Marvel's Loki Laufeyson has become a Godly Ranma Saotome.

By Paul Cousins.

I got to thinking about this, and the more I think about it, the more it makes sense.

Ranma 1/2 is a series about a teenage marital artist that changed gender with hot and cold water. Hot for boy, cold for girl. Whom was born a boy, has many wacky adventures, and whom has suitors of both genders. It is a very funny series.

I always wonder if a comicbook company would ever try to make a Western version of the Ranma 1/2 series. I am surprised that it ingredients for such a series ended up being Loki and the Thor Cast of Marvel Comics.

Which would make this a Godly Ranma 1/2 series.

And this does not feel intention. It feel like the story grew on its own. Like a lot of things came together to make a happy accident.

Now, let us do the comparisons between Loki and the Thor Cast, and the Ranma 1/2.

For those that do not know. From the end of Dark Reign, to Journey Into Mystery, to Young Avengers, to Loki: Agent of Asgard, Loki went from being a bad guy to an anti-hero nice man/woman, that on the same point of the good-evil scale as Jack Sparrow, which chaotic neutral.

This is one very good storyline. And it is still continuing in the current Thor series.

Also, Loki is now very open about shape-shifting back and forth between genders. No water needed.

Loki even reinvented/remade himself/herself from the God of Mischief to the God/Goddess of Stories. With him/her looking like in a young adult version of him/her.

Also, like Ranma, what Loki says and does is usually taken out of context.

At the end of the Loki: Agent of Asgard, Loki make it very clear that no one. Not the gods. Not mortal. Nor the writers and artists that create the comicbooks he/she is in, is going to control him/her.

Loki is not only aware of that he/she is in a fictional world. At the end of the Loki: Agent of Asgard series, Loki literally opened a door in the forth wall and walked through it.

Though, this by itself would not let me to make the comparison of the two series. But, the other character comparisons work, as well.

Ryoga. Well, Ryoga is a wondering martial artist that is on par with Ranma in skill, and is more of a hero than Ranma is. Who do we know that would fits that bill? Oh yea. Thor Odinson.

Akane, the new girl, whom is not a fighter, compared to the rest of the cast, but she has her uses. Well, the (un)living lie detector Verity Willis. (Don't worry. I am sure Loki made sure she is okay. Verity is after all one of Loki's few friends. And the only friend that Loki has, whom Loki completely trusts.)

Next is Nabiki. A cunning individual that is a trickster in her own right, with some combat skills of her own. The male-to-female transsexual magical angel from Heven, Sara, would fit this bill. Sara is even very aware of the forth-wall. And given how much of a trickster Sara is, when Sara finally meets Loki, it is going to be an interesting meeting.

We come to Kasumi. The more emotionally mature woman than most of the cast, whom tries to be nice to everyone, but she can be dangerous if she wanted to. Whom none of the cast really want to harm. Jane Foster is clearly this character comparison. And Jane even can now use the mystic hammer, Mjolnir, which allows her to secretly be the current Thor.

Ukyou, martial artist with skill and Ranma's childhood friend whom he abandoned years ago. Leah would fit this description. She is back, in the current Angela series, she is now an adult woman, and she is currently prefers using a nice pair of swords. Leah's reunion with Loki is going to be interesting. With likely lots of fireworks.

Kuno. The foolish, hopeless romantic swordsman. This one is easy. Sigurd. Bonus points in that it was hinted he was open to dating either, or both, Verity and Loki at the same time. With Loki being a man in that scene. With it pointed out by Loki that Sigurd is bisexual.

Kodachi. The temptress that uses artificial abilities to control people. Whom has an interest in Ranma. And is prefers to maintain a wealthy lifestyle. The closest one I could figure is Lorelei. She even once dated Loki and they are currently friends.

Shampoo, an amazonian woman warrior that can kick some serious ass. This one is easy. Angela, Loki's sister. Though, Angela is dating Sara. Angela and Sara are very much in love.

