Loki/Tony Stark
Pairing | |
---|---|
Pairing: | Loki/Tony Stark |
Alternative name(s): | frostiron, ironfrost |
Gender category: | m/m slash |
Fandom: | The Avengers (2012), The Avengers Movieverse |
Canonical?: | No |
Prevalence: | as of June 6, 2919, the pairing has 8490 entries at A03 and 923 at fanfiction.net |
Archives: | AO3, ff.net |
Other: | Frost-Iron, Archived version (Tumblr) |
Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
- You might be looking for Frost-Iron, a tumblr blogger.
Loki/Tony Stark is a non-canonical pairing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Loki appears in the Thor movies, Tony in the Iron Man movies, and they both appear in The Avengers (2012), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019). The pairing is often based on the defenestration scene in The Avengers (2012), where shippers sense a great deal of sexual tension and feel the couple is having eye sex, and/or on the assumption that they're both morally grey characters, liars, showmen and hedonists.
Fandom
History
The earliest stories were written as a crossover of the Iron Man and Thor movies. The first fic for the pairing was probably posted on AO3 as early as May, 2011. [1] Frostiron 101 is a meta post by kyrilu & chaperoned which has a detailed history of the pairing. [2]
On May 8, 2021, yourlibrarian wrote:
Tony and Loki from MCU is a non-canonical ship, and one that would surely never occur in canon for a number of Doylist reasons. One could have a very worthwhile debate as to whether or not Tony and Loki would even consider being friends. Personally I see it as an unlikely event because they are too much alike in the wrong ways. But if they became partners in some sort of endeavor, now that is a pretty remarkable thing to contemplate.
In fact, we already saw something of how it might go –- because Tony teamed up with Dr. Strange. Stephen Strange keeps far more of his comics canon powers than Loki does, as well as the high level of intelligence and obsessiveness, the snark and superiority, and the fact that he lives in a world rather apart from that of the other Avengers.
Where he and Loki differ though is that Stephen understands the human world well, having lived a life as one, and his stint as Sorcerer Supreme is rather recent. By contrast Loki is a very long lived alien with messy family issues and the privilege of being raised a prince. It does make one wonder what Stephen's family backstory is! However it is exactly in these factors that Loki would most overlap with Tony. Perhaps it's for this reason that there is a lot of darker fic written pairing them post-Civil War, where Tony's experiences have left him not just bitter but revenge driven. Being open to getting his ideas implemented at any cost might well have him considering partnerships he wouldn't before.
Additionally, the events of Civil War took place during a time when Tony and Pepper had canonically separated. This not only clears the way for an intense new relationship, but also removes the positive influence she has on him.
By contrast stories placed earlier in the MCU timeline, going back as far as Iron Man 1, tend to have Loki and Tony having a far more positive partnership, one where neither has taken key turns in their development yet. Stories more in the middle, around the time of the first Avengers movie, have Loki imprisoned on Earth instead of returned to Asgard, and have him work with Tony and the Avengers to prepare for Thanos' arrival, thus altering the course of the later films. Clearly Tony will be the key person for Loki to work with, both because of his fears for the future and the fact that he is well placed to enact the needed changes in governments, industries, and finance.
There are also a smaller number of stories that take Loki's semi-redemption at the end of Thor 3 to a different conclusion, speculating about what his role might be among the New Asgardians on Earth and how they would likely have worked with Tony as a coordinator for their settlement. In effect, this scenario is something like Buffy's S7, where both individuals have gone through some wrenching changes and are more likely to be kind to one another.
