WARNING: Spoilers for Loki episode 5, "Journey Into Mystery"

A new fan comic imagines the Alligator of Mischief’s backstory in the Marvel Cinematic Universe from Loki. Disney+’s latest series from Marvel Studios has proven to be one of the most entertaining entries in the MCU thanks to the Time Variance Authority injecting the notion of determinism, alternate timelines, and a seemingly infinite number of variants. Loki follows Tom Hiddleston’s titular variant circa The Avengers (2012), arrested being arrested and, in episode 4, pruned by the TVA. Episode 5, “Journey Into Mystery,” introduces even more variants of himself, including Alligator Loki, a version of the trickster who was supposedly born a reptile.

Episode 5 sees Loki stranded in “The Void,” the TVA’s dumping ground for everything they prune. He wakes up surrounded by Classic Loki, Boastful Loki, Kid Loki, and, of course, Alligator Loki. Unlike his counterparts (or Frog Thor for that matter), Alligator Loki isn’t based on anything from Marvel Comics. The character, who serves as comedic relief throughout the episode, was originally cited by head writer Michael Waldron as an example of the sort of crazy things they could do/create in Loki. Therefore, Alligator Loki’s backstory is open for debate. As evidenced in the series, not every Loki in the multiverse had the same upbringing. For example, Lady Loki Aka Sylvie always knew she was adopted, whereas our Loki didn't find out until the events of Thor (2011).

Related: Sylvie's Loki Backstory Suggests Odin Lied In Her Timeline Too

Artist Keiid on Twitter recently shared a hilariously tragic comic strip depicting the backstory of Alligator Loki, dubbed “Croki.” The piece imagines Odin telling Croki an obvious truth: he’s adopted. Check it out below.

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In Thor, Loki finds out that he’s not Odin and Frigga’s biological son like the God of Thunder but instead a Frost Giant of Jotenheim, the son of King Laufey, Odin rescued during the war with Jotenheim. When Loki confronts Odin about this, the latter finally confesses that one of the reasons he raised Loki was in the hopes of uniting the two kingdoms; never telling Loki to spare him the pain. Loki grew insecure, resentful, and bitter, driving him down a dark path and fulfilling his role on the Sacred Timeline.

This raises the question: would the trajectory of Loki’s life have changed had he known of his lineage from the jump? Maybe he wouldn’t have tried to conquer Earth or rule Asgard. In which case, Frigga probably wouldn’t have died in Thor: The Dark World (2013). Of course, this “lighter” version of Loki would have been pruned by the TVA the same as Alligator Loki, Sylvie, and the rest of the Void’s inhabitants. Whether or not it’s because his surrogate father informed him of his scales, Loki’s fan-favorite Alligator appears to be on the side of good, biting off President Loki’s hand and bringing our Loki to Alioth, who guards the series’ real villain.

More: What If Loki Always Knew He Was Adopted By Odin? How The MCU Would Change

Source: Keiid/Twitter