Warning: SPOILERS for Loki Episode 3, "Lamentis."

Doctor Strange - spell-casting, telekinesis, and enchantments - don't seem to have been especially common on Asgard.

Most of the Asgardian gods appear to possess a limited degree of magic suited to their role in the pantheon; so Thor can summon thunder and lightning, while Heimdall can see across the Nine Realms. A handful of gods appear to have exceeded this, though; Avengers: Infinity War, for example, but again it's appropriate for the guardian of the Bifrost to have this knowledge. Only three Asgardians have been shown possessing magic beyond this; Odin the All-Father, his wife Frigga, and their adopted son Loki. According to Thor, Frigga was the one who taught Loki all he knows about magic - a relationship subtly different to the comics, where Loki's powers have nothing to do with his mother. This naturally leads to the question of just how their powers compare in the MCU.

Related: Loki: Every MCU Easter Egg In Episode 3

Such comparisons are, unfortunately, difficult - simply because Frigga wasn't given much chance to show what she can do before she was killed off in Avengers: Endgame she immediately knew Thor was a time traveler. All of these are abilities Loki has either demonstrated repeatedly or been referenced as being skilled in; cosmic awareness could even be the real reason Loki sensed there were two Tony Starks in 2012, with his comments about Stark's cologne just a deception.

Frigga captured in Thor: The Dark World

Thor believed Frigga had taught Loki everything she knew, but it's likely Loki has gone to other teachers as well. As revealed in Thor: The Dark World, he was aware of hidden portals through the Nine Realms, which he could have used to seek out other mentors and magics; certainly Frigga has never demonstrated anything like the enchantment power Loki used on Erik Selvig, so that could have been something Loki picked up elsewhere. If that is the case, then there is a divergence between Loki and Frigga, likely one that means the student has exceeded his teacher.

Ironically, as antagonistic as Loki may be, Frigga was pretty much the one person guaranteed to never become the target of his ire - meaning their magics would never have been tested in a proper versus match. Loki loved his mother, truly and deeply, and it is one of the most tragic ironies of his life that his decision to tell the Dark Elves the way to the royal chambers led to Frigga's death.

More: Loki Finally Fixed The God Of Mischief's Worst MCU Plot Hole

Loki drops new episodes every Wednesday on Disney+.

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