Brunnhilde (Earth-1010)

The origin of Brunnhilde the Valkyrie was a mystery. Her parentage was unknown. She claimed she was not "just an Asgardian" and to have served something older than Asgard, but what she meant by this statement is as yet unknown.

Brunnhilde was selected by Odin, monarch of the gods of the other-dimensional realm of Asgard, to lead the Valkyrior, the Choosers of the Slain, a group of warrior goddesses who would appear over the battlefields of mortal worshippers of the Asgardian gods and choose which of the fallen were worthy to be taken to Valhalla, the land of the honoured dead in the dimension of Asgard. Brunnhilde served Asgard capably in this capacity for centuries.

According to a sentient, disembodied eye that once belonged to Odin, the Asgardian monarch once gave his son Thor the mortal identity of the warrior Siegmund. Circumstances reluctantly forced Odin to decree that Siegmund must be slain. Brunnhilde, recognizing that Odin was acting against his true wishes, sought to protect Siegmund, but Odin himself then caused Siegmund's death. Brunnhilde helped Siegmund's pregnant lover, Sieglinde, get to safety. As punishment for her defiance, Odin removed Brunhilde's godly powers and immortality and cast her into a trance. She was eventually awakened by Siegfried, who was the son of Siegmund and Sieglinde and was a mortal reincarnation of Thor. Brunnhilde and Siegfried became lovers, but Siegfried fell under the influence of magic and betrayed her. Siegfried was later murdered, and Brunnhilde, still in love with him, leaped into his blazing funeral pyre. Odin restored both Siegfried and Brunnhilde to life, giving them back their godly roles, powers, and near-immortality as Thor and the Valkyrie, but removing their memories of their recent lives on Earth. Odin himself would centuries later admit that he had mind-wiped the Valkyrie and Thor of their memories of these incidents.

Brunnhilde and her fellow Valkyries continued to gather heroic mortal warriors for Valhalla until roughly a millennium ago, when Odin was forced to cease virtually all intercourse with the Earth in accordance with a pact that he and the leaders of Earth's other pantheons of gods made with extraterrestrial Celestials. From then onward, the Valkyries could only choose slain heroes from among fallen Asgardian warriors. Brunnhilde was bitter over being barred from choosing warriors on Earth and roamed Asgard in pursuit of something meaningful to do.

In a tavern on the outskirts of Marmoragard, Brunnhilde encountered Amora the Enchantress, who offered her a life of adventure. For several weeks Brunnhilde accompanied the Enchantress on her conquests. Brunnhilde soon discovered Amora's inclinations towards immorality and tried to end their partnership. In response, Amora entrapped Brunnhilde within a mystic crystal of souls. With Brunhilde's body remained in suspended animation, her immortal soul became Amora's plaything. Over the centuries the Enchantress used Brunhilde's spiritual essence to give the Valkyrie’s powers to herself or to her pawns. The Enchantress usually used her magic to alter the recipient's appearance to resemble Brunnhilde herself.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Brunnhilde the Valkyrie possesses all the superhuman attributes common among the Asgardians.

Superhuman Strength: Brunnhilde, like all Asgardians, possesses superhuman strength. She is significantly stronger than any other Valkyrie, and most other Asgardian men and women for that matter. She can lift up to 45 tons whereas the average Asgardian male and female can lift 30 and 25 tons respectively.

Superhuman Speed: Brunnhilde can run and move at speeds that are beyond the natural physical limits of the finest human athlete.

Superhuman Stamina: Brunhilde's advanced musculature produces considerably less fatigue toxins during physical activity than the musculature of a human being. At her peak, she can exert herself physically at peak capacity for about 24 hours before the build up of fatigue toxins in her blood begins to impair her.

Superhumanly Dense Tissue: Brunhilde's bodily tissue, like that of all Asgardians, possesses about 3 times the density of the bodily tissue of a human. As a result, she is much heavier than she appears and her denser tissue contributes somewhat to her physical strength.

Superhuman Durability: Brunhilde's body is much harder and more resistant to conventional forms of physical injury than the body of a human. She can withstand falls from great heights, exposure to extremes in both temperature and pressure, high caliber bullets, and tremendous impact forces without sustaining injury.

Superhuman Agility: Brunhilde's agility, balance, and bodily coordination are all enhanced to levels that are beyond the physical limits of the finest human athlete.

Superhuman Reflexes: Brunhilde's reflexes are similarly enhanced and are superior to those of the finest human athlete.

Superhuman Longevity: Like all Asgardians, Brunnhilde is extremely long lived and ages at a pace much slower than that of a human being. However, unlike some other god pantheons like the Olympians, Asgardians do continue to age.

Regenerative Healing Factor: Despite her body's great resistance, Brunnhilde can sustain physical injury just like any other Asgardian. If injured, her metabolism enables her to rapidly regenerate damaged bodily tissue faster and more extensive than a human being is capable of. Injuries such as slashes and puncture wounds can heal completely within a matter of hours and broken bones within a matter of days. However, she isn't able to regenerate a severed limb or missing organ.

Death Perception: Like all Valkyries, Brunnhilde can perceive and sense the coming of Death. She can see a "death-glow" surrounding a person who is in serious danger of dying, although most Asgardians and human beings cannot see the glow. A person surrounded by the death-glow might still be saved from dying until he or she meets his or her inevitable end at some later time under different circumstances.

Mystical Teleportation: Brunnhilde can transport herself and a dying or dead person from the Earth dimension to an other-dimensional realm of the dead, just by willing herself to do so. She can also return through an act of will.

Abilities

Brunnhilde has had extensive training in unarmed combat swordplay, and horseback riding. Her natural fighting ability is unsurpassed among Asgardian women, and is perhaps equaled only by Sif.

Strength level

Class 50 ; She is able to lift 45 tons

Weaknesses

None known.

Paraphernalia

Equipment: None known.
Transportation: Brunnhilde rides the artificially mutated winged horse, Aragorn, a gift from the current Black Knight.
Weapons: Brunnhilde employs two weapons: an unnamed iron spear and the enchanted sword, Dragonfang. An Oriental wizard named Kahji-Da was said to have carved the sword from the tusk of an extra-dimensional dragon. The sword eventually passed into the possession of the Ancient One, who in turn gave it to his disciple Doctor Strange. Strange awarded the sword to the Valkyrie after she had returned the current Black Knight's Ebony Blade, which she had been using, to its rightful owner. Dragonfang is virtually indestructible.

Notes

No special notes.

Trivia

No trivia.

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