Laufey first thundered into the pages of Marvel Comics in Journey into Mystery #112, published in January 1965. He was co-created by the legendary duo responsible for much of Marvel's pantheon, writer and editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Jack Kirby. His introduction came during a “Tales of Asgard” backup story, a segment dedicated to fleshing out the rich mythology and history of Thor's world.
His creation, like that of Thor, Odin, and Loki, is directly inspired by Norse mythology. However, Lee and Kirby took a significant creative liberty that has defined the character ever since. In the original Poetic and Prose Eddas, Laufey (or Nál) is actually Loki's mother. His father is the jötunn Fárbauti. Marvel Comics gender-swapped the character, establishing Laufey as a powerful male king and Fárbauti as his queen, thereby creating the patriarchal Frost Giant monarchy seen in the comics. This change streamlined the narrative for a comic book audience, positioning Laufey as a direct rival monarch to Odin and creating a more traditional father-son dynamic to be explored (and subverted) with Loki.
The origin of the Frost Giant King is an ancient tale, one told differently across the two primary Marvel continuities. It is a story of war, loss, and a fateful decision that would echo through the Nine Realms forever.
In the prime reality of Earth-616, Laufey's history is steeped in the ancient, bloody war between Jotunheim and Asgard. Millennia before the present day, Laufey led his Frost Giant armies in a massive invasion of Asgard, seeking to conquer the golden realm and plunge the cosmos into a new ice age. He was a brutal and effective warlord, wielding a massive club forged from enchanted ice and commanding legions of his kin. The war raged across the realms, a conflict of fire and ice that saw gods and giants fall. The climax of this war saw Laufey personally confront King Odin Borson on the battlefield. The two kings, embodiments of their respective realms, engaged in a cataclysmic duel. Despite his immense power, Laufey was ultimately defeated and slain by Odin's hand. Following their king's fall, the Frost Giant armies were routed and driven back to Jotunheim. In the aftermath of the battle, Odin and his troops stormed Laufey's fortress. There, within a desecrated temple, they discovered an infant. The child was Laufey's son, born small and frail by Frost Giant standards—a source of immense shame for the giant king. Laufey had left his own child to die from exposure, deeming him unworthy. Odin, in a moment of pity and perhaps political foresight, took the child and chose to raise him as his own son alongside his biological heir, Thor. He named him Loki. Odin believed that by raising the heir of his greatest enemy as a prince of Asgard, he could one day forge a lasting peace between the two warring kingdoms. This act of compassion, however, would prove to be the seed of future tragedy, as Loki's struggle with his hidden heritage and his jealousy of Thor would make him one of the universe's greatest villains. For centuries, Laufey remained dead. However, in the modern era, he was resurrected through dark magic and machinations, often involving Loki or other Asgardian foes. Upon his return, he was consumed with a desire for vengeance against Odin for his death and against Loki, the runt he had abandoned, for the perceived dishonor of being raised an Asgardian. His modern appearances, particularly during the war_of_the_realms event, depict him as a cruel and unrepentant tyrant, eager to reclaim his throne and finish the war Odin had won so long ago.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe presents a more streamlined and dramatically focused version of Laufey's origin, primarily detailed in the film Thor (2011).
In 965 A.D., King Laufey led the Frost Giants of Jotunheim in an invasion of Earth, specifically targeting Tønsberg, Norway. His goal was to conquer Midgard and use the casket_of_ancient_winters, the Frost Giants' most powerful weapon, to trigger a global ice age. His campaign was met by the armies of Asgard, led by a younger, fiercer Odin. The war was brutal, culminating in a massive battle where Odin and the Asgardians ultimately defeated the Frost Giants and seized the Casket, crippling Jotunheim's power and influence. A fragile truce was established between the two realms, with Odin holding their greatest weapon as leverage.
As in the comics, Odin discovered an abandoned infant Loki in the temple following the battle. The film explicitly shows Laufey leaving the child, who was small for a giant but appropriately sized for an Asgardian, to perish. Odin's motivations for adopting Loki are presented similarly: to unite the two kingdoms in a future peace.
