VALKYRIE

Real Name: Unknown

Occupation: Chieftain of New Asgard, Warrior, former Scrapper (“scavenger”)

Legal Status: Citizen of Asgard

Identity: The general populace of Earth is unaware of the Valkyrie’s extraterrestrial origins.

Other Aliases: Scrapper 142

Place of Birth: Unrevealed

Marital Status: Single

Known Relatives: None known

Group Affiliation: former member of the Valkyrior, ally of Thor

Base of Operations: New Asgard, Norway; formerly Sakaar, Tayo star-system, Fornax galaxy; formerly Asgard

First Appearance: Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

History: The Valkyrie is a denizen of the alternate reality of Earth-MCU, a quantum reality similar to that of mainstream Earth but with differences regarding certain events and attributes. In her native reality, Captain America was recovered in 2011 and the Avengers were founded in 2012. Several mainstream individuals have counterparts on Earth-MCU while others do not.

In her reality, Asgard is a flat asteroid within interdimensional space linked to numerous planets and star-systems in outer space, many of which once passed as the Nine Realms of Asgard in Norse myth. It has regular periods of day and night and seasonal cycles as well as a source of gravity similar to mainstream Asgard. However, unlike mainstream Asgard, it has a more ethnically diverse population. In her reality, Heimdall resembles an African American male from Earth, and Hogun resembles an Asian man from Earth's China or Japan. Setting her apart from the Valkyries of the mainstream universe, the Valkyrie resembles a young African-American woman from Earth.

Not much of the Valkyrie’s past regarding her real name, her past or childhood has been revealed. At some point of her life, she joined Odin’s shield-maidens known as the Valkyrior sworn to defend the throne of Asgard. In her position, she helped defend the realm against threats to Asgard from the Hrimthursar (“Frost Giants”) and the Dokkalfari (“Dark Elves”) among other threats. However, Odin’s daughter, Hela, sought to overthrow him and lead Asgard against other worlds. Odin sent the Valkyrior against her, but she slaughtered them all in battle. The Valkyrie was knocked from her mount in the battle but survived as the others were killed. Odin soon imprisoned Hela in another realm, creating enchantments binding her from returning.

Embittered by the loss of her teammates and unable to face her failure, the Valkyrie exiled herself from Asgard and wandered the universe, heavily drinking and pillaging anything she needed to survive. She eventually reached the garbage-planet Sakaar ruled by the Grandmaster and became aligned with the foragers or “scrappers” on the planet. Over time, she earned the Grandmaster's respect as an acquisition specialist under the designation "Scrapper 142."

Developing an antagonistic relationship with the Grandmaster's bodyguard, Topaz, during their encounters, the Valkyrie eventually encountered the Hulk, who had been lost in space after his encounter with Ultron on Earth. She brought him to the Grandmaster who exploited the Hulk in a regular Contest of Champions set up to distract the Scrappers from their poverty and poor living conditions. The Hulk eventually became the Grandmaster’s greatest champion and source for a cult of fans. His popularity earned the Valkyrie several liberties in the Grandmaster’s court and a position as his chosen acquisition specialist. Despite this prominence, the Valkyrie’s self-worth plummeted and she spent much of her time drinking heavily and falling out of prime physical shape.

Following his encounter with his estranged sister, Hela, another Asgardian, Thor, the god of thunder, was lost in interdimensional space and plummeted through several access points until he landed on Sakarr without his prime weapon, Mjolnir. Bereft of his weapon, Thor was battling the Scrappers when the Valkyrie showed up and caught him in a trap. Keeping him under control with an obedience patch injected into him, she turned him over the Grandmaster’s people as a potential champion to battle the Hulk in the contests. Believing he would be released if he battled the Grandmaster’s champion, Thor was instead overjoyed to meet the Hulk, a fellow Avenger, and would have defeated him even without his hammer until the Grandmaster activated the obedience patch to rig the fight. Watching the entire fight from a distance in the rafters over the fighting arena, Valkyrie was impressed that Thor could hold his own against the Hulk, but she decided to conceal her Asgardian origins to him.

