Lokius

Lokius is the non-binary ship between Loki and Mobius M. Mobius from the Marvel Cinematic Universe fandom.

Glorious Purpose
Mobius is working on the mystery of who killed several Minutemen, when one shows up. He hands him a file, and Mobius sees that it's on Loki. Loki is being brought to trial as Mobius comes in to watch. As Loki is sentenced to be reset, Mobius approaches Ravonna and she agrees to let him take Loki. But if anything happens it's on him. Mobius turns to Loki, and Loki asks who he is.

Mobius takes him to the hall, and Loki says he's going to burn the TVA to the ground. Mobius says that he can start with his desk, as Loki gets distracted by the world outside the window. Mobius tells him to have a look, and Loki questions how magic is here. Mobius says that there isn't. Loki says that the world isn't real, but Mobius says that it is, and so is the paperwork. Loki thinks it's a nightmare, but Mobius says that's another department. He'll help him burn that down.

They get into the elevator and Mobius officially introduces himself. He sticks his hand out for a handshake, but Loki doesn't take it. Loki asks if he's taking him someplace to kill him, but Mobius says that's where they just were. He's taking Loki someplace to talk. Loki says that he doesn't like to talk, but Mobius says that he does like to lie. Which he just did, since they both know that Loki loves to talk. Loki asks how long Mobius has been at the TVA, but Mobius isn't sure since time moves differently there. Loki asks what that means, but Mobius just says that he'll catch up.

They get to their floor, where Loki asks if Mobius is part of the TVA and was created by the Time Keepers to protect the timeline. Mobius confirms this, and Loki laughs. Mobius asks if it's supposed to be funny, and Loki says that it is. Mobius thought Loki didn't like to talk, and Loki just rolls his eyes. Mobius has a guard open a door, and leads Loki into the room.

Loki enters, and feels like the room is still a killing him kind of room. Mobius notices that Loki isn't big on trust, and Loki says that the only person you can trust is yourself. Mobius sarcastically says that he likes that saying. Loki asks why he never heard of the TVA till now, and Mobius says it's because Loki's lived within his set path so far. Loki says that he walks his own path, and Mobius says sure he does, then tells Loki to sit down. Loki moves to attack him, but Mobius and just time slides him back to his original spot. Mobius reminds him that time moves differently in the TVA, and tells him to have a seat. Loki slowly does so, and glares at Mobius. He asks what he wants from him, and Mobius says to start with some cooperation, but Loki says that's not his thing. Mobius points out that it is when he wants to woo some super being he plans to betray later. Loki says that Mobius doesn't know anything about him, and Mobius says that maybe he'd like to learn. He says that he specializes in dangerous variants, and Loki asks if he's referring to him. Mobius says no, he's for the actually dangerous variants, Loki's no more dangerous than a cat. Mobius says that he'll ask him some questions, and depending on the answers he can give Loki what he wants.

Mobius asks what Loki's going to do if he gets out, and Loki says that he will claim his throne. The one he was born to be king of. Mobius asks king of what, and Loki says that he wouldn't understand, but Mobius says to try him. Loki says he was born to rule Earth, and Mobius asks what he'll do once he rules it. Loki says he'll go for Asgard and the rest of the nine realms, but Mobius suggests space as well. Loki warns him against mocking him, but Mobius says that he's not. He's actually a fan of his, and wants to know why someone with so much range, just wants to rule. Loki says that nearly every living thing is lied to about free will, and Mobius assumes that Loki is excluding himself in this. Loki chuckles and says that the TVA are clowns playing their. Mobius says that he loves that Loki is a big metaphor guy, since it makes him sound super smart. Loki says that he is smart, and Mobius says that he knows.

Mobius then presses a button on a device as a projection starts. Loki asks what it is, and Mobius says that it's some of Loki's greatest hits. He shows him getting defeated by the Avengers, but Loki says if he has anything else. Mobius thinks it's funny that Loki was "born to rule" but still ends up loosing. It's almost like it's in his nature. Loki points out that things didn't turn out well for the last person who said that to him, and Mobius brings up Coulson. He points out that the Avengers literally came together to avenge him, but Loki says that's little solace. Mobius asks if Loki enjoys hurting people, but Loki doesn't want to play these games and says that he knows what he is. Mobius asks if he's a murderer and Loki says that he's a liberator. Mobius asks if he's referring to eyeballs and points out Loki smiling as he takes out a guys eye. Loki starts to feel uncomfortable, but just says that he's a god. Mobius points out that he's the god of mischief, and there's nothing really mischievous about what he did on Earth. Loki knows that he wouldn't and Mobius just sighs.

