31 Years Later, Marvel's Most Underappreciated Villain Could Be Out for Revenge in Loki
Be careful about who you spurn.
Loki Season 2 has already delivered on several elements fans have been waiting for, like time travel, glimpses of the lives TVA agents used to live, new villains, and, of course, the everlasting bromance between Loki and Mobius.
But there’s one character who’s been missing in Season 2: Judge Ravonna Renslayer, the protector of the TVA who left in search of “free will” in the Season 1 finale. Just where did she go, and how will she factor into Season 2? A deep dive into Marvel comics reveals she may be using her newfound free will to take on a new identity, one almost as terrifying as Kang the Conqueror himself.
The only glimpse we’ve had of Ravonna in Loki Season 2 so far came in a recording of He Who Remains calling Ravonna “quite a marvel.” The insinuation is that their relationship is similar to what it is in the comics: deeply romantic.
Lost Legends is an Inverse series about the forgotten lore of our favorite stories.
Judge Ravonna Renslayer in Loki Season 1.
But we’re not talking about a fairytale romance. Ravonna and Kang were the definition of a complicated couple, with time travel, variants, and constant wars against the Avengers causing rifts between the two. At one point, Ravonna even sacrificed herself for him, but Kang managed to keep her alive in stasis. Kang later won power over life or death from the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum’s character in Thor: Ragnarok), giving him the opportunity to bring Ravonna back to life. Unfortunately, Kang’s hatred of the Avengers won out, and he tried to kill them all instead. You can probably guess how that panned out.
The Grandmaster, always looking to sow some chaos, revived Ravonna himself and showed her what Kang did. In Avengers Annual #21, published in 1992, a bitter Ravonna sought revenge under a swanky new name: Terminatrix. They battled in front of the Avengers, and when Thor decided to intervene and throw his hammer at Ravonna, she ducked and Kang took the blow instead.
The tables turned, and Kang sacrificed himself for her just as she did for him. And just as Kang kept her in stasis, Ravonna kept Kang on ice. She took on the guise of Kang, living as him and running his empire. Eventually, she was found out and defeated by the Avengers in the four-part comic series Avengers: The Terminatrix Objective.
Ravonna, as Rebecca Tourminet, reunites with Kang in his Victor Timely form.
However, Ravonna escaped the Avengers and traveled to Illinois in 1903, where she took on the name Rebecca Tourminet and lived alongside Kang in his Victor Timely identity, details relevant to Loki. In the Season 1 finale, we learn that Judge Renslayer was originally a high school vice principal named Rebecca Tourminet. And thanks to the Season 2 trailer, we also know we’ll soon see Kang as Victor Timely, and Ravonna will appear in fashion befitting the period as well.
Could Ravonna follow in her comic book counterpart’s footsteps and take on the guise of Terminatrix, Kang’s bitter ex? She didn’t really have a relationship with He Who Remains, but she was jarred by Season 1’s revelation that her life’s work hadn’t been what she thought it was. It would take a few twists, but Ravonna left in search of free will, and what better way to express your newfound will than with a little revenge?
Loki is suffering from a lack of villains, with most of the conflict thus far limited to TVA infighting. By aligning herself with — or against — Kang, Ravonna could establish a familiar, motivated, and powerful villain. Breakups are always hard, but there’s nothing worse than breaking up with the man at the end of time.
