The Valkyrior is a fictional organization appearing in American comic books 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 ...

. Based on the

Valkyrie In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ("chooser of the slain") is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become (Old Norse "single (or once) fighters"Orchard (1997: ...

s of Norse mythology, the group, created by Stan Lee and

Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comic book artist, writer and editor, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He gre ...

, first appeared in ''

Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, an ...

'' #133 (October 1966). Within the context of Marvel's

shared universe A shared universe or shared world is a fictional universe from a set of creative works where more than one writer (or other artist) independently contributes a work that can stand alone but fits into the joint development of the storyline, chara ...

, the Valkyrior is a group of female warriors led by Brunnhilde / Valkyrie that was originally designated by Odin to bring the souls of slain heroes to

Valhalla In Norse mythology Valhalla (;) is the anglicised name for non, Valhǫll ("hall of the slain").Orchard (1997:171–172) It is described as a majestic hall located in Asgard and presided over by the god Odin. Half of those who die in combat e ...

. In 2013, the team became the subject of the short-lived series, '' The Fearless Defenders''.

Publication history

The Valkyrior, created by Stan Lee and

, first appeared in ''

'' #133 (October 1966). The team, led by

and

Misty Knight Mercedes "Misty" Knight is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Tony Isabella and Arvell Jones, Knight was first mentioned (by name) in ''Marvel Premiere'' #20 (Jan. 1975) and appeared in ...

is the subject of the 2013 series, '' The Fearless Defenders'' by

Cullen Bunn Cullen Bunn is an American comics writer, novelist, and short story writer, best known for his work on comic books such as ''Uncanny X-Men'', '' X-Men: Blue'', '' Magneto'' and various ''Deadpool'' miniseries for Marvel Comics, and his creator-own ...

and

Will Sliney Will Sliney is an Irish comic books artist. He is known as the co-creator of the ''Star Wars'' character Ren, and for his work on comic books such as the ''Marvel's Fearless Defenders'' series, the graphic novel ''Celtic Warrior: The Legend of ...

. Bun said about his book: "The basic idea of the book is that Valkyrie is choosing a new team of Valkyrior, and she's been asked to choose all these women from the heroes of Midgard, instead of from Asgard. She has completely failed in this task. Valkyrie has been unable to choose anyone that she feels is worthy to be one of the hosts of the shield maidens. So she just hasn't done it. She's dropped the ball. Because she's not done what she said she would do, nature—or supernature, as it is—abhors a vacuum. The absence of the Valkyrior has opened the door to something terrible. Something awful is waking, and Valkyrie finds that it's really her fault that she's put everything at risk".

Fictional history

The Valkyrior are warrior goddesses of

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 ...

who ride winged horses. Originally, under the leadership of

Brunnhilde Brunhild, also known as Brunhilda or Brynhild ( non, Brynhildr , gmh, Brünhilt, german: Brünhild , label= Modern German or ), is a female character from Germanic heroic legend. She may have her origins in the Visigothic princess Brunhilda ...

, they took mortally wounded human heroes from German and Scandinavian battlegrounds and brought them to Valhalla, an area of the Asgardian dimension where the astral forms of the dead Asgardians and human heroes eternally feast and compete in friendly battles. The Valkyries were no longer able to perform this task when Odin, ruler of Asgard, vowed to the

Celestials The Celestials are fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Depicted as cosmic beings, the characters debuted in the Bronze Age of Comic Books and have reappeared on numerous occasions. The Celestials ...

a millennium ago that he would severely restrict Asgardian contact with Earth. In later years, Brunnhilde became a member of Earth's

Defenders Defender(s) or The Defender(s) may refer to: *Defense (military) *Defense (sports) **Defender (association football) Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''The Defender'' (1989 film), a Canadian documentary * ''The Defender'' (1994 f ...

. The remaining Valkyries were killed in a war between Odin and

Hela HeLa (; also Hela or hela) is an immortalized cell line used in scientific research. It is the oldest and most commonly used human cell line. The line is derived from cervical cancer cells taken on February 8, 1951, named after Henrietta ...

over rule of Valhalla. Odin restored the Valkyries to life after he regained possession of Valhalla, but these Valkyries only have physical form within Valhalla; outside it, they exist only in astral form. Valtrauta has taken Brunnhilde's place as ruler of the Valkyrior, and

Hildegarde Hildegarde Loretta Sell, known as Hildegarde (February 1, 1906 – July 29, 2005) was an American cabaret singer, who was well known for the song " Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup". Early life She was born Hildegarde Loretta Sell in Adell, Wis ...

's sister Krista (aka Mist) has filled the role of the ninth Valkyrie, left open since Brunnhilde's departure. During the "

War of the Realms "The War of the Realms" is a 2019 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics. The storyline has been met with positive reviews, with critics praising the storyline and the art. Premise The story details the heroes banding together when Male ...

