| Asgard | |
|---|---|
 Asgard and some of the inhabitants of the Asgardian dimension on the cover ofTales of Asgard #1 (October 1968) Art byJack Kirby. | |
| First appearance | Journey into Mystery #85 (October 1962) |
| Created by | Stan Lee Larry Lieber Jack Kirby |
| In-universe information | |
| Type | Realm |
| Race | Asgardians |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
Asgard is a fictional realm and its capital city appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Created byStan Lee,Larry Lieber andJack Kirby, the realm first appeared inJourney into Mystery #85 (October 1962).[1][2] Based on therealm of the same name fromGermanic mythology (particularlyNorse), Asgard is home to the Asgardians and other beings adapted from Norse mythology. It features prominently in stories that follow the Marvel Comics superheroThor.
Asgard has appeared in comics and various media adaptations, including theMarvel Cinematic Universe filmsThor (2011),Thor: The Dark World (2013),Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015),Thor: Ragnarok (2017),Avengers: Endgame (2019), and theDisney+ seriesLoki (2021). Eventually, Asgard was relocated to Earth inNorway and appeared inAvengers: Endgame andThor: Love and Thunder (2022).
According to Asgardian legend, in the beginning there was nothing, but in time two worlds came into being on opposite sides of the void. The one to the north was namedNiflheim, a world of clouds and shadows in whose center surged the fountainHvergelmir, from which flowed twelve rivers of ice. The one to the south was namedMuspelheim, which teemed with rivers of fire. Eventually the warm air from the south carved out the ice giantYmir from the ice in the north. Ymir became the father of all the giants, and his cowAuðumbla licked out of the ice the first Asgardian, Buri. Buri had a son named Borr, who married the giantess Bestla. Borr and Bestla had three sons namedOdin, Vili, and Ve, who were known as theÆsir. Odin and his brothers grew to hate the giants and slew Ymir, and his blood formed a great sea. Odin and his brothers then raised Ymir's body from the sea and createdMidgard between Niflheim and Muspelheim. With Ymir's bones they created mountains, and with his hair they created trees. They then raised Ymir's skull upon four pillars to create the heavens. Within the skull contained sparks from Muspelheim, which became the sun, moon, and stars. When Midgard was complete, Odin and his brothers created a home for themselves above it called Asgard. Between the two worlds they stretched a rainbow bridge and called itBifröst.[3]
Once a year Odin must undertake the Odinsleep to regain his strength. During this time Asgard is vulnerable to attack from its many enemies, most notably Odin's adopted son,Loki. Loki first takes command of Asgard during the Odinsleep, using his right as the 'son' of Odin before Thor could claim it, but fled when Asgard was invaded byMangog as he realized that this new foe was too powerful.[4] Loki later usurped the throne of Asgard by taking the Odinring, but fled again when Asgard was invaded by the fire demon,Surtur.[5]
The throne of Asgard later passes toThor after Odin is killed in battle by Surtur, when the demon invades Earth.[6]
It was prophesied that Loki would lead Asgard's enemies in a final conflict known asRagnarök, which would lead to its destruction. This comes to pass when Loki obtains the forge that createdMjolnir and creates new uru hammers for his army. The entirety of Asgard and its inhabitants are destroyed in the resulting battle.[7]
After Ragnarök, Donald Blake awakens Thor from the "Void of Non-Existence". Thor returns to Earth and rebuilds Asgard outside ofBroxton, Oklahoma, purchasing the land with gold from the treasury. Thor then goes about restoring the Asgardians, who have been reborn in the bodies of mortal men and women.[8]
Asgard's location on Earth makes the city a target during the "Secret Invasion" by theSkrulls led by aSuper-Skrull named Godkiller, whose powers mimicThundra,Titania,Volcana andBattleaxe. The aliens are repelled with help from Thor's ally,Beta Ray Bill.[9]