Whichever way it goes, the fact that Strange and Stark barely tolerate one another at first, and yet clearly develop a respect for one another by the end (they are each the most important keys in the Endgame story) gives us a way to see how Loki and Tony might do the same if each had enough at stake in a cosmic partnership.[3]
According to the AO3 Ship Stats 2021,[4] frostiron holds rank #69 in the archive's All Time Top 100. This particular number, which can be read as a reference to oral sex, caused some delight among shippers:
rabentochter asked:
Just wanted to drop this here, since Frostiron is ship #69 of all times on AO3 🥳
https://archiveofourown.org/works/32940190/chapters/81752386
Frost-Iron replied:
The fact that it's #69 is amazing. If we couldn't have #1 then 69 it is! 😂THIS IS AMAZING! I love all you guys and this fandom! 💖 [5]
Common Tropes and Genres
- Adoption Fic: Tony adopts Loki's kids after they've become a couple
- Alpha/Beta/Omega
- A+ Parenting
- Baking AU
- Clonecest
- Curtainfic
- Denialfic
- Domestic Avengers: Loki is banished from Asgard and comes to live in the Avengers Tower in Midtown Manhattan
- First Kiss
- Fix-it
- Genderswap: there are several fics in which Tony is written as a female character and sometimes, Loki is portrayed as a woman (Lady Loki)
- Get Together: developing relationship
- Groundhog Day
- Hatesex
- Height Difference: based on the real life height difference of the actors who portrayed Tony and Loki in the MCU
- Immortality: Loki gives Tony a Golden Apple to make his lover immortal too
- Interspecies and xenokink, especially with Jotun!Loki
- Marriage: Accidental Marriage/Arranged Marriage/Forced Marriage/Marriage of Convenience
- Mpreg and kidfic, usually with Loki as the carrier, though many are now writing with Tony as well
- Mundane AU
- Silvertongue
- Slavery
- Smartass Family
- Soulbond
- Soulmates
Fanon and Themes
- All kinds of kink
- "Loki, god of sex" and/or "Tony, god of sex"
- Tricksters in love
Fanworks
Fanfic
- Abyss, Archived version by plumadesatada: a monster lives in Tony's shadow and sleeps under his bed. (2014)
- And You Had Wings by Frostiron_OTP. AU where they are faeries. "Caught in the middle of Wars, Loki discovers Obadiah Stane's plan of taking over the three kingdoms - Midgard, Asgard and Jotenheimr - and both he and Prince Anthony Stark are shoved together when events cause them to ally immediately and to try to stop Stane and save Tony's kingdom and his Mother from doom." (2013) [6]
- Beauty From Pain by Frostiron_OTP. WIP. First extended Omega!Tony fic in the Loki/Tony fandom. Heavy with non-con and plot. "When Loki forcefully claims Tony as his Omega, Tony's life steadily gets worse from the moment it all began. In perfect accordance to any Omega-Alpha-bonding laws, Loki is completely in his right to keep Tony and all his possessions, which makes a 'rescue' a criminal offence; despite just who it is, Tony is bonded to. But, as Loki's brutal treatment slowly erodes Tony's self-worth, things aren't what they seem and there's a mystery to this house that seems connected to Omega's and - mainly - to the both of them as well.[Non-con scenes now over.]" [7]
- Bend Around the Wind, Archived version by Scyllaya. A few months after the battle of New York the God Loki appears back on Stark Tower under chaotic circumstances. This time however he is on the run. Tony Stark gets caught up in the crossfire and is taken along with the Aesir. Can the two of them ever make truce in order to get away? And even if they do, how does one escape from such a dark corner of the universe, when they are so very far away from the Nine Realms, that not even Loki knows the way back home. But first, they need to survive. (2012-2013)
- Clockwork, Archived version, an Alpha/Beta/Omega fic by AMidnightDreary: 'When Loki's suppressants fail, he registers to be paired with a companion during his next rut. It's a lot easier than finding an actual mate, which he's already given up on, anyway. He doesn't expect much to come of it except the very-much needed relief and a few days of casual fun. He certainly doesn't expect to fall in love, but it just kinda happens, anyway.' (2022)
- Coveted by Plumadesatada. Ongoing WIP fic. "The kid is nibbling on his pen now; all soft skin, white teeth and concentration. Loki bites back a groan and squirms in his chair, feeling rather too hot. He looks down at his watch desperately.Fifteen more minutes left. He sighs. Loki is twenty-eight. The kid is thirteen. He shouldn't be feeling like this."
- Dazzled by AMidnightDreary and Rabentochter (2019)
- Desiderata by stereobone - During a fight Amora puts Loki under a love spell and has to stay close to Tony.
