Fenris Wolf (Marvel Comics)

Fenris Wolf
The Fenris Wolf on the cover of Warriors Three #3 (February 2011). Art by Neil Edwards.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Journey into Mystery #114 (Mar 1965)
Created by	Stan Lee (writer) Jack Kirby (artist)
In-story information
Species	Giant wolf

The Fenris Wolf is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, based on the wolf Fenrir from Norse mythology.

Fenris makes her live-action debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film, Thor: Ragnarok (2017). Alternate versions of Fenris appear in the animated series, What If... ? (2023).

Publication history

The Fenris Wolf first appeared in Marvel Comics in Journey into Mystery #114 (March 1965), and was adapted from Norse legends by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. ^[1]

The character subsequently appeared in Thor #276-278 (Oct.–Dec. 1978) and Thor (vol. 2) #80-83 (Aug.–Oct. 2004) and 85 (Dec. 2004).

The Fenris Wolf received an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #4.

Fictional character biography

The Fenris Wolf is a creature of Asgardian origin, said to be the product of a union between Loki and the giantess Angrboda.

However, many years ago, he was part of the basis of the story Little Red Riding Hood . The goddess Iduna walks the forests of Asgard carrying a bundle of golden apples. These "Golden Apples of Immortality" are for All-Father Odin, and Iduna takes them to him every year. Along her journey, she meets Haakun the Hunter. Haakun greets her warmly and tells her to go in peace.^{[ volume & issue needed ]}

As Iduna continues further down the path, the Fenris Wolf sees her and transforms himself. Iduna next comes upon "a frail stranger". The stranger offers Iduna protection along her journey, but she declines the offer. The stranger takes a strong interest in Iduna's basket and begins asking her questions. She quickly grows suspicious, saying his hands seem so grasping and brutal, and his voice sounds like that of a beast. She finds his manner sinister and frightening, and says his eyes burn with hatred and pure savagery. She then discovers that the stranger is actually the Fenris Wolf in disguise. The Fenris Wolf shapeshifts into his true form and attacks her. Haakun the Hunter arrives and drives the Fenris Wolf away with his enchanted battle axe, causing the Fenris Wolf to shrink in an attempt to escape. The axe pursues the Fenris Wolf and finally strikes him, spiriting him off to the shadowy land of Varinheim.^{[ volume & issue needed ]}

Just like Norse mythology, Odin had the Dwarfs forge the chain Gleipnir ("deceiver" or "entangler"). It appeared to be only a silken ribbon, but was made of six wondrous ingredients: the sound of a cat's footfall, the beard of a woman, the roots of a mountain, bear's sinews, fish's breath, and bird's spittle (which explains why these things are not found today). When it came to binding the Fenris Wolf, Tyr lost his hand in the process, as the Fenris Wolf would only allow the chain to be put on him if one of the gods put their hand in his mouth.^{[ volume & issue needed ]}

It is prophesied that when Ragnarok occurs, the Fenris Wolf will devour Odin.^{[ volume & issue needed ]}

Hela at one time unchained the Fenris Wolf to bring about Ragnarok, only to be thwarted by Thor. ^[2]

A giant offspring of the Fenris Wolf, named Hoarfen, once battled the Hulk and his Pantheon allies. The battle goes poorly for Hoarfen, causing him many injuries. ^[3]

True Ragnarok

Loki later unchained the Fenris Wolf to aid him, Ulik, and Hyrm in attacking Asgard, using weapons that were forged for them by Surtur. Ulik and the Fenris Wolf attacked Thor together, only for Thor to attack them using Mjolnir, which resulted in the blast removing Sif's arm. Hyrm joined up with Ulik and the Fenris Wolf and managed to shatter Mjolnir. ^[4]

The Fenris Wolf then attacked Thor, Captain America, and Iron Man when they were in Asgard. When the Fenris Wolf was about to attack Thor, Captain America kicked the Fenris Wolf in the stomach to reclaim his shield, then Thor defeated him, causing him to flee. ^[5]

