Thor #296
From Valhalla — A Valkyrie!
Thor has sought out Odin’s severed eyes to learn the truth behind his father’s claims that he had slew Thor in the distant past.[1] Instead of giving a direct answer, the eye has instead told Thor of an older version of Asgard that gave way to the one Thor knows. Growing impatient with the eye, Thor demands it finally answer his question. The eye once again assures the thunder god that he will know the truth in due time and turns his mind back to the forgotten past….
Thousands of years ago, Odin had just completed the construction of Valhalla. However, standing in this empty palace, Odin fears that the curse put on him by Albreich will bring about the end of Asgard. In order to prevent this from happening, he has formed the Valkyrie who will populate Valhalla with warriors who have fallen in battle to create an army against the forces of Ragnarok.
From here, the eye then turns Thor’s attention to what was happening on Midgard at the time, particularly the fate of a mortal man who bears a striking resemblance to the thunder god . Weathering through a storm, this man finds shelter in a dwelling built around a massive tree. Once inside, the man collapses to the ground where he is found by the woman of the house, Sieglinda. She carries the weary traveler to the table and gives him some water and asks who he is. They are then joined by Sieglinda’s husband, Hunding who immediately accuses her and the stranger of impropriety. Sieglinda convinces Hunding that she was merely caring for a traveler seeking shelter. Her abusive husband accepts this with some displeasure and welcomes the stranger as his guest. Sitting down to a meal, Hunding asks the traveler to tell him his story.
Calling himself the Woe-King, the stranger explains that he once lived in the forest with his twin sister and his father a man named Wulf who bears a striking resemblance to Odin himself. One day, Wulf’s enemies attacked their home while he and his son were out hunting. When they return home, they found Woe-King’s mother murdered and their home set aflame and assumed that Wulf’s daughter had perished in the fire. The pair wandered for a time and as the Woe-King grew up they two tracked down their enemies, members of the Neidings clan, and slaughtered many of their ranks. In the aftermath of this battle, Wulf suddenly vanished, leaving behind his wolf-skin cloak. An outcast from society, the Woe-King continued searching for his father until one day he arrived in a town where he witnessed a woman being forced into marriage. Seeing her as a damsel in distress, Woe-King attacked the men. However, tragedy struck as the woman tried to stop him from slaying her people was seemingly struck down in the fight by the Woe-King’s sword. He has been on the run ever since.
Hearing all this, Hunding calls the Woe-King and assassin and that he had killed members of his clan. Having arrived too late, Hunding followed the killer’s trail back to his own home. The pair are about to fight when Sieglinda reminds her husband that he invited Woe-King into their home and he is bound by the oath of hospitality. Hunding relents but warns the Woe-King that he will be slain come the morning. Later that evening, after drugging her husband, Sieglinda goes to the Woe-King and wakes him. As it turns out, she is the woman he tried to save earlier. They also discover that they are very much in love with one another (yuck), but he fears for his own survival unless he can find a weapon to defend himself.
In another amazing coincidence, Sieglinda remembers how, not long after her marriage, a strange old man came to her home during the wedding party. Without speaking he stabbed a sword into the tree at the base of her home and left. Members of Hunding’s clan tried to remove the sword but it would not budge. This reminds the Woe-King of a story his father told of him of how he would claim a sword, dubbed Needful, when he would need it most. Pulling the weapon out of the tree, and claims it as his own. He tells Sieglinda that his name is Siegmund and hearing that name the two realize that not only are they in love, but Sieglinda is also Siegmund’s long lost sister (yuck).
Meanwhile, all this is being observed by Odin in Asgard. He summons the Valkyrie named Brunnhilda to his side and explains to her that Siegmund is his mortal son and that she must ensure that he prevails in his battle against Hunding. However, they are interrupted by Frigga, Odin’s wife. As the goddess of marriage, she is furious that Sieglinda would betray her vow of marriage and demands that Hunding’s honor be avenged he has prayed to her. With no other choice but to appease his wife, Odin orders Brunnhilda to make sure Siegmund dies in battle instead. Odin surmises that this must be part of the curse put on him by Alberich after he took away the Ring of Nibelung from him previously. Overhearing all of this, Brunnhilda heads to Midgard and discovers that she cannot carry out her appointed task.
By this time, Siegmund and Sieglinda have fled to a nearby cave. There Siegmund is confident that Needful’s godly enchantments will ensure an easy victory when he faces off against Hunding in battle in the morning. The couple consummate their newfound love (gross) and retire for the night. That evening, Sieglinda is visited by Brunnhilda who warns her that Odin has decreed that Siegmund must die in battle. Siegmund is awoken by this prophecy and refuse to flee like a coward. Seeing the strong bond between the pair, Brunnhilda decides to go against Odin and assures Siegmund that she will protecting him in his battle with Hunding.
Hunding finally tracks them down and challenges Siegmund to battle. Observing from Asgard, Odin is furious to see that Brunnhilda has disobeyed his orders. Taking matters into his own hands, Odin takes possession of Hunding. When Hunding blocks on a swing from Siegmund’s sword, Needful shatters on impact. Shocked that his weapon destroyed, Siegmund is knocked down and fatally stabbed by Hunding’s spear. Seeing Odin’s spirit super-imposed over Hunding’s form, Thor finds it similar to when is father was recently poised to kill him during their recent battle. With Siegmund dead, Brunnhildas absconds with Sieglinda to save her from Odin’s wrath. Odin strikes Hunding dead and vows to punish Brunnhilda for forcing him to kill his own son. Although the eye has revealed the truth at last, it tells Thor that the story is far from over…
Recurring Characters
Thor, Odin’s eye, Sieglinda, Odin, Frigga, Valkyries (Valkyrie, Valtrauta, Hildegarde, Grimgerta, Hecara, Leita, Ortlinda, Rossveissa, Sygnet)
Continuity Notes
Odin made this claim in Thor #291. Odin removed his eye and fed it to Mimi to stave off Ragnarok in issue #274 it has terrorized another dimension until Thor found it in issue #292.
