This article contains spoilers for Wonder Woman #771
In her latest comic, Wonder Woman's new ally, Ratatoskr, is lifted straight from Marvel Comics. Princess Diana is most commonly associated with the Greek legends; after all, she's the daughter of Zeus, an Amazon who hails from the island of Themyscira. But her latest adventure has taken Wonder Woman to Theyscira's opposite, Asgard, and she is battling to save the Nine Realms from a mysterious threat.
DC's version of Asgard is very different than Marvel's. It's actually a lot more accurate to the Norse legends, and frankly, their version of Thor is a total jerk. He couldn't care less about the fate of his warriors, unconcerned at the fact that they're vanishing, and is content to stay in Valhalla feasting on meat and mead. The contrasts are sure to delight those who are familiar with Marvel's version of Norse mythology, simply because everything is both familiar and so strange at one and the same time.
Take, for example, Wonder Woman's new ally Ratatosk. In Norse mythology, Ratatoskr is a squirrel who runs up and down the world tree Yggdrasil to convey messages, and in Wonder Woman #771 he's the only one attempting to preserve the dying world tree. What's amusing, though, is that aspects of his character evoke memories of Marvel's own version. The Ratatoskr of Marvel is a treacherous villain who enjoys deception and loves to make cryptic comments.
Michael W. Conrad, Becky Cloonan, and Travis Moore are clearly having a blast creating DC's version of Asgard, and most attention will undoubtedly be drawn to major characters like Thor. But Ratatosk is perhaps the most interesting of them all, in that Marvel's Ratatoskr is such a minor character in Marvel's mythology but has become a key player in DC's developing Asgardian lore. The DC Ratatosk appears trustworthy, but he clearly has some sort of an agenda, which means he may well be as deceitful as Marvel's.
It will be interesting to see whether Wonder Woman can save Asgard from the impending Ragnarok. If she does succeed, it's possible Asgard will become a mainstay in the DC universe as well as Marvel's, two different versions of an ancient mythology brought to life in comic book form. Wonder Woman has long served as a bridge between the gods and men, and she could yet play the same role for a whole new pantheon.