THIALFI

Real Name: Thialfi

Identity/Class: Mystically-Altered Human (First through Tenth Centuries)

Occupation: Warrior, Adventurer, advisor to Thor

Group Membership: Gods of Asgard

Affiliations: Enchantress, Thor, Warriors Three, (former) Loki;
     Jordahl, Kya (both of Earth-3515)

Enemies: Drang, Frost Giants, Hrungnir, Hugi, Jyrsk (deceased), Loki, Mokkuralfi, Sturm, Utgard-Loki (alias Skrymir);
    Amora. Desak (all of Earth-3515)

Known Relatives: Father (possibly Egil, deceased), P'aesi (mother, deceased)

Aliases: Thialf, Thialff (alternate spellings of name)

Base of Operations: Earth-Thor: The Reigning (an alternate future of the Twenty-Second Century)
    formerly Asgard
    formerly an unidentified village somewhere in Ancient Europe (c. 800 AD)

First Appearance: Thor II#43 (January, 2002)

Powers/Abilities: Thialfi seems to possess the conventional attributes of the Asgardian gods such as superhuman strength (possibly Class 25), stamina, resistance to injury and a long life enchantment. He is particularly fast, probably as fast as Hermod or Hermes, both of whom can reach speeds at which they are invisible to the eyes of mortals. For travel between dimensions though, he relies on a winged horse from Asgard.

History: (Thor II#52 (fb))- Thialfi was the son of farmers whose village was attacked and plundered by Viking marauders from the far north. His father tried to save him and his mother from the invaders, but they unfortunately ran head first into one of their number, a warrior named Jyrsk, deep within the woods. Thialfi's father offered everything he had for the safety of his family, but the tall brute killed him just because he was so easy to kill. As Thialfi's father died, Jyrsk offered his life unto Thor.

As Jyrsk and his kinsman sat around a campfire relishing the thrills of battle and dedicating them to Odin, Thor the thunder god appeared and thanked them for honoring his father. P'aesi, Thialfi's mother then came out of hiding and chided Thor for encouraging his followers to kill innocents who sought peace and refused to fight. Thor refused to believe her until she instructed him to search for fallen warriors with swords and shields. Finding none, Thor realized that his followers had killed many innocents in his name, but as he turned round, he realized that Jyrsk had slain P'aesi for speaking against him so strongly. Offended by the bloodshed created in his name, Thor chided the Vikings and departed asking Odin if he himself was responsible for the carnage. Odin merely responded that mortals were too complex to understand and that by lashing out at them would not teach them any lessons. Thor then realized that he could teach Thialfi to be a better paragon of his teachings by raising him as his own among the gods.

(Norse/German myth / Thor I#272 - BTS)- As a young man, Thialfi followed Thor and Loki into Jotunheim as they discovered a strangely shaped cabin out in the woods. As they sought shelter within it for the night, they were awakened by the ground shaking, and  they encountered the giant Skrymir. The cabin was actually Skrymir's lost glove. He pretended to befriend them and to share his food, but nether Thor, Loki or Thialfi could untie his food sack. Hungry and annoyed, Thor struck at Skrymir with his hammer, but the giant just shrugged it off thinking it was a leaf that had fallen in him. Thor struck harder and Skrymir thought an acorn had bounced off him. With a running start, Thor hit him again and Skrymir stood up mumbling that the birds were annoying him.

    Proceeding to Jotunheim, Thor, Loki and Thialfi encountered Utgard-Loki, the king of the Giants. He proposed a series of contests of might between them. Loki said that no one could beat him at eating. Utgard-Loki then placed a large platter of food before him, and Loki ate his fill in a contest against a giant named Logi. Logi not only to bested Loki in eating, but also consumed his dish, bones and part of the table.

    Thialfi then announced he was the fastest runner in all of Asgard. Utgard-Loki then produced Hugi, the fastest of the giants. Thialfi and Hugi then joined in a race, but as fast as Thialfi could run, he could not catch up with Hugi who was always far ahead. Thialfi lost the race.

    Thor then claimed to be a mighty drinker, and Utgard-Loki gave him a large curved horn filled with mead. No matter how much he drank, the horn was always full. Saying that any of the giants could empty the horn at once, Utgard-Loki gave Thor an easier but insulting challenge of lifting his cat off the floor. Thor proceeded to try and lift it, but the cat always managed to have at least one foot touching the floor at all times. Growing frustrated, Thor said he was still mighty enough to slay any giant present. Utgard-Loki then introduced Thor to Elli, his aged foster-mother, but as try as he could to best her, the old woman continued to knock him on to his back.

