Asgardians (comics)
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- For other uses, see Asgardian (disambiguation) and Asgard (disambiguation).
The Asgardians or Gods of Asgard are a fictional race of gods in the Marvel Comics' universe. They were worshipped about a millennium ago by the Norsemen of Scandinavia and various Germanic tribes, but they no longer have, or seek to have, any worshippers on Earth.
The gods live in dimension called Asgard which is also home to 5 other races (Giants, Dwarves, Elves, Trolls, and Demons). They are the most human-looking and powerful of the races but are not, unlike the other races, believed to be native to Asgard.
Despite their mostly human appearance, all Asgardians possess physical attributes that operate on superhuman levels. All Asgardians possess some degree of superhuman strength. The average male Asgardian can lift (military press) roughly 30 tons while the average female Asgardian can lift about 25 tons.
The Asgardians are extremely long lived and age at an extremely slow pace as compared to human beings, unlike the Olympians who cease to age once reaching adulthood. The bodies of the Asgardians possess a degree of invulnerability to physical attack, with the average Asgardian male and female being durable enough to resist the impact of high caliber bullets without sustaining injury. If an Asgardian is injured, he or she will be able to recover much faster than humans. However, they sometimes require magical aids in order to heal themselves from severe injuries, such as missing limbs, organs, and severe blood loss. Oftentimes, even with the help of magic, regenerating limbs or organs is beyond their capacity. Only the most physically or mystically gifted Asgardians have the potential to heal from such severe injuries.
The muscle, bone, and skin tissue of an Asgardian is roughly 3 times as dense as that of a human being. This contributes to the Asgardians superior strength and weight. (For example, an Asgardian female might have the appearance of an ordinary human woman weighing 125 pounds. However, due to the greater density of her body, her actual weight might be well over 400 pounds.) Due to their superior metabolism, Asgardians also possess superhuman levels of stamina in all physical activities.
All Asgardians are born with the potential to wield and control mystical energies for a variety of purposes, although only a certain few have been observed to have developed this ability to any noticeable degree. One theory stated by a human is that "Asgardian magic" is not actual magic in the sense of the type of magic Doctor Strange uses, but is actually technology so advanced and beyond the comprehension of mortals and other races, even to the Asgardians themselves, that it is indistinguishable from magic. However, nearly all other discussions about it describe the Asgardians use actual magic.
Asgardians are not true immortals. They can sicken, age and die, but are immune to Earth diseases and poisons and age at a much slower rate then human. Each Asgardian needs (and is allocated) a golden apple grown by Yggdrasil and tended by Idunn. Eating their own apple restores both health and youth to the Asgardian. If they die, there is no advancement to a higher plane.
[edit] Known Asgardians
- Amora, the Enchantress
- Balder
- Frigga
- Frey
- Heimdall
- Hela
- Hermod
- Hoder
- Idunn
- Loki
- Lorelei
- Odin
- Sigyn
- Sif
- Thor
- Tyr
- Valkyrie
- Vidar
- Volla
- The Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg)
[edit] References
- Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Deluxe Edition (Marvel Comics)
- #1: Abomination to Bartoc's Brigade (August 1985): Asgard and Balder
- #2: Clea to Gaea: Enchantress
- #5: Gardener to The Hulk (April 1986): Hela
- #7: Khoryphos to Magneto (June 1986): Loki
- #9: Molecule Man to Owl (August 1986): Odin
- #12: Sif to Sunspot (November 1986): Sif
- #13: Super-Adaptoid to Umar (December 1986): Thor
- #14: Unicorn to Wolverine (January 1987): Valkyrie
- Warriors Three: Hogun, Fandral and Volstagg