" storyline, Valkyrie and the rest of the Valkrior are massacred by

Malekith Malekith the Accursed () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the ruler of the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim, and has come into conflict with Thor. He once wielded the Casket of Ancient Wint ...

and his forces invading New York. During the battle, Valkyrie is beheaded by Malekith. Afterwards,

Jane Foster Jane Foster is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was introduced as a love interest of the superhero Thor Odinson until becoming a superhero in her own right. Created by writers Stan Lee an ...

then takes up the mantle of Valkyrie.

Members

Asgard Valkyrior

* Axe''New Mutants Special Edition'' #1. Marvel Comics – a member of the Valkyrior *

– leader *

Danielle Moonstar Danielle "Dani" Moonstar, originally codenamed Psyche and later Mirage, is a fictional Northern Cheyenne superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in the graphic novel ''The New Mutants'' (Sept. 19 ...

– an original member of the

New Mutants The New Mutants are a group of fictional mutant superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, generally in association with the X-Men. Originally depicted as the teenaged junior class at the Xavier Institute, subs ...

, she joined the Valkyrior *

Freya In Norse paganism, Freyja (Old Norse "(the) Lady") is a goddess associated with love, beauty, fertility, sex, war, gold, and seiðr (magic for seeing and influencing the future). Freyja is the owner of the necklace Brísingamen, rides a chario ...

– the Goddess of Fertility who used to work as a former Valkyrie * Gerda – a member of the Valkyrior * Grimgerta – a member of the Valkyrior * Gruenhilda''Thunderstrike'' (vol. 2) #1. Marvel Comics – a member of the Valkyrior * Hercara – a member of the Valkyrior * Fatal Sisters – a trio of Valkyries ** Hilda – a member of the Valkyrior ** Mista – a member of the Valkyrior ** Sangrida – a member of the Valkyrior *

– a gifted Asgardian Valkyrie with extraordinary strength and great skills with the sword * Krista – a member of the Valkyrior and sister of Hildegarde, she was kidnapped by

Pluto Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object to directly orbit the Sun. It is the largest ...

so the Asgardians would go to war against the Olympians, but thankfully she was saved by Thor and

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the ...

* Leita''Thor'' #133. Marvel Comics – a member of the Valkyrior * Mist – a member of the Valkyrior, she invited Danielle to join them * Rossveissa – also known as Svava, she is a member of the Valkyrior, but forced to serve

* Sygnet – a member of the Valkyrior * Valtrauta – a member of the Valkyrior *

– first of a new generation of Valkyrior, she wields Undrajarn the All-Weapon, a weapon that can change its shape and be whatever she needs, such as a sword, mace, or wings *Rūna-- Rūna is one of the original nine Valkyries and the original wielder of Jarnbjorn.

Defenders Valkyrior

– leader *

– leader''Fearless Defenders'' #3. Marvel Comics *

Elsa Bloodstone Elsa Bloodstone is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appears in Marvel's ''Bloodstone'' mini-series of 2001 written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. She is the daughter of the previously ...

– a member of the Valkyrior *

Clea Clea Strange () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by co-plotters Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Clea first appeared in the Doctor Strange feature in ''Strange Tales'' #126 (November 1964). S ...

– a member of the Valkyrior * Danielle Moonstar – a former member of the Valkyrior * Nova – a member of the Valkyrior * Ren Kimura – an

Inhuman Inhuman may refer to: Comics *Inhumans, a fictional race in Marvel Comics ** ''Inhuman'' (comics), a comic book series focusing on Inhumans ** ''Inhumans'' (TV series), a television series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe *Kristoff Vernard, ...

member of the Valkyrior, girlfriend of Annabelle *

Annabelle Riggs Valkyrie is a fictional superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character, based on the Norse mythology, Norse mythological figure Brynhildr, was created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema. First appearing in ...

– a member of the Valkyrior, girlfriend of Ren *

Hippolyta In Classical Greek mythology, Hippolyta, or Hippolyte (; grc-gre, Ἱππολύτη ''Hippolytē'') was a daughter of Ares and Otrera, queen of the Amazons, and a sister of Antiope and Melanippe. She wore her father Ares' ''zoster'', the Gr ...

– a member of the Valkyrior, girlfriend of Ren

Disir

* Brün''Thor'' #611. Marvel Comics – leader of the Disir, she was the first one to be cursed by Bor due to their rebellion when working with Sigurd * Göndul''Thor'' #612. Marvel Comics – a member of the Disir, she is a coward and a fool * Hlökk – a member of the Disir * Kára – a member of the Disir

In other media

The Valkyrior appear in the 2017 live-action film '' Thor: Ragnarok''. Odin sent them to Hel to prevent

from escaping. However, the attack turned into a massacre, as Hela killed every Valkyrie with the exception of Valkyrie / Scrapper 142. The trauma of the massacre led Valkyrie to abandon Asgard and settle on

Sakaar The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. There follows a list of those features. Places Certain places fe ...

References

External links

* * {{Stan Lee Fictional characters by gendered occupation Fictional matriarchies Fictional secret societies Fictional women soldiers and warriors Marvel Comics superhero teams