WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Return of the Valkyries #1 by Jason Aaron, Torunn Gronbekk, Nina Vakueva, Tamra Bonvillain, and VC's Joe Sabino, on sale now.
Like so many other characters, the Valkyries of Norse mythology were adapted for the pages of the Marvel Universe a long time ago. While the traditional Valkyries scoured battlefields, choosing which warriors would live and die, and which among the fallen would find eternal glory in Valhalla, those of the Marvel variety are more suited to being in the fray themselves.
Although Marvel has many Valkyries, the mantle still carries with it some greater connotations than merely being among their ranks. And now that some of Marvel's Valkyries are returning during King in Black, we're taking a look back at some of the Marvel heroes who have primarily been known as Valkryie.\
Brunnhilde
Created by Steve Englehart and Sal Buscema in 1973's Defenders #4, Brunnhilde was the first Valkyrie, chosen by Odin to bring her husband, who he himself had slain in battle, to paradise in the afterlife. As the leader of the Valkyrior, they were tasked with the classic duties of the Valkyrie of myth. Eventually, she would cross paths with Enchantress, who imprisoned Brunnhilde in a bid for immortality. Brunnhilde of course emerged victorious in the face of Enchantress's plot and would go on to serve alongside some of Marvel's greatest heroes as a member of teams including the Defenders, Secret Avengers, and even the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Jane Foster
Jane Foster first met both Donald Blake and his alter ego Thor when the former hired him to assist him with his medical practice. When Thor lost the ability to wield Mjolnir, Jane took up the mantle of Thor, though it wasn't her first nor her last time spent as an Asgardian. During War of the Realms, Jane fought alongside Thors from across time, her Mjolnir shattering in battle and leaving a piece of itself wrapped around her arm. With the Undrjarn, she was able to reach out to the spirits of all the Valkyries who had fallen and accepted the role of Valkyrie for herself when Brunnhilde offered it.
Samantha Parrington
Created by Roy Thomas and Herb Trimpe in 1972's Incredible Hulk #142, Samantha Parrington lived her life as an eccentric philanthropist under her parents' wing until Enchantress imbued her with the powers of Valkyrie, stolen from an imprisoned Brunnhilde. As Valkyrie, Samantha was made an unwitting pawn in the plans of Enchantress, then later of Pluto and Lorelei as well. With the help of the Defenders and Brunnilde, Samantha was able to free herself of the villains' control and carried on Brunnhilde's legacy after the original Valkyrie was killed during Ragnarok. Since Brunnhilde's return, Samantha has seemingly disappeared from public view.
Barbara Denton
Before she debuted in Roy Thomas, Herb Trimpe and Steve Gerber's Incredible Hulk #125 in 1970, Barbara Denton's mother made a demonic pact with the Undying Ones, ultimately damning her daughter to the Dark Dimension, where she suffered until her eventual rescue by the Defenders. In a battle alongside her rescuers against Enchantress and Casiolena, Barbara's body became the host for Brunnhilde's spirit. After some time, Barbara's spirit would inhabit Brunnhilde's form in turn, and she would serve as Valkyrie until her untimely demise in 1996's Valkyrie #1 by J.M. DeMatteis and Pablo Raimondi.
The Dark Valkyrie
Starting around Jim Starlin, Ron Marz and Bruce Zick's Thor #460 in 1993, Thor found himself wracked with depression and mentally anguished, so he takes to the stars in a bid to rediscover himself and his purpose. His state eventually devolved into madness, which itself manifested as a dark Valkyrie. This Valkyrie would drive Thor to commit horrible atrocities against his allies and family until Odin took it upon himself to venture into Thor's mindscape and free him from the chains that were holding his true self back.
Exiles Valkyrie
In Saladin Ahmed and Javier Rodriguez's Exiles #2 in 2018, an unnamed Valkyrie from another universe was one of seven born by Odin striking Asgard's ground with a bolt of lightning, all of whom trained and fought until only one claimed the title that would become her namesake. When Surtur launched an assault on Asgard, the Valkyrie was joined in battle by the Exiles, and after they helped her defeat the giant she joined them on their adventures across different realities throughout the team's short run.
The New Valkyrie
One of the original nine Valkyrior, this still-unnamed Valkyrie is introduced in Return of the Valkyries #1. While Jane Foster ferries the soul of the Sentry through dangerous territory, the unknown Valkyrie is living out a series of memories and false lives while trapped by the same dark force that Jane and Sentry battle against when they come across the decapitated head of a Celestial. When Jane's mace comes crashing through the wall of death that the unnamed Valkyrie is trapped behind, she is finally given a chance to walk among the living once again. Though she refers to herself simply as "no one," when Jane asks, the new Valkyrie is most certainly far more than that.