BOR
Real Name: Borr (original Teutonic spelling; Bor is the later Norse spelling)
Occupation: Chieftain of the Asgardian Gods, god of earth
Legal Status: Citizen of Ancient Norway
Identity: The general populace of Earth is unaware of the existence of Bor except as a character from mythology. He was well-known in Ancient Germany and Scandinavia.
Other Aliases: Bor Burison
Place Of Birth: somewhere in Ancient Norway
Place Of Death: New York City
Marital Status: Married
Known Relatives: Buri (father, alias Tiwaz), mother (name unrevealed), Ymir (possible uncle), Njord (possible brother), Bestla (wife, possibly deceased), Odin (son, alias Woden), Ve, Vili (sons, deceased), Frigga (daughter-in-law), Bolthorn (father-in-law), Freia, (niece), Frey (nephew), Mimir (brother-in-law), Thor, Balder, Heimdall, Loki, Hermod, Bragi, Hoder, Tyr, Vidar (grandsons), Brynhilda, Sif (granddaughters), Nanna, Idunn, Solveig, Sigyn (granddaughters-in-law),
Group Affiliation: The Gods Of Asgard
Base Of Operations: Asgard
First Appearance: Journey into Mystery #97
Final Appearance: Thor #600
History: Bor is the chieftain of an ancient race of beings known as the Aesir who were worshipped as gods by the ancient Viking and Scandinavian tribes of Western Europe. The Aesir were constantly at war with the Vanir, the gods of Germany ruled by Njord, who may have been the brother of Bor, but this is unconfirmed. The Aesir and Vanir fought bitterly for several years over Earth without a decisive victory and after several years, they eventually came to a truce.
Bor was the son of Buri, the ancient ancestor of the Asgardian gods, who after several years of rule decided to retire from godhood and relinquished the throne to Bor, preferring to live in retirement in the frozen out-skirts of Asgard, the home of the Aesir. In his absence, Bor ruled as a kind and just ruler, winning over the loyalty of the Asgardians. In some legends passed into myth, Bor was responsible for the creation of the universe. He took Bestla, the daughter of Bolthorn, ruler of the Rime Giants, as his wife, and she bore him three sons named Odin, Ve and Vili. As part of the truce between the Aesir and the Vanir, Bor's sons, Vili and Ve, were accepted among the Vanir, and Njord's son and daughter Frey and Freya were accepted as gods among the Aesir. Over time, the two tribes merged to become Asgardians. Although the the Asgardians had peaceful relations with the Rime Giants, they were often at war with the Frost Giants of Jotunheim under the rule of Utgard-Loki.
Despite his reputation among the Asgardians, Bor had little patience for mortals and had very few worshippers, remaining a cold and distant deity. He held his eldest son, Odin, in high regard, and groomed him from childhood to be his successor to the throne. He taught Odin how to be a great warrior and worthy successor, but according to some accounts, he had little patience for Odin's compassion for mortal man.
During a war with the Frost Giants, Bor led his forces against them Odin at his side. Together, they proved too much for the Frost Giants to handle and routed them easily, but when one of them tried to escape to rally more giants to their cause, Bor left Odin behind and pursued him into a trap against a foreign sorcerer from another time. This sorcerer was Loki, the god of evil, who had traveled back in time to before his birth as part of an elaborate plan to humiliate Odin's future son, Thor, the god of thunder. Managing to surprise Bor, Loki transformed Bor into ice and snow that was scattered by the winds. Odin rushed to his father's rescue just in time to see him blown away, but he missed his confrontation with Loki who disappeared.
In Bor's absence, Odin reluctantly took the throne of Asgard, and following his father's disappearance mystically transported Asgard into a pocket dimension connected with Earth somewhere near Norway. He was tormented for years by Loki impersonating the voice of Bor's spirit reaching out to him and setting into motion events that would benefit him later. Loki reputedly advised Odin to slay Laufey, a chieftain among the Frost Giants, and claim his infant form to insure his previous history.
Over millennia, Odin proved to be just as beneficent as ruler as Bor and sired several sons by Frigga and by dallying with other goddesses and mortal women. Asgard, however, went through several versions of Ragnarok, forcing the Asgardians through several incarnations. It is possible that through these cycles of destruction and rebirth that components of Odin's past and memories became convoluted and distorted. After a recent Twilight of the Gods, Loki was reborn in the body of Sif, the beloved of Thor, and used "her" powers to undo the spell she had used to kill Bor and then resurrect him in the modern day. However, Loki also distorted his sense of reality and forced him to see hallucinations of Earth as over-run by demons and foul monsters.
