Warning: Spoilers ahead for Scarlet Witch #8 (2023)!

What happens when Loki is forced to tell the truth for a full hour? Apparently he gets a bit romantic with Wanda Maximoff. The Scarlet Witch and Loki have an unusual duel in Scarlet Witch #8 (written by Steve Orlando, penciled by Lorenzo Tammetta and Sara Pichelli) - which almost results in a kiss.

This sequence of events all starts when Wanda journeys to Jotunheim to confront Loki after a Mountain Giant named Arkin wishes to be named representative of his people, but Loki denied his petition. Wanda meets with Loki, hoping she can get him to change his mind. And to keep things interesting, Scarlet Witch places a hex on the trickster god, forcing him to tell the truth for an hour.

Loki tells Wanda he’ll honor Arkin’s wishes, if she can beat him in a duel. Wanda and Loki decide to make this a duel of words. “Let us see who cuts deepest,” Loki says. Don’t forget, Loki is still under the honesty hex.

The duel of words commences, with Scarlet Witch and Loki sharing their deepest secrets. “My brother would never admit it, but a small part of him still fears my every move,” Wanda confesses. “I still question whether Odin was capable of loving a child in action as well as word,” Loki shares. As the duel continues, the two begin to feel a kinship towards one another. A connection.

“I see true kinship. A friend. Perhaps more,” Wanda says, as she leans in for a kiss. However, Wanda pulls away, stunning Loki. “But only perhaps. That is the tragedy. Our tragedy,” Wanda says. She then tells Loki that she could only be with him if he was his true honest self. Without the honesty hex, that is somebody Loki can never be. Heartbroken, Loki yields the duel, and agrees to give Arkin his desired position.

Looking at Loki’s face, it’s clear that Wanda hurt him deeply. Is WandaLoki in our future? Although the kiss didn’t happen, the duel opened the door for the possibility, and I don’t think it’s entirely shut. I wouldn’t be surprised if Marvel revisits this coupling after sampling the reaction to this issue. The idea of a Scarlet Witch and Loki romance is absolutely chaotic, but isn’t that what Marvel is all about?

Scarlet Witch #8 (2023) is available now.

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