oHOTmu or NOT Ep.65: Loki to Machine Man

A god of mischief. A bird-boned interdimensional hero. A face in the sky. A Simonson beauty. A stretchy robot. Which are hot, which are not? Follow the Hot Squad's on their journey through Marvel Universe Deluxe, issue 7!

Featuring permanent panelists Elyse, Isabel, Nathalie, Josée, and Shotgun.

Listen to Episode 65 below (the usual mature language warnings apply), or subscribe to oHOTmu OR NOT? on iTunes!

Relevant images and further credits at: oHOTmu or NOT ep.65 Supplemental

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26 responses to “oHOTmu or NOT Ep.65: Loki to Machine Man

      1. OK, let’s get into this one.

        Loki, aka the God of EVIL, aka the one who will be 100% responsible for Ragnarok, might be “Hot” in a physical sense only, but that’s it. In the Lore, Loki is not Thor’s foster brother but Odin’s blood brother. That is the main reason that a good amount of the stuff that he has done is overlooked. It was only the killing of Balder and the subsequent breaking of the rules of hospitality that got him thrown out. He is as close to Satan as the Norse Pantheon gets.

        As to Loki’s form, you must remember that the Gods and Giants are actually closer in size than the comics would suggest. Buri (pronouned Burr-Eee), the first God, mated with the race of Giants to produce the Aesir (pronounced Ay-Zeer). So Odin is, himself, 1/4 God and 3/4 Giant. Loki, while being on the smaller side of giants, is still not a “runt”. Either way, the human form you see is his true form. He has been known to shift into various other looks, species, and even genders. He once became a mare to lure off the horse of the giant hired to build the walls of Asgard (meaning that the Gods didn’t have to pay him, since he didn’t get the job done). That’s how Loki became the mother of Odin’s eight-legged horse, Slepnir (pronounces Slep-Neer). That’s the only time he was a mother, but he’s the father of 5 more children, including Hela, Fenrir, and the Midgard Serpent. Not the best genetics.

        “I’ll bring him cookies every week” is actually a good plan, since the Gods acknowledge the “Gift Cycle”, which basically states “A Gift Demands A Gain”. So a plate of cookies every week would have to be recipricated. Knowing Loki, though, it wouldn’t necessarily be anything you’d want. Remember, he’s the God of EVIL!

        The whole “beard kills his opponent” thing isn’t true, though, Siskoid. Loki and Heimdall are fated to kill each other in battle, but with swords, not beards. 😉

        Lorelei is not in the Lore. She was created by Walt Simonson as the more sedutive & wild sister of The Entrantress, so “Hot” is kind of baked into the character. She’s very aware of her “hotness” and uses it to her advantage much of the time, but that can backfire on her, as the incident with Fafnir indicates. Yes, she tried to seduce a dragon and it did not go well for her at all.

        No, Lorelei didn’t have a roommate or, to my knowledge, any friends. She wasn’t high enough in status to attract followers (they would go to her sister instead) and wasn’t nice at all. She used people solely for her own purposes and would even torture her lovers, just for fun. Basically, if they weren’t Thor, they were toys to her.

        Unfortunately, Tom DeFalco & Ron Frenz got rid of her along with much of the Simonson stuff. In a very late Secret Wars tie-in, she was turned to stone by her sister and, to my knowledge, has never been seen since.

        P.S. Nice use of Jack Palance, Siskoid. 😀

        1. It’s a shame Lorelei didn’t survive past the Simonson run. This is especially sad news for fans of cheesecake. I didn’t enjoy what I read of the DeFalco/Frenz Thor run, finding it too beholden to recreating the Thor comics of the Silver Age, which themselves were my least favorite Lee/Kirby collaboration.

          1. I’m a HUGE Eric Masterson fan, so I can forgive a lot of the DeFalco/Frenz stuff, but trying to reset one of the most iconic runs on the title right off the bat still doesn’t sit well with me.

        2. I had to double-check, because this was bugging me and I’m a nerd. Gene, are you referring to Thor #383? If so, that story has Lorelei turn a warrior suitor into stone. Enchantress tells her a Secret Wars story to teach her a lesson. It doesn’t work, and Lorelei laughs at the fate of her new statue. Because she’s a GREAT PERSON.