When Thor is forced to abdicate the throne and is exiled for killing his grandfatherBor, who was brought from the past and driven mad by Loki, control of Asgard passes to Thor's half-brother,Balder.[10]
Asgard is destroyed yet again afterNorman Osborn seizes control ofS.H.I.E.L.D. following the Secret Invasion as he seeks to expel Asgard fromU.S. soil in an effort to consolidate power. Osborn leads theDark Avengers in theSiege of Asgard. The invading forces are defeated with help from the reunitedAvengers, although Asgard itself is toppled by theSentry. Immediately following the Siege, Thor reerectsHeimdall's observatory atopStark Tower as sign of solidarity with Midgard and appreciation for the Avengers' aid.[11]
Thor restores Odin to the throne when the nine realms are invaded by "the World Eaters".[12] However, after Thor and Odin's long-forgotten brotherCul, kill each other in battle during the "Fear Itself" event, Odin passes control of Asgard to theVanir, headed by the "All-Mother", atriumvirate of female deities consisting ofFreyja, Gaea and Idunn.[13]Tony Stark's company, Stark Resilient then rebuilds Asgard over Broxton, Oklahoma, where it is rechristened as "Asgardia".[14]
During the "Original Sin" storyline, it is revealed that there is a Tenth Realm in Asgard called Heven that is inhabited byAngels. It was cut off from the rest of the realms following the Angels' attack on Asgard which led to the apparent death of an infantAngela.[15]
Asgard later established the Congress of Worlds which consists of the representatives of the Nine Realms.[16] After Heven was reintegrated with the other Realms, representatives of Heven started appearing as members of the Congress of Worlds.[17]
The Asgard dimension contains several distinct regions.[18]
| World | Notes |
|---|---|
| Asgard | Home of the Asgardians. Asgard is the name of the planetoid, a distinct region on the planetoid and its capital city. |
| Vanaheim | Home of theVanir who are the sister race of the Asgardians. Vanaheim is a distinct region on the Asgard planetoid. |
| Alfheim | Home of theLight Elves. Alfheim is a distinct region on the Asgard planetoid. |
| Nidavellir | Home of theDwarves. Nidavellir is a distinct region on the Asgard planetoid. |
| Midgard | The Earthly plane. Although not technically a part of the Asgardian dimension, it is considered one of the Nine Worlds because of its significant connections to Asgard. |
| Jotunheim | Home of theFrost Giants. |
| Svartalfheim | Home of theDark Elves. |
| Helheim | Realm of the dead who are neither honored nor dishonored. Ruled byHela. |
| Muspelheim | Home of the Fire Giants/Demons. Ruled by the Fire GiantSurtur. |
| Region | Notes |
|---|---|
| Heven | The tenth world of Asgard and home of the Angels which is paradisal, it was cut off from the rest of Asgard by Odin long ago and not rediscovered until the 2014Original Sin storyline. |
| Valhalla | Odin's great palace of the honoured dead and is a distinct region on the Asgard planetoid. |
| Nornheim | Realm of the Asgard planetoid ruled byKarnilla. |
| Niflheim | Realm of the cold and ice; another place for the dishonoured dead, closely connected with Helheim. |
The six races of intelligent humanoid beings known to reside within the Asgard dimension.
| Race | Known members | |
|---|---|---|
| Asgardians | Æsir | Aldrif Odinsdottir,Amora the Enchantress,Balder,Bor, Búri,[19]Brunnhilde,Fandral,Hermod,Hildegarde,Hoder,Kelda,Lorelei,Magni,Mimir,Odin, Siriana,Skurge the Executioner,Thor Odinson,Tyr,Vidar, Vili,[19] Ve,[19] Volla,Volstagg |
| Vanir | Frey,Freya,Frigga,Heimdall,Idunn, Njord,[20]Sigyn,Sif | |
| Demons | Hrinmeer,[21] Skulveig[21] | |
| Dwarves | Alfrigg,[22] Brokk, Dvalin,[22]Eitri, Grerr,[22] Throgg[23] | |
| Elves | Dark Elves | Alflyse,[24] Grendell,[25]Kurse,Malekith |
| Light Elves | Aeltri,[21] Hrinmeer[21] | |
| Giants | Angerboda,[26] Fafnir2,[27] Fasolt,[27] Gerd,[28] Gymir,[28]Hela,Laufey,Loki, Siingard, Skadi,[29]Skurge the Executioner, Solveig,Utgard-Loki,Vidar,Surtur,Ymir, Arkin the Weak[30] | |
| Trolls | Ulik,Geirrodur, Ulla, Askella, Gaark, Garrg, Glagg, Grak, Grundor, Kryllk, Muthos, Olik, Targo, | |
| Other | Hogun,Hrimhari,Karnilla,Mogul of the Mystic Mountain, Three Norns (Urd, Skuld, and Verdandi) | |
^2 Not to be confused with the dragonFafnir.
