Valkyrie

• Core Identity: Valkyrie is both a title and an individual, representing the elite Asgardian warrior goddesses tasked with guiding the souls of worthy slain combatants to the afterlife, with the mantle most famously held by Brunnhilde, and later, Jane Foster.
• Key Takeaways:
• Role in the Universe: As a member of the Valkyrior, she is a fundamental component of the Asgardian cosmic cycle of life, death, and honor. She serves as a bridge between the mortal battlefield and the glorious halls of valhalla, making her one of Asgard's most sacred figures. As a hero, she is a frontline combatant for both Asgard and Midgard, often serving with teams like the_defenders and the_avengers.
• Primary Impact: Valkyrie's most significant impact lies in her embodiment of the Asgardian warrior ethos. Her long and often tragic history, particularly Brunnhilde's struggles with curses and mortal hosts, explores themes of duty, identity, and honor. The passing of the mantle to jane_foster signifies a modern evolution of this ancient role, connecting it directly to a beloved human character.
• Key Incarnations: The primary comic version, Brunnhilde, is the classic, noble leader of the Valkyrior with a complex, mystically-entangled backstory. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the character is a composite figure, a hard-drinking, cynical warrior portrayed by Tessa Thompson who is the last of her kind after a battle with hela and eventually becomes the King of New Asgard.

The character of Valkyrie, specifically the Brunnhilde incarnation, made her official debut in The Avengers #83, published in December 1970. She was created by writer Roy Thomas and legendary artist John Buscema. Initially, her introduction was part of a storyline involving the Lady Liberators, a group of female heroes manipulated by the Enchantress. In this first appearance, the Valkyrie persona was actually the Enchantress in disguise. The true Brunnhilde, whose spirit was trapped by the Enchantress, was later fleshed out by writer Steve Englehart, who placed her spirit into the mortal body of a woman named Barbara Norris. This became a central plot point during Valkyrie's long and celebrated tenure with The Defenders, which began in The Defenders #4 (February 1973). This complex origin of a divine spirit inhabiting a mortal shell defined the character for decades. The creators drew heavily from the Brünnhilde of Norse mythology, one of the eponymous valkyrja, adapting her role as a chooser of the slain for the Marvel Universe's unique cosmic structure. The character has since become a cornerstone of Marvel's Asgardian lore and a fan-favorite powerhouse.

The origin of Valkyrie is one of the more intricate and fascinating histories in Marvel Comics, further complicated by the significant and popular adaptation seen in the MCU. Understanding the two requires a clear separation of their distinct canons.

In the prime Marvel continuity of Earth-616, the story of Valkyrie is primarily the story of Brunnhilde. Born in Asgard thousands of years ago, Brunnhilde was selected by odin to lead the Valkyrior, a host of nine elite warrior goddesses. Their sacred duty was to ride over the battlefields of mortals and Asgardians alike, observe the conflicts, and choose from among the slain the most heroic and worthy warriors—the Einherjar. These chosen souls would then be escorted by the Valkyries to Valhalla, the Asgardian afterlife of eternal glorious combat and feasting, to await the final battle of ragnarok. For centuries, Brunnhilde served with unwavering honor and skill. However, her life took a dark turn due to the machinations of others. In one notable instance, Odin, in a pact with her mortal lover Sigmund, was forced to command Brunnhilde to ensure Sigmund's defeat in battle. Brunnhilde defied the All-Father, attempting to protect Sigmund. As punishment for her insubordination, Odin stripped her of her powers and immortality, casting her into a mystic slumber. She was eventually awakened by Siegfried, the reincarnation of Sigmund, and they fell in love. Tragically, Siegfried was later murdered, and a grief-stricken Brunnhilde, still mortal, took her own life to join him in death. Odin, moved by her sacrifice, restored both Brunnhilde and Siegfried to life in Valhalla, reinstating her as a Valkyrie but wiping her memories of her mortal sorrows. Ages later, her path crossed with Amora, the Enchantress. The Enchantress trapped Brunnhilde's spirit in a crystal of souls and began using her essence and appearance for her own schemes. For a time, Amora would grant the power of Valkyrie to her pawns, most notably to create the aforementioned Lady Liberators to fight the Avengers. Brunnhilde's spirit was eventually freed from the crystal and accidentally merged with a mortal woman, Barbara Norris, who was caught in the crossfire of a battle involving the Defenders. For years, Brunnhilde lived in Barbara's body, possessing all her Asgardian abilities but tormented by a fractured identity, with Barbara's consciousness suppressed. This conflict was a central theme of her time with the Defenders. She later found other hosts, including Sian Bowen, but eventually regained her true Asgardian form. More recently, during the “War of the Realms,” the dark elf Malekith waged war across the Ten Realms. In a brutal assault, he murdered the entire Valkyrior, with Brunnhilde being the last to fall. After the war, a grieving Jane Foster, formerly the Mighty Thor, found that the spirits of the fallen Valkyries were calling to her. She discovered Undrjarn, the All-Weapon, which transforms into whatever its wielder needs. By taking up the weapon, Jane accepted the call and became the last Valkyrie, tasked with the duties of the entire fallen host.