          1. Yes, Tim, that’s the one I was referring to. It’s the first Post-Simonson story, so it was probably a way to space out the beginning of the new run. It’s been awhile since I’ve read it, but I do remember it capturing Lorelei’s personality perfectly. Amora can at least care about others, but her sister only cares about herself.

        3. Thanks for sharing your knowledge, Gene! I read up on Norse lore as a youngster, but the same Thor comics that inspired my interest also corrupted my memory. I appreciate your setting me straight.

  1. Loki & Longshot-
    At the time this was on the racks Ioved Longshot now not so much-
    I hated “Marvel Loki” for reasons I grew out of with the help of the MCU. I am leaving this note before I listen – I’m confident it will be great-

  2. Happy holidays, Hot Squad! I consider a new OHOTMU landing on December 23rd to be a Christmas present arriving early! On Dasher! On Dancer! On with the comments!

    LOKI: I suspect that when John Buscema drew Loki back in the day, he may have based his version of the Norse god of mischief on Boris Karloff, who, while also British, would never be confused for Tom Hiddleston. It’s therefore a testament to the enduring nature of these characters that they can be reinterpreted for each generation. That is what makes Loki truly HOT.

    LONGSHOT: I could not agree more with Mike’s assessment of late 80s X-Men characters! Longshot has way too many concepts mixed into his creation. I believe his was the outfit that started the superfluous “pouches” look that was so popular with 90s superheroes. For that, I declare Longshor a NOT.

    LORD CHAOS: If one chooses to date Chaos, one may have to become a living embodiment of Order just to maintain stability in the relationship. It’s rather beautiful, then, that Lord Chaos and Master Order have found each other and work so well together! Therefore, I grade Lord Chaos as FRYING PAN.

    LORELEI: I agree with the ladies completely; Lorelei is unquestionably HOT, and that’s the problem. Were she to turn those dynamite Asgardian boobs my way, I’d be absolute nipple-slippage thirsty putty! That said, a date with Lorelei would be absolutely nerve-wracking. Someone this HOT would awaken every insecurity I’ve had since puberty, plus I would have to contend with all the unwanted outside attention we would get in public! If anyone in OHOTMU is TOO HOT, it’s Lorelei.

    MACHINE MAN: Perhaps it’s because I’m listening to this so close to Christmas, but Machine Man looks like a toy. Look at his accessories: extending limbs and tricycle wheel attachments — Machine Man is even more of a toy than Rom, who actually was a toy! Still, Machine Man looks like an AWESOME toy, and that means he’s HOT to me.

    Thank you, Mike, for the detailed Lockjaw: Behind the Scenes breakdown! I love to see how my Marvel comic sausage is made, even if it turns your co-hosts away!

    Can’t wait until this crew gets to Mojo! I hope Mike remembers his “shitbag” description of the Spineless Ones on that episode! Until then, I will remain your devoted listener!

  3. “Loki’s astral form looks like a sperm!” Hot Squad dropping truth bombs. Now I can’t unsee that!

    Longshot was my introduction to Arthur Adams, called “Art” Adams. It was 90s artwork in the 80s, and I loved it. Still a fan of Art today, and so I’ll always have a soft spot for ‘Shot.

    Lord Chaos’ face in the sky now has me thinking of the song “Spirit in the Sky”.

    Lorelei. Fneh. Maybe if she had leggings with “OOOOO” like Enchantress, but then, maybe I just prefer Enchantress.

    Machine Man has always fascinated me, but I haven’t read many stories with him. I probably haven’t found that MM story to make him click for me. Any suggestions from other listeners?

    Merry Christmas, squad!

    1. You know, is it really so bad being turned into a dog? There’s plenty of days when I’ve thought, “my cats have got it made!”

  4. Another fun episode!

    Lorelei was indeed modeled after Debbie Harry…I recall a scene in one of the Walt Simonson issues where she’s walking down the street in civilian disguise, and some guy tries to hit on her by telling her how much she looks like “Blondie.”

    Weighing in on the Lockjaw debate: I remember both the issue of The Thing where Lockjaw spoke to dissuade Quicksilver from exposing Luna to the Terrigen Mists, and the issue of X-Factor where Quicksilver told Madrox that Lockjaw speaking was a “prank.” I reconciled those two accounts with this theory: Lockjaw IS an actual dog, and the other Inhumans were indeed faking his “speech,” but to make a point to Quicksilver about the risks of the Terrigen process, not to play a prank. (Lockjaw’s closing words to Ben, “Never had anything to say before,” could indeed have been a joke played on Ben after the situation was resolved and there was time for humor.) However, Quicksilver’s pride wouldn’t let him admit that to Madrox, so he left out that portion of the story.

