Loki Inspires a Sci-Fi Author
In 1994, Loki meets a Caltech professor and sci-fi author named Ad Doug. Loki gives Doug a copy of the TVA handbook, inspiring Doug to create the first TemPad time travel device.
Doug's lab at Caltech looks identical to the TVA headquarters. This suggests that Doug used his own lab as the blueprint for the TVA when he helped build it.
Loki - From God of Mischief to God of Stories
Over the course of the episode, Loki evolves from dismissing fiction to appreciating the power of storytelling. Loki tells Doug "We're all writing our own stories now. Go write yours."
This aligns with Loki's comic book arc of transforming from the God of Mischief into the God of Stories. As God of Stories, Loki gains the power to manipulate narratives.
Giving Doug the inspiration to create the TVA is Loki's first act as God of Stories. He sets in motion the events that will lead to the TVA's formation.
The TVA Needs Mythological Roots
While science led to the creation of the TemPads, the TVA needs a cosmic, mythological origin to give it greater meaning.
Loki, as an ancient Norse god, provides that mythological weight. His role as God of Stories gives the bureaucratic TVA a much-needed fanciful backstory.
Loki Deserves Some Credit
Loki shouldn't get all the credit here. Kang and other forces shaped the TVA into what it ultimately became.
But by inspiring Doug to build the first time travel device, Loki gave the TVA its initial spark of imagination. As the Marvel series continues, we may see Loki embrace his new role as the TVA's godfather.
Loki and the TVA FAQ
Q: Who created the Time Variance Authority (TVA) in the Loki series?
A: It's revealed that a Caltech professor and sci-fi author named Ad Doug played a key role in creating the first time travel technology that led to the formation of the TVA.
Q: What was Loki's role in the creation of the TVA?
A: In an episode, Loki meets Ad Doug in 1994 and gives him a TVA handbook. This inspires Doug to build the first time device and provides the blueprint for the TVA headquarters. So while Loki didn't directly create the TVA, he gave Doug the inspiration that kicked off the chain of events leading to its existence.
Q: How did this experience change Loki?
A: Over the course of the episode, Loki evolves from dismissing fiction writing to appreciating the power of stories. This aligns with Loki's comic book arc from God of Mischief to God of Stories. Giving Doug inspiration symbolically represents Loki's first act as God of Stories.
Q: Why does the sci-fi TVA need mythical origins?
A: While science and technology were needed to build the time travel devices, the bureaucratic TVA also needs cosmic, mythical origins to give it greater meaning and weight. As an ancient Norse god, Loki provides this mythological element that the TVA otherwise lacks.
Q: Does Loki deserve full credit for the TVA's creation?
A: No. Other forces like Kang shaped the TVA into its final form. But by inspiring the inventor of the first time device, Loki did provide the initial building block that made the TVA possible. In that sense, he can be seen as a "godfather" figure but not the sole creator.
The revelation that Loki inspired the inventor of the first time travel device adds a new wrinkle to our understanding of the TVA's origins. Rather than the TVA emerging solely from science and technology, it turns out that an ancient Norse god played a pivotal role by awakening the imagination that made it possible. This gives the bureaucratic TVA the splash of mythological origins that it had been lacking. While Loki cannot claim to be the lone creator, he does seem to have served as a "godfather" figure who provided the initial spark. As Loki leans into his new role as the God of Stories, shaping narratives across the multiverse, his influence over the TVA he helped inspire may continue to grow in exciting ways.
