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Quote1 Aye. I am an old man--foolish and fond, and quick with my temper. There are times I show little wisdom. And yet...here there is wisdom. The strange wisdom of the world-tree I gave this eye to. The tree that is everything. That has its roots and branches in all that is. There are ten realms in this reality--ten spheres, ten universes, and the tree winds through them all. Through every star and planet. Every hero and villain. Every life. Every story. I am Odin Borson, who built the world from corpse-meat. I am Odin One-Eye, and sometimes my one eye is open. But above all, I am Odin All-Father. I am the one who speaks for the tree. I am the king of all stories...and you are my child. Quote2
Odin[src]

Odin Borson[13] the All-Father[14] is King of Asgard and protector of the Ten Realms. He is a member of the race known as the Asgardians, a group of humanoid beings from the pocket dimension of Asgard,[15] the Realm Eternal.[16] During the ancient times, he was worshiped as the god of wisdom by the humans known as Vikings on Midgard. He is considered the wisest and the most powerful of the Asgardians.[4] He is also a member of the Council of Godheads battling all threats against the Pantheons of Earth.[17] Odin is a name that is respected and feared throughout the Universe.[14] He is the son of Bor and Bestla, brother of Vili, Ve, Cul and husband of Freyja. He has fathered many children such as Vidar, Balder and of course the Mighty Thor his son and heir.[4] He hoped to bring peace to all the realms and during one of the great battle against the Frost Giants of Jotunheim he defeated their leader Laufey. In the process he found his abandoned son Loki and adopted him as his own and hoped he would one day bring peace to their two realms.[18] When Loki learned the truth, he grew resentful turning of his adopted father hoping to usurp his throne.[13]

History

Origin[]

As with other Asgardians born after Buri, Odin and his pantheon have undergone several reincarnations over the millennia.

Odin the All-Father's true origin was shrouded in mystery, often only delivered in short stories by Odin himself. Odin was presumed to be the son of Bor (son of Buri, the first Aesir) and Bestla, a giantess. Bor and Bestla had three other sons, Cul, Vili, and Ve.[19]

Odin, Vili, and Ve bested Ymir the Frost Giant, constructing the cosmos from Ymir's corpse. Together, the three brothers established Asgard, which became the home of the gods.[20][21]

Odin once battled an unbelievably powerful cosmic storm called the God Tempest when it threatened Asgard. Odin defeated the God Tempest and sealed it away into a chunk of Uru that would one day be forged into the mighty hammer Mjolnir.[22]

Stone Age (1,000,000 BC)[]

At some point, Odin went to Midgard (which was called Aesheim at the time) and created the Humans. Bor was ill-pleased and afflicted them with suffering.[23]

Initially struggling to control Mjolnir, Odin befriended a number of mystically-empowered prehistoric humans, forming the Stone Age Avengers to defend Earth from threats like the out-of-control Celestial known as the Fallen. Odin wanted to nail the Fallen's corpse to the Moon as a warning to other Celestials, but instead he and the Avengers sealed the Fallen in an underground chamber in the modern-day country of South Africa.[24] He entered into a romantic relationship with his comrade Lady Phoenix, who survived for longer than any of their comrades.[25]

War of the Serpent[]

When Bor died, his son Cul proclaimed himself All-Father and ruler of Asgard, but Odin, Vili, and Ve opposed him.[26][verification needed][citation needed] Facing Cul's madness, perceived in his statements and actions against the mortals, wanting them to be afraid, Odin went to Yggdrasill and stabbed his eye as a sacrifice in exchange for wisdom, and was revealed that Cul was corrupted. The path to follow was then revealed to him by the World Tree via prophecy.[26]

Along with his two brothers, Odin assaulted Cul's fortress. For forty days and forty nights, Cul and his Worthy remained hidden in the palace while his brothers slaughtered their Draumar forces and eventually broke in.[26][27] Facing Odin, Cul denied their brotherhood, claiming to be the Serpent that Will Feast on the World. Odin recited the prophecy of the World Tree and then defeated his brother, projecting him away.[26]

Burning Aesheim[]

Odin then slaughtered the people of Aesheim, razing and renaming it Midgard for that no god would ever live there again.[26] Leading his armies, he destroyed the realm, assaulting the fortresses of the mortals and killing every single one of them;[11] billions of mortals tainted by the Serpent's sickness.[28] Odin was known then as the Usurper or the Destroyer.[11]

He erased the memory of his brother, and became the All-Father, trying to rule with patience and compassion (unlike Cul), and trying to escape the World Tree prophecy.[26]

Surtur[]

Vili, Ve, and Odin later journeyed together into the realm of the Fire Giant Surtur. Vili and Ve sacrificed themselves to allow Odin to escape from Surtur's realm. Upon their deaths, Odin's own godly attributes were increased as a result of his brothers' powers joining with his.[29]

Odin Borson (Earth-616) from Marvel Legacy Vol 1 1 001

Odin in 1,000,000 BC

Pre-Cataclysmic Age[]

