Maths fans amazed by Loki character Mobius’ fitting one-sided loop name

Maths enthusiasts have spotted a clever link between the name of a main character on Loki and a mathematical concept that may relate to the flow of time – a key concept in the Disney+ show.

It's been a little over a month since the series first aired and, since then, it has generated a strong fan following as the titular character attempts to escape his inevitable fate through time travel.

With the rise in popularity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, many lesser known characters are being brought to the spotlight –among them being Mobius, portrayed in the series by Owen Wilson.

Mobius first appeared in Fantastic Four comics in the early 90s. But aside from die-hard comic fans, not many people knew of him before the he appeared on Loki.

Mobius is really a bog standard guy compared to many of the heroes (and villains) he interacts with. He's just an office worker really with no super powers. And while his office just so happens to be the fantastical Time Variance Authority (or TVA), it is odd that such a regular Joe has such an unusual name.

The Mirror looked at the character's interesting – and fitting name.

You see, a Mobius strip is a very curious shape in maths. It is a surface with only one side and one boundary curve meaning that if you draw a line along the edge, it will travel in a full circle to the opposite point to where you started.

If your brain is hurting already, don't worry. Maths enthusiast and drag queen, Kyne, has explored this interesting shape on her TikTok, showing viewers what the shape looks like using a piece of paper.

As well as explaining how the shape is one sided using a pen, Kyne also explained what happens when you cut it at different angles.

Cutting a Mobius strip dead centre creates one long loop with multiple twists – rendering it no longer a Mobius strip at all. While cutting is off centre creates two separate strips interlocking with each other.

So what does this have to do with the Marvel character? Quite a lot actually – and *spoilers* if you haven't watched series one yet.

For a character who has dedicated his life to the "proper flow of time" (as it's often referred to in the show) it seems fitting that his name refers to a one-sided loop without an end.

For further proof on this you only have to look at his full name – Mobius Mobius Mobius – and you'll see the "endless loop" narrative the writers were looking to convey. His duty is to keep the timeline steady without disruption.

But of course for anyone who has watched the first series of the show, we also know this mission is disturbed with the introduction of Loki, Sylvie and the revelation that the TVA is basically a lie. Mobius, like all who work at the TVA, is a variant (someone who has disrupted the timeline and created a branch in reality).

Knowing what we know now about what happens to a Mobius strip when it is cut off-centre (or you could say, steered away from it's usual flow), it's hard not to draw comparisons from the shape's namesake.

Mobius (the character) was pulled away from the regular flow of his infinite loop and as such created a new interlocking version of himself, one who is now wise to what is happening.

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For a series that has ended with the opening of a multiverse with infinite possibilities, it's no coincidence that one of its central characters is named after an unending loop.

And as a further thought, it's also quite interesting that Mobius' main weapon in the series is to trap people in a time loop.

That said, we will leave you pondering on why – knowing what you now know about the name – it is Mobius who often utters one of the show's most quoted lines: 'For all time. Always.'

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