    Utgard-Loki now laughed above the crest-fallen heroes. He confessed that it was he disguised as Skrymir they had met in the woods. He had used troll magic to tie the food sack with iron and that when Thor thought he was striking him, he was actually striking a huge rock. He then told them where to find the rock with three large cracks in it. He also remarked that he had used trickery in the contests as well. Loki had competed against Fire itself who could consume everything, and that Thialfi had tried to race Thought which no one could race. The horn that Thor had drunk from had been anchored in the ocean and every time he drank from it he caused the tides. The cat was actually Jormungand, the world serpent in disguise, and that when he lifted it; he actually caused its back to touch the sky. He then confessed that his foster mother Elli was Old Age whom no god could defeat. Thor was so angry at his confession that he lifted his hammer to slay all those present for the unfair contests, but then Utgard-Loki used his magic to transport Thor, Loki and Thialfi away from him.

(Norse/German myth) -  Sometime later, Thialfi joined Thor in fighting trolls in the woods of Ironwood. As they returned, they heard word that Asgard was besieged by the giant Hrungnir who, as their guest, was making too many demands of them under the rules of hospitality. Hrungnir wanted to carry Valhalla back to Jotunheim as a plaything for his children and to abduct Freya and Sif to be wives. Thor challenged Hrungnnir to a battle at Giotunagard, the Place of Stones, but the giants built an even taller giant out of clay and rock to stand by Hrungnir and brought it to life. They named him Mokkuralfi. Thialfi, however, instructed Hrungnir that if he wanted to defeat Thor that it was best to hold his shield low since Thor always struck from below. As Hrungnir lowered his shield, Thor made the fatal blow by striking him in the head. Thor then used his hammer to strike Mokkuralfi into pieces.

(Thor II#43)- In modern years, Thor assumed the throne of Asgard after the seeming death of Odin and left heroics behind to be tended for by Tarene acting as Thor Girl. When she became overwhelmed by an imposter of the Executioner created by Hela, Thialfi rushed to Thor's side to inform him of Tarene's precarious situation against the Executioner.

(Thor II#49, Thor II#50/2 (fb))- Thialfi and several of the Asgardian gods fought with Thor against Frost Giants in Jotunheim, but Thor felt his power level depleted as Jake Olsen on Earth siphoned it off to become another Thor. Amora the Enchantress called upon Thialfi and reminded him of his role as friend and advisor to Thor. Vowing to protect Thor with his life, Thialfi received from the Enchantress the bloodaxe of Skurge the Executioner and spirited it to Thor in the middle of a fight with Desak the God-Slayer. Thor then used it to inflict a fatal blow on Desak.

(Thor II#50)- Thialfi bore witness of Thor defeating Desak and of his dissatisfaction in watching mortals looting stores damaged during his battle with the God-Slayer.

(Thor II#50/2 (fb))- Following the defeat of the Frost Giants and several casualties, Balder and Sif among several Asgardians spoke of distaste in Thor to desert the battlefield to travel to Earth and of the lunacy of Amora being allowed to give Thialfi orders.

(Marvel Universe: The End #1)- Thialfi stood by Thor as he sensed a great power in the universe. The former pharaoh Akhenaton, now possessed of omnipotent power then appeared and orders all gods and immortals to not interfere in his conquest of the Earth.

(Thor II#51)- Thor sent Thialfi to the United Nations on Earth to return to him the Secretary General of the United States. When he proved to be unavailable, Thialfi instead brought Thor a representative of the United Nations to make known his intentions to him for bringing Asgard to Earth. Returning to Asgard, he watched as Thor detonated and cast away nuclear missiles away from Asgard sent to destroy it.

(Thor II#52)- Brooding through Bilskirnir, Thor's Castle, Balder came across Thialfi as he looked for Thor. Thialfi informed him that he was away on a private matter as Balder fretted that Thor was away unchaperoned by guards. Thialfi reported that he had been demanded complete confidence by Thor, but Balder revealed he had no faith in Thialfi since he knew nothing of his past. Thor then returned from Earth where he had gone to reflect on the past and assuaged Balder's fears of Thialfi's allegiance to Thor.

(Thor II#53)- Thor had Thialfi deliver food to Ethiopia on Earth, but he returned to reveal that there was opposition from a present religious group. Perrikus and Adva of the Dark Gods then attacked Asgard, and Thialfi issued the alert of his attack. Even without Mjolnir, which had been spirited away by Adva, Thor defeated Perrikus who revealed he had been sent by Zarrko the Tomorrow Man to destroy Asgard.