Odin was invoked by Zarfhaanans during the Pre-Cataclysmic Age, circa 18,500 BC.[30]

Hyborian Age[]

During the Hyborian Age, Woden's name was invoked by Vanirmen (circa 10,000 BC).[31]

Thor & Loki[]

Odin made Frigga, the Asgardian goddess of fertility, marriage, and motherhood, his queen. Odin purportedly also mated with Jord (Gaea), in order to sire Thor.[32]

Later Odin and his army battled King Laufey and the Giants of Jotunheim. As Laufey went to kill Odin, he was defeated and left for dead. Odin adopted Loki, son of Laufey, as his own son.[18] Unknown to him, this part was a trick set up by a future Loki to ensure their destiny.[33]

Many Adventures of Odin[]

Odin, the son of Bor, the grandson of Buri, had many unrecorded adventures. Among these were his battle against Rimthursar (which preceded Thor's birth), the battle with Kryllik and his trolls, his encounter with Fear and Desire, meeting Millennius, his defeat of the Mangog, and the imprisonment of a snow giant.[citation needed]

Odin was often accompanied by his ravens Hugin (Thought) and Munin (Memory), as well as the wolves Freki (Greedy) and Geri (Ravenous).[citation needed]

Worship on Midgard[]

The Humans of Midgard continued to worship Odin as a widely revered God in Germanic and Norse religions. The various human tribes throughout Scandinavia and Germania such as the Vikings, Franks, Saxons and Anglo-Saxons. He became known by various names such as Wōden/[4]Woden[5][6] Wotan[7][4][6] He was considered the god of the barbarians by the Roman Empire.[34] His worship grew and spread as this tribes migrated and conquered much of Europe, but began to wain with the introduction of Christianity.[4]

Legend of Santa Claus[]

Odin Borson (Earth-616) from Marvel Holiday Special Vol 1 1991 001

Odin the Gift-Bringer

Centuries ago during the Midwinter's feast a Troll named Grylak the Greater threatened to destroy Asgard with an asteroid, coercing Odin for control. Concurrently on Earth, a fisherman named Sigurd, caught in a storm, couldn't find his way home for the Midwinter's feast. Sigurd's wife, Sia, prayed to Odin for help. In response, Odin instructed Thor to gather Asgard's finest goods and hurl his hammer, Mjolnir, at the Troll's asteroid, creating a bright star in the sky, aiding Sigurd's navigation home. That night, at Sigurd's village, Sia encountered Odin by the hearth, bearing gifts collected by Thor, before Odin vanished in a flash of light. As Sigurd returned home, they witnessed Odin, clad in furs, riding a sleigh drawn by flying rams, wishing "A good Midwinter to all! And to all a good life!" inspiring the legend of Santa Claus[35][36]

Council of Godheads[]

Odin eventually learned of the coming of the Third Host of the Celestials, alien beings of inconceivable power who had influenced the evolution of the Earth's human race and intended to judge humanity's worthiness to survive when the Fourth Host came. Odin had contacted Zeus, ruler of the Olympian gods, during a conflict between the Asgardians and the Olympians, to which the two of them had put to a quick end. The two monarchs then met with the ruling gods of Earth's other pantheons to set a course of action. (This group of the ruling gods of Earth later became known as the Council of Godheads).

Vishnu (Earth-616), Odin Borson (Earth-616), Zeus Panhellenios (Earth-616), and Ajak (Earth-616) from Thor Vol 1 300 0001

Odin during the Celestials' Third host

Odin, Zeus, and Vishnu the Preserver of the Hindu gods, confronted the Third Host, which threatened to seal off the interdimensional passages between the gods' realms and Earth unless the gods ceased interfering with the Celestials' activities for a millennium. Acting on behalf of Earth's gods, Odin, Zeus, and Vishnu agreed to their terms, but Odin already began making plans for the Fourth Host, which would arrive about a millennium later. He constructed a suit of armor with nearly invincible powers called the Destroyer Armor and transformed the Ring of the Nibelung into the Destroyer's armor. Frigga and the other leading goddesses of Earth's pantheons took charge of finding Earth's human beings who were as close to genetic perfection as possible over these centuries.[32]

Modern Age[]

At one point, Odin decided that it was time for his son Thor to learn humility. Odin had Thor surrender his hammer to him and then sent him to Earth in the mortal guise of a crippled young medical student named Donald Blake, stripped of his memory (again) of his true identity. As Blake, Thor learned the value of humble perseverance in dealing with his injured leg, and he came to care for the sick and dying, first as a medical student, and later as a successful physician. After Thor had spent ten years in the role of Blake, Odin planted within Blake's mind the suggestion to take a vacation in Norway. There Blake encountered a party of alien Kronans, also known as the Stone Men from Saturn, and rediscovered his magical hammer Mjolnir.[37]

