Warning! Spoilers ahead for Spider-Man: 2099 Exodus #2
There are so many great and new versions of Marvel characters in the 2099 Universe, but when it comes to Loki, Marvel deceived fans just a little.
Recently in the 2099 Universe, a celestial crash-landed on Earth, sprouting up a paradise-like garden with various magical properties people could use to their advantage. Norman Osborn, seemingly alive from the present, has set up an evil cabal to control the garden. Spider-Man 2099, also known as Miguel O'Hara, is on a mission to stop Osborn. With the help of Winter Soldier 2099 and the demon Terminator that is Ghost Rider 2099, O’Hara has thus far been able to stop the cabal from using others to find the garden, forcing Osborn to try and get it himself for his own nefarious purposes.
In Spider-Man: 2099 Exodus #2 by Steve Orlando and Marco Castiello, a separate but linked tale is recalled about how the evil company Alchemax created artificial Asgardians that destroyed the magical city of Asgard. Loki, 2099's last surviving god of Asgard, works with one of the artificial Valkyries in order to reclaim some of Asgard's magic and create the next generation of Asgardians. Together, these new Asgardians set up a new Asgard to carry on the previous one's legacy. However, a problem arises when looking at this character's official title; Loki 2099.
It's an interesting tale about survival, redemption, and carrying on the legacy of fallen brethren. But labeling this Loki as Marvel's Loki 2099 is a bit deceiving. Most 2099 characters are brand new versions of their mainstream 616 counterparts. The first 2099 character, Spider-Man, is a great example of this. Unlike other versions of Spider-Man from different universes, Spider-Man 2099 is Miguel O'Hara, a completely original character with completely original powers. He is Spider-Man in name only. In contrast, Loki 2099 is actually the same Loki as the modern 616. Since he is immortal, he's just survived long enough to be a part of the 2099 Universe. Historically speaking, the Asgardians never returned to Earth in the 2099 Universe. Artificial versions of the Asgardians were created by Alchemax. One of them, a Valkyrie, Loki teamed up with during this issue. But Loki himself is the first actual Asgardian to appear in the universe considering the 2099 version of Thor was desecrated by the Winter Soldier. But he's not a new version of the character.
If Marvel were to keep the same trend as 2099 in the past, then they would have someone else take up the mantle of Loki to carry it on in this future.
Spider-Man 2099: Exodus #2 is available now from Marvel Comics!