Unaware of what had actually happened, Bor became convinced that he had lost his final battle and that Odin had died as a result. He unleashed his wrath and vengeance on Earth and was met by Thor coming to stop him. Seeing Thor as a demon inhabited by the Odin-Force, Bor accused Thor as having killed Odin and focused his attack on him. Due to his power, Bor proved capable of facing Thor and even taking Mjolnir from him. Thor called for assistance to defeat Bor by calling upon the Avengers, but was instead joined by members of the Dark Avengers who Bor quickly defeated. Finally reclaiming Mjolnir, Thor eventually dealt a killing blow to Bor and slew him.
Bor was subsequently recognized by Balder and Loki who arrived from Asgard in the
aftermath of the battle. Upon realizing Bor's identity, Thor was
overcome with horror and grief and was exiled from Asgard as a result. However,
during a subsequent siege of Asgard, both Balder and Thor learned of Loki's
duplicity on Bor's murder and Balder, as Ruler of Asgard, pardoned Thor.
Height: 6' 5"
Weight: 650 lbs
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Red, Partially White
Strength Level: As an Asgardian god still very much in his prime, Bor possessed Class 100 strength equal to Thor and could lift
(press) over 100 tons under optimal conditions.
Known Superhuman Powers: Bor possesses the conventional physical attributes of the Asgardian gods. He is extremely long-lived, but he is not immortal like the Olympian Gods; he ages at an extremely slow rate since reaching adulthood and cannot die by any conventional means. He is immune to all Earthly diseases and is resistant to conventional injury. If he were somehow wounded, his godly life force would enable him to recover with superhuman speed. It would take an injury of such magnitude that it dispersed a major portion of his bodily molecules to cause her a physical death. Even then, it might be possible for a god of significant power, such as Odin or for a number of Asgardian gods of equal power working together to revive him. Bor also possesses superhuman strength and his Asgardian metabolism provides him with far greater than human endurance in all physical activities. (Asgardian flesh and bone is about three times as dense as similar human tissue, contributing to the superhuman strength and weight of the Asgardian Gods.)
Bor has complete mastery over the forces of magic and the cosmic forces of the universe, making him one of the most powerful gods in existence even over Odin, who with Zeus and the chieftains of the other pantheons of gods on Earth is considered one of the most powerful gods on Earth. Bor can command an unimaginable level of power that rivals and perhaps exceeds that of even the Odin Force. Bor can tap into and control the ambient energies of the universe and use them to enhances and increase all of his physical attributes astronomically. With this power he can also control the elements, such as wind and lightning, project powerful energy beams from his eyes capable of harming Thor and mentally create spontaneous psychokinetic events to occur on a cataclysmic scale. The full scale of his power of is unrevealed, but it is believed most of it is based on his extreme hubris and force of will. He can tap extreme amounts of "godly" energy and can cancel out even spells created by Odin, such as when he briefly stripped Thor of his hammer.
Bor is also capable of minor mystical feats, such as levitating himself and perceiving events and details from beyond his regular senses. He is capable of sensing Odin's presence in any of the Nine Worlds of the Asgardian Cosmology.
Bor has superhuman strength, speed, endurance and resistance to injury over
any other Asgardian god, even over Thor himself, capable of withstanding direct
blows from Mjolnir itself.
Abilities: Bor is a master in both unarmed and
armed combat. He is most adept with a sword or axe, but he is also proficient
with a spear and the bow and arrow.
Limitations: Bor is vulnerable only by his incredible pride and arrogance and his belief that he can not be defeated by any known foe. In the past, he was defeated only by trickery and subterfuge gained by Loki studying his battle and fighting techniques. There is also speculation that he is less powerful on Earth than he is in Asgard, and that extended time in the Earthly dimension can gradually weaken him.
Weaponry: Bor uses an enchanted scythe of unknown composition which he can wield with maximum efficiency. He can use it to slice through mortar and solid steel and direct incredible energies through it, such as lightning bolts and cosmic energies. Capable of resisting blows from Mjolnir itself, it's exact origins are unrevealed.
Comments: This bio describes Bor as he has appeared in the Marvel Universe; he has yet to appear in DC Comics.
Clarifications: Bor is not to be confused with:
Last updated: 10/08/12