The MCU's Valkyrie, introduced in Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and portrayed by Tessa Thompson, has a streamlined but equally tragic origin story. She is an Asgardian warrior and a member of the legendary Valkyrie, an elite force of female warriors who served as the king's personal guard. The MCU reimagines the Valkyrie as Asgard's most formidable fighting force, rather than primarily soul-ferriers. Long before the events of the first Thor film, Odin's firstborn daughter, Hela, the Goddess of Death, grew too ambitious and violent. When Odin sought to contain her, she rebelled. The All-Father dispatched the entire legion of Valkyrie to stop her at Hel. The battle was a massacre. Hela, immensely powerful, single-handedly slaughtered every Valkyrie except for one. This lone survivor, our protagonist, was saved by a comrade who sacrificed herself. Traumatized by the loss of her sisters and disillusioned with her duty and with Odin's leadership, she abandoned Asgard. Harboring a deep-seated resentment and pain, she fled into a self-imposed exile on the junk-planet of Sakaar. There, she suppressed her past and adopted the moniker Scrapper 142, working as a bounty hunter for the planet's despotic ruler, the grandmaster. She spent her days capturing “contestants” for his Contest of Champions, drinking heavily to numb the memories of her fallen comrades. Her path to redemption began when she captured Thor, who had been cast out of Asgard by Hela. Recognizing him as an Asgardian, she was initially content to sell him to the Grandmaster. However, Thor's persistent hope and his stories of Hela's return to power forced her to confront her past. Reminded of her oath and the honor of the Valkyrie, she ultimately chose to fight alongside Thor, Bruce Banner, and Loki. She played a crucial role in evacuating the Asgardian people during Ragnarok and subsequently helped them find a new home on Earth in New Asgard. After the events of Avengers: Endgame, a weary Thor abdicated the throne, bestowing upon her the title of King of New Asgard, recognizing her as the leader her people needed.

While sharing a common Asgardian heritage, the powers and gear of Valkyrie in the comics and the MCU have distinct nuances and expressions.

The abilities of the Earth-616 Valkyrie, both Brunnhilde and Jane Foster, are a potent blend of Asgardian might and unique mystical duties.

• Asgardian Physiology: As an Asgardian, Brunnhilde possesses superhuman strength, speed, stamina, durability, and agility far exceeding that of a peak human. She is strong enough to lift approximately 45 tons. Her body is significantly denser than a human's, granting her resistance to most forms of conventional injury.
• Immortality/Longevity: Like all Asgardians, she is not truly immortal but is extremely long-lived, aging at a pace so slow as to be imperceptible. She is also immune to all terrestrial diseases.
• Death Perception (The Death-Glow): This is Brunnhilde's most unique and defining ability. She can perceive a “death-glow” surrounding a person who is in mortal danger. This does not mean death is certain, but it signifies that the person's soul is on the verge of departing its mortal coil. This power is essential to her sacred duty.
• Soul Transport: Her primary function as a Valkyrie is to transport the souls of the worthy dead to their designated afterlife, typically Valhalla. She can guide these souls and physically escort them across dimensions.
• Master Combatant: Brunnhilde is one of the most skilled warriors in Asgard's history, second perhaps only to Sif. She is a master of armed and unarmed combat, with millennia of experience on countless battlefields. Her fighting style is both graceful and brutally effective.
• Equipment:
  • Dragonfang: Her signature weapon is an enchanted, indestructible sword crafted by a sorcerer named Kahji-Da from the tusk of an extra-dimensional dragon. It was once wielded by the ancient_one and later by doctor_strange, who gifted it to her. The sword is incredibly sharp and can absorb and manipulate magical energies.
  • Enchanted Spear: She often carries an unnamed enchanted spear, a formidable weapon for both throwing and melee combat.
  • Aragorn: Brunnhilde's steed is a magnificent winged stallion, gifted to her by the Black Knight (Dane Whitman). Aragorn can fly at incredible speeds and travel between dimensions.

