Exclusive Insights: Marvel's Phase 5 Unravels an Epic 11-Year Infinity Stone Enigma

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Loki season 2, episode 2, "Breaking Brad."

Summary

In The Avengers, Loki finally discloses that he was aware of possessing the Mind Stone, resolving an enduring mystery in the MCU.

Admitting his failure, Loki confesses that he neglected to harness the power of the Infinity Stones appropriately. Instead of utilizing the Mind Stone effectively, he acted impulsively and chose to hurl Tony Stark out the window.

Loki's attack on New York City lacked strategic planning, indicating that his misuse of the Infinity Stones likely contributed to his defeat by the original Avengers. The second season of Marvel Studios' Loki finally reveals the long-standing mystery surrounding the Infinity Stones and Loki's involvement in The Avengers' Battle of New York. After first appearing in Thor in 2011, Tom Hiddleston reprised his role as the team's initial adversary in The Avengers, where he led an army of Chitauri and Leviathan in a vengeful assault on New York City, aiming to seek retribution against his brother Thor and father Odin. The current version of Loki in the MCU timeline managed to escape from the Avengers' custody shortly after this battle, thanks to the Time Heist in Avengers: Endgame. Thus, these recent events remain fresh in his mind as he embarks on his journey with the Time Variance Authority.

Since the Battle of New York, Loki has experienced significant developments. In season 1 of Loki, he embarked on a journey through the TVA, encountered his various incarnations, and obtained knowledge about the multiverse from He Who Remains. In season 2, despite his previous actions of tormenting Hunter X-5 (also known as Brad Wolfe), Loki continues his transformation into a hero in the MCU. In episode 2, titled "Breaking Brad," he takes a moment to reflect upon his past as one of the original villains in the MCU. Although only a few weeks have passed since the events of The Avengers and Endgame, this short span of time has allowed Loki to deeply contemplate his mistakes.

Loki Knew He Had The Mind Stone In The Avengers

Loki Admits He Failed To Use The Infinity Stones Properly

In an attempt to establish a connection with Owen Wilson's Mobius following his explosive interrogation of Hunter X-5, Loki retraced his actions during the Battle of New York and unveiled a long-standing enigma in the MCU since 2012. Loki disclosed that he had effectively held New York City captive with an extraterrestrial army due to overwhelming resentment towards his father and brother, triggered by the events depicted in Thor. However, what was previously unclear was whether Loki was aware that his scepter in The Avengers concealed the power of the Mind Stone. This bewilderment is finally resolved in the second season of Loki.

Although Loki was aware that he wielded the power of the Mind Stone in The Avengers, he openly acknowledges that he failed to harness its full potential. He candidly reveals that once he realized the Mind Stone's ineffectiveness on Tony Stark, owing to the arc reactor embedded in his chest, Loki acted impulsively, abandoning his strategic reasoning and hurling Stark out of the window of Stark Tower instead. Despite successfully manipulating several SHIELD agents, including Erik Selvig and Clint Barton, with the Mind Stone, Loki's inability to control Tony Stark's mind triggered an immediate emotional reaction.

Loki never mentioned using the Tesseract while interacting with Mobius. It is possible that Loki did not fully comprehend how to utilize the Space Stone to its maximum potential. This ultimately demonstrates that Loki's attack on New York City in The Avengers was driven by his emotions and anger, rather than being strategically planned. Loki's misuse of the Infinity Stones in The Avengers likely aided the original Avengers team in defeating him, as it is highly unlikely that the emerging superhero team would have been able to overcome Loki if he had complete control over two Infinity Stones.

New episodes of Loki are released every Thursday at 6pm PT / 9pm ET on Disney+.