Loki continues the tradition of the Disney+ MCU series of incorporating deep lore from Marvel Comics into their stories. Judge Ravonna Renslayer, played by Gugu Mbatha Raw, is a key example of that. Though she's the chief judge in the Time Variance Authority, comic fans know there is much more to the character.
Ravonna has a relatively minor role in the grand scheme of Marvel Comics, but a major role in the life of Kang The Conqueror, the time-traveling Marvel villain. Given their significant connection, the MCU could be leveraging that in introducing Ravonna first as part of the TVA.
Object Of Kang's Affection
Ravonna Renslayer first appears in The Avengers #23, written by Stan Lee and drawn by Don Heck. She's a seemingly minor character at first, the daughter of King Carelius, the ruler of an earthly kingdom in the 40th century (actually an alternate timeline in Earth history).
Kang The Conqueror arrives to take it over, as he usually does, and tries to smooth things over by taking Ravonna as his bride. She doesn't want anything to do with it or him, but Kang is determined to win her over.
Unfortunate Consequences
Kang The Conqueror goes to great lengths to impress Ravonna, but most of his efforts, including fighting the Avengers, don't do the trick. When a rebellion begins among King Carelius' forces, things change.
Ravonna sees how committed Kang actually is to her by fighting off the rebels - ostensibly to stay with her - at the risk of his own life. When the rebels storm the castle and are about to deal the final blow, Ravonna sacrifices herself to save Kang. She is left in a coma by an energy blast from her own soldiers.
Pawn Of The Grandmaster
In a development that somewhat recalls the tragic story of Mr. Freeze and his wife Nora, Kang The Conqueror then spends the next several years trying to revive Ravonna. The Grandmaster plays a critical role in the story when he challenges Kang to a game where the winner has control of life and death.
Kang wins, but chooses the power of death as opposed to life so he can destroy the Avengers. The Grandmaster then resurrects Ravonna and she is stunned at Kang's selfish actions. She rejects him and plots her revenge against him.
Kang Nebula
Ravonna resurfaces sometime later in the guise of Kang Nebula. So far as the Avengers know, she is actually Nebula, the character who will eventually appear as Thanos' daughter in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. She manipulates the Avengers into helping her against Kang.
In Avengers #291-297, she actually infiltrates the Council of Cross-Time Kangs, which is composed of infinite alternate versions of Kang. This concept, along with the Council of Reeds from Fantastic Four, seems to have influenced the Council of Ricks from Rick and Morty.
The Time Bubble
Her efforts with the Council of Cross-Time Kangs are in part to do with the discovery of a Time Bubble, a point in the distant future beyond which time travel is impossible. Nebula seeks to find a great weapon hidden behind this point.
While her efforts are thwarted initially by the Avengers, as Nebula, Ravonna tries to get the Fantastic Four to help her out. It's relatively easy, as Reed Richards is compelled by the discovery of the Time Bubble in Fantastic Four #337-341, written and drawn by Walt Simonson.
Into The Timestream
The Fantastic Four along with Thor and Iron Man go into the timestream to locate the Time Bubble in the future. Comics fans then learn Nebula is trying to obtain the Ultimate Nullifier from Galactus, one of the most powerful cosmic beings in Marvel Comics. The Nullifier is perhaps the ultimate weapon in the Marvel Universe.
Her conflict with the Fantastic Four gets her nowhere closer to her goal of revenge against Kang, though. Nebula takes over both the minds of the Human Torch and Invisible Woman but gets booted out of the time stream and stranded in the past.
Peace With Doctor Druid
Ravonna is lost in the time stream alongside Doctor Druid, who she manipulated along with the Avengers into helping her infiltrate the Council of Cross-Time Kangs. Though their relationship is built on lies and deceit, they manage to find peace by building an idyllic world together.
Like their romance, the world is built on deception, so it ultimately crumbles. Ravonna casts Doctor Druid, one of the most powerful magicians in Marvel Comics, out of the world. It wouldn't be the end for the two of them, however.
The Temptress
Ravonna would return again to get revenge on Kang, this time as the Temptress. She enlisted Doctor Druid to help her take the fight directly to Kang in his temporal empire of Chronopolis. Along with the Avengers, the team would aid Ravonna in getting to her first real conflict with the original Kang she had met so long ago.
The two battle in a vicious fight and Kang realizes Temptress is Ravonna. In a twist of fate, Kang seemingly dies saving her life, as she did once for him. This story took place across a series of annuals in 1992 including Captain America Annual #11, Thor Annual #17, Fantastic Four Annual #23, and Avengers Annual #21.
Terminatrix Objective
Now calling herself the Terminatrix, Ravonna takes over control of Chronopolis after the death of Kang. She confronted many challenges, including threats from an alternate future. She also revived Kang The Conqueror.
The two ruled side by side for a long time, but their storied romance which spanned space and time may not have been everything they thought. Kang eventually left her to resume his temporal conquests, and it seemed their life together was over.
Ravonna Dies (Again)
Ravonna would seem to die again, perhaps permanently, in Avengers Forever. This 1998 comic book, written by Kurt Busiek and Roger Stern and drawn by Carlos Pacheco and Jesus Merino, features a major battle between Kang and his variant Immortus, who once aided the mysterious Time Keepers.
Kang enlists the Avengers to help him defeat Immortus and in the process, it's revealed that Ravonna has perished and is no longer in control of Chronopolis. She has yet to reappear in the comic books, though with the existence of the multiverse, other versions of her surely exist.
