The Norn Stones are fictional powerful magical items appearing in
American comic book
An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...
s published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
. The Stones are depicted as being from
Asgard
In Nordic mythology, Asgard (Old Norse: ''Ásgarðr'' ; "enclosure of the Æsir") is a location associated with the gods. It appears in a multitude of Old Norse sagas and mythological texts. It is described as the fortified home of the Æsir ...
, and are featured in the
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is a fictional shared universe where the stories in most American comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Comics take place. Super-teams such as the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Guardians of ...
.
Fictional history
Karnilla
Kaecilius
Elloe Kaifi
Kala
Jennifer Kale
Noble Kale
Kaluu
Kamikaze
Kamran
Kamran is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by G. Willow Wilson and Takeshi Miyazawa and fi ...
once sent
Loki
Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...
some magic from the Norn stones.
Some time later,
Morgan le Fay
Morgan le Fay (, meaning 'Morgan the Fairy'), alternatively known as Morgan , Morgain /e Morg e, Morgant Morge , and Morgue namong other names and spellings ( cy, Morgên y Dylwythen Deg, kw, Morgen an Spyrys), is a powerful ...
used the power of the Norn Stones and the Twilight Sword to restructure reality.
During the
Dark Reign storyline, Loki wanted to use the
Hood
Hood may refer to:
Covering
Apparel
* Hood (headgear), type of head covering
** Article of academic dress
** Bondage hood, sex toy
* Hoodie, hooded sweatshirt
Anatomy
* Clitoral hood, a hood of skin surrounding the clitoris
* Hood, a flap of ...
as an instrument in
Norman Osborn
Norman Osborn is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character, created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #14 (July 1964) as the first ...
's collapse, and takes the Hood and
Madame Masque
Madame Masque (birth name Giulietta Nefaria but legally renamed Whitney Frost) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. An occasional love interest and enemy of Iron Man and the daughter of Count Nefaria, ...
to Cuba and presents the Norn Stones to him, which gives the Hood a new power source. The Hood later reveals the Norn Stones to his Crime Syndicate and empowers them with the ability to find and kill the New Avengers. As
Donyell Taylor
N'astirh
N'Garai
N'Kantu, the Living Mummy
Naga
Nahrees
Namor the Sub-Mariner
Namora
Namorita
Native
Nebula
Network Sarah Vale
Sarah Vale''New X-Men: Academy X Yearbook Special'' #1 (June 2005) is a fictional character, a tech ...
and
Tigra
Tigra (Greer Grant Nelson) is a fictional superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Introduced as the superpowered and gadget-wielding crime fighter the Cat in ''The Claws of the Cat'' #1 (November 1972). The ...
attack the Hood, he uses the Norn Stones to empower some of the cadets on his side.
During the
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition warfare, attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity con ...
of Asgard,
Tyr is seriously wounded by the Hood using the Norn stones. As the Void tore apart the New Avengers,
Young Avengers
The Young Avengers are the names of two fictional superhero teams appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first team, created by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung, features numerous adolescent characters who typically have ...
and
Secret Warriors
Secret Warriors may refer to:
* ''Secret Warriors'' (comic book)
** Secret Warriors (Team White)
Secret Warriors is an alias for the fictional group Team White created by Nick Fury, a team of superpowered agents appearing in American comic boo ...
, Loki began to repent, realizing that what had happened to Asgard was not what he wanted. He begged his father
Odin
Odin (; from non, Óðinn, ) is a widely revered Æsir, god in Germanic paganism. Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about him, associates him with wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, v ...
to return to him the Norn Stones, which were taken away from the Hood and given to Loki. This deprived the Hood of all power, and Loki used this power, and the power the Hood had given to his gang, to revive the mortal and immortal heroes struck down by the Void and empower them to defeat the
Sentry
Sentry or The Sentry may refer to:
Comics
*Sentry (Kree)
*Sentry (Curtis Elkins)
* Sentry (Robert Reynolds)
*Senator Ward (comics) or Sentry
Vehicles
*Sentry (AUV), an autonomous underwater vehicle used to measure deep-ocean data
*E-3 Sentry AWAC ...
(fully possessed by the Void).