Eventually, Thor learned about her past and confronted her about her loyalty to Asgard, asking her for help defeat Hela and defend Asgard, but she shrugged him off than face Hela again. Calling her a coward, Thor swore her off as a result, but she soon ran into Loki, Thor’s adoptive brother, who had arrived on Sakaar sometime prior. Sent to retrieve Thor and the Hulk in their escape, which set off a revolution on Sakaar, she had a brief skirmish with Loki where he forced her to relive the slaughter of the Valkyrior against Hela. Angry at him, she knocked him out and took him prisoner in her apartment. When Thor came to her for help to escape Sakaar, she came to a realization her drinking was out of control, and she promised to help him escape for a chance to battle Hela once more.

Stealing one of the Grandmaster’s space crafts and eluding his forces, the Valkyrie returned to Asgard with Thor and the Hulk, who had since reverted back to Bruce Banner. Because of her friendship with the Hulk, she was confused with her familiarity with him, but they still became allies. On Asgard, both she and Thor battled Hela as Loki sneaked into the Asgardian stronghold and removed the skull of Surtur, obtained through one of Thor’s adventures. Knowing that neither he nor the Valkyrie could hope to defeat Hela, Thor instructed Loki to put Surtur’s skull in the Asgardian Eternal Flame which restored Surtur to life. Distracted by the new threat, Hela then battled Surtur to both their deaths as Thor, Valkyrie, Loki and the Hulk transported the Asgardian refugees to Earth.

On the journey to Earth, Valkyrie and the Asgardians were ambushed by Thanos, a mad Titan seeking complete rule over the universe. To accomplish this, he was seeking the Power Stone hidden on Asgard and stolen by Loki before Asgard’s destruction. Attacking their ship, both Thor and the Hulk fought Thanos as Valkyrie escaped with the Asgardians to Earth where they founded the community of New Asgard in a distant part of Norway. Unfortunately, Thanos soon reached Earth in search of the last of the soul stones, defeating the Avengers and the Wakandan Armies. Once he seized the remaining stones and placed them into his Infinity Gauntlet, he used it to erase half the population of the universe, turning billions of life forms in the universe into dust. Valkyrie, a few of the Avengers and the remaining Asgardians were among those who survived.

Settling on Earth, Valkyrie became the acting leader of the remaining Asgardians as Thor, their legitimate king, neglected his duties and wallowed in depression over his inability to stop Thanos, who revealed his location by using the power of the stones to destroy them that they might be used against him. His location revealed, the Avengers hunted him down and killed him, learning they were too late to retrieve the stones. 

Five years afterward, the Avengers learned through Eric Lang that the Pym Particles he used as Ant-Man could be used to travel to the past, retrieve the stones and undo the damage Thanos had wrought before returning them to the past. Valkyrie, however, became involved after the Thanos of the past learned their plans and traveled forward in time to seize the Infinity Gauntlet they were recreating. Although the Avengers were successful, Valkyrie lead an army of Asgardians against Thanos and his armies to stop him. Thanos and his armies fought her and the Avengers' allies to a standstill up until Iron Man gave his life to use the new gauntlet to destroy him and his forces, reducing them to dust..

Weaponry: The Valkyrie wields a double-edged sword, which she uses to great effect. As one of the Valkyrior, she also did battle with a spear and she also carried a broad-handled knife.

Pets/Transportation: On Asgard, the Valkyrie traveled long distances via an Asgardian winged horse, but during her time on Sakaar, she became proficient in piloting and maneuvering small aircraft capable of traveling through space. Since returning to Earth, she has recovered one of the Asgardian winged horses.

Comments: The bio describes the Valkyrie of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She was played by actress Tessa Thompson.

According to the Marvel Database, the Valkyrie's Sakaarian name (Scrapper 142) refers to Incredible Hulk #142 issue, where the Valkyrie of the MU first encountered the Hulk.

Last updated: 12/02/23