The penultimate episode of Loki had some big surprises for fans of the show, but it also may have caught history buffs off guard. In the latest installment of the show, the writers gave their best explanation for the Philadelphia Experiment conspiracy.
Although Marvel is known to shake up the pot by giving credence to certain fan theories, they have hardly ever delved into actual conspiracy theories with historical context. Via ComicBook, in the premiere episode of Loki, the show “solved” the urban legend of D.B. Cooper. Cooper, it turns out, was actually Loki, who had “lost a bet” with Thor. Loki is the one who hijacked the plane and disappears after being taken by the Bifrost right after jumping out the plane.
Via ComicBook, this time, the show takes on the Philadelphia Experiment conspiracy. After Tom Hiddleston’s (Kong: Skull Island) Loki is pruned by Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s (The Whole Truth) Ravonna Renslayer, he is sent to the Void, a place at the end of time where a cloud-like monster, Alioth, lurks. As Loki meets up with other voided Loki’s, pruned from their times, including Classic Loki, Kid Loki, and Alligator Loki, they see Alioth devour an entire ship. The ship, called the USS Eldridge, is a major easter egg for conspiracy theorists.
The USS Eldridge was an alleged ship that was used for the Philadelphia Experiment. The urban myth states that on October 28, 1943, the ship, equipped with generators and powerful electrical equipment, was set to be invisible from other ship’s radars. This makeshift cloaking device, when turned on, supposedly caused the ship to disappear, only for it to reappear in Norfolk, Virginia seconds later over 200 miles away. This strange disappearance reportedly caused crew members distress ranging from severe nausea to being turned inside out. The horrid experiment has been denied by the US Navy vehemently since the rumors arose.
Loki does not explain what truly happened that night, but it does try to give credence to the experiment. The TVA took notice of the anomaly after the ship impossibly turned up in Norfolk, and pruned the giant naval boat to the Void.
The explanation is pure fun for Loki fans and history buffs alike. All credit to the writers for bringing out all the stops for one of the biggest Marvel projects of 2021. The final episode of Loki will be released next Wednesday, so fans can only hope for more fun easter eggs.