- Did You Do Something With Your Hair?, Archived version by STARSdidathing. Loki cuts his hair and Tony is extremely fascinated, almost to the point of obsession. Honestly, Tony's just trying to ignore this wonderful new problem. (hair kink, 2016)
- Lessons From a God, Archived version (offline,incomplete, only a few chapters are archived) by malkavia30 WIP at over 90 chapters. Widely rec'd fic. Very plot heavy with a lot of smut. In character development of a loving relationship. "What happens when Loki decides to take the genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist Tony Stark in hand? Whether Tony is keen on the idea or not." Does include non-con for one or two chapters.
- Of magic and nuclear bombs (neither of which are the answer to anything), Archived version by Melonbutterly First mpreg fic with Tony as the carrier. In character, and with fragments of plot which keeps it very interesting.
- Off the Record by goddamnhella. "It started with a message, a late-night visit, and a God of Mischief in Tony's bed. A story of trust, trickery, unwilling aid and inevitable attraction." Original link deleted; now re-uploaded to an archive account.
- Rise from Ash by Mikkeneko. Or: Five Times Loki Didn't Save the World (And One Time He Did). When Loki's world falls apart around him, he learns that sometimes you do get a second chance.
- Shades of Green by Gemsir (2012, offline, archived)
- Signals in Courtship, Archived version by Melonbutterly: "Tony is nonplussed at first when he starts to receive gifts from Loki that Thor informs him are courtship gifts, but he soon starts to return the interest. How could he not when nobody has ever gone to such effort to show their interest in him before, especially someone as fascinating as Loki?" (2012)
- Stolen Relics by Kadorienne (2013)
- The Age of Frost, Archived version by BakerStreetMuse: 1970's glamrock AU (2013)
- Those Sinned Against by Arkada (2014-2015)
- To Burn The Horizon by CourtJester01. Very plot heavy, in-character fic. In which Tony and Loki slowly develop a thing amidst betrayals, attacks and a slowly forming war from Thanos.
- To Say I do is to Say Goodbye by Frostiron_OTP: Mpreg with Tony as the carrier. WIP. "Born with the Carrier gene, Tony Stark is seen by Asgard as a rare gem. And, as those with this gene cannot reproduce unless they have intercourse with a member of the same sex, Howard's need for his company/family line to continue overwhelms him and he agrees to a marital bond between Tony Stark and Thor Odinson. Without consulting his son first. But then, on the actual wedding day, Odin surprisingly changes his mind about which of his sons he wants to marry Tony, and Oh, God. Tony's heard a whole load of rumors about this Loki, God of Trickery ..." [7]
- Tricks of the Trade by Like_A_Hurricane. Loki/Tony, Tony helps Loki rebuilding the Bifrost, drawing on significant comic background.
- Two Hearts From Hell by Frostiron_OTP: WIP. Extremely plot heavy fic, where Loki and Tony do not get a break amidst realistic original characters and a mysterious plot line. "Two years after the capture of Loki on Midgard, the death of Odin resulted in the crowning of Thor and the return of Loki from his exile. Unfortunately for Loki, he had preferred exile to Asgard and became stuck with the limbo-life he'd never wanted. However, when chaos erupts during Thor's two-year anniversary, Loki finds himself lost from Asgard with Tony Stark and without answers. And with more and more incidents in each of the realms occurring when they shouldn't, the both of them land on a journey neither had imagined themselves to be in. Where most of the time they're just trying to survive, and were probably both just in the wrong place at the right time." [7]
- Whatever You Wish For by Frostiron_OTP: Based on the fairytale Cinderella, wherein Loki is an ugly step-sister, the fairy godmother and the Prince, and Tony is simply a genius Cinderella. [7]
- Where the Mighty Live by spaceleviathan "When Thor receives a plea for help from Jotunheim, he gathers the Avengers and they set off to save a different world from war. There, they meet the crown prince of Jotunheim, who is determined to do everything in his power to stop his realm from being destroyed."
- Winterheart by goddamnhella (offline, archived link) (2013)
- Poetic Justice by Limmet (2013)
- If You Had This Time Again by dls. A time travel fix-it fic that rewrites the MCU from the end of the Avengers to the aftermath of Endgame. (2017–2019)
- Anomaly, Archived version, a sadfic Groundhog Day AU by minhyongi (2023)
Fanvids
- Tall Cool One, Archived version by secretlytodream (2016) [8]
- LightHopeLove Channel
- White Blank Page
- Tonight I'm Fucking You
- this type of love isn't rational
- Trailer mash-ups Account holder also does other videos.