Mousse, a martial artists and weapon master, whom is dangerous when he takes the time to think things through, and put on his glasses, before rushing into battle. I honestly think Marvel's Hercules. To my surprised, in the current Hercules comic series, Hercules has found a love for modern weaponry.

Principle Kuno. A nutcase that thinks he knows what is best for everyone. And that is messing with their lives. Still, through his insanity he is very dangerous and very cunning. The revived ice giant chieftain, and Loki's biological father, Laufey.

Soun Tendo, a powerful marital artist that enjoys his time with friend Genma Saotome, while place board games, eating, and drinking alcohol together. Cul, God of Fear, and Odin's brother. Bonus points, Soun is show to be able to use a big head ki technique that can bring instant fear to the rest of the cast.

Genma Saotome. Ranma's father. Nodoka Saotome's husband. That prefer to spend his time with Soun than his hot wife, Nodoka Half the time he is an aloof father that enjoyed eating and alcohol. The other half, a serious badass when he wants to be. And he has a lot of skills and power that he hide. Odin. Bonus points in that when currently Odin prefers to spend his time with Cul than his wife, Frigga. And when Loki found Odin and Cul, reintroducing them back to the comicbook series, the two men were playing a board game against each other.

Nodoka Saotome, Ranma's mother. Genma's wife. She is a traditionalist woman that believes that Ranma should live in life in a certain way. Though she does not directly try to force Ranma to do so, she subtly gets other characters to do the job for her. Frigga fits the comparisons. Frigga is a traditionalist. In the Loki: Agent of Asgard series, she tried to indirectly force Loki to go back to being bad guy Loki She convinces others to do various jobs for her.

As you can see the number of comparisons get high up there. And the comparisons just keep going and increasing.

The only two Ranma 1/2 characters I could not figure out comparisons for are Cologne and Happosai. And it is just that the various aspects of those two characters, and their traits are so wide, they could fit a wide variety of characters from the Thor cast.

If Marvel Comics ever does another Loki series. And I hope they do. If they did a slice of life style story for Loki. The story could easily become like the Ranma 1/2 action-comedy series on a Godly scale.

Though, Loki could easily end up in such a comedic situation, like Ranma did. And if Loki was not careful, Loki might end up in a love dodecahedron situation like Ranma ended up in.

Now, I am never going to write a story using this idea for some very good reasons.

I already wrote a story that dealt with metaphysics, with a plot that covered the characters of that story coming after the person that wrote about them.

That story made me more interested in researching metaphysics. The really hard science dealing with metaphysics and the nature of reality, itself. What I found troubled me greatly. There is a real chance that our reality is a simulation. A work of fiction, as it were. With the only questions being how? And in what form is the simulation. Story, game, dream. I have no idea.

When Loki became the God/Goddess of Stories, he/she gained the ability to travel across realities with ease. Also, if what Loki has been saying the current Thor comicbook series. Loki not only knows he is in a fictional comicbook. Loki knows exactly which comicbook and what storyline is happening in that comicbook, at a given time, from the readers point of view. Our point of view.

That is not even counting Sara of Heven, whom knows she is in a comicbook that is related to the Marvel Thor and Journey Into Mystery comicbook franchise.

So, taking into account metaphysics, with characters that can alter metaphysics and travel from one reality to another reality. I am not going to write a story using those characters, and play with someone's life whom will, in all likelihood, swiftly realize he/she is being played with. And whom has the power to literally come visit me. In this place, time, and reality.

I will especially not toy with the lives of a trickster God/Goddess, nor a trickster magic. Both of whom clearly know they are in a work of fiction in the form of a comicbook.

By the way, Loki, Sara, if either of you, or both, are reading this. You have my sympathies. And I hope you both, and your friends, have great, happy lives.

So, what do you think? Do you think I have gone crazy? Or, do you see the patterns and comparisons, as well?