    One of the highlights of the Paul Jenkins/Jae Lee Inhumans mini-series was an issue told from Lockjaw’s point of view, and all his narration captions are simple dog thoughts (“Food,” “Play,” “Bored,” “Noisy,” etc.) as the drama unfolds around him.

    1. That’s all well and good guys, but are we now saying the Celestials imbued dogs with mutable genes as well? And that the Kree experimented on dogs too? I know it all seems rather confused by Marvel Terrigen bombing human beings to replace mutants as the leading cause of powers, but I think we’d have a lot more mutant and mutate dogs running around if they had genetic potential to unlock via Terrigen mists.

  5. Regarding Loki’s status as both God of Mischief and God of Evil: There was an issue of Marvel’s anthology title “Double Shot” that featured an Avengers story where Loki decided to return to his original “God of Mischief” ways, using his magical powers to play immature pranks on the Avengers. This story was written and drawn by Bill Morrison, one of the main creators on The Simpsons comic book, and he drew it in Simpsons style!

  6. VERY LATE to the game, but I think it’s interesting that the girls continue to point out things us comic nerds just take in stride. Like the ornate ridiculousness of Walt Simonson’s overwrought designs. I mean, I love them, but he took Kirby’s eccentricities and dialed them up to 11. No one could move in those outfits! Yet, both Simonson drawings were deemed hot, so still, Simonson’s legend endures.

    And I’m pretty sure the gals owe me a few glass display cases from the collective squees over Loki shattering them!

    Chris

  7. Hurray for another oHOTmu! It’s a Christmas miracle (even though I’m listening to this after Christmas)! Another fantastic episode, everyone, and I enjoyed the mic levels test at the top. It’s fun to listen to but I’m not sure it would not be fun to edit. On to the entries……

    Loki – I came for the Loki and….ummmm…. oh, sorry, you already did all the Loki sperm jokes? Okay, sorry for the blue humour and…. what?? “It’s a little penis-y”? Okay, now I don’t have to apologize. In all seriousness, is Loki the HOT one or is it Tom Hiddleston? Because I agree with the ladies that Tom Cuddle-ston is pretty hot but Loki the character seems terrible!

    Longshot – This is all about the ’80’s and I love everything from the feathered hair, the leather jumpsuit, the collar and I’ve loved him from the Silvestri X-Men run. Having said that, the love has worn off over the years. I had a Batman phase and I had a Longshot phase. I laughed so hard along with the ladies with their exploration of his origins with all the feces bag and hollow bone talk. Now I know for sure that love for Longshot is worn off.

    Lorelei – I agree with Jonathon Riddle, she is TOO hot. She looks like she’s paused on a frame of a TikTok dance. And maybe it’s because I’ve listened to the ladies too much but my mind went blue and the fringe at the bottom of her dress struck me as….uhhh….. how do I say this…….. she hadn’t shaved in awhile? And Siskoid, no “Lorelei” by Styx as the music stinger?!? Okay, maybe this song might be a personal favourite and not a well known song but come on!

    Machine Man – I always thought of Machine Man as a Stilt Man proxy, even though I know he’s not. I enjoyed his story in the Earth X trilogy and I agree with what you mentioned above, Siskoid, that Nextwave is a great. Any comic that comes with it’s own theme song has to be good, right?

    A Flight of the Conchords compliment?!? I’ll take it! Jermaine’s computer voice in that song is fantastic.

    I enjoy this show so much and this episode was no exception. If I have 65 more months to look forward to for episodes, I’m a happy nerd! Keep up the great work!

  8. Thanks again, team. This was perhaps the most profane of episodes, but it was still entertaining — especially the confusion between literal and figurative descriptors.

    Lord Chaos – I was happy to hear my supervisor get such a fair hearing. The boss gets a bad rap sometimes, so we were on pins and needles at the office.

    Machine Man – Aaron Stack is more cynical, angry, and sarcastic since the (hilarious) Nextwave comic, but he’s honestly been likable in every interpretation. And “My robot brain needs beer” is a quote on par with “The giant rat of Sumatra, a story for which the world is not yet prepared.” Both are weird and obscure, but you can still manage to work them into conversation.

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