As it turns out, AIM — full name Advanced Idea Mechanics — is still very much active in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As one eagle-eyed Loki fan has now pointed out, the villainous organization makes an indirect appearance in the show’s first episode in one blink-and-you’ll-miss-it-moment. That moment is in the 1958 timeline with agents of the Time Variance Authority (TVA) go back in time in an attempt to stop the variant Loki they’ve been hunting down.
Videos by ComicBook.com
It’s here they discover a futuristic shovel, leading them to believe someone with a “time machine from the future” was looking to get rich on oil. If you zoom in on this shovel though, it reveals a significant detail. In addition to calling the item a “quantum ore shovel,” the TVA’s database suggests it was built by none other than Advanced Idea Mechanics in 2040.
The organization first appeared on-screen in Iron Man 3, as a company founded by Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce). Throughout that film, the company was closely aligned with the Ten Rings, a separate radical organization that will soon return in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Outside of the MCU, the group is largely associated with MODOK, the iconic Marvel villain that’s practically just one giant floating head.
“It was really interesting to go unstitch the character development of Dark World, Ragnarok, Infinity War, and it’s almost like time travel for myself, and go back to where Loki’s head’s at in that moment,” Tom Hiddleston previously told us of his take on the Disney+ series. “His ego’s pretty bruised. The Avengers just assembled because of him for the first time to stop him from taking over New York City. And he got smashed around by the Hulk, which didn’t feel great. And yeah, so he’s pretty bruised and broken but still has all of that entitlement and grievance, I suppose.”
The first episode of Loki is now streaming on Disney+. If you haven’t signed up for Disney+ yet, you can try it out here.
What other characters do you think could pop up in the Hiddleston-starring series? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting our writer @AdamBarnhardt up on Twitter to chat all things MCU!
Note: If you purchase one of the awesome, independently chosen products featured here, we may earn a small commission from the retailer. Thank you for your support.
