Loki's Army Revealed In Avengers Superbowl Trailer - And We Know Who They Are. Ish.

[Brendon Connelly]

We've finally been given a look at Loki's forces in the new, extended trailer for The Avengers, as premiered online just after a cut-down version graced the Superbowl.

Here are four screen grabs from the single shot in which they appear with any degree of clarity:









So it's not the Skrull or the Kree - despite the silhouette almost matching, that's down to their funky headwear.

These figures do look quite a bit like the Frost Giants as seen in Thor...



...but not exactly.

I don't think these strange invaders are complete strangers, however. Or, at least, I reckon we've seen a scene with lots of similarities.

Here are some pages from Thor, during Walt Simonson's run, the famous Surtur Saga storyline -- which at one point brings in both the Fantastic Four and The Avengers in an attempt to help save the day against attack by an overwhelming force in New York.





What you see here are the sons of Muspell, creatures from Muspellheim, dropping into the streets of Manhattan to wreak havok. In both Norse myth and Simonson's comics, this storyline also involves the breaking of the Bifr?st bridge, but as some of that has been played out in last year's Thor, Joss Whedon's script for The Avengers probably won't be going beat-for-beat with what we've already read in the comics.

In Simonson's storyline, the sons of Muspell come to New York via a portal near the top of the Empire State Building. Here's a page:



This too is echoed in these scenes from The Avengers. In that first trailer screencap at the top of this post, note a glimpse of some sort of large arch structure with the warriors dropping down from it (Or out of it. Edited to add -- looking even more closely at that top image, the shadowed part of the arch seems to be actually composed of the figures emerging from it. That would match the concept of the comic page here almost exactly), and also note the Chrysler building here:



Some sort of energy burst around the spire of the building here, as per the comics. The edit makes it seem that Thor causes the lightning, but we don't know if that's really the case - and even if it is, there's no reason to discount the association. Re-watch the trailer after you've taken a good look at these pages. Panic in the streets with warriors dropping down or out of an arched mass or structure, the focus on the building top, and the general look of the creatures... it's all a pretty decent look-and-feel fit with the visual of the comic storyline, even if the details are remixed to fit the film.

So, Loki's army would seem to be something like the sons of Muspell, from somewhere like Muspellheim. The names might change - that won't be important - but if I were a betting man, I'd say that they won't. I'd say the original Norse handles are going to hang around.

There's a long history of comic book movies taking bits and pieces of imagery and plot mechanics from here and there in the strips that inspired them. I'm sure that Whedon has done just the same. And I'm also pretty sure he'll have put them altogether into something fresh and cogent...

But to know about that for sure, there's still a little waiting to get through. The Avengers reaches US screens on May 4th, and UK screens a week early on April 27th.

[thekeith82]

Oh, good call, guys. Yeah, I'm about 99% convinced on this one...

[Matt Spatola]

Thank you thekeith82. I think you brought this up first I believe. That is of the Frost Giants. I'm going to go with both you and Brendon and say maybe we are looking at a combination of forces or races from the Realms. Since Loki knows he is part Frost Giant it would not be hard to believe he would be using them as well.

And I'm not certain on where the supposed aliens fall into play here. Maybe they don't. I am curious on the technology that Loki's army is using.

[thekeith82]

Thank you thekeith82. I think you brought this up first I believe.

Well, I thought they were Frost Giants. I wouldn't have guessed at these guys, but this has me convinced.

[Matt Spatola]

Well, I thought they were Frost Giants. I wouldn't have guessed at these guys, but this has me convinced.

And that's what I meant. Stupid cat jumped on the laptop and posted my reply before I was finished. I did edit and add the rest of my thoughts.

Oh and a big thumbs up to Brendon for using the Thor pages!

[Scavenger]

eh...I'm still voting Badoon.

[Brendon Connelly]

And that's what I meant. Stupid cat jumped on the laptop and posted my reply before I was finished. I did edit and add the rest of my thoughts.

Oh and a big thumbs up to Brendon for using the Thor pages!

Thank Mark for the pages. He was busy crate diving and scanning while I was scouring the trailer and writing (most of) the post.

[Blade X]

Maybe it's the Frost Giants,the Plodex,and the sons of Muspell.

[Mark Seifert]

Oh, good call, guys. Yeah, I'm about 99% convinced on this one...

Yeah. The more I look at it, the more I'm convinced. For example, looking more closely at the first screencap, that "arch" may actually be largely composed of the figures emerging from it. That would match Simonson's concept pretty closely.

[Charles Skaggs]

I like this theory...especially if we actually get Surtur as well. Of course, that pretty much kills my hopes for the Surtur Saga for the Thor sequel.