One of the greatest things about Marvel’s What If canon is that anything can happen. Marvel and Del Rey saw What If‘s potential and worked their magic. To kick off this new adventure, author Madeleline Roux decided to take everything we love and hate about the trickster Loki and flip it, giving us new versions of well-established characters, and presenting us with events that we never could have imagined. To celebrate the release of What If… Loki Was Worthy? A Loki and Valkyrie Story, we had the absolute pleasure of talking to Madeleine about her latest book, and what a treat it was. Together, we talked all things Marvel, Loki, grief, and being a nerd. It was a delightful and immensely insightful conversation, and we’re so excited to be able to share it with you.
Synopsis:
So many worlds, so little time. Infinite possibilities, creating infinite realities. Long have I watched the trickster god sow chaos. But…what if Loki saved Asgard from Tony Stark’s revenge?
Thor—Son of Odin, God of Thunder, wielder of the hammer Mjolnir—is dead. And Loki is responsible.
It was only meant to be a joke — tampering with the Destroyer, changing Thor’s course to Midgard — a bit of mischief with a chance of maiming. But Loki’s harmless prank spiraled out of control, unleashing death and destruction on New York City and the heroes sworn to protect it. The city was saved, but at the cost of Thor’s life.
Furious and heartbroken, the All-Father banishes Loki to Earth for his crime. Loki finds himself in a realm of boxed wine, instant noodles, and some sort of regional performance troupe known as the “Buffalo Bills.” It’s a meager existence, far from Asgard’s grand courts, but he finds his new friend, Brian the Gecko, a much more engaging companion than the sycophants back home. A true meeting of the minds. Loki is the God of Mischief — but he knows, deep down, that he never truly deserved to stand next to their father’s golden child Thor, as two true sons of Odin.
Yet, he cannot even endure his exile in peaceful isolation. A Valkyrie — Hel-bent on carrying out her oath to Thor — barges into his trailer-home with his brother’s final words from the beyond: a plea to find a certain Dr. Jane Foster and pass on Mjolnir to its rightful heir.
While Loki struggles to fulfil his brother’s last request, the far-reaching consequences of his fatal prank return to haunt him. Blinded by grief from those he lost in the chaos wrought by Asgard, Iron Man vows revenge on those who consider themselves gods. Determined to protect the Earth from the might of this unpredictable alien power, he forges Asgard’s own weaponry into a lethal suit of armor, set on eradicating any tether between their worlds. Consequences be damned. When Asgard looks to Loki for salvation, he must answer the question: Am I truly worthy?
2024 will also see the arrival of two additional What If stories. What If… Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings? A Scarlet Witch and Spider-Man Story by Seanan McGuire, will be arriving in July, and What If… Marc Spector was a Host to Venom? A Moon Knight and Venom Story by Mike Chen, will be hitting the shelves in October.
Check out the full interview below:
Madeleine Roux is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than twenty books for teens, adults, and children. Her bestselling Asylum series has sold over a million copies worldwide. She has also written for Star Wars, World of Warcraft, Dungeons & Dragons, and Critical Role. Madeleine lives in Seattle, Washington with her partner and beloved pups.
What If… Loki Was Worthy? A Loki and Valkyrie Story is available to purchase from all of your favourite bookstores. You can also enjoy Loki’s tale on the go with the audiobook, narrated by Oliver Wyman.
