Loki: Easter Eggs And Important Moments In Episode One, 'Glorious Purpose'

After a long wait for fans, the first episode of Loki, one of the most highly anticipated new Marvel shows, has dropped on Disney Plus. The episode included a lot of set up, with Loki learning about the Time Variance Authority, or TVA. It provides a great jumping off point for what's to come.

Here are all the Easter Eggs and important moments in Loki episode one, 'Glorious Purpose'.

The Purpose of the TVA

Quickly apprehended after stealing the Tesseract in Avengers: Endgame, Loki is taken into the custody of the TVA. An educational video starring The TVA's animated mascot, Miss Minutes, explains that a long time ago, a great multi-versal war, in which multiple timelines battled for supremacy, almost destroyed the Universe. Powerful beings known as the Timekeepers saved the day by restoring everything to a single timeline, known as the sacred timeline.

They then created the TVA and all of it's workers for the purpose of preserving the Sacred Timeline. The TVA apprehends 'Variants, aka anyone who strays from their predestined path, and resets the timeline back to it's regular path.

In the comics, TVA agents have no distinct features, and no personality beyond their single-minded goal to protect the proper flow of time. This has obviously been slightly altered for the show, to make the characters a little more interesting.

Nexus Event

The video goes on to explain that anyone stepping off their approved path, as Loki did by taking the Tesseract, results in a Nexus event. A Nexus event could spark the creation of a new multiverse, with fears that this would eventually lead to a new Multiversal War.

As fans will be aware, this is not the first time the word 'Nexus' has been used in the MCU. 'Breaking The Fourth Wall', the seventh episode of WandaVision, features a commercial for Nexus brand anti-depressants. In the comics, Wanda Maximoff is the Nexus being of Earth-616, which results in her reality warping powers, and potential disaster for her universe if any harm came to her.

Who is attacking the Minute-Men?

Early in the episode, we learn that a rogue Variant has been attacking and killing Minute-Men, the TVA's foot soldiers, when they arrive at compromised timelines, and stealing their Timeline Reset Charges. While investigating these attacks, TVA agent Mobius M. Mobius asks a child witness if they saw who had killed the Minute-Men. The child points to an image of what appears to be a demon on a nearby stained-glass window.

Many fans were amused to note that the image is quite similar to Mephisto as he usually appears in Marvel comics. While many had expected the character to appear in WandaVision, it would be a fun twist to have him show up in Loki instead.

Loki knew the Avengers had time Travelled

While Loki is on trial for stepping away from his destined path, he points the finger at the Avengers for his current predicament. In a surprising twist, he reveals that he knew the future Avengers were there the whole time.

"Believe me, you can smell the cologne of two Tony Starks."

However, Loki believed The Avengers were there to stop his eventual victory. Unfortunately, his knowledge of The Avengers time travel did not get Loki off the hook at all, as it was supposed to happen.

Loki was D.B Cooper

One of the greatest mysteries in American history is of the true identity and fate of the man who came to be known in the media as D.B Cooper. Cooper hijacked a Boeing-747, demanded a ransom for the passengers' release, and later leapt from the plane in mid-air. While portions of the ransom money have been found, Cooper himself has not. Investigators believe he most likely died jumping from the plane.

While Mobius is showing Loki clips of his past, it is revealed that Loki was Cooper. Apparently, the stunt was a result of Loki having lost a bet to Thor.

Infinity Stones are useless within the TVA HQ

At one point, Loki escapes Mobius and plans to reclaim the Tesseract so he can flee from the TVA. He intercepts Casey, a hapless TVA worker taking a cart full of Variant objects to be placed in evidence, and sucessfully retrieves the Tesseract. However, he is shocked to realise that the evidence cart contains multiple sets of Infinity Stones. Casey cheerfully reveals:

"We actually get a lot of those. Some of the guys use them as paperweights."

As it turns out, the Infinity Stones are powerless within the confines of the TVA Headquarters. This means Loki's escape plan was doomed to fail. However, it could have implications for the future of the Infinity Stones in the MCU, if Loki or anyone else successfully smuggles them out of TVA HQ.

Loki, This Is Your Life!.. And death.

After realising his escape plan is hopeless, Loki returns to watch the remainder of the TVA file on his life. This includes his redeeming moments in Thor: Ragnarok, and eventual death at the hands of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War.

Seeing the clips convinces Loki that he truly cannot be returned to his timeline. Thankfully, Mobius has other plans for his future..

The 'Rogue Variant' is another Loki Variant

Mobius informs Loki that though he cannot be returned home, Mobius may be able to offer him some sort of purpose in his life. Loki is sceptical, until Mobius reveals that the rogue variant he has been hunting is also a Loki variant. This would give him unique insight in aiding with the variant's capture.

While we see a shot of the variant in the episode's final scene, their face is not shown. Some fans are questioning whether the Rogue Variant is actually Loki, or if this may be a red herring. Others propose that if it is Loki, it may not be the Loki we know. Following the subtle reveal, through a shot of Loki's TVA file, that the MCU's Loki, as in the more recent comics, is gender-fluid, some fans think the Rogue Variant could be an adaptation of Lady Loki.

We can't wait to find answers as the series unfolds.