• Valkyrie Empowerment: As the new Valkyrie, Jane Foster's physical attributes are elevated to Asgardian levels when she is in her Valkyrie form, granting her superhuman strength, speed, and durability.
• Undrjarn, the All-Weapon: Jane's primary tool is Undrjarn. This mystical item is made from the shattered pieces of Mjolnir from the Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610). It is psionically linked to Jane and can shapeshift into any weapon she can imagine, from a mace to razor-sharp wings, a shield, or even a grappling hook. Its versatility makes her an unpredictable and formidable opponent.
• Flight: Through the use of Undrjarn, often by forming it into wings, Jane can fly.
• Mystical Senses: Like Brunnhilde, Jane can sense the imminent approach of death and can see and interact with spirits. Her role also includes serving as a psychopomp, guiding the dead to the afterlife. However, her perspective is uniquely colored by her past experiences as a mortal and as the Goddess of Thunder.

The MCU's Valkyrie is depicted as a pure warrior, with less emphasis on the mystical “chooser of the slain” aspects from the comics.

• Asgardian Physiology: She possesses the standard superhuman attributes of an Asgardian, putting her on par with characters like lady_sif and the Warriors Three. She has demonstrated incredible strength (casually opening a ship's airlock), speed, and agility in combat. Her durability is immense, allowing her to survive falls from great heights and blows from powerful beings like Hela and the Hulk.
• Superhuman Longevity: As an original member of Odin's elite guard, she is thousands of years old but appears as a young woman, showcasing her extremely slow aging process.
• Master Combatant: Her skill in combat is arguably her greatest asset. She is a master of multiple fighting styles and weapons. In flashbacks, she is shown leading the charge against Hela on a winged steed. On Sakaar, she easily subdued Thor and Loki. During the final battle in Avengers: Endgame, she fought Thanos's forces with tremendous prowess, and in Thor: Love and Thunder, she proved a match for many of Gorr's shadow creatures.
• Expert Pilot: Years spent on Sakaar made her an expert pilot, capable of handling various alien spacecraft with ease.
• Equipment:
  • Dragonfang: She wields her personal Valkyrie sword, which is identified as Dragonfang in supplementary materials. It is an incredibly durable and sharp weapon, capable of clashing with Hela's necroswords.
  • Valkyrie Armor: She possesses a set of traditional silver and blue Valkyrie armor, which offers significant protection in battle.
  • Winged Steed (Aragorn): In Avengers: Endgame, she is seen riding a winged horse, identified by the cast and crew as Aragorn, into the final battle against Thanos.
  • Zeus's Thunderbolt: In Thor: Love and Thunder, she temporarily wields Zeus's Thunderbolt, a powerful enchanted weapon capable of teleportation and projecting devastating bolts of lightning.

• Thor: In both comics and the MCU, Thor is Valkyrie's most significant ally. In the comics, Brunnhilde and Thor share a deep bond as fellow Asgardian warriors and protectors of the realms. They have fought alongside each other for centuries. In the MCU, their relationship is more complex and develops on-screen. It begins with her capturing him, evolves into a grudging respect and friendship born of shared trauma, and culminates in Thor entrusting her with the kingship of his people.
• The Defenders: Brunnhilde's tenure with the original Defenders (Doctor Strange, Hulk, Namor, Silver Surfer) is a defining period of her character arc. This “non-team” of outsiders became her found family on Earth. They helped her navigate the complexities of her dual existence within Barbara Norris's body and fought cosmic and mystical threats together. Her stoic warrior persona was often a perfect foil for the team's eccentric dynamics.
• Doctor Strange: As a frequent teammate in the Defenders, Brunnhilde developed a strong working relationship with Stephen Strange. It was Strange who gifted her the sword Dragonfang, and his mystical expertise was often crucial in dealing with the magical curses that plagued her.
• Jane Foster (in relation to Brunnhilde): After Brunnhilde's death, her spirit acts as a guide and mentor to Jane Foster from within Valhalla. This unique relationship connects the past and future of the Valkyrie mantle, with Brunnhilde offering wisdom and support to her successor.