Laufey's story in the MCU is largely a tragedy of his own making, fueled by pride and a thirst for revenge. Decades later, a small group of Frost Giants, secretly aided by Loki, infiltrate Odin's vault to reclaim the Casket. This act goads a hot-headed Thor into leading a retaliatory strike on Jotunheim, shattering the truce. This is precisely what Loki intended. During this confrontation, Laufey reveals to Loki his true heritage, a revelation that shatters Loki's identity.
Laufey is then manipulated by Loki into an assassination attempt on an Odin who has fallen into the recuperative Odinsleep. Loki's plan is a masterclass in deception: he allows Laufey and his guards into Asgard, leading them to Odin's chambers. Just as Laufey is about to strike the final blow, Loki betrays and kills him with Gungnir, Odin's spear. Loki's motive was to stage a heroic defense of his adoptive father, proving himself a worthy son and heir by “saving” Asgard from the monster who abandoned him. Laufey's end in the MCU is not at the hands of his ancient rival, Odin, but at the hands of his own son, used as a final, pathetic pawn in a desperate bid for acceptance.
While both versions of Laufey are kings of the same race, their portrayals grant them subtle but important differences in their capabilities and character.
The comic book Laufey is the epitome of a barbarian king. He is arrogant, brutal, and utterly without sentiment. His defining traits are his lust for conquest and his deep-seated hatred for Asgard and Odin. He views compassion and mercy as weaknesses. This is most evident in his treatment of Loki; he feels no paternal connection, only shame and contempt for the “runt” who survived and, worse, was raised by his most hated enemy. When resurrected, he sees Loki not as a son to be reclaimed but as an insult to be erased. He is a straightforward, if formidable, villain driven by primal rage and ambition.
The MCU's Laufey, while still a ruthless king, is portrayed with a greater sense of weary gravitas and tragic desperation. He is a ruler of a dying kingdom, a once-great empire now broken and humbled. His desire for revenge against Odin is palpable, but it stems from a place of national pride and a desire to restore what was lost. This makes him a more complex figure than his comic counterpart. He is intelligent enough to see Thor's initial attack as an act of war but is ultimately blinded by his hatred and desire for vengeance, allowing Loki to easily play on his emotions. His final moments reveal a flicker of shock and perhaps even betrayal as he realizes his own son has been his undoing. He is less of a monstrous barbarian and more of a fallen king obsessed with past glories.
Laufey is a king, and his only true allies are his subjects and, occasionally, fellow tyrants in alliances of convenience.
Laufey's enemies are legendary, defining his character and motivations across all continuities.
This is not a single storyline but a foundational event retold in flashbacks across decades of comics and in the opening of the first *Thor* film. It is the crucible that forges the entire Asgardian status quo. The key elements are consistent: Laufey leads a massive Frost Giant invasion, seeks to bring about a new ice age, and is met on the field of battle by Odin. Laufey's defeat, death (in the comics), and the loss of the Casket of Ancient Winters establish the bitter cold war that defines Asgard-Jotunheim relations for millennia. Most critically, it is the event that places Loki in Odin's care, making it arguably the single most important backstory in the entire Thor mythos.
This is Laufey's definitive and most widely known appearance. He is not merely a historical villain but a present-day antagonist whose actions directly drive the plot. His story arc includes:
This major Marvel comics event marked Laufey's most significant modern-day role. Resurrected and empowered, he joins Malekith's Dark Council as the “King of the Frost Giants.” He is given dominion over Florida, which he flash-freezes and attempts to conquer. This storyline showcases Laufey at his most monstrous and powerful, leading a full-scale invasion of Earth. His arc culminates in a direct confrontation with his son. By this point, Loki has undergone significant character development and is acting as a reluctant hero. In a moment of grim necessity and poetic justice, Loki (who had previously been eaten by and cut his way out of his father) tricks Laufey, allowing him to be devoured by a monstrous beast. This brought a definitive and brutal end to the comic version of the Frost Giant King, with his own son facilitating his final demise.
What If…? episode “What If… Thor Were an Only Child?”, a timeline is shown where Odin returned Loki to Laufey after the war. In this reality, Loki grew up as a prince of Jotunheim. He and Thor are best friends, and the Frost Giants are on friendly terms with Asgard, with Loki appearing as a well-adjusted, good-natured giant who enjoys partying with his Asgardian “brother.” This version provides a glimpse of the peace Odin had hoped for and serves as a stark contrast to the tragic main timeline.