Exploring the Possible 'Loki' Season 2 Tie-In with 'Quantumania'

Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for Loki Season 2.

The Big Picture

In Season 2 of Loki, an unnamed device created by Victor Timely could potentially alter the course of the MCU's main storyline. Resembling a miniature version of Kang's Time Chair from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, this device is an enhanced iteration of a probability drive.

The Temporal Loom-fixing device is a crucial element that enables the passage of branched timelines, leading to a potential multiversal conflict. In the thrilling final episodes of Season 2 of Loki, the show takes a wild turn. With self-pruning in various timelines and mind-blowing revelations, it offers a thrilling experience. Notably, it introduces a small but significant device created by Victor Timely, portrayed by Jonathan Majors. This device, integrated into the Throughput Multiplier devised by O.B. and Casey, has immense potential to shape the future of the franchise's main storyline. Although its name is not explicitly mentioned on-screen, its ability to prevent the collapse of the TVA's Temporal Loom hints at its extraordinary power. Fortunately, we can speculate on the nature of this intriguing device.

Loki

Loki, the God of Mischief, steps out of his brother's shadow to embark on an adventure that takes place after the events of "Avengers: Endgame."

How Exactly Does Victor Timely's Device Work in 'Loki' Season 2?

Loki

Release Date: June 9, 2021

Main Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Richard E. Grant

Main Genre: Superhero

Additional Genres: Superhero

Rating: TV-14

Number of Seasons: 2

Studio: Disney+

Franchise: Marvel

Image via Disney+

This unnamed device is quite mysterious, and even if it had a name, it would likely be difficult to understand its exact functionality. The "Throughput Multiplier" is already a perplexing title. However, it bears a striking resemblance to Kang's Time Chair from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania when Victor Timely seizes it in his lab. The Time Chair, belonging to Kang, was a miniature version of his broken ship that allowed him to traverse through time and space. Kang sought assistance from Janet Van Dyne to locate the missing piece, known as the Multiversal Power Core, for the ship's engine. Although they managed to partially repair the Time Chair, the probability drive, a crucial component, remained absent. It wasn't until Scott Lang appeared that Kang's exile could be lifted, as Scott possessed the missing probability drive.

This missing component is an advanced and intricate iteration of Timely's 1863 device, known as a probability drive. It possesses an immense temporal radiation charge that engenders a surrounding probability storm, transforming anyone who approaches into a gelatinous mass. We witness one of the Scotts undergoing this transformation, morphing into Giant-Man and subsequently disintegrating, mirroring the fate of Timely in Loki. The drive operates by meticulously calculating all potential instances of its existence across time and space. This effect extends to the temporal radiation emanating from it, resulting in the manifestation of numerous divergent Scotts in Quantumania. Each Scott represents a distinct choice he could have made at that particular moment. Similarly, the Timely device performs a comparable function for the Temporal Loom.

During the collaborative efforts of Timely, O.B., and Casey on the Throughput Multiplier, they elucidate its functionality. The device is intended to be launched towards the Loom from a distance, subsequently affixing itself to the Loom's superstructure and expanding its rings. This expansion enables a greater number of branched timelines to traverse through the Loom. It is important to note that this enlargement is likely a mathematical process rather than a mechanical one, allowing for increased calculations of potential timelines by the Loom. Thus, the concept of "enlarging the ring" serves as a metaphorical explanation for our comprehension. Unfortunately, due to the already substantial temporal radiation present at the TVA Loom, Timely is instantaneously transformed into spaghetti upon arrival. Regardless, it remains imperative for him to aid the TVA team in their attempts to repair the Loom, as we will soon discover.

Is Victor Timely a Part of He Who Remains’ Plan in 'Loki' Season 2?

Image via Disney+

Victor Timely miraculously possessed the exact missing part for O.B. and Casey's Throughput Multiplier, as if it were part of a larger plan. In Season 2's beginning, Miss Minutes and former TVA Judge Ravonna Renslayer time-travel to the early 1800s on the request of He Who Remains, slipping a TVA Handbook through a window for a young Timely to discover and gain inspiration about the institution and time-managing mechanisms. Years later, at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, Timely showcases his own smaller Temporal Loom while safeguarding the Multiversal Engine Core prototype in his lab.

Towards the end of Season 1, He Who Remains clarifies to Loki and Sylvie that his death would lead to disastrous consequences for the TVA, instigating his variants to initiate another Multiversal War. Eventually, the multiverse would reboot, with He Who Remains ultimately creating and becoming the head of the TVA. Presently, we witness the strategic movement of chess pieces aligning with the mentioned direction, dropping subtle clues about how to reboot the TVA during Loki and his friends' adventures. The prototype of the Multiversal Engine Core serves as one such clue.

Is O.B. Going to Finish the Multiversal Engine Core in 'Loki' Season 2?

Image via Disney+

Currently, the Temporal Loom has collapsed and Victor Timely has been transformed into a state resembling spaghetti. It is unclear whether his demise was part of He Who Remains' plan, but it certainly caught us off guard. After all, it's not every day that a Kang variant inexplicably perishes. However, Timely's mission involving the Multiversal Engine Core prototype has technically been completed. He meets O.B. and they exchange pleasantries, with it being likely that Timely's notebook was left behind before his spaghetti-like transformation. O.B. considers the notebook to be just as valuable as the TVA Handbook was to him, highlighting the cyclical nature of this season's story.

This cyclical theme is further emphasized when O.B. mentions that he learned everything he knows from Victor Timely, without specifying the exact method of learning. The episode concludes with the Temporal Loom collapsing under the immense weight of numerous branched timelines, aligning with He Who Remains' predictions to Loki and Sylvie. Having experienced this catastrophe in the past, he possesses knowledge of everything that will occur, including this event. However, he also understands that certain events must transpire without fail for the repetition to continue.

By creating the prototype for the Multiversal Engine Core, Victor Timely plays a crucial role in enabling other Kang variants to travel through space and time across the multiverse. Without this technology, there would be no possibility of a Multiversal War. However, as a Kang variant known as He Who Remains, he also embraces the idea of wielding power. In his perspective, a multiversal conflict and widespread destruction are necessary for him to maintain his power. With Timely's creation of the Multiversal Engine Core, he has demonstrated its functionality to Ouroboros. This allows O.B. to refine the design and eventually incorporate it into the Throughput Multiplier. Additionally, other Kang variants in various parts of the multiverse now have access to this technology, empowering them to create the Time Chair. By doing so, the events of Quantumania and the entire future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe can unfold. Don't miss the premiere of new episodes of Loki Season 2, airing Thursdays on Disney+.

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