An ancient warrior with divine power. A psychopomp for the greatest of the dearly departed. One of Odin’s chosen. Valkyrie is the hero who doesn’t just mimic her namesake, she is the origin of it. How did she get her powers and end up in the modern day world? Let’s find out!
Long ago, Brunnhilde lived with her husband Sigmund until he died in battle. Odin, the Norse god, realized humanity needed a paradise and seeing that Brunnhilde had excellent judge of character, made her the first of the Valkyriot to guide worthy warriors to Valhalla. For millenia, Brunnhilde would fight in many battles and guide thousands and thousands of warriors to their final resting place.
Until Brunnhilde met the Enchantress, the two would work together for a time until Brunnhilde saw Enchantress’ villainous tendencies. Unfortunately, the Enchantress was ready for this and would imprison Brunnhilde for centuries in suspended animation. Brunnhilde would only be let loose in small doses and usually to empower someone the Enchantress wanted to use for her own bidding. No longer a person as she was a power set. That is, until she came to be Barbera Norris, a mortal woman who Enchantress needed to aide the Defenders. Now in a mortal body with her powers but missing her memories, she was somewhat free from Enchantress.
Now working with the Defenders in New York City, she’d have many adventures and deal with legal troubles needing Matt Murdock as her defense. Unable to remember her past until the original Barbera Norris died in Brunnhilde’s original body, releasing Brunnhilde’s memories back to her self. Returned to her thoughts, she would fight the Enchantress and imprison her in the very crystal Brunnhilde had been trapped in for so long. Finally, free.
Finding Earth to be her new home, she’d stay with the team until they eventually dissolved. Odin would come to her to watch over the entity known as Moondragon, to mentor her. Eventually, the Moondragon would become too powerful and Brunnhilde would have to team with others to take down the entity. The Defenders had reunited for this and she would continue fighting with them until Ragnarok came killing Brunnhilde along with the rest of Asgard. Thankfully, when the Asgardians are resurrected, so is she.
The evil brother of Odin brings chaos to Earth by releasing hammers of power to challenge Mjolnir. Brunnhilde would sacrifice herself once more and even her spot in Valhalla to save the Earth. This was seen as worthy to bring her back so she could continue to be a great protector and to find great warriors on Earth. She would eventually create a new Defenders team and save the life of a mortal, Annabelle Riggs, by granting her own existence as a time share. Each occupying the place of one person with the ability to switch between one another.
There you have it! Valkyrie is going to be in the third Thor film, Ragnarok along side many more Asgardians and cosmic entities. This will be her first appearance in a film and I’m excited to see her in action. See you next time!
Suggested Reading
The Avengers #83
The Defenders
Fearless Defenders
Dr. Bustos
drbustos@comicattack.net
