Marvel Snapshot: Character Spotlight: Valkyrie

Hey everybody, welcome to another awesome character spotlight right here in Marvel Snapshot! This week, I’ll go in depth on one of my all-time favorite female characters with Brunnhilde the Valkyrie! I very quickly skimmed over her just before the Thor movie was released back in April, but with her huge presence in Fear Itself and The Fearless, I thought she needed the in-depth look! She was created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema back in 1970 (Avengers #183).

So, for those of you who don’t know, a Valkyrie is one of the women that fly on winged horses over a battlefield and select who among them is worthy to enter the gates of Valhalla. Brunnhilde was selected personally by Odin himself, and was in his favor until she disobeyed him when he caused Siegmund (see –Thor: Eternals Saga) to be killed. She later fell in love with Siegmund’s son, and they became lovers. Odin wiped both of their minds of these events, though.
After some wild and crazy adventures with Amora (the Enchantress), Brunnhilde became a slave to Amora, and her mind and body were separated from one another for quite some time. It wasn’t until the intervention of Dr. Strange that she was reunited (and it felt so good) with her body. She then continued her adventures with the other Defenders against a various assortment of villains that included Moondragon, Interloper, Manslaughter, and Gargoyle.

Her weapon of choice is her trusted sword Dragonfang. It is a mystically enchanted sword that can cut through virtually anything. She did have the Black Knight’s Ebony Blade for a time, but has since returned it. Speaking of the Black Knight, Brunnhilde, along with Dr. Strange, helped the good knight against Modred and Morgan Le Fey in the Black Knight limited series from 1990. She was a mainstay in The Defenders, Dr. Strange, and others, plus had appearances in Rom, Thor, and a host of others throughout the years. More recently, she’s been in the pages of Secret Avengers. The covert team led by Steve Rogers has had its share of ups and downs, but Brunnhilde the Valkyrie has been rock solid. You can catch her right now as the focal point in the pages of Fear Itself: The Fearless.
As always, take a look at my recommended reading list and some of the Valkyrie’s best cover shots! See you next week.
Recommended Reading
Essential Avengers vol. 4 – Tpb
Essential Defenders vol. 1-6 – Tpb
Marvel Fanfare #20
Black Knight – limited series #3, 4 (1990)
Valkyrie #1 (one-shot, 1997)
Valkyrie #1 (one-shot, 2010)
Secret Avengers #1-current (2010)
Fear Itself: The Fearless #1, 2 (ongoing, limited series)