Odin continued to take a great interest in his son's life, even though there was often friction between them because of Thor's love for Earth and its inhabitants. When Thor fell in love with his assistant Jane Foster, Odin disapproved and went to great lengths to break the relationship: He sent Loki to persuade the Enchantress to travel to Earth and seduce Thor,[38] and when that failed, Odin even traveled to Earth himself, which caused Loki to abuse his absence to try and claim the Asgardian throne for himself.[39] When Thor decided to reveal his secret identity as Donald Blake to her, Odin temporarily removed his powers.[40]

Odin was believed dead twice before, killed both times in combat with the Fire Giant Surtur; during the first instance Heimdall, and later Balder, ruled Asgard in his absence, and a later time Thor inherited Odin's full power and ruled over Asgard and, later, Earth, although this later part of Thor's lordship was erased due to time travel.[citation needed]

Odin's spirit was present during the final Ragnarok, freeing Thor from Hela's clutches to send him to Those Who Sit Above in Shadow. As Thor eventually destroyed the Loom of Fates and stopped Asgard from perpetuating Ragnarok - which ends the entire Norse pantheon and Asgard itself - Thor believed Odin might be dead permanently.[41]

Odinson and Laufeyson Family Tree from Thor Vol 1 500 001

Odin Family Tree

Years later, when Thor returned from hibernation in space,[42] he began to find the lost Asgardians,[43] and despite successfully restoring them all, he did not attempt to find his father. During the Odinsleep, Thor had a vision in which he discovered that on a subconscious level he did not want to do so as he wished to be free of his father. Also during his Odinsleep, Thor found Odin in a limbo between life and death, where every day he did battle with Surtur to prevent the demon from re-entering the world. Odin declined Thor's offer of taking his place, and stated that Thor must continue to lead the Asgardians, while Odin continued to exist in a state he described as approximating the Asgardian equivalent of heaven in order to prevent Surtur from re-entering the world.[44]

Thor later brought Odin back to life in order to garner consultation and aid in defeating Uthana Thoth, leader of the Ano-Athox,[45] which Odin promptly defeated with the aid of Thor. Odin learned thereafter of Asgard's downfall, Balder's death, and Loki's de-aging, leading his people to the split ruins of the World Tree. There, Odin revealed the story of the world seed, a universal seed of untold power discovered long ago by Bor and his sons. Bor - not knowing the seed's potential power - planted it thus giving birth to the World Tree. Odin commanded Thor to retrieve the world seed from the depths of the ruined tree. Thor proceeded into the depths, retrieving the seed only at the cost of a wound that continued to fester upon him long after.[citation needed]

Fear Itself[]

Odin wandered the rubble of Asgard until he sensed the awakening of the Serpent. Uatu the Watcher arrived nearby to monitor this key event in history. Odin proceeded to berate and scold the Watcher for his passive stance toward the coming prophecy. Thor later discovered him yelling to which he questioned him why Odin responded by giving a dismissive reply. Heimdall later interrupted the gathering of heroes in Asgard declaring the coming of the Serpent. Odin commanded all Asgardians to leave Midgard. Thor refused and began a battle against him. Odin used his power to render Mjolnir useless binding Thor in chains bringing him to the Asgardian plane reborn under Odin's power. Odin worked to transform the realm into a war machine as part of his plan to raze Earth, thus cutting the power base for the Asgardian Fear God. Later Thor escaped his confines thanks to Loki and pleaded with his father to return to Earth to save it rather than destroy it. Odin granted Thor his wish, returning him to Earth via a portal he created, sucking Thor in and tossing his hammer Mjolnir with a stringent warning: Thor would have until the shadow of the Serpent fell on the World Tree before Odin's plan to raze the earth would become inevitable. Odin was later seen appearing on the ruins of the World Tree when Tony Stark offered his sacrifice, in the form of his sobriety, to speak to him.[10]

Odin listened to Stark's appeal to use Asgard's forges to create weapons that might aid the heroes against the Serpent. Odin agreed, transporting Stark to the realm Nidavellir, home of the Dwarves, the weaponsmiths to Asgard. Later Odin was seen with Heimdall at the gate to Asgard from Earth where the Avengers returned with a wounded Thor in tow and where an irate Captain America berated the All-Father to fix Thor, whose aid was vital to the battle. Odin was speechless for a moment, but dismissed the Avengers back to earth, taking Thor to his private chambers, mystically healing some of his wounds and attempting to sway Thor from the battle against the Serpent which Odin deemed his own fight. After Thor staunchly refused his plea, Odin retrieved the armor he wore when he bested the Serpent in their first battle. explaining he could only bind him, not kill him.[citation needed]

Ancient laws prevented Odin from doing so, explaining that the burden fell to Thor to end the Serpent by dying in battle. Donning his own armor, Odin departed with Thor for Nidavellir to retrieve Stark and his weapons for enchantment by him. Making one last plea to Thor to be taken away from the coming battle, asking the very same question he posed when he beat Thor before: "Are you man or are you god?" Prompting Thor to remind Odin of the man he raised him to be. Stark displayed the weapons to Odin which he, in turn, asked for his own weapon. Stark transformed into his armor mode displaying the modifications, Odin warned him he must be thrust into the hot Uru pool for his enchantment to which Stark agreed.[28]

