Now that Loki Season 2 has reached its climatic conclusion, let’s talk about Marvel’s favorite suit-and-tie mystery man, Mobius M. Mobius (no, not Morbius, we don’t talk about him anymore). The show’s final act dropped some serious bombs about his past, revealing that at the heart of TVA’s most charming bureaucrat, there are some dark and dizzying bits – bits that could feed more story.
“Glorious Purpose,” the aptly named episode of the show’s finale, sees Loki grappling with the enormity of existence and time, desperately seeking a way to avert a catastrophic temporal collapse. His search for a solution leads him back to a pivotal moment: his first debriefing with Mobius.
It’s here that Mobius reveals the depths of his past with fellow TVA agent Ravonna Renslayer, shedding light on their complex history that the show has hinted at on a few occasions. Mobius was once a Hunter for the TVA, which is like being a time-traveling cop, minus the doughnuts and with a lot more existential dread.
However, he wasn’t just any Hunter. Mobius was a failed Hunter. Sometime in the distant past, Mobius couldn’t go through with a mission to prune an eight-year-old boy near the Black Sea because, let’s face it, who wants that on their conscience?
This decision, however, had some serious ripple effects. Due to his hesitation, more variants appeared, timelines started doing the cha-cha, and other Hunters lost their lives. Basically, it was the worst, and last, day of Mobius as a field agent.
So, how does this all connect to Renslayer? Well, the no-nonsense TVA judge was Mobius’ partner back in their Hunter days. While Mobius froze during the Black Sea mission, Renslayer didn’t flinch. She did the pruning, no questions asked. That’s commitment, or maybe just cold-heartedness, depending on how you look at it.
Following the tragic events of the mission, Renslayer climbed up the ladder to become a Judge at the TVA, while Mobius got demoted to desk duty, becoming a glorified pencil pusher. Though we’ve always seen Mobius cracking wise at the TVA, after leaving his field days behind, we finally now know that there’s a whole lot of trauma and guilt under that mustache.
Mobius’ past is a cocktail of grief and responsibility, which sounds a bit like Loki, doesn’t it? For a show that is full of mischief and Loki shenanigans, the writers really hit us with the feels here, reminding us that with great power comes… well, you know the rest.
Loki has always been a show that thrives on the unexpected, but seeing the past of two of the biggest characters was a huge shift in perspective. It makes a lot of sense why Mobius’ relationship with Loki resembled that of an older brother guiding a younger brother who seems lost and confused.
With Renslayer seemingly chomped by Alioth in the Void and variants lurking around, Season 2 proved to be much bigger than its predecessor, which focused primarily on our favorite God of Mischief. It was a deep dive into the psyches of some of the most complex characters in the MCU, exploring powerful themes about destiny, choices, and the price of power.
Thankfully, Mobius is no longer resigned to the fate of a desk jockey. Now, the former jet ski salesman can chart his path and ultimately find his glorious purpose!
