A newly-discovered Loki Easter egg from the Disney Plus series’ most recent episode once again shows off Marvel’s attention to detail – and is also a cute nod to Revonna Renslayer’s very own comic origins.
During the flashback scene that charted the younger Sylvie’s first tentative steps into the halls of the TVA, Renslayer (then a Hunter, not a judge) is seen dealing with the child Variant.
If you look on Renslayer’s left shoulder as Sylvie takes the TemPad and escapes you’ll notice she has a designation number, much like Hunter B-15 and C-20.
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A little easter egg I found in #Loki Episode 4 A-23 is Ravonna's number, Avengers #23 features Kang the Conquerer and also where she makes her first comic appearance. pic.twitter.com/mBwzjNG2LoJune 30, 2021
Renslayer’s is A-23. That’s not a random selection of letters and numbers, either. It’s actually a pointed reference to Avengers #23 from 1965 – better known as the first appearance of Renslayer in the pages of Marvel’s comics.
It also adds further credence to the theory that Marvel villain Kang the Conqueror is showing up in the MCU earlier than expected. The entire premise of Avengers #23 is Kang using time travel antics to court Renslayer, something which ultimately fails. With Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s MCU iteration hiding a Time-Keepers-related secret, it could be only a matter of time before she reveals her partnership with Kang.
Before then, Loki (and Sylvie) have their own messes to sort out. The Loki episode 4 ending sees the Time-Keepers ‘fall’ in dramatic fashion and more than one major character ‘pruned’ from the TVA. The post-credits scene even introduces several new Lokis for the God of Mischief to contend with, including the reveal that Richard E. Grant is playing ‘Classic Loki’ – with a fittingly comics-accurate costume.
Loki has included references to everything from vampires to 31st Century weaponry so far. As this Renslayer Easter egg shows, even the smallest details could be foreshadowing things to come.
Those looking to dive into the pages and panels of Loki’s own comic history will be disappointed to know that the 1000-page Loki Omnibus has been delayed until the fall.
In the meantime, take a look towards the MCU’s future with our guides on Marvel Phase 4 – including the latest release dates – and all the new Marvel TV shows currently in the works.