• The Enchantress (Amora): Amora is, without a doubt, Brunnhilde's arch-nemesis in the comics. It was Amora who originally trapped Brunnhilde's soul and manipulated her image and power for her own selfish ends. This act led to decades of suffering and identity crises for Valkyrie, making their conflict deeply personal and bitter.
• Hela: In the MCU, Hela is the ultimate enemy of the Valkyrie. As Odin's executioner, she was the force that single-handedly wiped out the entire Valkyrior legion, leaving the film's protagonist as the sole, traumatized survivor. This event is the defining tragedy of Valkyrie's life, and confronting Hela is the key to her redemption and her decision to reclaim her heritage.
• Malekith the Accursed: While a foe of all Asgard, Malekith is particularly significant as the villain responsible for the final death of the Valkyrior, including Brunnhilde, during the “War of the Realms” storyline. His actions directly led to the end of an era and set the stage for Jane Foster's ascension.

• The Valkyrior: This is her primary and most sacred affiliation. As the leader (in the comics) or a member (in the MCU) of this elite force, her identity is inextricably linked to their mission and legacy.
• The Defenders: A core member of the classic lineup, Valkyrie's time with the Defenders defined her role as a hero on Earth for many years.
• The Secret Avengers: For a time, Brunnhilde served on Steve Rogers's black-ops team, the Secret Avengers, showcasing her versatility as a hero willing to operate in the shadows to protect the world.
• Asgard/New Asgard: Whether serving Odin in classic Asgard or leading the refugee settlement of New Asgard on Earth, her loyalty is ultimately to her people.

This long-running storyline from the classic Defenders comics is essential to understanding Brunnhilde. For dozens of issues, she operated from within the body of Barbara Norris, with her own memories fragmented. The Enchantress and her brutish partner, the Executioner, were recurring antagonists. The climax saw Doctor Strange perform a ritual to finally separate Brunnhilde's spirit from Barbara's, but it came at a cost, as Barbara's body was left in a catatonic state. This saga solidified Valkyrie's tragic heroism and her deep ties to the Defenders.

During this 2011 company-wide event, Odin's long-lost brother, Cul, the Serpent, was freed and unleashed his “Worthy” upon Earth. As the God of Fear, his influence spread across the globe. Valkyrie and the heroes of Asgard were on the front lines, fighting against an overwhelming tide of terror. She took on the task of reclaiming several of the Worthy's fallen hammers to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands, demonstrating her courage and unyielding sense of duty even when facing divine-level threats.

This 2019 epic storyline by Jason Aaron was the culmination of his years-long run on Thor and served as a turning point for the Valkyrie legacy. Malekith's forces invaded Midgard, turning New York City into a bloody battleground. Brunnhilde led a makeshift team of heroes called the “Babysitters Club” to protect Thor's infant sister, Laussa. In a climactic and heartbreaking battle on the Bifrost Bridge, Brunnhilde and the last of the Valkyrior fought Malekith's armies to the last. Brunnhilde died a hero's death, decapitating Malekith's War Witches before being slain herself. Her sacrifice was the ultimate embodiment of her duty and directly paved the way for a new Valkyrie to rise.

• Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610): The Ultimate Marvel version of Valkyrie was drastically different. She was a 19-year-old mortal woman named Barbara Norris who was a superhero fangirl. After the “Ultimatum” wave killed millions, including her lover, she claimed that loki offered her the power to become a shieldmaiden of Thor. She possessed superhuman strength and fighting skills and wielded a large, mystically enhanced sword. Her role was more of a troubled sidekick to Thor and the Ultimates, and she was ultimately killed in battle by the Children of Tomorrow.
• Dani Moonstar: In the Exiles series, which featured heroes plucked from different realities, one version of Valkyrie was revealed to be a variant of the New Mutants member Danielle Moonstar. In her reality, an event with the demon Hela led to Dani gaining the powers of a Valkyrie, including the ability to perceive death. This version was a key member of the Exiles for a time.
• Earth-X: In the dystopian future of Earth-X, the Asgardians were revealed to be shapeshifting aliens manipulated by the Celestials into believing they were the gods of Norse myth. The Valkyrie of this reality were their “angels of death,” tasked with preventing them from realizing their true nature, thus preserving the Celestials' grand deception.

• thor
• asgard
• the_defenders
• jane_foster
• the_enchantress
• hela
• odin

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