After Thor battled Nul and Angrir, he was injured and taken to Asgard where Odin helped and prepared him to battle against the Serpent. When Thor died killing the Serpent, Odin exiled himself to Asgard space, feeling guilty for not saving his family, leaving his wife Freyja to reign over (the now called) Asgardia after Tony Stark rebuilt it with his repulsor technology.[46]

Return[]

Odin was later freed from his self-exile by Loki.[47] He traveled to the Tenth Realm of Heven and discovered his long-lost daughter Angela. He revealed to Angela her true heritage as an Asgardian and offered to join him and the other Asgardians. Having been raised an Angel and taught to hate Asgardians, Angela refused. The All-Father then set to return to Asgardia.[48]

After returning to Asgardia with his brother, Freyja revealed King Loki's existence and their plans for Asgardia's golden future by forcing present day Loki to become evil once more. Odin berated his wife, claiming that he wished no part of the plan and that Loki would not go easily into any "box" they planned for him.[49] After Loki revealed that he had killed and stolen the body of the young Loki Thor had resurrected, thus being beaten and exiled from Asgardia by Freyja, Odin appeared to Loki and told him that he already knew, reaffirming that Loki was his child and that he loved him nevertheless. However, Odin refused to help Loki, claiming that he needed to pay for killing his better self and to remember what a lie was before sending him back to Earth.[14]

The New Thor[]

After Thor became unworthy to wield Mjolnir,[50] Odin attempted to retrieve it, but the worthiness enchantment had changed, which caused Odin to become unworthy to lift it as well. Soon after, Odin learned that a new Thor had been taken up the mystical weapon. Odin took this personally and wanted the hammer back. Odin asked Heimdall who the new Thor was, but Heimdall told Odin that he wasn't omniscient and even he couldn't determine the new Thor's identity. So, Odin ordered his son, the original Thor, now going by the name of Odinson, to determine the identity of the new Thor.[51] Odin eventually decided to simply get the hammer back and sent his revived brother, Cul Borson, to retrieve it while in the Destroyer Armor, however, this plan failed.[52]

Following the disappearance of the Odinson, Odin became a tyrant and began to rule Asgardia with an iron fist, using the Thunder Guard and the Destroyer Armor to protect his sovereignty, and going as far as imprisoning anyone opposing him, including his own wife,[53] for having assisted the new Thor against the Destroyer.[54] When Thor interrupted Frigga's trial, Odin confronted her and they fought.[55] The battle was halted after Loki attacked Frigga with a poisoned dagger. Odin retreated to the chamber of the Odinsleep to treat Frigga, and remained there for months[56] transfusing portions of his powers unto her body.[57] He resurfaced when the Mangog returned, and attempted to kill the creature with Odinson's help, to no avail.[58] The Asgardians were saved by Thor, who killed the Mangog at the cost of destroying Mjolnir. The hammer's destruction caused Thor to revert to the ill mortal form of Jane Foster and succumb to her cancer.[59] Jane's sacrifice gained her Odin's respect. Because of this, the All-Father joined his son's efforts in channeling the God Tempest's power to bring her back to life.[60]

Thor Odinson (Earth-616) and Odin Borson (Earth-616) from War of the Realms Vol 1 6 001

Declaring Thor the All-Father

War of the Realms[]

When Malekith prepared to launch the final attack in his War of the Realms to take over Midgard, he sent Dark Elf assassins after Odin.[61] He managed to fend off the assailants and joined the fight against Malekith's army in Manhattan. Since he was still heavily injured, he was taken to the Avengers Mountain to rest.[62] Odin woke up when the heroes were already mounting a counter-offensive, and Freyja had gone on a mission to Svartalfheim to destroy the Black Bifrost, the means of transportation of Malekith and his army across the Ten Realms. Odin went to her aid, clad in the Iron All-Father Armor of Iron Man's design, but both were taken hostage by Malekith after they destroyed the Black Bifrost.[63]

Odin and Freyja were taken to Stonehenge, where Malekith laid a trap for Thor, erecting a magical barrier that would kill his parents if anybody other than him passed through.[64] Thor managed to overcome Malekith's gambit by recruiting his young self from the past and his older self from the future, who were also joined by Jane Foster, temporarily restored to her Thor form. Following the victory over Malekith and Thor reclaiming the reforged Mjolnir, Odin declared Thor the New All-Father of Asgard.[65] Following the war, Odin still suffered from the event and was angered when Thor was late to his coronation. His wife calmed him down and eventually Thor was appointed the All-Father.[66]

Prey[]

