Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Loki episode 5, "Journey into Mystery."
Kid Loki was seen utilizing a mysterious, steampunk-looking device throughout Loki episode 5 — here's what the technology was for and how it further explained the character. Played by Jack Veal, Kid Loki was first glimpsed in the post-credits scene for Loki episode 4, "The Nexus Event." He later featured in earnest alongside Classic Loki (Richard E. Grant), Boastful Loki (DeObia Oparei), and Alligator Loki (a.k.a Croki) in Loki episode 5, "Journey into Mystery."
Clashing with a whole host of other Loki variants in the process, Kid Loki endeavored to help Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) bypass Alioth and reach a castle at the end of time. Initially, Loki scoffed at the idea of Kid Loki wearing the crown and being The Void's ruling Loki variant. Across the runtime of Loki episode 5, "Journey into Mystery," however, he established himself more singularly capable than most. Firstly, it was revealed that while the others repeatedly failed, Kid Loki successfully killed his Thor. Secondly, Kid Loki was also in possession of the flaming sword, Laevateinn, and a mysterious device.
The device wasn't given an official name during Loki episode 5, "Journey into Mystery." Equally, it wasn't touched on, after the fact, by those attached to the show. Regardless, in design and function, the device shared more than a few shades with the equipment used by Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and her team in Thor: The Dark World. There, the device was used to detect (and manipulate) energy fluctuations caused by The Convergence. In Kid Loki's hands, this device was used as an early warning system. It pinpointed when and where newly pruned branches would drop into The Void — including the TVA's food trays and garbage. That detection also went for people (and Gods), explaining how Kid Loki and the other variants were able to find the MCU's original recipe Loki before Alioth devoured him.
As well as going unnamed, there also appeared to be no basis for the device in the comics. It did, however, further solidify why Kid Loki was viewed as superior to many other iterations of Loki. After all, none of the others shown seemed to have crafted such a device. That even went for the central Loki, who was previously mocked by Sylvie for not being as tech-savvy as he liked to believe. In terms of the comics, it also alluded to Kid Loki being as tech-savvy as most children and teenagers growing up in the modern era. Like them, alongside Kid Loki's various powers, he could often be seen on the page utilizing smartphones and other such technology.
The device also lent further insight into Kid Loki's character. Since Loki episode 1, "Glorious Purpose," several agents of the Time Variance Authority have been pruned. That either came after the event of their deaths when a branch was pruned or at Sylvie's hand during combat. In either case, none had their TemPads removed prior to being pruned. As such, Kid Loki should have been able to track at least one when they dropped into The Void and similarly before they were devoured. In essence, escape should have been well within the realm of possibility. The fact that Kid Loki never pursued that course, however, played into the idea that he viewed his time in The Void as penance for killing Thor. Equally, it foreshadowed his seeming decision to live out his days there during the ending of Loki episode 5, "Journey into Mystery."
