ULIFULIF
Real Name: Ulif
Identity/Class: Extradimensional (Jotunheim; associated with Asgardian cosmology) Giant
Occupation: Queen of the Giants (presumably the Storm Giants)
Group Membership: Jotuns (Giants of Jotunheim)
Affiliations: While they weren't allies, Odin,
Thor, Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg) earned her respect for
their respecting her son
Enemies: Likely Asgardian gods in general, although not as much as most Giants
Known Relatives: Gnives (husband), Holth (son, deceased), unidentified other children
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: A castle in Jotunheim (one of the nine/ten worlds associated with the Asgardian cosmology)
First Appearance: (Referenced only as Gnives' wife) Thor: Blood Oath#1 (November, 2005);
(identified) Thor: Blood Oath#5 (February, 2006);
(seen) Thor: Blood Oath#6 (February, 2006)
Powers/Abilities: As a Jotun, Ulif was large and strong (perhaps Class 10-25), with superhuman durability and longevity (enhanced lifespan/delayed aging, with a lifespan perhaps measuring presumably at least millennia).
Unlike her husband, Ulif could see
past the giants' hatred of the gods to seek respect and honor for her
lost son.
Height: Unrevealed (approximately 45' tall)
Weight: Unrevealed (based on the idea that giants have 3x human
density, at 45' tall, she would weigh approximately 206,000 lbs. (103
tons)
Eyes: Solid white
Hair: Brown (or brownish-red)
History:
(Thor: Blood Oath#1 (fb) - BTS)
- Ulif was the wife of Gnives, king of the (presumably Storm) Giants.
Ulif and Gnives eventually disowned their son Holth as they considered him an embarassment.
(Thor: Blood Oath#6 (fb) - BTS) - While Gnives led his armies to war, Ulif was left to tend the farm, run the land, feed the children, chop the wood, build homes, and tend the kingdom at home.
Ulif considered Gnives to be spending time at war because he enjoyed that more than spending time at home.
(Thor: Blood Oath#1 (fb) - BTS) - The Warriors Three
(Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg) unwittingly slew Holth, who was in
the form of a sea serpent,
(Thor: Blood Oath#1 (fb) - BTS / Thor:
Blood Oath#1 - BTS) - Gnives manipulated the gods, leading Thor and the
Warriors Three to accept his weirding quest as penance for having slain
Holth.
(Thor: Blood Oath#5 - BTS) - In
Gnives' Jotunheim castle, after learning from his advisor that Thor and
the Warriors Three were succeeding in the quest, Gnives considered that
his wife, Ulif, would kill him as she wanted honor for her stupid boy.
(Thor: Blood Oath#6 (fb) - BTS)
- Gnives arranged for Ulik to ambush Thor and the Warriors Three at the
temple of Toth to prevent their return. 
(Thor: Blood Oath#6 (fb) - BTS)
- Thor, the Warriors Three, and Ulik were retrieved by Odin to the
Thingvellir, the Althing and to a specific
time (perhaps shortly after their departure) when both the gods and
Gnives and the Giants awaited the outcome.
(Thor: Blood Oath#6 - BTS) -
Both gods and giants considering the other to have betrayed the oath,
Gnives urged his brethren to war.
Having considered Gnives'
involvement of Ulik a breaking of the oath to which they had sworn,
Thor had used Mjolnir against Ulik, and Gnives announced that Thor had
cheated. In return, Thor cast Ulik back at Gnives, telling him his
cheating ways spat in their face and that Gnives had no honor. Odin
acknowledged that the truce was broken and war was upon Gnives' hands,
which Gnives considered a love-song to his ears.
(Thor: Blood Oath#6) - Ulif interrupted, noting that she had only wanted honor for her son, while Gnives wanted war to avoid spending time with her and working around the house.
Ulif then asked the gods to not go to war but rather to simply honor her son; "dumb as he was, he deserves this little."
Acknowleding that there would never be true peace between the gods and giants, Ulif noted that they all shared the same roots: They were all from the same great source of Gungunningap, the great nothingness from which all life sprang.
After Odin told Ulif that she
spoke wisely, Ulif stated that all she asked was that the Warriors
Three retrieved Holth's body and give him a burial of honor.
She assured the gods she would deal with her husband.
Thor swore that he and the Warriors would honor her son.
(Thor: Blood Oath#6 (fb) - BTS) - Njord, lord of the sea, reached deep into the waters and brought Holth's body to the light.
The Gods and Giants gathered on an
island between the lands of Jotunheim and Asgard as a testament to a
common ground they may once find again. Thor and the Warriors Three
built a great temple, and the gods carved in stone the story of their
making, whose origins are shared with the giants.
(Thor: Blood Oath#6) - Ulif, at least, and other Giants gathered around the funeral pyre with the gods and honored Holth's passing.
Comments: Created by Michael Avon Oeming and Scott Kolins.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Ulif should be distinguished from:
images: (without ads)
Thor: Blood Oath#6, pg. 19, panel 2 (full);
panel 7 (face);
pg. 20, panel 2 (with Odin);
pg. 21, panel 2 (Holth's funeral pyre)
Appearances:
Thor: Blood Oath#1 (November, 2005) - Michael
Avon Oeming (writer), Scott Kolins (artist), Molly Lazer, Andy Schmidt
& Aubrey Sitterson (assistant editors), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Thor: Blood Oath#5-6 (February, 2006) - Michael
Avon Oeming (writer), Scott Kolins (artist), Molly Lazer, Andy Schmidt
& Aubrey Sitterson (assistant editors), Tom Brevoort (editor)
First posted: 05/08/2020
Last updated: 05/24/2020
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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