Although it seems obvious, it should be repeated: the Marvel Cinematic Universe adapts mythology from the comics. This clarification is key to understanding how some characters are associated with other names, how a handful of facts are not accurate according to the comics and how different issues can change through the movies. The Time Variation Authority (TVA), the one that appeared in Loki (Kate Herron, 2021), and the Marvel Multiverse, enter the previous clarification.
This happens because Marvel’s own narrative, as part of the surprises that the script can offer through its evolution, changes, alters, mutates. At first, Miss Minutes explained a part of the operation of the TVA and the timeline. However, some questions remained in the air, those that were clarified (in part) in the last episode of Loki.
The clash between versions, those offered by the comic and those of the adaptations, is not a problem; as long as the circumstances are clarified. In that sense, the Marvel Multiverse continued to generate concerns regarding its operation. Who rules the timeline, beyond the Guardians of Time? Is there a relationship between the different universes? How was the apparent harmony that governs the present formed? The last chapter of Loki brought up some answers about it.
The history of TVA, beyond the Guardians of Time
In the comics, TVA appears for the first time in Thor vol. 1 # 372, released October 1986. This organization was the brainchild of Walt Simonson and Sal Buscema. Justice Peace, one of the agents working on it, appears to request Thor’s help during a mission. The God of Thunder agrees and they end up solving the problem.
The adaptation made by Marvel and Disney offers other information, beyond that initial episode. Miss Minutes explains that the TVA arose after a conflict between the different timelines. To prevent the collapse between them, the Guardians of Time emerged, who guard the channel of the timeline. As if it were a river that must have a constant, linear flow.
On LokiMarvel Studios’ fickle villain Loki (Tom Hiddleston) reprises his role as the God of Deception in a new series that takes place after the events of Avengers: Endgame. Kate Herron is directing it and Michael Waldron is the main screenwriter.
However, the sixth and last episode goes even deeper into this section. It does so through whoever governs that timeline. This character, who did not introduce himself with a specific name, mentioned that he is usually called “The One Who Remains” or “Conqueror”, referring to Kang (Jonathan Majors), the villain of Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
It is he who explains that, after the Multiversal War (the clash between the different timelines), he isolated the timeline that has been adapted through the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He had to see to it that no ramifications arose that would alter events. That is why the TVA arose, the body in charge of taking care of that timeline described in Loki. This completes a part that was missing in this story. It is already known who is responsible, beyond the Guardians of Time, of the timeline.
The discovery of the Marvel Multiverse in Loki
At first, this was not covered by Miss Minutes, considered a kind of walking library within the TVA. She explained during the first chapter of Loki the origin of the TVA, but did not delve into the emergence of the Marvel Multiverse. This was explained by Kang the Conqueror in “For All Time. Always ”, the sixth chapter of Loki.
Kang said that it was a variant of him who discovered that other universes existed. The character explained, “Eons ago, before TVA, a variant of myself lived on earth in the 31st century. He was a scientist and discovered that there were other universes stacked on top of his. ” At this point, the scene shows three of those universes. Past, present and future. The character goes on to explain to Loky and Sylvie: “Other versions discovered the same thing. Naturally, they made contact and for a time there was peace. (…) They shared technology and knowledge, using the best of their universes to improve the others ”.
So far, so good. “However, not all versions of me were so pure of heart. For some, the new worlds mean only one thing: new lands to conquer, ”Kang said, before Loki and Sylvie. The pulse between these variants led to the Multiversal War, the one that altered the entire Marvel Multiverse.
It was through the first variant of Kang that the conflict could be resolved. This version found Alioth and transformed him into a weapon with which to prevail over the others. With the Multiversal War resolved, he was able to isolate a timeline of the Marvel Multiverse. That narrative line that has developed in recent years both in film and television, through Disney Plus.