After Odin stepped down as king of Asgard, he and Freyja went out into kingdoms beyond the Ten Realms to work on their marriage. However, Odin was too stubborn, and eventually, Freyja left him. Brokenhearted, Odin drowned his sorrows in alcohol until he was confronted by Jane Foster, the new Valkyrie. She told him that Donald Blake had gone mad and was causing havoc, including trapping Thor and the Asgardians in separated dimensions and planning to destroy Yggdrasil. Motivated to stop Blake, Odin put on his armor and confronted Blake as he was cutting Yggdrasil with Jarnbjorn. As Odin and Blake talked, Blake was confronted by Thor whose spirit was piloting the Destroyer Armor.[67]

Blake was eventually defeated, and Odin prepared to end him, but he was stopped by Thor who handed him Blake's broken walking stick and used it to return from Blake's realm. Thor ultimately spared Blake's life and allowed Loki to deal with him.[68]

Shaken Throne[]

Angela and Freyja later got Thor and Odin together to talk about Thor's recent troubles,[69] including learning that his true mother was the Phoenix Force[70] and his inability to control Mjolnir.[71] Angela threatened to take the throne of Asgard if Thor and Odin didn't patch things up. Freyja intervened before a fight broke out and ordered Angela to take Odin home while she talked with Thor alone. Instead, however, Angela took Odin to a gladiatorial arena called the Black Hand of God and forced Odin to fight various opponents.[72] Thor later retrieved Odin so he could help him investigate the apparent theft of Mjolnir by someone called the God of Hammers. Odin took Thor to Nidavellir to have the dwarves track Mjolnir, only to discover that the God of Hammers had arrived there first and used Mjolnir to carry out a genocide against the dwarves.[73]

After Thor and Odin discussed the situation with Loki, the God of Hammers was tracked to Broxton where it devastated the town where the God of Hammers' identity was discovered to be the God Tempest who had merged with Mangog while in the Sun and planned to devastate the Ten Realms in revenge for Odin trapping it in Mjolnir eons ago. After battering Thor with Mjolnir, Odin intervened and had Sif use the Bifrost to banish the God Tempest and Mjolnir to the farthest reaches of existence. However, the God Tempest quickly returned to Earth via Mjolnir. Odin pushed Thor to safety and was struck in the back by Mjolnir, paralyzing him. Even with the help of various allies, the God Tempest couldn't be defeated. After Thor pinned the God Tempest beneath a mount of rubble using the power of Gaea, Odin apologized to Thor for causing everything that happened. He then told Thor that he was the greatest thing he ever created and revealed that he couldn't receive the entire Odinforce until he died. Odin then sacrificed his life to give Thor the full Odinforce, allowing him to finally defeat the God Tempest.[74]

After Odin's funeral, Thor learned that Odin's spirit was now residing in the reforged Mjolnir because Valhalla was completely empty, and therefore, Odin had no other place to go.[75]

[]

After Banner went on a rampage in El Paso, Texas, Thor and the Avengers began hunting him. Thor eventually found Banner. The two were eventually transported to the Black Hand of God where Thor vowed to kill Banner. Thor also argued with Odin in Mjolnir about how to fight Banner. When Banner overwhelmed Thor, Odin took control of Mjolnir and struck the arena with tremendous force, causing Thor and Banner to fall into the space below. Thor then threw Mjolnir at Banner, allowing Odin to enter Banner's mindscape.[76]

While in Banner's mindscape, Odin learned the that Banner's rampage wasn't of his own doing but of a malevolent persona called Titan that took control of his body. Odin hoped to help Banner, but he was forced out of Banner's mindscape when Thor recalled Mjolnir. Then Iron Man appeared in a Celestial-sized Hulkbuster Armor to fight Banner.[77] While Iron Man fought Banner, Odin tried to help Banner by protecting him from Iron Man and pinned him down with Mjolnir as he tried to help Banner's mental state. However, Banner was no longer in control of Hulk, causing Hulk's anger to rage out of control until he unleashed a gargantuan explosion.[78] Thor was mutated by the gamma energy released and turned violent by Banner's Titan persona. Banner became trapped inside Mjolnir while Savage Hulk battled Thor. Banner asked Odin for help. Odin agreed and piloted Mjolnir to Hulk, allowing Banner to regain control of Hulk as well as bestowing the power of Thor to Hulk. Banner and Thor then battled.[79]

Personality

Due to his status as All-Father of Asgard, Odin is an extremely prideful deity, demanding respect from all gods and mortals; he even dares to defy cosmic entities, such as the Celestials and Galactus himself. However, his pride turned him arrogant, to the point that he claimed that "the universe works according to my will" several times during his fight with Thor.[citation needed]

Despite his pride, Odin values those who have proven themselves to be worthy, as when he gave Thor his powers back, after the thunder god had learned humility. He offered Beta Ray Bill the hammer Stormbreaker, after the Korbinite defeated Thor in combat. He also forgave Jane Foster for taking Mjolnir after she sacrificed her own life to save the Asgardians from Mangog.[citation needed]

Attributes

Power Grid[107]
:Category:Power Grid/Fighting Skills/Experienced Fighter:Category:Power Grid/Energy Projection/Virtually Unlimited:Category:Power Grid/Durability/Virtually Indestructible:Category:Power Grid/Speed/Warp:Category:Power Grid/Strength/Superhuman (75-100 ton):Category:Power Grid/Intelligence/Omniscient

Powers

Odin possessed all the conventional attributes of an Asgardian God. However, as the king of the Asgardians, many of these attributes were significantly superior than those possessed by the majority of his race.

