Villains. We’ve been told that we have to hate them, loathe them, root for their opposition and cast them aside – but we ended up loving them instead. We’ve come to expect things from them. We want them to be brilliant, have solid motivations and a fighting chance of actually winning. Cookie cutter, cardboard cutouts just don’t do it for us anymore. That’s why it’s no surprise why we all love Loki; Thor’s angry adopted brother.
On the 7th of December, Mackenzi Lee announced on her twitter that she was going to be responsible for writing a book about fan favorite Loki. Prior to her big announcement, she had even been cracking a number of jokes about the morally gray, god of mischief. Best known for her popular novel The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue which follows a bisexual lord known as Monty, she has over 3 books already published and is rearing to add a couple more.
Thor: *doing a crossword puzzle* what’s a four-letter word for disappoint?
Odin: Loki.
Thor: ….it fits.— Mackenzi Lee (@themackenzilee) December 2, 2017
Books about the comic book universe aren’t new, as we can see from the DC Icons books, but it’s relatively new to have an entire series dedicated to the villains. However, what truly makes this stand out from the rest is the fact that Loki is not only going to be pansexual, he is most likely going to be gender fluid too.
When questioned about Loki’s claim to be in the LGBT+ community, she points out that “Loki is reborn as a woman and uses female pronouns” in the comics. She also stands her ground, stating that it is “about time that the LGBT+ community was represented in superhero narratives”. For far too long big-screen superheroes been restricted to the archetype of straight white men. Coupled with the emergence of Black Panther and Wonder Woman, now is the time for everyone to step up and represent.
