Loki features a hidden reference to a Marvel superhero you’ve absolutely never heard of

News
By Bradley Russell
published

Who you gonna call?

Loki
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Loki season 2, episode 2 sees the God of Mischief and Mobius heading to a movie premiere in 1970s London. While there, they bump into Brad Wolfe (AKA Hunter X-5), better known to fans of Marvel’s comics as Zaniac.

That character is pretty obscure on his own – and we’ve even got a Zaniac explainer to break down his weird and wonderful comic book history – but that extended sequence featured a reference to an even less-known Marvel character. Enter: The Phone Ranger. (H/T ComicBook.com).

Skip to 2:10 and you’ll see Mobius and Loki breeze past a poster for The Phone Ranger. 

Bonus points if you’ve heard of him: A.G. Bell, a cute play on Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, appeared in only three Marvel comics. Previously a telephone repairman, he shot to (relative) superhero stardom after discovering technology from a race called Seltas inside a broken phone. His most notable act arrived during Civil War, where he was arrested by Iron Man.

So, if Loki has an issue inside the TVA, he knows who to call. We look forward to seeing The Phone Ranger dial up a few heroics in the next Avengers movie…

That wasn’t the only cute Easter egg during Loki and Mobius’ brief walk down the red carpet, either. You can also see a poster for a film starring Kingo, Kumail Nanjiani’s movie star Eternal – something that was previously spotted in set photos back in 2022.

Loki season 2 is currently streaming on Disney Plus. For more, here's what you need to know about what Sylvie is holding at the end of Loki season 2, episode 2, and why this version of Zaniac is different to the comics.

If you're loving the return to the TVA, check out our guides to:

Bradley Russell
Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

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