  • Superhuman Strength: In spite of his advanced age, Odin is much stronger than most Asgardians, near the time of his death he could lift 60 tons, where an average Asgardian male can lift 30 tons. However, at his peak during the time of the Celestials 3rd host on Earth, Odin could lift 75 tons, but in Odin's physical prime, he could lift 90 tons. He's also able to augment his strength to even greater heights by tapping into the Odin Force. With this power, despite being extremely weakened due to his battle with Galactus and thereby forced to go into the "Odinsleep", he was able to knock out the powerful cosmic entity with one powerful headbutt right before going into his Odinsleep (an act which injured both parties).
  • Superhuman Speed: Despite his age, Odin is capable of running and moving at speeds greater than even the finest human athlete, allowing him to rival his speed with most superhumans.
  • Superhuman Agility: Odin's agility, balance, and bodily coordination are far superior to the natural physical limits of the finest human athlete.
  • Superhuman Reflexes: Odin's reflexes are superior to the natural physical limits of the finest human athlete.
  • Superhuman Stamina: Odin's highly advanced musculature produces considerably less fatigue toxins during physical activity than the musculature of a human, and most other Asgardians. As a result, he possesses superhuman stamina in all physical activities. He could exert himself at peak capacity for months before fatigue would begin to impair him.
  • Superhumanly Dense Tissue: Odin's skin, muscle, and bone tissues are about 3 times as dense as those of a human being. This contributes, in part, to Odin's superhuman strength and weight. [6]
  • Superhuman Durability: Odin's body is considerably more resistant to physical injury than the body of a human being, or even most other Asgardians for that matter. Odin's body is capable of withstanding great impact forces, exposure to temperature and pressure extremes, falls from great heights, and powerful energy blasts from cosmic level beings without sustaining injury, however, though to what extent is unknown.
  • Regenerative Healing Factor: Like all other Asgardians, it was possible to injure Odin, but he can recover from injury with superhuman levels of speed and efficiency. Odin is capable of regenerating massive tissue damage or loss to a degree far beyond that of most other Asgardians, even of being able to regenerate missing limbs and organs, faster and with much more efficiency. Odin's healing powers are far superior to all other Asgardian Gods.
  • Near-Immortality: Odin, like all Asgardians, was extremely long-lived, although not truly immortal like Olympians. However, Odin still ages at a pace much slower than human beings. He was also immune to all known Earthly diseases and infections.
  • Odinforce: Odin is capable of manipulating vast amounts of magical energy, referred to as the Odin Power, the Odin Force, or the Odinsource, for a number of purposes. With this power, Odin was capable of magical feats such as transporting the entire human race to an alternate dimension,[39] casting foes into deep space with a thought,[80] read minds from across even dimensions,[81] projecting force blasts,[82] manipulate matter for a number of purposes, erecting nigh impenetrable force fields, barriers which can shield entire cities,[83] altering size,[84] endowing people or objects with powers,[85][86][87] and compressing the population of an entire planet into a single being, namely Mangog.[88] Odin was highly skilled in the use of his powers during combat situations, and was able to casually knock around the Silver Surfer and Thanos simultaneously and even put the Silver Surfer down in one simple blast when he got annoyed as he kept asking them to stand down, but they kept attacking to no avail, as their attacks could not even phase Odin.[89][90][82] He has easily beaten Absorbing Man (who had absorbed Asgard itself) and Loki together.[80] Odin's power is such, that he was able to bring back both Thor and Brunhilde back to life.[17] The power of the Odin Force is such that it can stop time itself, and allow one to travel through time.[91] He has taken away a soul from the demonic entity Mephisto;[92] Odin's power was so vast, that when a part of Odin, his dark side bonded with the conceptual entity Infinity, went rogue, it was so large that it could crush planets in its grip as if they were pebbles, his mere limbs stretched as far as galaxies. Odin's battle with Infinity destroyed entire galaxies and countless worlds. When awoken from his trance by Thor, Odin swiftly got rid of Infinity and with one simple act was powerful enough to restore all the damage Infinity had caused across the Universe in moments.[93] Shortly afterwards, Odin was able to easily slay the virtually indestructible Hela, Asgardian goddess of death, in an attempt to stop her from claiming Thor's life and soul, and then instantly bring her back to life upon realizing her continued existence was necessary to maintain the natural order of Asgard. Odin was able to quickly overpower Annihilus when the latter attempted to seize Asgard when its dimension intersected with that of the Negative Zone, after both Thor and the other Asgardians had failed in combat.[94][95] Odin's power is such that it has stated that at his peak, it is equal to the likes of Galactus, as Odin, right before the Odinsleep, was able to render a moderately hungry Galactus unconscious.[96] Indeed, Thanos with the Infinity Gauntlet ranked Odin at the same power level of Galactus,[97] who is on average at least universal in magnitude of power, and Odin's power was further stated in another instance to rival Galactus'.[98] Even the ability to grant human beings the gift of immortality is within Odin's grasp, as Thor asked him to do for Jane Foster in order to marry her. Odin is also capable of placing multiple permanent enchantments on items, as he did for Mjolnir, lasting until he himself cancels them or they are overpowered by a superior enchantment.