- Black Sheep in Wolfes Clothing II Fanfiction Teaser Trailer by Postapokalypso (2016) [9]
Fan Art
- Asktheironfrost, Archived version
- Tgoamt fanart, Archived version
- Fuck Yeah Bottom Tony, Archived version
- Fanart, Archived version for plumadesatada's fic Abyss
Gifs
- untitled gif, Archived version by tonyloki (2013); the gif is an interpretation of the defenestration scene in The Avengers (2012) which triggered the ship for many fans
- now i've thought it through, Archived version by rubberbandgirlme (2014)
- “You should have killed me when you had the chance, Anthony., Archived version by zelynxia (tumblr deactivated before March 9, 2024)
Meta
- Frostiron 101 by kyrilu and chaperoned (2012)
- Part 1: (accessed November 3, 2019) archive link
- Why Loki/Tony Can Work, Archived version by yourlibrarian (2016)
Other
- What pet names do you call each other? by Ask Tony & Loki (2018) [Dead link] (accessed June 4, 2019) archive link
Gallery
Art for Fractals of a Criminal Mind by lampwithoutlight (2018) [11]
Team Snark: Tony and Lady Loki by sarajscribbles, featuring a genderswapped Loki (2018)
AU: Odin lost against the Jötnar moodboard by sweethoneyplum, created for the Frostiron Bingo (2019)
Art by Nonexistenz for Crematosis's fic Courtly Love (2019) [12]
"In another universe, we could be lovers, we could be anything to each other..." manip by lightneverfades (2023)
happy pride meme by kriminalistic (2024)
Archives and Communities
- AO3
- FF.net
- FrostIron Fandom Discord
- FrostIron*, Archived version, an open, unmoderated collection on the Ao3
- Frostiron, Archived version on Shipping Wiki
- frostiron LiveJournal community
- frostiron prompt meme
- Frostiron, a tumblr community established in May 2024 by Slenbee
Challenges and Exchanges
- Frostiron Bang
- FrostIron Bingo
- FrostIron Discord 2020 Summer Exchange, Archived version
- Frostiron Fest, Archived version
- Frostiron Flash Bingo
- Frostiron Holiday Exchange
- Frostiron Secret Santa 2015, Archived version
- Frostiron Summer Exchange 2021
Other Fannish Resources
- The Best of FrostIron, Archived version, a fic collection by LacunaLily on ff.net
- Bottom Tony blog, Archived version has moved to fuckyeahbottomtony, Archived version
- dailyfrostironficrecs, Archived version at tumblr and 2mblr
- Frost-Iron
- Frostiron bottom Tony recs, Archived version
- Frostiron-fic-recs, Archived version
- frostiron kinkmeme, Archived version
- Frostiron Masterlist, Archived version
- Frostiron Network, Archived version
- Frostiron Recs - Master List, Archived version by renlybaratheon-tyrell
- Frostiron-Smut (offline, archived)
- Incorrect Tony's Pairings Quotes, Archived version
- Loki Book Club: 5 Strange and Chaotic Fanfictions You Need to Read Before 'Loki', Archived version by Dais Johnston (2021)
- The frostiron appreciation society, Archived version
- Glorious Invention, Archived version, a fanlisting
References
- ^ Ao3 Loki/Tony tag
- ^ Frostiron 101(locked) Wayback part 1, Part 2[Dead link]
- ^ See:Meta Manifesto: Enemies to Lovers Stories, Archived version
- ^ See: AO3 Ship Stats 2021, July 31, 2021
- ^ See: Just wanted to drop this here, Archived version (posted on tumblr on August 3, 2021)
- ^ As of July 23,2020, the author is currently writing under the pseud AuthorInDistress
- ^ a b c d As of July 23,2020, he author is currently writing under the pseud [1]
- ^ See also: Vid Commentary on Tall Cool One, Archived version by Loki (secretlytodream) and yourlibrarian (2016)
- ^ The vid is a teaser trailer for the fic Black Sheep in Wolfes Clothing, Archived version (2017 - ?)
- ^ An illustration for the fic Sharpen Your Teeth by STARSdidathing.
- ^ See: Criminals & Forensics
- ^ Courtly Love, Archived version by Crematosis (2019)