Loki is a charismatic villain who is complex, formidable, and often likeable. He’s the type of character whose villainy is shaped by childhood experiences and the deep resentment that can form between family members. As Loki celebrates his 60th anniversary in comics, we take a look way back to the beginning of his story.

Loki, the god of mischief was created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby, and introduced in Journey Into Mystery #85 (October 1962). His story begins with Odin and his birth father, Bor, during a battle with the Frost Giants. A sorcerer used magic to turn Bor into snow, and his pleas for Odin’s help in making the sorcerer set him free went unanswered. Bor cursed Odin, telling him that one day he’d have to raise the son of a fallen king.

Just days later, the Asgardians were in another fight with the Frost Giants, and Odin killed their leader, King Laufey. Odin then found young Loki, a child much smaller than other Frost Giants, hidden in Laufey’s stronghold. It was revealed that Laufey was ashamed of his son’s small size, so he kept him hidden from his people. Odin, who pitied the child and wanted to honor the memory of his father, decided to adopt Loki and raise him alongside his biological son, Thor.

It didn’t take long for Loki to start resenting his adopted brother Thor. Since the Asgardians value strength and bravery most of all, the people treated Thor better than his smaller brother, Loki. To make up for his smaller stature, Loki became a practitioner of sorcery and through natural skill, he became quite powerful.

Initially, Loki used magic to cause mischief and torment his brother, but as his resentment continued to grow, he became more malicious with his tricks. Eventually, Loki started to quench his thirst for power by trying to destroy Thor and become the ruler of Asgard. When Odin became weary of Loki’s behavior, he magically imprisoned his son in a tree. The ever-crafty Loki found a way to free himself and continued his journey as the power hungry god of mischief.