Odin was so powerful that in his fight with Seth which was waged on several planes of existence simultaneously and felt across infinite planes of reality, the energy released from their battle was so powerful it shattered entire galaxies, reignited dying suns, and, more impressively, ripped the fabric of the Multiverse itself.[84]

In battle, Odin often carries the magical spear Gungnir ("The Spear of Heaven"), an artifact made of the mystical metal uru, that he uses to channel his personal energies, though possessing no abilities of its own; and the power scepter Thrudstok, a small mace. Odin also bears Draupnir (the "Odinring") as a symbol of supremacy, though its specific properties are as of yet unknown. He can manipulate energy for various effects, including projection of concussive force, creation of force shields, levitation, molecular manipulation of matter, matter-energy conversion, illusion-casting, and interdimensional teleportation. Odin, however, is not totally self-sufficient. Odin commands the life energies of the entire Asgardian race, and can absorb any and all of their life energies into his person at will, even to the point of restoring life to a dying Asgardian. While possessing power that is inherent opposed to the need for outward sustenance Odin must once a year undertake the Sleep of Life, also known as the Odinsleep - a state of deep sleep lasting for one 24-hour day to keep his powers from waning. During this time Odin is guarded closely as he is vulnerable.[99]

Odin occasionally travels using the enchanted ship Skipbladnir, which had several mystical properties in its sails and oars, such as enabling Odin to navigate the "sea of space." The ship can be mystically shrunk to the size of a fist. Odin also rides the eight-legged steed Sleipnir, who can fly through the air at incalculable speeds.

  • Allspeak: Thanks to the Allspeak, Odin can communicate in all of the languages of the Nine Realms, Earth's dialects, and various alien languages.

Manipulation of Mjolnir: Due to his spirit residing in the mystical hammer Mjolnir, Odin is able to manipulate the hammer to a certain degree, including flying it through the air and controlling its trajectory. He was able to manipulate Mjolnir to the extent to where he could have it move faster than the speed of sound and strike a powerful blow.[76] Odin is also able to negate or alter Mjolnir's worthiness enchantment, allowing Hulk to be bestowed with the power of Thor.[79]

  • Possession: As a spirit, Odin is able to possess a person's body and enter their mindscape through Mjolnir.[76][100]

Abilities

  • God of Wisdom: Vast knowledge of ancient and arcane wisdom, considered to be his most powerful weapon.
  • Expert Combatant: Odin is a skilled hand to hand combatant.
  • Master Tactician: His thousands of years of experience resulted in him becoming a master tactician which could possibly win him many battles. In addition to feat such as preventing Ragnarok,[101] it has been revealed that Odin was planning for the arrival of the Celestials Fourth Host for centuries.[102][103] Odin's wisdom was such that he was able to ultimately thwart the eternal cycle of Ragnarok forever by sending Thor to Midgard as part of his secret plan to destroy the Asgardian cosmic entities known as Those Who Sit Above in Shadow. Even after Odin had perished fighting Surtur, his plan for his son succeeded and set all of Asgard free.
  • Asgardian Mystical Combatant: Odin was also extremely adept at wielding his vast energy powers during combat situations. Odin was extremely skilled at using Asgardian magic, surpassing even that of Karnilla or the Enchantress.

Weaknesses

  • Odinsleep: At periodical intervals, approximately once every year, Odin is required to sleep for about a week to renew his godly energies.[104] If Odin misses the Odinsleep (a state of deep sleep where he recharged the Odinforce, but left him as vulnerable as a mortal), his power level begins to diminish.[104] Odin's power is also dependent upon the dimension of Asgard itself.[104]

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Odin normally wears Asgardian battle armor. He also at times wears a blue cloak with a wide brimmed hat covering his missing left eye, at which times it was said he went by the name Grimner.

  • Draupnir: Odin also wore Draupnir (the "Odinring") as a symbol of supremacy. The specific properties of the ring are as yet unknown.

