Loki’s presidential variant & the Vote Loki campaign explained

One of the more memorable Loki variants appeared to be the President of his earth, calling back to a satirical comic storyline that tied into the 2016 election.

One of the more memorable non-alligator variants of Loki’s first season had a more presidential demeanor. The President Loki variant, so named for the massive button on his jacket, appears in Loki Season 1, Episode 4.

He doesn’t appear to be much of a people person. He shows up with a gang of thugs in the hunt for other Loki variants, but they quickly turn on him. 

For Loki viewers, this felt like a nod to the political absurdity of the last several years. For comic fans, though, this was another sly nod to an interpretation of the character. 

Why Loki ran for President

The 2016 series Vote Loki saw the God of Stories arrive on Earth and begin interfering with the Presidential election. He rises to prominence after he stops a Hydra attack and then speaks out against the current candidates for President. 

Loki declares all the candidates to be liars and cheats, something he himself is an expert in. Loki then makes a bold promise about his campaign if he were to run: he will lie to your face, and you’ll love it. 

This does create something of a fervor among the people. Loki manages to gain enough traction to become a dark horse candidate. With his sister, Angela, functioning as security, and the then-current Thor, Jane Foster, taking issue with him entering the political theater, Loki begins a Presidential campaign in earnest. 

How Loki lost the presidency

Caught in the middle of all this is Nisa Contreras, a reporter for the Daily Bugle. Loki comes to Nisa first about his running, seemingly wanting to get the word out, but he manipulates events, so Nisa’s first article appears in favor of Loki.

Nisa spends much of the mini-series trying to convince others that Loki is deceiving the public for his own means but comes up short every time. She tries to expose a cult sacrificing a goat in his name, but Loki simply reminds everyone he’s a god and they’re freely practicing religion. She exposes him as interfering in a Latverian war, but instead, he’s presented as a hero for stopping the conflict.

Ultimately, Loki loses the election when Nisa pits him against the role of President itself. He attempts to have her interview him in front of an audience so he cannot lie, but instead, she makes him face the voters. It turns out Loki was so busy building the hype train that he forgot to actually build a political platform. Once he’s asked about things they actually care about – like health care, debt, and more – Loki just doesn’t have an answer.

Of course, the story implies this may have been intentional. The final issue ends with Loki secretly speaking with an unnamed person, claiming his actions split the vote in their favor. 

You can decide for yourself if that was Loki’s plan all along by reading all four issues of Vote Loki on Marvel Unlimited. For more Loki and comic book news, be sure to follow all our coverage.