Something Wicked...

Soooooo... My current fan obsession happens to be the Marvel comicbook Loki: Agent of Asgard, and this journal entry will discuss my fan theories on it. Especially its parallels with the Broadway musical Wicked (and the book it's loosely based on, which I could only partially read, because I found the style of its prose extremely off putting for some reason). OK so:

Spoiler warning: Loki: Agent of Asgard, and Wicked

Teal Dear warning: LONG RANT IS LONG! ... and possibly incoherent and boring.

1) Where did you get this stupid idea?

Ummm... Let's open the 1th issue on page 4 (2 if you don't count the recap and credits). STOP STARING AT THE SHIRTLESS LOKI! Geez. Concentrate on the song:

♫ No All-Father's not proud of you... no brother acts a-shamed... and all of Asgard will love you, when as wiz-ard you're ac-claimed... ♫
♫...Held in such high es-teem! When people see me they will scream! For half of Asgard's favorite te-e-am... The Wizard... and... ♫

Yes. This is from Wicked or to be precise it's a filk version of the song "The Wizard and I" (Relevant parts begin around 2:25 and 4:40)

♫ No father is not proud of you... no sister acts ashamed... and all of Oz has to love you, when by the Wizard you're acclaimed ♫
♫ Held in such high esteem! When people see me, they will scream! For half of Oz's fav'rite team:... The Wizard... and... ♫

The one thing that's immediately noticeable is that Loki's version (especially the first part) puts him as both viewpoint character (Elphaba) and the Wizard who are two distinctly different characters in the original. When I first read this I didn't thought much of it at all... until I reached the last pages of the issue. You know the part, right? Where the All-Mother sets the evil from the jar free and it turns out to be an older Loki? My immediate reaction was "So THERE is our Wizard". Because there is one thing you should know about the Wizard in the musical: He is the villain.

And so an obsessive fan behaviour was born.

2) So what's Wicked about?

Wicked is a point of view flip of the Wizard of Oz (I'll assume that everybody is familiar with the basic storyline of that.) and also a deconstruction of it. It asks the question why the Wicked Witch of West is evil and why the Wizard "good", and maybe if there is a story behind the story:

The story of Elphaba, the girl who will become that witch feared and hated throughout the land. Because there are no easy answers. You can end up cast as the villain against all your good deeds and intentions, while the revered power of goodness might be a hack fooling everybody (if not outright evil overlord ala the book) and most people even let themselves be fooled. Tale of moral ambiguity and lies, which will troll you, make you laugh, make you cry, but well... we all know how this story ends (to quote kid Loki from Journey into Mystery), or do we? (In the book: YES. In the musical: NO. I did say it'll troll you.)

Any work that goes on referencing this in my eye does the literary equivalent of: <( Expect the unexpected! )

3) OK. What does this mean?

Loki did some casting his song, let's begin with those:

Elphaba -> Loki
- She is the heroine who'll become the Wicked Witch of the West. She's also the black sheep / unfavorite child of a noble family, and sufferer of prejudice (It's not easy to be green. ... I AM SO NOT SORRY!), with a deep dark secret (part of it she doesn't even know... like the deepest level that she is actually the Wizards daughter*). Do I say she will turn evil? Get a bucket of water dumped on her melt and die? Yes. No. Depends? Are we talking book or musical? (Trolling with expectations. Damn is this a fitting thing to bring in a trickster story)

Wizard -> Also Loki
- Doesn't really needs an introduction. But yes, he is the villain here who keeps his rule with lies, scapegoating and manipulation. Very Loki part.

Nessa -> Thor
- The girl who'll become the Wicked Witch of the East. She is Elphaba's (little) sister and wheelchair bound in the musical (has no arms in the book) because of the aftermath of the secret, gets ruby slippers from their dad as a gift... and you know a house will be dropped on her.
- Sounds so badly off doesn't it? Or does it? Thor took kind of badly that secret he got dropped on in Original Sin. And lost a gift from his father (Mjölnir) because of it... THE NEW THOR IS DOROTHY!!! *Oancitizen freakout*

Elphapa's and Nessa's father -> Odin
- His only role in the musical is the aforementioned gift, has a bit more to do in the book, but not with much. As Odin is a distant father at his best this seems about right.

Oz -> Asgard
- Magical lands \o/


From this setup (and listening to the songs) everybody could get their own theories, here are some of mine:

Casting:

G(a)linda -> Verity
- Wicked is also very much the story of a friendship, this friendship. She who will become the Good Witch, friend, foil and secret keeper of the one everybody thought of as evil. Also I want Loki and Verity "For Good".

Madam Morible -> The All-Mother
- The Wizard's biggest ally and secondary villain. This casting might change after issue 11.

Song connections (I don't go in order (believe me I tried it doesn't work) and I'll put explanations why... and I left out what I couldn't explain yet):

1.     "No One Mourns the Wicked"
2.     "Dear Old Shiz"
3.     "The Wizard and I" - Introductory one shot and 1th issue of Loki:AoA.
-- This is the point where Madam Morible / The All-Mother tells Elphaba / Loki if (s)he is working as (s)he should (s)he will get his/her dreams.
4.     "What Is This Feeling?" - Loki:AoA 2
-- Where Ephaba and Galinda complain about one another / getting to know each other. In the song the feeling is "loathing" here we get "confusion".
5.     "Something Bad"- Loki:AoA 4
-- When the plan about going and checking out the disturbance in Oz/Asgard is first formed (even if Loki isn't telling it us at this point).
6.     "Dancing Through Life / We Deserve Each Other" - Young Avengers 14-15
-- Party!  Also relationship dickery.
7.     "Popular" - Loki:AoA 10
-- This seems counter intuitive (it's a girly makeover song), but this is the song right after Elphaba confesses her dark secret to Galinda (for Loki's misfortune they also had their Nessa around).
8.     "I'm Not That Girl" - Young Avengers 13
-- After heroics not staying / letting go because Elphaba / Loki doesn't think (s)he deserves love (He/they are better off without me).
9.     "One Short Day" - Loki:AoA 5
-- Our heroes go to a magical town which leads to:
10.     "A Sentimental Man" - Loki:AoA 5 last pages.
-- First encounter between the hero and the villain. (Would fit better if Loki didn't switch off his phone after the Room Full of Incredibly Deadly Traps...)
11.     "Defying Gravity" - Loki:AoA 13
-- Should I elaborate? This is the song where Elphaba goes (Wicked) Witch of the West, this is the issue where Loki decides his future as God of Stories.
12.     "Thank Goodness"
13.     "Wonderful" - Loki:AoA 12.
-- This is the 2nd meeting between the hero and the villain, where the villain tells his story and tries to get the heroine at his side.
14.     "I'm Not That Girl (Reprise)"
15.     "As Long as You're Mine"
16.     "No Good Deed"
17.     "March of the Witch Hunters"
18.     "For Good"
19.     "Finale" 

And now... end.


* What was that? That this all implies that Loki is the child of Loki? At this point? I would rename the guy LOLson (Laufey, Odin, Loki)! Loki also cast himself man and woman, hero and villain.