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Quote1 Death to Svartalfheim! Death to the dogs of Malekith! Quote2
All-Mother Freyja

Appearing in "Chapter Four: The Stand at the Black Bridge"

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Synopsis for "Chapter Four: The Stand at the Black Bridge"

In the ruins of Alfheim, Queen Aelsa Featherwine of the Fay and Sir Ivory Honeyshot ready their weapons as a Black Bifrost portal opens. The Punisher steps through and is confronted by the two light elves. Despite being held at point-blank gunpoint by Honeyshot, the Punisher coldly informs them that he's not a servant of Malekith and is working for All-Mother Freyja, offering them a chance at revenge.

In Asgard, a dark elf calls out to Bitterhand to open the Black Bifrost and send reinforcements, but is knocked out by Daredevil, who apologizes to Heimdall for his lapse in attentiveness allowing the Bifrost to be destroyed. All-Mother Jane Foster asks Daredevil if he was able to hold the Bifrost open long enough for their strikeforces to return home, but Daredevil says he wasn't and that they must pray to Freyja that they can still hold the Black Bifrost.

In Svartalfheim, Freyja kills Bitterhand and claims his cursed sword, the Bitterblade, becoming the Guardian of the Black Bifrost. Wreathed in dark energy and her eyes turning purple with black sclerae, Freyja states she has been given all-sight for everything dark and evil, and that she foresees more dark elves dying to her blade. Freyja orders She-Hulk through the portal, but She-Hulk refuses - wanting to smash more elves. Freyja tells her that she's powerful enough to hold off all of Svartalfheim, and when She-Hulk still refuses to leave her Freyja impatiently conjures a portal around her and teleports her away. As thousands of dark elves swarm the bridge, Freyja declares that she'll kill all of them.

In Nidavellir, She-Hulk reduces the dwarves to tears with a short, brusque three-sentence command to follow her and smash everything. In Vanaheim, Blade recruits the Vanir to take revenge on Malekith for razing their sacred forests and defiling their temples. In Niffleheim, Ghost Rider recruits the Spiders of Hel, quipping that he didn't think his life could get any more metal. In Jotunheim, Captain America escorts his strikeforce and Thor through a Black Bifrost portal, Spider-Man trying to rescue Wolverine from a Frost Giant. The strikeforce arrives in Avengers Mountain to find it under seige from Fire Demons, Frost Giants, and other monsters, T'Challa instructing Shuri to unleash the power of the Progenitor on their enemies. Shuri is left awestruck as the Celestial's corpse annihilates the horde. Captain America orders for Thor to be sent to the infirmary, but his debriefing of Ghost Rider is interrupted by All-Father Odin, who staggers into the room furiously demanding to know where his wife is.

Carving a swath through the dark elf army, Freyja lists the ongoing travasties she's witnessing - Valkyrie lying dead in Manhattan, Captain Marvel and the Agents of Atlas fighting Fire Goblins in China, Thor's injuries being treated, the Venom symbiote being tortured by Malekith, and even back through time to Malekith's own hellish childhood as a corpse-burner; stating that he will never stop fighting until he has won, but neither will they. In Manhattan, King Laufey perches on the ruins of the Statue of Liberty and laughs, swatting fighter jets out of the sky as they attack him.

In Stonehenge, Malekith smirks and gloats to the Venom symbiote, which he has restrained with dark magic. Remarking that ancient ruins like Stonehenge are resplendent with old magic, Malekith gleefully states that Midgard is the best realm to make war in, mockingly addressing the symbiote as "Sir Venom." The Venom symbiote snarls insults at Malekith, who uses his magic to torture it while lamenting its impudent arrogance. Stating that it's been bonded to a mortal host for far too long, Malekith declares his intent to use the Venom symbiote for the purpose that Knull first intended: as a weapon to slay gods. As the symbiote screams, Malekith calls out to Bitterhand to send him some wine wenches so that he can drink while he bends the symbiote to his will. Hearing no reply, Malekith realizes that something has gone wrong in Svartalfheim.

In the Avengers Mountain, Odin berates Captain America for letting his wife go to Svartalfheim and leaving her there to die. Captain America states that those were his orders, suggesting they use the Black Bifrost portal to go to Svartalfheim and rescue her. Odin vetoes that, saying that as its Guardian Freyja would never let any of them through if she doesn't wish it. Odin states that as the All-Father, he's the only one who can make the trip, telling them to bring him Gungnir. Tony Stark and Screwbeard arrive, saying they have something better than a spear: a suit of powered armor forged with dwarven magic and re-enforced with Wakandan Vibranium. Telling Stark to shut up, Odin snaps that it had better be good at killing elves.

In Svartalfheim, Freyja notes that the strikeforces have all made it back and now have mystical allies to aid them in retaking Midgard. She turns to destroy the Black Bifrost, but is stabbed by a dagger of living abyss - the Venom symbiote reshaped in emulation of All-Black. Stepping through the Black Bifrost portal, Malekith says that she may be its Guardian, but that he is master of Svartalfheim and everything in it. Freyja stares down at the blade impaling her and asks Malekith what kind of foul weapon it is, Malekith responding that it is one that will kill her once and for all. Freyja prepares to slash him with the Bitterblade, but Malekith gestures and the Venom symbiote restrains her with tendrils. As Malekith orders his troops to feed Freyja to his dogs, Odin - clad in Stark's "Iron All-Father" armor emerges from the portal, blasting Malekith and his elves aside with beams of energy. Freyja incredulously remarks on the gaudy gold-and-red suit before refusing to leave, saying they have to destroy the Black Bifrost. Freyja tells Odin to leave her, but he refuses - saying they'll die together and be reunited in Hel. As they stand back to back, Freyja wryly remarks that they've been married for thousands of years and only now does he turn her on. Stabbing the Bitterblade into the ground, Freyja self-destructs the Black Bifrost; Malekith unable to do anything but watch in outrage and scream ineffectual orders. As the Black Bifrost explodes, Freyja and Odin lean in to kiss each other but are engulfed by the blast before they can do so.

In Avengers Mountain, Thor enters the armory to find the Punisher distributing firearms to the light elves. As the elves bow to him and even the Punisher gives his condolences, Thor retrieves his prosthetic arm. Jane Foster delivers a speech, stating that Odin and Freyja are presumed dead and the Black Bifrost gone, but that this means that Malekith's army can no longer be re-enforced while they have aid from across the Nine Realms. Wielding a spiked hammer and Jarnbjorn, Thor bursts into the hall, interrupting Jane's speech and declaring that he will lead the battle against Malekith's forces.

Solicit Synopsis

Pray to All-Mother Freyja! For in her hands lies the key to ending Malekith’s war. The Black Bifrost — the only method of travel for Malekith’s vast armies — must fall. Even with the Punisher, Ghost Rider, Blade and Hulk (Jen Walters) at Freyja’s side, how many Dark Elves can one goddess kill? While Freyja’s team heads for the swamps of Svartalfheim, Captain America’s rescue mission in Jotunheim faces the wrath of giants, Captain Marvel leads a global assault team against Malekith’s allies and the Black Panther defends Avengers Mountain against a siege of mythic proportion. None of them know that Malekith has a secret weapon. And its bite will prove most…VENOMOUS.

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