10 Darkest Moments In The Marvel Cinematic Universe

3. Loki's Past Is Revealed - Thor

Thor Loki
Marvel Studios

It's somewhat unfair a comparison when Loki is called the "best" MCU villain when stacked up against the rest, because, by a country mile, he's had far more screen time than any single one of them.

But even without all those extra movies, the traumatic journey Tom Hiddleston's character goes on in Thor's first outing would instantly put him up there with the very best the franchise has to offer.

Arguably Loki's defining moment - and the revelation that would fuel his anger throughout The Avengers - came when he confronted his father, Odin, with questions about the true nature of his past.

Odin goes on to reveal that Loki is not actually his biological son, and that the dark-haired trickster is, in fact, son of the Frost-Giant's leader, Laufey.

Not content with absolutely shattering Loki's spirit, Odin continues - he only took Loki in because he believed that, one day, the child would be able to bring peace between the Asgardians and the Frost-Giants.

The pain on Loki's face in this scene is almost unbearable - imagine finding out your entire life is a lie, and that you're essentially a pawn in an elaborate plan, a plan concocted by the man you thought was your father?

Loki receives two devastating truths in the span of thirty seconds. This is, by far, the darkest moment in his story, and in a way, it helps you understand why he embarks on a murderous, destructive rampage during The Avengers; his justifiable anger has blinded him.

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Danny has been with WhatCulture for over ten years, and is currently Doctor Who Editor and WhoCulture Channel Manager, overseeing all of WhatCulture's Whoniverse coverage. In 2022, he took charge of WhoCulture and has grown it into the biggest Doctor Who channel on YouTube, and one of the biggest Doctor Who communities on the web full-stop. He has been writing and video editing since his early teens, and first got a taste for content creation after making his own Doctor Who trailers, off the back of a burning obsession with the Matt Smith era of the show. Like many his age, he first got into Doctor Who with the 2005 revival, but has since gone back and fallen in love with the classic years too. If you need someone to recite every Doctor Who episode in order, or to give you a random factoid about the making of Gridlock, Danny is the person to ask!