Marvel's WAR OF THE REALMS: What Readers Need To Know

Marvel Comics' latest event, "War of the Realms," places Thor in center stage - and here's everything you need to know ahead of the event. Writer Jason Aaron has become one of the most important figures in Marvel Comics. He took charge of the Thor comics back in 2012, and launched a popular arc that's transformed the Thor mythology. But everything has been building up to "War of the Realms."

At first glance, that may make this particular event seem daunting for new readers; fortunately Aaron is a skilled writer, and he's always mindful of the fact that every comic could be a reader's first. Meanwhile, Marvel has a habit of publishing brief recaps and roll-call pages at the beginning of their books, which really help new readers to jump right in. For all that's the case, though, there are lots of nuances that are easy to miss.

Given that's the case, here's a primer on everything you need to know ahead of War of the Realms #1.

War Rages Across The Ten Realms

In the Marvel Comics Universe, there are ten distinct "Realms" - mysterious worlds, or planes of reality, that are linked across the branches of Yggdrasill, the World Tree. Film fans will be familiar with this idea, which was a major part of the Convergence in Thor: The Dark World, but in the comics there are ten Realms - not nine. These are:

Asgard, home of the gods
Niffleheim, which contains the Kingdom of the Dead, ruled by Hela
Vanaheim, the original home of a race known as the Vanir
Jotunheim, land of the Frost Giants
Muspelheim, the fiery Realm of Surtur
Alfheim, home of the Light Elves
Svartalfheim, the Realm of Malekith and the Dark Elves
Nidavellir, where the Dwarves live
Heven, the land of the Angels
Midgard: The Asgardian name for Earth

Heven is a recent addition to Marvel Comics lore, introduced by Aaron during his run. The Angels of Heven launched an attack upon ancient Asgard, capturing Odin's daughter Angela and taking her hostage. In retaliation, omnipotent Odin cut Heven off from the World Tree, and erased all memory of their existence from the Nine Realms. They became the subject of legend, until the Avengers caused a breach in reality that restored the link between Heven and the World Tree, and brought Thor's sister Angela into play.

Aaron's story has seen Malekith the Accursed rise to power, escaping from prison on Niffleheim and regaining control of the Dark Elves. Wily and dangerous, Malekith has forged alliances with other enemies of Asgard - ranging from the Enchantress to Laufey, King of the Frost Giants - and has declared war on any Realm which challenges his rule. The Gardens of the Light Elves are no more. In the Land of the Dwarves, the very mountains are burning. The gods of the Vanir lie trapped beneath their own temples. Even Hel itself has been ravaged. Malekith has emerged victorious at every step, overcome fearsome odds to become master of nine Realms - and now his eyes are set on Midgard.

Asgard Has Fallen

In a masterstroke, Malekith unleashed a primal force known as the Mangog upon Asgard itself. The Mangog draws its sustenance from the sense of injustice many have towards the gods, their frustration at being subject to their mercurial whims. It was more powerful than ever before, granted almost unstoppable might by the suffering of billions across the Realms. As a result, when it arrived on Asgard the Mangog ravaged the entire Realm. It killed countless of Asgard's mightiest defenders, blinded Heimdall, and shattered the Bifrost. It would have even killed Odin himself if not for the intervention of Thor.

Led by Lady Freyja, Thor's mother, Asgardian refugees have settled on Earth. Odin and Heimdall are the only two people who remain on Asgard; Heimdall keeps his watch, grieving for the loss of everything he has ever loved, while Odin has been drowning his sorrows in ale. Of late the All-Father has begun to face his own failures at last, though, actually calling in fellow alcoholic Tony Stark for advice. But will Odin's recovery be too late?

Loki Is Playing Both Sides

Naturally, Loki has been making the most of the opportunities presented by Malekith's rise to power. The Trickster God's loyalties are divided; on the one hand, he has been consistently rejected by Asgard, and has seen the War of the Realms as an opportunity to gain the love of his father, Laufey. On the other, though, Loki truly does still love his All-Mother, Freyja. He's struggling to navigate these conflicting desires, and is gradually realizing he's placed himself in an impossible position. Unfortunately for Loki, his attempts to manipulate events have earned him the enmity of pretty much everyone in the Ten Realms.

Even Freyja doubts him, given he literally stabbed her in the back as part of his games, while Malekith has him targeted for death. Laufey, for his part, considers his son to be a waste of time and an insult to the entire Frost Giant race. It sure would be nice if he had his brother Thor on his side. But that's where things get even worse...

Page 2: Thor & Mjolnir Are Lost As The WAR Begins

Thor Is Weaker Than Ever Before

Thor Odinson has been fighting on the front lines of the War of the Realms for months - and he's suffered terribly as a result. Malekith actually managed to cut off the Thunder God's left arm, which has been replaced with metal. Worse still, Mjolnir itself has been lost, cast into the sun in order to destroy the Mangog. The Dwarves have been arming Thor with new hammers, each containing just a fragment of Uru and thus granting him his powers once again, but these don't last long before they break under the strain of the power Thor channels through them. While Thor is still a major player in the War of the Realms, he is at his weakest.

But Is Mjolnir Really Destroyed?

Grieving the loss of Mjolnir, Thor has been unable to accept that his enchanted hammer is truly gone. He's been combing the Sun for it, diving into the star and searching until his hammers melt. Thor #11 hinted that he may well be right; there is still some force residing within the Sun, and it does indeed seem to be responding to Thor's presence.

Aaron has rewritten the history of Mjolnir during his run, transforming it into something far more powerful than ever before. In 2016's The Mighty Thor #12, he revealed that Mjolnir contained a force known as the God Tempest. This was a storm beyond any other storms, hailing from the first days of creation, that found the gods worthy of judgment. It came to Asgard, and found itself confronted by Odin. They were matched, until Odin managed to trap the God Tempest within a chunk of Uru. He had the Dwarves carve that Uru into a weapon, Mjolnir. Through the influence of the God Tempest, Aaron has treated Mjolnir as a character in its own right, burning with a desire to protect and defend. It could yet be a major player in the War of the Realms.

Could Jane Foster Become Thor Once Again?

One of the unexpected stars of the Aaron run was Jane Foster, the human who Thor had loved for a time. In an unexpected twist, Jane proved herself worthy to pick up the hammer, and claimed the mantle of Thor for herself. But there was a price; Jane was dying for cancer, and every time she transformed it reversed the effects of the chemotherapy. She came within an inch of death, sacrificing herself in order to defeat the Mangog, but was saved by Odin, Thor, and the God Tempest. Jane was forbidden from wielding one of Thor's hammers, for fear doing so would kill her, but the comics have recently revealed that the cancer is now entirely gone from her system. It's entirely possible she could choose to wield one or more of the Dwarven hammers that have been crafted for Thor.

War of the Realms #1 is available now from your local comic book store, or directly from Marvel Comics.