WARNING: The following contains spoilers for "New Valkryie Story," from The Mighty Valkyries #1 by Torunn Grønbekk, Erica D'Urso, Marcio Menyz, and VC's Joe Sabino, on sale now.
In 2017's Thor: Ragnarok, the Marvel Cinematic Universe introduced Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie. While there have been several Valkyries in the comics, this version of the character was completely new. And, perhaps because of that, she didn't have a name beyond "Valkyrie." In the mythology of Thor and Asgard, being a Valkyrie is a title, a warrior class -- it's not just a name. However, Marvel recently introduced this version of Valkyrie into its main comic book continuity. But just like her big-screen counterpart, this Asgardian didn't have a name beyond Valkyrie.
However, that all changes in The Mighty Valkyries #1, when the character learns her real name -- a revelation that could end up changing the MCU.
The new Valkyrie made her first appearance in King in Black: Return of the Valkyries #1. There, it was revealed that she was one of the original nine Valkyries, a very long time ago. However, she was essentially forgotten from history after she was trapped in the body of a dead Celestial under the influence of the god of the symbiotes, Knull. For centuries, she remained there, trapped in this prison, until Jane Foster's Valkyrie freed her. Shortly after this, this new Valkyrie's importance in Asgardian history grew even larger, when she was revealed as the original owner of Jarnbjorn, an axe that has long been associated with Thor.
However, due to everything that she had been through, this Valkyrie still didn't know who she was. Her name, her very identity, had been forgotten -- and these are the very answers she seeks in The Mighty Valkyries #1.
In the first issue of the new series, the new Valkyrie heads off to a distant corner of the cosmos, where she travels to a planet named Perdita. On this world, she seeks a council with a famed and ancient oracle, someone she believes may tell her who she is. After paying an exuberant price that allows her to meet with the oracle right away, Valkyrie is taken to meet him, and she asks him what her name is, and why she is here.
In answer, the oracle reveals the name she had long ago forgotten: Runa. Upon earing it, Runa knows that this is who she was, and she claims her name once more, just as the oracle recognizes that she has sought an audience with him "to honor the covenant the Valkyries once made."
Valkryie's name is an important piece of the character's puzzle, and this name may very well make the jump to the MCU. After all, Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie is a character that is still shrouded in plenty of mystery. We know that she is the last Valkyrie, after the others were all killed by Hela long ago, but there is still plenty about the Valkyries as a whole that has yet be to be revealed. If the MCU's version of the character also chooses to seek out her name when she returns in Thor: Love and Thunder, then this could propel her on a mission to bring the Valkyries back. With the forces of Asgard so few in the MCU, they could sure use a legion of legendary warriors.