10 Marvel Movie Characters We All Thought Were Dead

6. Loki

When Jane Foster gets infected by the Aether in Thor: The Dark World, Thor reluctantly recruits his imprisoned adopted brother for help in finding Malekith, in the hope that he will both inadvertently save Jane's life when he removes it from her and make himself vulnerable to be defeated whilst doing so. However, it doesn't all go according to plan, as Malekith has backup in the form of the incredibly powerful Kurse. Loki does trick Malekith into drawing the Aether out of Jane, but Thor's attempts to destroy the exposed substance and kill Malekith fail - thanks largely to the presence of Kurse. Thor is hopelessly out-powered by the brute and Loki, in helping his adopted brother to defeat him, suffers an apparently fatal wound to the stomach. Thor nurses Loki as he "dies" and promises that he will inform Odin of the honourable nature of his sacrifice. However, at the end of the film, after Thor has done exactly that, the "Odin" that Thor was speaking to is revealed to be Loki. The mischievous son of a Frost Giant hadn't died - and he had since usurped his adoptive father and taken the throne of Asgard.