There I was, working my way through the Superheros one at a time and having a lot of fun. Then came "V". For some reason, all of the V heroes have odd, twisting, complicated tales. Vigilante? Which one? Vanguard? Complicated. Viking Prince, Veteran Vibe? Hmmm. Maybe, but most of these are obscure and only the super nerds have heard of them.
To be honest, the story of Valkyrie is a bit complicated as well, but it originates in Asgard, the home of Thor, so that makes it more interesting and gives us something to relate it to.
The legend of Valkyrie is an old one, and of course, there are many versions. This is the one I know best.
It began when Odin (the ruler of Asgard) appointed Brunnhilde with the title. She was to lead the warrior goddesses on their winged horses and it was her job to escort slain warriors to the gates of Valhalla. She was highly regarded, and was a good steward of her powers, her authority, and her special gifts.
Then, sadly, she was charmed by The Enchantress, who was able to capture her spirit, and hold it inside a crystal for centuries. The Enchantress would steal the powers from time to time to commit foul deeds, and even took on Brunnhilde's form to deceive the Avengers.
Things changed for better when the Enchantress bestowed the powers of Valkyrie to Samantha Parrington, and then to to Barbara Noriss. The plan was that she would use the unsuspecting women as her pawns. Foolishly, she didn't take into account that even after all the centuries, Brunnhilde was still a powerful warrior goddess. In time, she regained her full consciousness, and went on to earn back her original body. (Sometimes it takes a while, but evil never wins!)
As Valkyrie, Brunnhilde joined forces with the Defenders, serving as a hero and adventurer. All was going well until her heroic and heartbreaking decision to sacrifice her life in a battle.
The mourning did not last long however, when it was discovered that the powers of Valkyrie will continue on. Samantha Parrington, once intended to be the enchanted pawn, made a fantastic Valkyrie, and is the one shown in the illustration above.
Our heroine does not make her appearance on TV or in movies. I think she may have been in some Superhero Squad episodes. Because of her unique costume, she does show up at comic cons who like to come in character, and she is in some video games as well.
Thanks to Jenny Matlock, headmaster, and blogger extraordinaire from . . . off on my tangent. . . for inspiring us each week with this fun alphabet themed meme. See what other "V" inspired posts are linked up this week.
