SKADI

Real Name: Skadi

Identity/Class: Extra-dimensional Giant (Jotunheim)

Occupation: Mountain-Goddess, Goddess of winter, skiers and hunters

Group Membership: Frost Giants of Jotunheim

Affiliations: X-Force

Enemies: None

Known Relatives: Thiazzi (father, deceased), Saga (mother), Idi, Gymir (uncles), Aurboða (aunt), Njord (husband), Nertha (sister-in-law), Beli, Gerd (cousins), Frey (step-son), Freya (step-daughter), Olvadi (grandfather, deceased), Ymir (ancestor)

Aliases: Skade (alternate spelling of name), Mistress of the Mountain Lodges

Base of Operations: Thrymheim within Jotunheim

First Appearance: X-Force and Cable Annual 1997

Powers/Abilities: Skadi possesses the conventional attributes of a female Jotun (giantess) native of Jotunheim. She possesses superhuman strength (possibly Class 50 or above), longevity and resistance to harm. She is also an exceptional hunter with a bow and arrow.

History: (Norse-Germanic Myth)- Skadi is the daughter of Thiassi, Ruler of the Storm Giants of Jotunheim, and descendant of Olvadi, who was considered the richest of all the storm giants. Olvadi had such a vast amount of gold that it could not be weighed and after his death, it was split evenly through his sons. Her father, Thiazzi, however, conspired with Loki to abduct the goddess Idunn from Asgard along with her golden apples of immortality. Loki was sent to bring Idunn back, but as Thiazzi came to retrieve Idunn, the gods erected a great fire and destroyed him.

Skadi inherited her father's share of her grandfather's fortune, and as the Asgardians offered her gold as retribution of her father's death, she turned them down saying that she preferred to have a husband from among the gods instead. Odin bestowed her wish, but on the merits that she choose her husband from behind a curtain and the look of his feet and not his whole appearance. Skadi agreed to this decision and chose from among them the most beautiful feet she had seen believing them to be the god Balder, but whom she actually chose was the sea-god Njord, father of Frey and Freia. Disappointed as she was, Skadi stood by her decision and asked the gods to make her laugh to lift her spirits. Loki then appeared again with Thor's goats, Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder and created such antics until all the gods laughed.

Njord and Skadi's marriage, however, didn't last very long. He took her to Noatun, his home on the seashore, but she did not care much for the sunshine and sea or the sounds of the tides and gulls. She took her to her home in Thrymheim, but Njord grew depressed and cold surrounded by the howling wolves, the rushing wind or terrible cold. They ended up splitting their time between both homes.

(X-Force and Cable Annual 1997 (fb))- During a random trek through her home, Skadi encountered the winged-horse Aragorn nursing wounds he had received from Makekith's demon dogs and took him under her protection.

(X-Force and Cable Annual 1997)- Sunspot, Danielle Moonstar and Meltdown of X-force came across Skadi as she was tending to Aragorn's injuries. She reacted with surprise to their powers since she had never encountered either humans or mutants before. She surrendered Aragorn to them to head to Valhalla to seek the conditions of the Valkyrie imprisoned by Hela and Makekith.

Comments: Adapted by John Francis Moore, Rob Haynes, Jason Martin and Jon Holdredge

Skadi's aunt, Angerboda, the wife of her uncle Gymir, is the same giantess credited with giving birth to Fenris, Hela and Jormungard (The Midgard Serpent) to Loki. Since they're not technically blood relations, they're not listed as relatives.
   Actually Aurboða is her aunt, but they could be the same. Check out Angerboda's own profile.
--Markus Raymond

The Asgardians do have a god of winter, hunters and skiers named Uller, a son of Sif, as well as Hoder, god of night and winter, but there are no stories of Skadi ever meeting either of them.

Skadi supposedly died during the Ragnarok in Thor II#85.

by Will U

CLARIFICATIONS:
Skadi is not to be confused with:

• Skagerackarakor, the Dragon Lord, @ Fantastic Four Annual #16
• Skagg, one of the Storm Giants, @ Journey into Mystery I#104
• Skald, one of the Asgardian Gods, @ Bizarre Adventures #32
• Ska of the Hyborian Age, ally of Goroth, @ Conan the Barbarian #17
• Skuld, Lachesis, one of the Fates/Norns, @ Tales to Astonish I#33