Thanos-Copter: Loki Episode 5 Makes Villain’s Ride Canon

Marvel fans have been expecting a ton of Easter eggs from the Loki series on Disney+, and the show has certainly met those expectations so far. Dealing with different parts of the timeline, and the idea that an organization exists outside the laws of time itself, allows for plenty of little references and knick knacks all through the show. That said, Loki really outdid itself with its new episode, “Journey Into Mystery.” Some of the show’s best Easter eggs are hidden in this episode, including a nod to one of the most popular punchlines in Marvel Comics, making it canon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

When Loki is walking around the Void at the end of time, following some other variants, he walks past an old helicopter that crash-landed some time ago. It’s old and overgrown, like many of the other things that have been left in the Void. “Thanos” is printed in black letters across the tail. While that doesn’t make much sense given the Thanos we’re accustomed to in the MCU, it has a history in the pages of the comics.

In Spidey Super Stories #39, which was printed in March of 1979, Thanos tries to retrieve a Cosmic Cube from Hellcat. The Mad Titan flew into action in a one-man helicopter, taking up the entire cockpit on his own. For some reason, he had his name printed on the chopper, just so everyone would know who it belonged to.

The creation was dubbed Thanos-Copter, and it has appeared in different ways in the years since 1979, but always as a joke or Easter egg. An issue of a Deadpool comic saw Thanos and Wade Wilson escape in the Thanos-Copter after stealing a Cosmic Cube, and the vehicle was also featured in the LEGO Marvel’s Avengers video game.

Now, thanks to Loki, the Thanos-Copter is part of MCU canon. Sure, we’ll never see it again since it is sitting idle and overgrown at the end of time, but it’s still a nice touch. It’s a lot less menacing than the vehicles and weapons used by Thanos during his tenure in the MCU, so any kind of reference regarding the Thanos-Copter likely had to be saved until after his story arc was over.

Were you expecting to see the Thanos-Copter in Loki? Let us know in the comments!