There are many powerful devices and weapons scattered across the MCU, but few can compare to the awesome power of Loki‘s TemPads. These are the standard devices issued to Time Variance Authority agents, allowing them to track variants, deliver information about timeline branches and open Doors to allow agents to leap between universes.
But that’s merely a description, and it’s worth wondering exactly how they work and what’s powering them.
How does it work?
As listed above, TemPads are indispensable to the TVA, allowing them to carry out their missions throughout various timelines. They’re also supposed to be linked to the helpful Miss Minutes, though as of the latest episode, she’s AWOL.
The inner workings of the TemPads aren’t clear, though they’re stable enough for Loki and Mobius to disassemble without being in danger. In season 2, episode 2 we learned that Ke Huy Quan’s O.B./Ouroboros wrote ‘The Time Variance Authority Official Handbook,’ which goes into great detail on the technical workings of a TemPad, though even the experienced agent Mobius admits “it’s like gibberish.” Here’s the closest look we can get at a diagram of its innards:
But while O.B. might be the foremost expert on maintaining and repairing TemPads, he doesn’t seem to be their inventor. For that, we may have to look to the end of time.
The secret origin of the TemPad?
In the Loki season 1 finale Loki and Sylvie finally made it to the end of time and met He Who Remains (aka Kang). Kang had his own TemPad, which looked very different to the TVA ones and appeared to be more like an artefact he kept mounted on his wrist.
The TVA was created by He Who Remains so it makes sense that their tech was reverse-engineered from Kang’s original device or — if you want to get all time-travelly about it — it’s possible that each TemPad contains this same artefact pulled from different timelines or at a different point in its existence. In fact, if you look at the detailed image at the top of this article, He Who Remains’ artefact may be the black object installed on the left of the device.
Whether he discovered this object or invented it is unknown, but it’s possible its origins are in the Mystic Arts rather than science.
As the second episode of season 2 closed out we saw that Sylvie had taken He Who Remains’ TemPad after she killed him. It seems the timeline in which she’s eked out a happy existence flipping burgers is doomed thanks to General Dox and it glowing indicates she’s about to escape.
It’s unlikely we’ll ever get an actual explanation of how TemPads work as it’s effectively magic, though the show has provided us with enough clues to be able to figure out their origins. Here’s hoping the rest of Loki season 2 delivers further insights.