Mobius thinks they should talk about Loki's ability to do awful things and get away with it, and Loki sarcastically says that he's a mischievous scamp. Mobius brings up one of his favourites, when Loki was D.B. Cooper. Loki doesn't see what this had to do with anything, but Mobius tells him to shush, since they're getting to the good part. The clip ends, and Mobius is still impressed that Loki was D.B. Cooper, but Loki just says he was young and lost a bet with Thor. He asks where the TVA was during this, and Mobius says that they were there on the sacred timeline. Loki says that had the Time Keepers seal of approval, but Mobius says not to think of it that way, and tries to get back on topic.

The Variant
The Variant starts after an unspecified period of time after Glorious Purpose, as shown by the growth in his hair length. Mobius brings him on the mission, and Loki attempts to stall for time and manipulate Mobius and the other Minutemen to staying behind. After sabotaging the mission, Ravonna Renslayer talks to Mobius who acknowledges that his strategy with Loki is "unorthodox", but he will do all that he can as he still believes Loki is valuable. Reluctantly, Ravonna continues to allow him to use Loki to find the Variant.

After Mobius goes out of the office, Loki starts chasing after him, making excuses for his manipulation. Mobius vents his irritation towards Loki, saying that he believed that his ego would have made him want to hunt the "superior" Loki variant down. After this, Loki adjusts his tie, saying that it was "adorable" that Mobius thought he could manipulate him as he had a plan. After Mobius correctly guesses the plan, Loki asks why Mobius was sticking his neck out for him, and Mobius patronisingly calls him a "scared little boy shivering in the cold". He forces Loki to do work and leaves to eat his lunch.

Upon finding the Ragnarök file, Loki has an epiphany and runs to Mobius while eating his salad. Through the use of salt, water, Mobius' salad and various other food items, Loki attempts to show his theory that the Variant is hiding in apocalypses as timelines are unable to branch. He convinces Mobius to bring him to Pompeii to test his theory.

Mobius is very cautious in Pompeii, telling Loki to make bird noises, but as Loki is confident in his theory, he outlandishly announces their purpose, job and frees the goats. Vesuvius erupts behind him, and Mobius sees that his theory is correct as no timelines branched despite the disturbances Loki caused. They go back to the TVA to hunt through apocalypses, and Loki falls asleep while researching. Mobius wakes him up and they have a discussion together. Loki expresses his disbelief in the existence of the Timekeepers, while Mobius points out the hypocrisy. Loki brings up when Mobius says that he was a "scared little boy", which reminds Mobius of the boy who gave him candy in France. He jumps up and they go to the library together to cross section the candy wrapper and apocalypses, making it a competition. Loki finds that the only possible place is in Roxxcart, Alabama.

Excited, Mobius tells Ravonna about their findings. Ravonna expresses her doubt, reminding him that Loki sabotaged his last mission, but Mobius says that he is doing great. Ravonna warns Mobius, telling him to not trust Loki, but Mobius says that "he's worth the trouble". Ravonna grants them permission to send a task force to Roxxcart to find the Variant.

Before the mission, Mobius gives Loki a pair of daggers. Keen-eyed viewers would notice these are the same ones Loki used in Infinity War to kill Thanos, but Hunter B-15 snatches them away before Loki can use them. When they arrive at Roxxcart, Hunter B-15 states that she wants to take care of Loki. Mobius protests, saying that he is his responsibility, but Loki tells him that it's fine and that he needs to earn the TVA's trust. Mobius points out that people who say that are normally trustworthy, but allows Loki to go with Hunter B-15.

At the end, Loki is presented with a choice to follow Sylvie, who had just destroyed the Sacred Timeline, through the portal or stay with Mobius. Just before Mobius reaches Loki, he walks away, leaving Mobius alone in Roxxcart.

The Nexus Event
Mobius finds Loki and Sylvie as their presence on Lamentis causes a rapid branch in the timeline. The TVA captures them and separates them, and Loki is brought to the same room he was brought during their first meeting at the TVA. Loki and Mobius shout at each other, accusing the other of betrayal and Mobius calls Loki an "asshole" and a "bad friend". Instead of interrogating him, Mobius puts Loki through a time loop with Sif in an attempt to "soften" her before betrayal.

Mobius brings Loki out of the time loop and begins to interrogate him. Loki states that he does not know what caused the Nexus Event on Lamentis, so Mobius lies by saying that they killed Sylvie. When Loki gets emotional, Mobius accuses him of liking Sylvie, continuing to call them her "girlfriend" despite Loki's denial, and calls their "demented crush" on themself "sick and twisted", stating that it is "breaking [his] reality right now". Loki explodes and tells him the truth about the TVA and that everyone is a Variant kidnapped from their timeline. Mobius doesn't believe him but confesses to lying about Sylvie, and puts Loki through the time loop again. Loki tells Mobius that he is the biggest liar in the TVA because of the lies that he tells himself.

