WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for "The Job I Have To Do" short story from War of the Realms: Omega #1 by Al Ewing, Jason Aaron, Cafu, Jesus Aburtov and Joe Sabino, on sale now.
In March, Marvel first announced that Al Ewing, Jason Aaron and Cafu would launch a new Valkyrie series spinning out of the events of War of the Realms. However, the surprises kept on coming when the publisher later revealed that the title character would actually be Jane Foster.
Since then, fans have been wondering how the former nurse and on-again, off-again Thor would take on this new mantle. On top of that, War of the Realms #6 saw Jane Foster wield the power of Thor with the War Thor hammer at the end of the Asgardian-centric event.
Now, War of the Realms: Omega #1 revealed how Jane moved from the mantle of the God of Thunder to Valkyrie.
There Must Always Be a... Valkyrie
War of the Realms: Omega is an epilogue of sorts to the event. With the battle won, the heroes pick up the pieces and deal with the unavoidable fallout. When we find Jane Foster again, she is now in a morgue, surrounded by the bodies of all the Valkyries. The legendary warriors of Valhalla were all brutally killed in the War of the Realms and, now, there is no one left to ferry the souls of the dead Asgardians to the realm's golden halls.
What's more, Jane Foster now has a new weapon attached to her arm that she doesn't fully understand. At the end of War of the Realms #6, the War Thor hammer disintegrated and formed itself into a bracelet that latched itself onto Jane. In Omega #1, she explains that it can take on the shape of a sword, a mace and many other things, and that she can feel it trying to change her.
Later in the issue, we learn that this War Thor hammer, which originally hailed from the Ultimate Universe, isn't just a hammer, but a powerful weapon that can take on the form of many different things called Undrjarn, the All-Weapon. It appears as if this a light double to All-Black, the Necrosword, the dark weapon able to take on many forms.
Thanks to Undrjarn, Jane is able to commune with the souls of the deceased Valkyries, who ask her to take on their mission. And, of course, the heroic Jane Foster doesn't hesitate to answer the call. As soon as she does, she is transformed into a Valkyrie by her new weapon.
Now, thanks to Jane, the souls of the deceased Valkyries are able to return to Valhalla.
Ever since she first lifted Mjolnir, Jane Foster has embarked on a selfless, heroic path. Now, she's taken the next step in this journey. Now that Thor is back, there's a new Valkyrie in town, and her adventures are just beginning.
Written by Jason Aaron and Al Ewing, with art by Cafu and a cover by Mahmud Asrar and Matthew Wilson, Jane Foster: Valkyrie #1 goes on sale this July from Marvel Comics.