Although they look human, all Asgardians possess certain superhuman physical attributes. They are extremely long-lived (though not immortal like theirOlympian counterparts), aging at an extremely slow rate upon reaching adulthood (through the periodic consumption of thegolden apples ofIdunn). Asgardian flesh and bone is three times denser than similar human tissue, contributing to theirsuperhuman strength and weight. An average Asgardian male can lift 30tons (27.2metric tons); an average Asgardian female can lift about 25 tons (22.7 metric tons). Asgardians are immune to all terrestrial diseases and resistant to conventional injury (however this resilience seems relatively incapable of defeating thezombie plague in Earth-2149 that affects even Asgardians). The metabolism of the Asgardians gives them superhuman stamina in all physical activities.[31]
Fire Demons are beings of fire and tend to be about the same stature as the Asgardians.[31]
Dwarves are smaller in stature than the Asgardians, and have short, stocky bodies. Their average height is four feet (1.2 meters).[31]
Elves vary greatly in size from four to eight feet (1.2 to 2.4 meters). They tend toward slender bodies and proportionately longer limbs. The dark elves tend to be darker in color than the light elves. Both types have natural proclivity towards magic.[31]
Giants are humanoid in appearance and color, although they tend toward theneanderthalic in body and bone structure. Their most distinguishing feature is their height. The average giant is twenty feet (6.1 meters) tall, although some may reach thirty feet (9.1 meters). On occasion giants will produce stunted offspring who look similar to the Asgardians.Loki and theExecutioner are both children of giants despite their diminutive six or seven foot (1.8 or 2.1 meter) stature.[31] The Giants of Jotunheim consist of the Frost Giants, the Ice Giants, the Storm Giants, the Rime Giants, the Mountain Giants, the Rock Giants, and the Wind Giants.
Trolls are the least human-looking of the denizens of Asgard, possessing body characteristics that are almost simian. Trolls are stocky and massive, have thick body hair (almost fur) and tend toward a ruddy orange color. They are on average taller than the Asgardians but shorter than giants, around seven feet (2.1 meters) tall, although some trolls are considerably taller. Trolls tend to be extremely strong, stronger than the average Asgardian, dwarf or elf and on par with giants. Trolls likeUlik rival Thor in strength.[31] The Trolls of Asgard consist of the Orange-Skinned Rock Trolls, the Stone-Skinned Rock Trolls, the Flying Trolls of Thryheim, the Forest Trolls, the Fire Trolls, the Ice Trolls, and the Dark Trolls.
The Angels of Heven are depicted as being bird-winged humanoids who are extremely materialistic and selfish as well as the fact that honor is among the things that they consider meaningless.[32]
There are differentflora and fauna in Asgard:
Yggdrasil; theworld tree is an immenseash tree that is central to the Asgardian dimension. The tree is supported by three roots that extended far into the other worlds; one to the spring ofHvergelmir inNiflheim, one to the well ofMimir inJotunheim, and another to the well ofWyrd in Asgard. Though Midgard is not physically connected to Yggdrasil, it is said that the Earth's axis is in alignment with the tree.[31] In the limited seriesThor: Blood Oath, Thor and theWarriors Three are sent to retrievegolden apples from the branches of the tree.[33] Odin once hung himself from the tree for nine days and nights as a sacrifice to gain knowledge of therunes. Thor repeated this action during Ragnarök.[34] LaterAmora the Enchantress attempt to destroy the tree in an effort to free the body ofSkurge the Executioner from its roots, an action that nearly tore apart the fabric of reality.[35]
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