(Thor II#55)- Thialfi escorted Thor as he arrived to speak at the United Nations about his involvement and interventions in Earthly affairs since moving Asgard to the skies above New York. He also stood witness as the Absorbing Man appeared to pledge his loyalty to him for saving the life of Titania.

(Thor II#56)- As Thor shut down a nuclear plant in Cincinnati, he gave Thialfi an alternate power source to deliver to Anthony Stark to convert into a cleaner power source. An unnamed mutant with the power to accelerate the age of living and inanimate objects then attacked the plant created for the power source as Thialfi and Thor monitored his activity.

(Thor II#58)- Thialfi briefed Balder, Sif and Amora the Enchantress over the murder of Thor worshippers in Slokovia by Slokovian soldiers.

(Avengers III#63)- Thialfi fought alongside Thor in Slokovia after the dictator of the country denounced all worship of Thor in the country. Thor's involvement threatened to push the neighboring countries into war especially with Latveria controlled by Doctor Doom who had provided the Slokovian government with its weapons. Captain America and Iron Man confronted Thor as nearby Russia prepared to enter the war, and just barely managed to appeal to Thor to pull out of the region with Thialfi and the others as their presence meant just as much as a threat to his worshippers as it does to the government.

Thialfi was present along with Balder, Sif, Amora the Enchantress and the Warriors Three in Thor's throneroom after they were forced to desert Slokovia.

(Captain Marvel VI#7-8)- Thialfi was present when the storm giants Sturm and Drang were sighted by Heimdall. Not having heard of the giants before, Thialfi was educated on their histories by Thor. The Asgardians were joined in opposing the giants by Captain Marvel, who had recently declared himself a god.

(Thor II#67, Thor II#70 (fb, BTS))- Thialfi reacted as American soldiers invaded and overwhelmed Asgard. The explosions that began wreaking through the city began destroying the landmass under it and raining the debris down on New York City to destroy it as well. In the confusion, Zarrko tried to escape through a time portal, but became pinned under wreckage as Thialfi fell through the portal himself

(Thor II#69)- Thialfi emerged nearly two hundred years in the alternate future of Earth-3515 after Thor and the surviving Asgardians built New Asgard atop the ruins of New York City. He rescued a girl named Jordahl from attackers as he re-gathered his bearings on when and where he was as Jordahl provided him clothing and answers as to what had happened in his absence. Loki them spirited the two of them for questioning to the catacombs under New Asgard for her crimes as Thialfi was reunited with Thor.

(Thor II#70)- Thor decided to throw a celebration to honor Thialfi's return. He in turn learned that Sif died in Asgard's destruction as Thor revealed to him the extent of luxury that he had exalted on mortals.

(Thor II#71)- After the festivities fortuned after his return, Thialfi was mystically abducted by Kya, the daughter of the Scarlet Witch leading a band of subversives who rejected Thor. She revealed to him the more dire circumstances of the so-called paradise that Thor had created for him as well as the lack of spirit caused by it. She encouraged him to seek out the truth on his own and to form his own opinion. She then teleported him to a squalid region of bored mortals living under a depression. As Thialfi searched for proof of Thor's benefits on mortals, he found unfinished buildings left unattended and fields left to rot. He discovered mortals clinging to old beliefs for solace and lazy without pursuits to follow. His own spirit became broken after discovering a three year old boy drowned in a lake after his mother became too addicted on drugs to look after him. He then realized that Thor had lied to him on the whereabouts of Mjolnir when Kya revealed to him that Thor had become unworthy of it.

(Thor II#72)- Thialfi met Magni, Thor's son by Amora the Enchantress, and become aware of his frustration with Thor as his father. Avoiding questions on his disappearance from his own party, he tried to press Thor on the whereabouts of his hammer, and Thor lost his temper on the line of his questioning. Loki then warned him that he would deal with him as a threat if he did not remain truthful to Thor. Thialfi them left to accompany Magni to Spain where mortals were using illegal technological weapons in a rebellion against Asgard. As Hogun refused to give the mortals a chance to surrender, Thialfi realized the mortals preferred death than being subjugated by Thor.

(Thor II#73)- Thor chastised Thialfi, Magni and the Warriors Three for inciting a riot rather than quelling what was a rebellious disturbance. Still disturbed over the repercussions of all he had seen, Thialfi rendered his opinion over whether using force would result in them losing their faithful followers. Thialfi, in a discussion with Magni, revealed to him the nature of Thor's battles with Loki and the unnatural selection of them now as allies. Revealing to Magni that he himself was disturbed by Asgard's domination of the planet, Thialfi stood by as Magni turned away from him rather than admit to the truth. Realizing what had to be done, Thialfi retreated to Kya's secret underground base for guidance in ending Thor's rule.

