(Namora I#3/2 (fb)) - Hunsen listened to his adviser
Werten to sail west for greener lands.
HUNSEN
Real Name: Hunsen
Identity/Class: Normal human (late 1940s era)
Occupation: Chief
Group Membership: Leader of his colony
Affiliations: Werten,
others
Enemies: Namor, Namora, people on the
northeast US coast
Known Relatives: Hunsen the Hated (distant
ancestor from 1240s)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Remote Newfoundland or
Greenland (see comments)
First Appearance: Namora I#3/2 (December, 1948)
Powers/Abilities: Hunsen is a viking leader
trained in viking battle techniques and traditions, and cares
deeply for his people. Athletically strong, he ably fights with a sword but cannot swim.
Height: 5'11"
(by approximation)
Weight: 180 lbs. (by
approximation)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown
History:
(Namora I#3/2 (fb)) - In 1248, Hunsen the Hated and
his fellow political revolutionaries were exiled from Norway and sailed
westward on a longboat over the Atlantic Ocean, eventually settling on
uninhabited land (see comments). The colony population thrived into the
hundreds but with little development as centuries passed. As the last
descendant of the colony's original ruler, Hunsen became leader.
However, a fever swept through the colony, killing all but but the
strongest men. The survivors burnt the disease-ridden colony and Hunsen
led his men as they sailed away to seek new lands.
(Namora I#3/2 (fb)) - Hunsen listened to his adviser
Werten to sail west for greener lands.
(Namora I#3/2) - Hunsen's ship was
spotted and the Atlantean heroes Namora and Namor alerted. The duo
visited Dr. Svorland,
an expert on Norse
history, who found a record of the original exiled vikings and quickly
taught the heroes old Nordic language so they could converse.
Meanwhile, Hunsen and his hungry men made landfall and attacked a man
and his house for food, but one viking was killed. Namor and Namora
soon found the vikings, who captured Namora. Hunsen threatened war
against America in retaliation for his fellow viking's death but Namora
and Namor warned him of far more advanced war technologies. Hunsen
challenged Namor to the tradition of wresting the truth staff from his
grasp to prove honesty, but the two were evenly matched and the
Atlanteans had to flee viking spears. Werten convinced Hunsen that
their age had passed and they sailed off for their original abandoned
colony to die, but hit a reef and the boat sank rapidly. Clad in heavy
clothing, every viking sank quickly. Namor and Namora rushed in but
could only save Hunsen, who told them of his colony's history with his
last breaths. Namor took Hunsen's body out to sea to be buried with his
fellow vikings.
Comments: Created by Bill Everett.
I'd consider Hunsen and his tribe to be stateless, not acknowledging any contemporary nation to be their own. This is compounded by their island exile lacking definition; it seems likely to be remote Newfoundland, given the close proximity of the US northeast coast, or else it could have been Greenland, but that would require swinging past Canada to get to the USA.
This complements modern-day interpretations of what led to the collapse of viking communities established in Greenland and Newfoundland, although viking settlements in Greenland were still disputed at the time of this story's publication.
This profile was completed 7/03/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary 's celebratory event.
Profile by Grendel Prime.
CLARIFICATIONS
:
Hunsen has no known connections to:
Namor and Namora approached Dr. Svorland, an expert
on Norse history, when news arrived of Hunsen's viking raider off the American
coast. Svorland found a historical record that told of exiled vikings
who sailed westward. He quickly taught the two Atlanteans the basics of
the old Nordic language and the duo set off to investigate. When Namor
and Namora were stalemated against the vikings, Svorland encouraged a
peaceful approach to keep the vikings alive so that their history could
be studied. Eager to learn more, he secretly followed the heroes and
saw the tragedy as the viking ship crashed and sank on the reef with
all on board lost. He agreed with the Atlanteans that no one else
should know the resting place of the "last vikings."
--Namora I#3/2
Werten was Hunsen's trusted adviser. He spoke
of bountiful lands to the west of their village that were initially
treated as myth by Hunsen's reclusive colony. Werten joined Hunsen on
the exploratory mission that soon became a raid. Later, he helped
capture Namora, but when told of the current world by Namor and Namora
and its much more advanced war technologies, Werten later convinced
Hunsen to abandon his desire to conquer and instead accept fate to sail back. Werten
perished in the sea when the viking ship hit a reef and quickly sank.
--Namora I#3/2
images:
(without ads)
Namora I#3/2, p5, pan6 (main image with truth staff)
p4, pan6 (headshot)
p8, pan4 (dying)
p8, pan6 (Svorland)
p2, pan6 (Werten)
Appearances:
Namora I#3/2 (December, 1948) - Bill Everett (writer, pencils, inks),
Stan Lee (editor)
First posted: 09/30/2021
Last updated: 09/29/2021
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™
and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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