IDUNN
Real Name: Iduna (original spelling)
Occupation:
Goddess of immortality
Legal Status:
Citizen of Asgard
Identity: The general populace of Earth is unaware of Idunn’s existence except as a mythological character.
Other Aliases:
None
Place Of Birth:
Vanaheim in Asgard
Marital Status: Married
Known Relatives:
Freia
(mother), Iwaldi (father), Njord
(grandfather), Gaea
(grandmother, alias Nertha), Nertha (great-aunt), Frey
(uncle), Skadi
(aunt), Ve (step-father, alias Lodur), Hnossa (half-sister), Nanna,
Syn, Sjofn, Sigyn,
Lofn, Var, Snotra (sisters), Bragi
(husband), Odin
(father-in-law), Frigga (mother-in-law), Thor
(half-brother), Balder,
Hermod, Hoder, Heimdall
(brothers-in-law),
Affiliations: Gods of Asgard, The Asynjur
Base of Operations:
Breidablik (Hall of Bragi) in Asgard
First Appearance:
Journey into Mystery #114
History: Idunn is a member of an extra-dimensional race of beings known as the
Asgardians, who were worshipped as gods by the ancient Scandinavian and Germanic
tribes of Europe. She is the daughter of Freia, the goddess of fertility, one of
the Vanir who united with the Aesir to become Asgardians. Freia had a great love
for gold and had several dalliances with Iwaldi, one of many dwarves who created
treasures for the gods. Because of this fondness, Odin decreed that Freia needed
to learn humility and assigned her with the temporary duties of a Valkyrie for a
while. Idunn, meanwhile, became one of the Aynjur, attendants of Frigga, along
with her sisters. She was assigned protection of the golden apples of
immortality that provided the Asgardians with their youth and long lives. She
was also married to a son of Odin named Bragi, the god of speech and poetry.
Because the Asgardians depended on Idunn for
protection of their golden apples, she was one of the most important of the gods
of Asgard, but she was frequently being manipulated or terrorized by enemies to
the gods who wanted to destroy them. Loki, the trickster-god, was once taken
prisoner by the storm-giant, Thiassi, who demanded the golden apples of the gods
from him. Loki surrendered Idunn to him for his freedom, but Odin then ordered
Loki to return Idunn to Asgard under penalty of death. Loki then impersonated a
falcon and kidnapped Idunn from Thiassi with him in pursuit as an eagle. Odin
then demanded a great fire to be raised and they consumed Thiassi alive in its
flames as Idunn returned to Asgard. The Fenris Wolf even once assaulted her in
order to devour the Golden Apples for himself, but she was rescued by Vidar, the
god of the hunt, in his role as the German god Haakon. These events later became
the basis for the fairy tale of “Little
Red Riding Hood.”
Following the destruction of Valhalla, Loki
had Odin promise Idunn to the giants Fafnir and Fasolt if they would rebuild
Valhalla and fortify its walls. Loki had promised him that he would not have to
surrender Idunn to the two giants, but then Thor and Frey arrived to fight the
two giants to protect Idunn. Odin ordered them to stand down in order to stay to
his oath. Loki, however, was wanting to cause Ragnarok as the two giants refused
to surrender Idunn. They instead held her in return for the fabled Ring of the
Nibelung. Odin, however, knew of the curse on the ring and instructed Thor and
Loki to retrieve it. Soon thereafter, Idunn was returned unharmed to Frey’s
protection.
Odin eventually fell in battle in Norway in
battle against the demon Surtur and Thor replaced him as Chieftain of the
Asgardian Gods. Loki however set into motion a revised version of Ragnarok to
claim Asgard, and Idunn was killed by Loki’s invading armies. Thor met with
the Norns to put an end to the recurring cycles of Ragnarok among the Asgardians
as Asgard fell, but eventually Asgard and the Asgardians were restored through
the limitless power of the Odin-force itself. What has since become of Idunn has
yet to be revealed.
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 370 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde
Strength Level:
Idunn possesses the normal strength level for an Asgardian goddess of her size,
height and build who engages in extensive regular exercises; she can lift
(press) 25 tons under optimal conditions.
Known Superhuman Powers: Idunn possesses the conventional physical attributes
of the Asgardian gods. Like all Asgardians, she is extremely long-lived, but she is not
immortal like the Gods of Olympus. She has not aged since reaching adulthood and
cannot die by any conventional means. She is immune to all Earthly diseases and
is resistant to conventional injury. If she were somehow wounded, her godly life
force would enable her to recover with superhuman speed. It would take an injury
of such magnitude that it dispersed a major portion of her bodily molecules to
cause her a physical death. Even then, it might be possible for a god of
significant power, such as Odin or Njord or for a number of Asgardian gods of
equal power working together to revive her. Idunn also possesses superhuman
strength and her Asgardian metabolism provides her 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 Asgardians'
superhuman strength and weight.)
Idunn also has several undefined powers
mystical in nature that involve the fertility of the earth as well as care of
the apples of immortality. The nature of these powers are unrevealed, but she is
obviously able to create nectar from these apples for a large group of gods such
as the Asgardians.
Comments: In the minor entry for Idunn under the Asgardians profile of the
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #1, Idunn seems to have been mistakenly
confused with her mother, Freia, but she might have used the name Freia as an
alias. Mythologically, this is incorrect. Freia has an entry here.
In Greek mythology, the Garden of The Hesperides is sometimes located north of Hyperborea and in the region of what is now known as Scandinavia (modern Norway and Sweden). Traditionally, they are set in Ancient Libya in the shadow of the Atlas Mountains, but the Scandinavian location certainly fits in with the story of Idunn.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Idunn is not to be confused with:
UPDATED: 05/14/06