Mobius and Ravonna have a meeting to sign off the Loki case, but Ravonna notes that he is not as happy or drinking as much as usual. Mobius tells her that he is tired, and replaces his TemPad with Ravonna and steals hers. He takes hers to the library, and looks through it, realising Loki was telling him the truth by looking at a video of Hunter C-20.

Mobius then enters the time loop, asking Loki if he believes that he "deserves to be alone". He tells Loki that he was right all along, and that the TVA had been lying to all of them. Before they leave again, Mobius tells him that Loki can be "whoever, whatever they want to be, even someone good." However, when they go outside, Ravonna and several Minutemen are waiting for them. Ravonna accuses Mobius of stealing his TemPad, and Mobius confesses that he had found out the truth. While talking about a possible jet ski, Ravonna gives the order to prune him. Loki screams out "No!" and continues to cry as he is hauled out of the room and into the hallway.

Journey into Mystery
Both Loki and Mobius arrive at the same place at the end of time after being pruned, but in different parts. While Loki travels with his Variants, Mobius manages to find a car and save Sylvie from Alioth, the storm/monster. Sylvie expresses her disbelief in Loki's survival, but Mobius has faith in him.

When they reunite, Loki is shocked and happy to see Sylvie and Loki and are both glad they survive. After Sylvie reveals his plan to enchant Alioth, Loki, Mobius, Sylvie and their Variants decide to rest on the hill. While Mobius bonds with the other Loki variants, Sylvie and Loki have a conversation on the hill. Sylvie tells Loki that Mobius cares about him, and Loki quickly changes the subject.

Sylvie gives Loki her TemPad, but Loki rejects it so that he can fight with her. Instead, he passes it to Mobius who plans to use it to go to the TVA. Loki asks him what he is going to do, and says that he will "burn it to the ground", referencing one of their first conversations, even thanking Loki "for the spark". Before Mobius leaves, he says goodbye and extends his hand out to Loki to shake it. Loki looks at his hand, then at Mobius, and shakes his head before wrapping Mobius in a hug. Loki thanks Mobius and calls him his friend before Mobius leaves to go back to the TVA.

For All Time. Always.
After going back to the TVA, Mobius confronts Ravonna. After he accuses her of betraying him, Ravonna turns it on him and says that he betrayed her, and states that Mobius threw away "eons of friendship for a couple of Loki's".

At the end, Sylvie pushes Loki into a portal and Loki ends back at the TVA. After sitting down and wallowing in self-pity, he finally gets up and runs as he looks for Mobius everywhere. In realisation, he runs to the library, looking through every shelf and sees Mobius talking to Hunter B-15. Loki tells Mobius what happened, but Mobius continues to act confused and asks him what division he is from. As Loki looks out, he realises that he has been sent backwards in time where He Who Remains hadn't ruled over the TVA in anonymity and Mobius no longer recognises him.

Ouroboros
An unsettled Loki is then chased down by Mobius who is accompanied by a large swarm of Minutemen. Once cornered, Loki confusingly pleads to Mobius to recognise him before leaping off a balcony onto a mail cart which crashes into an office. Loki then warps through back into the present where he meets a confused Casey who finally recognises him, just before disappearing again.

Casey then informs Mobius of Loki's recent reappearance before the two must attend a hearing in the aftermath of Ravonna abandoning her post and going missing. Loki travels back to the present once more and attempts to reunite with Mobius before disappearing again once more. Loki then appears back in the present during the middle of the hearing and informs to Mobius and the rest of the attendees of his discoveries. In disbelief at the prospect of past and present being a construct within the TVA, Mobius brings Loki down to Repairs & Advancement to help him with his ongoing state. There, they meet Ouroboros, who recognises Loki's issue as a phenomena called "Time Slipping."

They are told that Loki will need to cure himself of his condition by having Loki prune himself, using the Temporal Aura Extractor to rip raw time such as Loki out of the Temporal Loom, although this risks Loki and Mobius both painfully dying. Mobius is sent out into where the Time Loom resides while Loki needs to instantaneously prune himself as Mobius uses an extractor tool on the loom's chamber. Mobius is then told by Ouroboros that Loki is now lost to time after Loki goes past the limit he would need to prune himself, before Loki in the future is pruned by a mysterious figure and hurdled out of the Temporal Loom at last and landing through into its control room onto Mobius, whom he was thrown at.

Glorious Purpose

 * Mobius offers Loki a drink, but Loki says no.

