# Marvel's The Avengers: Who were Loki's human soldiers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 28, 2018, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marvels-the-avengers-who-were-lokis-human-soldiers/818746 "2018-07-28T20:49:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2018, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marvels-the-avengers-who-were-lokis-human-soldiers/818746/1 "2018-07-28T20:49:51Z")
There are a couple of scenes in _The Avengers_ in which Loki has human soldiers working for him-- the battle in Germany, and the fight on the Heli-Carrier. When asked by one of his turned allies (Hawkeye, I think), where they came from, Loki handwaved it by saying that SHIELD has enemies. So, um, were these HYDRA guys, or what? ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2018, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marvels-the-avengers-who-were-lokis-human-soldiers/818746/2 "2018-07-28T21:10:19Z")
I got the impression they were spies and mercenaries and criminals busted by SHIELD in the past. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2018, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marvels-the-avengers-who-were-lokis-human-soldiers/818746/3 "2018-07-28T23:38:18Z")
Is it a handwave if they answer the question directly and clearly? ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2018, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marvels-the-avengers-who-were-lokis-human-soldiers/818746/4 "2018-07-29T01:30:35Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > Is it a handwave if they answer the question directly and clearly? A handwave is a throw away line used to explain an important plot detail. The hand wave being we have no idea what the motivation or identity of these faceless goons are besides being evil cannon fodder. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2018, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marvels-the-avengers-who-were-lokis-human-soldiers/818746/5 "2018-07-29T03:14:03Z")
IIRC it was Selvig who asked Hawkeye, so the response could be whatever Loki told him. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2018, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marvels-the-avengers-who-were-lokis-human-soldiers/818746/6 "2018-07-29T03:16:45Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > A handwave is a throw away line used to explain an **important plot detail**. The hand wave being we have no idea what the motivation or identity of these faceless goons are besides being evil cannon fodder. emphasis added No plot detail could have been more unimportant. It’s like asking who was Ernst Stavro Blofeld’s hiring manager and what benefits did he offer should the cannon fodder actually survive. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2018, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marvels-the-avengers-who-were-lokis-human-soldiers/818746/7 "2018-07-29T12:50:51Z")
Yeah, worrying about how the guy who can mind control Avengers is finding goons seems pretty silly. This is one of those things that don’t even need an explanation. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2018, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marvels-the-avengers-who-were-lokis-human-soldiers/818746/8 "2018-07-29T13:17:37Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > A handwave is a throw away line used to explain an important plot detail. The hand wave being we have no idea what the motivation or identity of these faceless goons are besides being evil cannon fodder. They don’t need motivation. Loki controlled their minds, remember? ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2018, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marvels-the-avengers-who-were-lokis-human-soldiers/818746/9 "2018-07-29T18:05:41Z")
Didn’t Ms. Marvel briefly date a guy who basically worked as an evil minion for whatever super villain was hiring? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2018, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marvels-the-avengers-who-were-lokis-human-soldiers/818746/10 "2018-07-29T23:52:39Z")
They were from the Mystical Land known as _Central Casting._ ---
**Author:** ![JB99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/439d5e/32.png) [@JB99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JB99)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2018, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marvels-the-avengers-who-were-lokis-human-soldiers/818746/11 "2018-07-30T20:21:45Z")
The Marvel Universe has a [villain](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taskmaster_(comics)) whose whole job is hiring out random mooks to whatever villain needs new henches. ---
**Author:** ![Arkcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2018, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marvels-the-avengers-who-were-lokis-human-soldiers/818746/12 "2018-07-30T23:22:01Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > emphasis added > > No plot detail could have been more unimportant. It’s like asking who was Ernst Stavro Blofeld’s hiring manager and what benefits did he offer should the cannon fodder actually survive. Simpsons did it