Weapons

  • Gungnir: ("The Spear of Heaven"), which was made of Uru, a metal unique to the dimension of Asgard. The origin of this three-pronged spear was unknown. Odin enchanted the spear to return to his hand when thrown. Gungnir had no powers on its own; rather, it served as a conduit through which Odin could channel his power.
  • Thrudstok: a power scepter, a small mace. Like Gungnir, it was made of Uru. Thrudstok had no powers on its own; rather, it served as a conduit through which Odin could channel his power.
  • Odinsword: Also known as the Over Sword of Asgard. A special weapon. It was a giant-sized sword that, if ever unsheathed, it was said, that "the end of the universe is at hand".

Transportation

  • Skidbladnir: A Viking-style long-boat whose enchanted sails and oars enabled it to navigate the "sea of space". Its mystical properties enabled Asgardians to ride it safely without any natural protection from the vacuum of space. Skidbladnir could be mystically shrunk to the size of a fist.
  • Sleipnir: Odin rode the eight-legged steed Sleipnir, who could fly through the air at incredible speeds.

Notes

  • Odin has utilized multiple animals in his service.
    • Munin: Odin's raven, flew through the Nine Worlds gathering information which it conveyed to Odin.
    • Hugin: Another raven, which performed the same function, was somehow killed while investigating Surtur's latest plot against Asgard.
    • Freki & Geri: Odin's two intelligent wolves who served him.
    • Sleipnir: Odin's mighty steed whom of which he often road throughout the Nine Realms, as a boy Odin and his two brothers sought to tame him in order to curb his rampages.
  • Odin losing his eye has multiple contradicting and often contradictory causes and occurrences:

Trivia

  • According to himself, Odin has fathered more sons than he cares to remember with the many lovers he has had over the eons.[106]

See Also

Links and References

References

  1. Thor Ages of Thunder #1
  2. Thor #240
  3. Thor #184
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica #1 ; Odin's entry
  5. 5.0 5.1 Savage Sword of Conan #40
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica #1 ; Asgardians' entry
  7. 7.0 7.1 Captain America: Hail Hydra #1 's recap
  8. Thor #497
  9. Thor #620.1
  10. 10.0 10.1 Fear Itself #4
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Secret Avengers #14
  12. 12.0 12.1 Thor (Vol. 2) #83
  13. 13.0 13.1 Journey Into Mystery #85
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 Loki: Agent of Asgard #11
  15. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (Vol. 2) #6
  16. Marvel Graphic Novel #15
  17. 17.0 17.1 Thor #300
  18. 18.0 18.1 Thor (Vol. 3) #8
  19. Journey Into Mystery #97
  20. Thor Annual #5
  21. Thor #294
  22. Mighty Thor (Vol. 3) #12
  23. Thor (Vol. 3) #7
  24. Marvel Legacy #1
  25. Avengers (Vol. 8) #4
  26. 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 26.4 26.5 26.6 Mighty Thor (Vol. 2) #7
  27. New Mutants (Vol. 3) #31
  28. 28.0 28.1 Fear Itself #6
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  31. Conan the Savage #3
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  34. Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #37
  35. Marvel Holiday Special #1991
  36. Marvel Holiday Special #2006 ; Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Santa Claus
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  42. Thor (Vol. 3) #1
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  46. Fear Itself #7
  47. Original Sin #5.4
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  49. Loki: Agent of Asgard #7
  50. Original Sin #7
  51. Thor (Vol. 4) #5
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  55. Mighty Thor (Vol. 3) #4
  56. Mighty Thor (Vol. 3) #5
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  64. War of the Realms #5
  65. War of the Realms #6
  66. Thor (Vol. 5) #16
  67. Thor (Vol. 6) #13
  68. Thor (Vol. 6) #14
  69. Thor (Vol. 6) #16
  70. Avengers (Vol. 8) #4243
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  74. Thor (Vol. 6) #2023
  75. Thor (Vol. 6) #24
  76. 76.0 76.1 76.2 Hulk Vs. Thor: Banner of War Alpha #1
  77. Thor (Vol. 6) #25
  78. Hulk (Vol. 5) #7
  79. 79.0 79.1 Thor (Vol. 6) #26
  80. 80.0 80.1 Journey Into Mystery #123
  81. Thor #172
  82. 82.0 82.1 Mighty Thor #471
  83. Thor #338
  84. 84.0 84.1 Journey Into Mystery #513
  85. Thor #339
  86. Mighty Thor #459
  87. Thor #378
  88. Thor #154157
  89. Mighty Thor #470
  90. Warlock and the Infinity Watch #25
  91. Thor (Vol. 2) #79
  92. Thunderstrike #15
  93. Thor #185188
  94. Thor #405
  95. Thor #406
  96. Mighty Thor (Vol. 2) #5
  97. Thanos Annual #1
  98. Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Comics Magazine #11
  99. Journey Into Mystery #118
  100. Thor (Vol. 6) #2526
  101. Thor #273278
  102. Thor Annual #7
  103. Thor #283301
  104. 104.0 104.1 104.2 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #8
  105. Mighty Thor (Vol. 2) #18
  106. Thor (Vol. 5) #10
  107. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Book of the Dead 2004 Vol 1 1
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