Reconsider all you know about Loki, the iconic mercurial trickster god of Norse mythology and contemporary pop culture fame.

Loki, ever the shapeshifter, is constantly being remade and reinterpreted. A central character in Norse mythology, the trickster god is also a pop culture icon, appearing in countless offshoots and interpretations across media, now most evident as Tom Hiddleston in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films and TV shows. Each iteration offers a new layer to the character we’ve come to know so well.

By exploring contemporary variations of Loki from genderfluid Norse god to anti-hero trickster, Karl Johnson considers the continued role of myths in the twenty-first century—through fandom, ritual, queer theory, and popular culture. He invites readers to journey with him as he unpicks his own evolving relationship with Loki, and to ask: Who is your Loki? And what is their glorious purpose?