Hela (Marvel Comics)
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| Hela | |
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| Publication information | |
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| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Journey into Mystery #102 (March, 1964) |
| Created by | Stan Lee Jack Kirby |
| In story information | |
| Alter ego | Hela |
| Team affiliations | The inhabitants of Hel and Niffleheim |
| Abilities | Superhuman strength, stamina, and durability Extended life span Deadly touch, a.k.a. "Hand of Glory" High level mystical powers. |
Hela is a fictional character, the Asgardian goddess of death in the Marvel Comics universe, based loosely on the Norse myths of the goddess Hel. The ruler of Hel and Niffleheim, the character has been a frequent foe of Thor. Hela first appeared in Journey into Mystery #102 and was adapted from Norse Myths by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
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[edit] Fictional character biography
Hela was born in Jotunheim, the land of the giants. According to legend she was the child of the trickster Loki and the giantess Angrboda. When she came of age, Odin appointed her as the Goddess of Death, giving her rulership over the dead in the realms of Hel and Niffleheim.
Hela often tried to expand her power to the dead who dwell in Valhalla as well. These attempts often brought Hela into conflict with Odin or his son Thor. She once appeared to Thor while he was on the verge of death after battling the Wrecker.[1] However, she failed to tempt Thor into entering Valhalla.[2]
Later, she stole a portion of the sleeping Odin's soul, thus creating Infinity.[3] Hela then unleashed Infinity upon the universe.[4] Hela slew Thor, who was restored to life by the sacrifice of her servant, the Silent One.[5] Hela was then slain by Odin to save Thor, but then returned to life by Odin to restore the nature balance of life and death. Hela slew Thor, but restored him to life after Sif offered to die in his place.[6]
Hela later battled Pluto for the right to claim Odin's soul.[7] As a result, Hela restored Odin to life to prevent Pluto from claiming him.[8] Some time later, Hela confronted Thor.[9] Some time after that, she confronted Odin.[10] She then plotted with Loki to bring about Ragnarök.[11]
Hela then summoned the Valkyrie to aid in a war against Ollerus, while Hela encountered the other Defenders.[12] Hela was then forced to join a conspiracy of Loki and Tyr against Odin.[13] She also unwillingly entered an alliance with the death-gods of other Earth pantheons. As a result, she was destroyed by Demogorge the God-Eater, but was restored to life with Demogorge's defeat.[14]
Hela later allied with Malekith, and took souls of Earth mortals to Hel using special food of the faerie.[15] She then appeared in Asgard to claim Odin's soul, but was driven off by Thor.[16] She encountered the X-Men and New Mutants in Asgard. She appeared to claim Wolverine's soul, but was driven off by the X-Men and Mirage.[17] Hel was then invaded by Thor, Balder, the Executioner, and the Einherjar to rescue the captive mortal souls. Hela wrestled Thor for the captive mortal souls.[18] Hela raised an army of the dead to stop Thor's escape from Hel.[19]
During one Hela's many fights with Thor, Hela cursed Thor with eternal life, while making his bones brittle.[20] Hela then contested against Mephisto who attempted to possess Thor's soul.[21] Thor had to create a special armor to keep his body together, but eventually forced Hela to lift the curse by using the Destroyer as his host body to invade Hel.[22]
From time to time, Odin would enter a magical sleep in order to bolster his powers. It was during one of these sleeps that Hela made a plan for power. She corrupted the Valkyries, mentally and physically, transforming them into fire-demons. This also included Danielle Moonstar, of the New Mutants, who was on Earth at the time, who Hela set against the New Mutants.[23] Dani and her team were eventually brought over to Asgard. Hela sent the Valkyries against the dwarves and New Mutants in Asgard.[24] The New Mutants skirmished with Hela's forces again and again, even rescuing the prisoner Hrimhari, a wolf-prince from a far away land. Hela forced the dwarf Eitri to forge an uru sword. One of Hela's spells split the group. This resulted in a more efficient recruitment of resistance force, which included the Warriors Three. Hela sent Mirage to kill the sleeping Odin. While most of the Asgardian forces battled Hela's soldiers, the mutants ventured to Odin's very bedchambers, saved Odin's life and foiled Hela's plans. Hela was defeated when the uru sword was destroyed.[25]
Conflict with various forces brought Bruce Banner, a.k.a. the Hulk and Agamemnon, the leader of the Pantheon, to Hela's realm. After an undetermined time fighting Hela's skeletal forces, Agammemnon pleaded, based a vaguely hinted upon relationship, to allow the two to leave. Hela relented, reluctantly.