Other versions
Ultimate Marvel
The
Ultimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel, later known as Ultimate Comics, was an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring re-imagined and modernized versions of the company's superhero characters from the Ultimate Marvel Universe. Those characters ...
version of Norn Stones are extensions of Odin's power. Loki decides to betray Asgard and steals the Norn Stones, killing
Balder
Baldr (also Balder, Baldur) is a god in Germanic mythology. In Norse mythology, Baldr (Old Norse: ) is a son of the god Odin and the goddess Frigg, and has numerous brothers, such as Thor and Váli. In wider Germanic mythology, the god was kno ...
when he tries to interfere before fleeing Asgard. During World War II, Baron Zemo approaches
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was of the (Protection Squadron; SS), and a leading member of the Nazi Party of Germany. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and a main architect of th ...
and asks for an army to invade Asgard. While Himmler is skeptical at first, Zemo shows him that he possesses the mythical Norn Stones. Himmler immediately approves Zemo's plan. Zemo then uses the stones to summon the
Frost Giants
Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor in an above-freezing atmosphere coming in contact with a solid surface whose temperature is below freezing, and resulting in a phase change from water vapor (a gas) ...
, and the combined German and Frost Giant forces attack Asgard. Zemo then reveals himself to be Loki, finally making his move on his former home. The
Asgardians are taken by surprise and slaughtered, leaving only Odin and
Thor
Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred groves ...
left. In anger, Odin pushes Loki into the World Tree, where he is locked in the Room With No Doors. In the modern era, in Germany, an
old German veteran from World War II follows instructions given to him by Loki and uses the Norn Stones to free him from the Room With No Doors, for which Loki shows how he is thankful by killing him.
In other media
Television
* The Norn Stones appear in ''
The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes''. In the episode "This Hostage Earth", the
Masters of Evil
The Masters of Evil is a supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in '' The Avengers'' #6 (July 1964), with the lineup continually changing over the years.
Publication ...
steal them from
Karnilla
Kaecilius
Elloe Kaifi
Kala
Jennifer Kale
Noble Kale
Kaluu
Kamikaze
Kamran
Kamran is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by G. Willow Wilson and Takeshi Miyazawa and fi ...
so they can use them to fuse Earth with
Asgard
In Nordic mythology, Asgard (Old Norse: ''Ásgarðr'' ; "enclosure of the Æsir") is a location associated with the gods. It appears in a multitude of Old Norse sagas and mythological texts. It is described as the fortified home of the Æsir ...
. In "The Fall of Asgard", the
Avengers
Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to:
Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe
* Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes
**Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
destroy most of the Norn Stones, which scatters them across several realms connected to
Yggdrasil
Yggdrasil (from Old Norse ), in Norse cosmology, is an immense and central sacred tree. Around it exists all else, including the Nine Worlds.
Yggdrasil is attested in the ''Poetic Edda'' compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional s ...
. In "Acts of Vengeance",
Baron Zemo
Baron Zemo () is the name of two supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Heinrich Zemo and his son Helmut Zemo have both been depicted as a major adversary of Captain America and the Avengers, as well as t ...
attempts to use the last Norn Stone to protect himself from the
Enchantress' wrath, but she and
Wonder Man
Wonder Man (Simon Williams) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in '' The Avengers'' #9 (October 1964). The c ...
disappear after attempting to claim it.
* A Norn Stone appears in the ''
Ultimate Spider-Man
''Ultimate Spider-Man'' is a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2011. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of the company's Ultimate ...
'' episode "Itsy Bitsy Spider-Man".
Loki
Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...
uses it to turn
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
, his fellow
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965), it often dea ...
trainees
A trainee is commonly known as an individual taking part in a trainee program within an organization after having graduated from higher and technical courses.
A trainee is an official employee of the firm that is being trained to the job they wer ...
, and
Thor
Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred groves ...
into children so he can become
Odin
Odin (; from non, Óðinn, ) is a widely revered Æsir, god in Germanic paganism. Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about him, associates him with wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, v ...
's heir. However, he is eventually foiled by the heroes.
Video games
* Norn stones appear as a gear item in ''
Marvel's Avengers''.
References
{{Jack Kirby