Ke Huy Quan’s Ouroboros is the best new MCU character in a hot minute. From the beginning of Loki season 2 onwards, he’s been utterly adorable, combining naivety with technical brilliance. Now, in episode 5 “Science/Fiction” he’s topped every single one of his previous achievements.
The explosive finale of episode 4 has sent the TVA staff back to their places on the timeline, with Ouroboros proving to be a budding sci-fi author and particle physics professor. He’s instantly on board with Loki’s explanation of what’s going on and takes delivery of a TVA Handbook (which, of course, was penned by him).
Then he manages what may be the greatest scientific feat in the history of the MCU (sorry, Stark) cobbles together a working TemPad using 1994 technology in just 18 months (apparently at the cost of his marriage). This is a very cool prop, and whoever designed it clearly has an eye for classy retro tech.
What ancient PC is Ouroboros’ TemPad based on?
The prop in Loki is a modified Amstrad PPC512/640, an IBM-compatible PC released way back in 1987. Laptops and portable computers as we know them were still in their infancy back then, but the PPC512 did indeed let you use it on the move, so long as you have ten gigantic C-size batteries to power it.
This model of PC could even come with a lightning-fast 2400 baud modem. Sure, you’re not going to be streaming video over that, but back in the late ’80s, you could browse a bulletin board or send an email on the go.
These Amstrad PCs originated in the United Kingdom (with Amstrad being founded by The Apprentice UK‘s boss Alan Sugar), and as Loki was shot there, we suspect the prop designer had a nose around some retro computing fairs to find something cool to cannibalize.
Either way, this chunky retro-futurist design fits very neatly into the Loki aesthetic and I want to see more of it in action soon!
