is what leaves him to find a blood ridden path to the throne. This is what makes him want to not only destroy his father but also destroy his brother. He wants to leave the Throne open to only himself. He started off doing “evil” things for what he thought were the right reasons. He thought he was doing what his father wanted of him. Be the person his father wanted him to be. But once he finds out that his father will never accept him the way he is, he no longer does things for the “greater good”. He does them simply because he wants to see the world burn.

Evil and the people who do evil things aren’t born. They are created.

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