Hela was awakened from her mortal guise after Ragnarök by Thor, albeit due to Loki's machinations.[26]
[edit] Powers and abilities
Although her alleged parents were members of the race of giants of Jotunheim, Hela possesses attributes of a member of the race of superhumans known as Asgardians. She possesses superhuman strength, speed, stamina, agility and durability. When wearing her cloak, Hela has superhuman strength and stamina like all Asgardians, but she is far stronger than the vast majority of her race. Hela, also like other Asgardians, ages much slower than human beings and is immune to all terrestrial diseases and poisons.
Hela has vast mystical powers which she can use for various effects like astral projection, firing deadly bolts of energy from her hands, levitation and the creation of illusions. Her most powerful ability is her hand of glory, a technique that used mystical energy to enhance the strength of her punch to kill even an Asgardian.
As a Death God, Hela has a pact with Death, allowing her to claim the souls of any worshipper of the Asgardians and the Asgardians themselves and take them to Hel or Niffleheim. She didn't claim the souls of heroes though, leaving that task to the Valkyries who took the souls of heroes to Valhalla. Hela is usually willing to wait until a person has died before claiming the soul, but she can kill a healthy human or even Asgardian with a single touch, her "touch of death." Hela is also willing to use her illusions to kill living Asgardians. Hela also has the ability to restore a dead Asgardian to life or deny a dying Asgardian the release of death, but she rarely used these abilities. Hela can also restore life to recently deceased Asgardians. She can also project mystical bolts that can kill any Asgardian or human.
Hela always wears her magical cloak which enhances her strength and keeps her young and healthy. Without the cloak, Hela reverts to her true form: in this form half of her body is healthy, while the other half is decaying. Without the cloak Hela is very weak and can barely move. Hela doesn't need to wear the cloak; simply touching it is enough to restore her to her stronger form. Without her cloak, Hela's powers are greatly reduced; she is unable to levitate or even stand, and cannot project mystical bolts. The left side of her body appears dead and decayed, though it appears alive and healthy while she wears her cloak.
Hela is often armed with her "Nightsword," and is a proficient swordswoman.
Hela can command all of the dead who dwell in Hel and Niffleheim, but she had no power over the dead in Valhalla.
[edit] Other versions
[edit] 2099
In the year 2099, the mega-corporation Alchemax tried transforming people into false versions of the Norse Aesir. A supporting character in Ravage 2099 named Tiana was turned into Hela via technological means for this project.
[edit] Other media
In Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, it is briefly mentioned by Thor during the Bifrost Bridge briefing that Loki has bargained with Hela to let loose the dead meaning that the heroes also have to face Undead Viking Warriors.
[edit] References
- ^ Thor #150
- ^ Thor #154
- ^ Thor #177
- ^ Thor #184
- ^ Thor #186
- ^ Thor #189-190
- ^ Thor #199
- ^ Thor #201
- ^ Thor #251
- ^ Thor #274
- ^ Thor #277-278
- ^ Defenders #66-68
- ^ Thor #312-314
- ^ Thor Annual #10
- ^ Thor #345
- ^ Thor #354
- ^ X-Men Annual #9
- ^ Thor #361
- ^ Thor #362
- ^ Thor #373
- ^ Mephisto #4
- ^ Thor #382
- ^ New Mutants #77-78
- ^ New Mutants #79
- ^ New Mutants #80, 82-85
- ^ Thor vol. 3, #5
[edit] External links
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