(Thor II#74)- As Thor readied for the Odin-Sleep, Thialfi appeared to him in what he called an act of loyalty to the true Thor by slaying the Thor he considered had become corrupt. Trying to remind Thor of who he once was, he engaged Thor in a fight of swords knowing the elixir of sleep would soon be rendering him too drowsy to sleep. Before Thialfi could slay Thor, however, Amora who was present released a large wolf that then attacked and killed Thialfi.

Comments: Adapted by Dan Jurgens, Joe Bennett, Richard Starkings and Oscar Gongora.

`The story that is detailed at length above regarding Utgard-Loki is told in Thor I#272 sans Thialfi. Whether Thialfi was indeed behind the scenes in that story remains unconfirmed.
--Snood.

    The name of Thialfi's father, Egil, comes from the mythological Thialfi; he is unnamed in Thor II #52. His mother's name, P'aesi comes from that issue, but otherwise she is unnamed in the myth. His sister, Roskva is omitted since there is no clear indication that she even exists.

    Considering that Thialfi is technically Thor's foster-son, it remains curious that he would appear so late in the Marvel Universe. One would wonder where he has been in the years before Thor II #43. For that matter, one has to wonder what has become of Hermod, messenger of Odin.

    Technically, Thialfi's existence as a mortal lifted into godhood could explain the considerable number of immortals (i.e. gods not representing any concept or idea) in the Asgard of the Marvel Universe, such as Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg and several others. It would seem to imply that the Asgardians are made up of a lot more than just descendants of Ymir and Bor, but also certain members of their worshippers who gained favor from the Gods of Asgard. The Chinese Gods did the same thing with a group called the Ba Xien, twelve mortals who were elevated into godhood. Other mortals who became gods in myth include the Olympians Hercules, Helen, Asclepius and Ganymede.
    --Hogun is not an Asgardian God. He is from the landmass of Asgard, but from a different race than Thor and the other Warriors Three. See the Mogul of the Mystic Mountain  profile.

    In Norse/German myth, Thialfi's family lived in Utgard, a stronghold in Jotunheim. Thor had brought Loki along as a companion to protect against the tricks of Utgard-Loki, its protector. They arrived at a small farmhouse of Thialfi's family, but they were very poor and had little to eat. Thor used his hammer to slay his goats, Tanngniost (Tooth-Gnasher) and Tanngrisnir (Tooth-Grinder), which pulled his cart and then placed them on a fire to cook and feed Thialfi and his family. Thor instructed them to eat their fill, but to be careful not to break any of their bones and to carefully place the bones back into their goatskins. As the Thor, Loki and Thialfi's family ate of the goats, Loki encouraged the hungry Thialfi to try eating some of the marrow in the bone and Thialfi cracked one of the bones to get at it. The next morning, when Thor was ready to leave, he passed his hammer over the piles of skin and bones and restored them back to life, but as he did, one of his goats screamed out in pain. One of them had a serious limp from where Thialfi had splintered the bone. Angry that his instructions were not followed to the letter, he raised his hammer, but Thialfi's father promised him that he could take his children, Thialfi and leave the goats with him to be nursed back to health until time they could find their way back to Asgard alone. Thor then proceeded with Thialfi and his sister Roskva to be his servants.

    Sidebar: in the story of Hrungnir and Mokkuralfi, Thor ended up pinned under the giant's leg unable to move until his son, Magni, pushed it off him. Since Magni does not exist in the known mainstream timeline (except in events described by the Sentient Eye of Odin and the Reigning), that incident is not included in the sequence of events.

    Chronologically, the events of Marvel: The End seem to occur during the time Asgard appears over New York City, but The events of The End seem to predate that so The End is pressed back to before Asgard's NYC appearance.

    As of this entry, Thialfi has not yet re-appeared since the resolution of the Reigning storyline.
Despite the fact that Thor created a divergence, the events of Earth-Thor: The Reigning still occurred in an alternate timeline and, as far as I'm concerned, Thialfi was transported to that reality and slain, unless he, too, was diverged into more than one form.
--Snood.

by Will U and Prime Eternal

CLARIFICATIONS:
Thialfi should not be confused with:

• Hermod, Asgardian god of speed, @ Thor I#126
• Thiazzi, Storm giant, father of Skadi, who tried to carry off Idunn, also called Thiassi and Tjasse, (Not seen in the MU)

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