The Variant

 * Loki adjusts Mobius' tie.
 * Loki ruins Mobius' salad.
 * Loki sleeps while researching apocalypses.
 * Many fans compare this to Sylvie, a Loki variant, who later states that he can't sleep around untrustworthy people. In contrast, Loki is able to trust Mobius enough to fall asleep in front of him.
 * Mobius gives Loki a pair of daggers.

The Nexus Event

 * Loki cries as he watches Mobius get pruned and continues to cry as he walks down the hallway.

Behind the Scenes
"Mobius has been around in the TVA for a while and he has seen a few interesting characters come through those doors. So he's kind of emotionally detached from Loki's powers of persuasion. All of Loki's tricks don't work on him, so they're engaged in a really fun game of chess or something, or a battle of wits. Where they kind of begrudgingly accept each other, because they need each other, but they also don't trust each other. At the same time, it's really nice for Loki that somebody is interested in him, because that hasn't been the case for a while. And he feels he's got someone at the TVA whose checking up on him and maybe beginning to believe in him too. And I love where that relationship goes, and how it develops."

"People latched onto the relationship between Loki and Mobius, and understood that there was a mirror in the two of them. Both Mobius and Loki had a lot to teach each other. Mobius opens up Loki’s sense of his own identity and that this might be something that's malleable. And then Sylvie opens up something in Loki about the nature of identity. And that Loki is able to then reflect back to Mobius."

- Tom Hiddleston

Hiddleston on Loki and Mobius's friendship in the series:
 * Loki and Mobius’ friendship has been a touchstone for the series, and according to Hiddleston, as the show was being developed, their relationship was “one of the things I was drawn to.”


 * “I’m very moved by the idea of their friendship,” he continues. “I don’t think Loki has allowed himself to have many friends. Because to have friends, you have to be vulnerable, and you have to trust. Loki’s so defensive, vulnerability and trust, those two things don’t come easily to him. Mobius is perhaps the first figure in Loki’s life to sit across from him and reflect him back to himself without judgment, but somehow with compassion.”


 * “Mobius is able to contain Loki and say, ‘This is who you are. And I understand.’ That feeling of compassion or lack of judgment is new for Loki, and allows him to open up in a way that facilitates the genesis of this unique friendship. Mobius also is surprised by his affection for Loki. And then it’s Loki who teaches Mobius about life outside the TVA, life before the TVA. Maybe he had a life. Maybe he had a family. Maybe he had a jet ski. They mean a lot to each other, and they’ve done a lot for each other.”

Fanon
Lokius started to be shipped by fans after the initial Loki trailers. Many originally shipped the two "ironically" at first, but as the show got closer and closer to its premiere, the shipping community continued to grow at an increasingly rapid pace. Many fans have expressed their love for this ship over social media. Before the Loki series premiered, many fans assumed the the ship would become the new big MCU ship to talk about, especially given that The Falcon and The Winter Soldier caused the same thing to happen for SamBucky. By the end of episode two, many fans stopped shipping it ironically, and became shipping it genuinly. It became on of the most popular ships in the fandom as a result.

Many fans have pointed out that Mobius was overtly jealous and overcompensating after seeing Loki emotional over finding out about Sylvie's "death", citing this as jealousy. This belief is further enhanced through the track called "Lokius" that plays over this scene. Later, when Mobius takes Loki out of the time loop, people have compared this to someone wanting someone they love to be happy, even if it is not with them.

The idea of Mobius being able to meet variants from different timelines have interested people, so it is a common trope/headcanon that Mobius has met many other Loki variants. However, the TVA is able to reset him so it is possible that he is unable to remember meeting previous versions of Lokis.

On AO3, Lokius in the most written ship for Mobius and the fourth most written for Loki. It is also the most written ship in the Loki (TV 2021) tag.

Fandom

 * FAN FICTION


 * TUMBLR


 * TWITTER


 * TIKTOK


 * DEVIANTART

Trivia

 * Mary Sue wrote an ariticle on how they didn't expect to ship the two, but now do.
 * There is a song on the soundtrack called "Lokius" which plays during the interrogation scene.
 * The song "Pruned" is said to be a combination of Loki and Mobius' themes, and it plays both after Mobius gets pruned and as Sylvie and Loki walk into the Citadel.
 * Marvel India official account asked fans to drop ship-names for Loki and Mobius.

Media

 * Forget Bucky and Steve; It’s All About Loki and Mobius (COLLIDER • OCTOBER 2023)


 * Mobius and Loki Are Tethered To Each Other Like Two Love Sick Puppies (THE MARY SUE • OCTOBER 2023)


 * Lokius Rising: Why Loki & Mobius Is the MCU's Next Big Ship (CBR • JUNE 2021)

Variations

 * Sylkius refers to the ship between Sylvie Laufeydottir, Loki, and Mobius.