When Kurse was protecting innocent children, the Fenris Wolf fought Kurse and killed him by sending a hammer into his skull.^{[ volume & issue needed ]}

The Fenris Wolf assisted in the attack on Vanaheim and faced Thor again in battle. Thor bound the Fenris Wolf in chains and used his body to knock down Durok in order to save Sif. With Durok slain, the Fenris Wolf snapped his chains and fought Thor, only to be struck down by Beta Ray Bill. Beta Ray Bill used the power of his hammer Stormbreaker upon the Fenris Wolf, reducing him to a skeleton as the monster's punishment for attacking a weakened Thor. Those that were fighting with the Fenris Wolf fled.^{[ volume & issue needed ]}

The Fenris Wolf returned to life and swallowed Asgard's sun and moon assisting to bring about Ragnarok, as Asgard perishes. ^[6]

The Fenris Wolf is the ancestor of the Asgardian Hrimhari. ^[7]

Asgard reforms and re-establishes itself over the state of Oklahoma.^{[ volume & issue needed ]} The Fenris Wolf escapes from his prison, a place deep in the dimensional 'Hells' and steals a technological device that would slaughter innocents, humans and gods alike. The Warriors Three, with the aid of a superpowered A.I.M. scientist, defeat him in an honorable battle. He is now kept prisoner in an Asgardian courtyard, where he may be better supervised. ^[8]

In other media

Film

The Fenris Wolf in Thor: Ragnarok .

• The Fenris Wolf appears in Thor: Tales of Asgard , voiced by Brian Drummond.
• The Fenris Wolf appears in the live-action film, Thor: Ragnarok (2017). ^{[9] [10]} This version is a female Asgardian wolf and Hela's pet who was previously killed millennia ago but is resurrected in the present to aid Hela in ruling Asgard. ^[11] During the film's climax, Fenris battles the Hulk and is tossed off the side of Asgard into the void below.

Television

• The Fenris Wolf appears in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes , with vocal effects provided by Fred Tatasciore. ^[12]
• The Fenris Wolf appears in the Ultimate Spider-Man two-part episode "The Avenging Spider-Man" as one of several Asgardian creatures subjected to Doctor Octopus's mass-produced Venom symbiote commanded by Loki.
• The Fenris Wolf makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the Avengers Assemble episode "A Friend in Need" as an inmate of Asgard's prison.
• Alternate versions of Fenris appear in the second season of What If... ? (2023).^{[ citation needed ]}
  • In What If... Hela Found the Ten Rings?, this version is depicted as a protagonist. Fenris is depicted as Hela's pet from when they were both young. Following Hela's banishment and change of heart, Fenris accompanies her and the Ten Rings in bringing about good to the universe. They begin with stopping Thanos taking a young Gamora from her home planet.
  • In What If... Strange Supreme Intervened?, another version of Fenris appears, having been captured with Hela by Doctor Strange Supreme.

Video games

• An assortment of Fenris Wolves serve as enemies in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance .

References

1. DeFalco, Tom; Sanderson, Peter; Brevoort, Tom; Teitelbaum, Michael; Wallace, Daniel; Darling, Andrew; Forbeck, Matt; Cowsill, Alan; Bray, Adam (2019). The Marvel Encyclopedia. DK Publishing. p. 129. ISBN   978-1-4654-7890-0.
2. Thor #276 (Oct. 1978)
3. Incredible Hulk #409-410
4. Thor (vol. 2) #80
5. Thor (vol. 2) #81
6. Thor (vol. 2) #82-85 (Dec. 2004-March 2005)
7. Thor Annual #12
8. Warriors Three #1-4 (2010-2011)
9. Vejvoda, Jim (July 23, 2016). "COMIC-CON 2016: Thor: Ragnarok Includes Surtur and Fenris". IGN. Archived from the original on July 24, 2016. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
10. Outlaw, Kofi (2017-07-22). "Marvel's Fenris Wolf Revealed in Thor: Ragnarok Trailer". ComicBook.com . Retrieved 2017-07-24.
11. Frei, Vincent (November 17, 2017). "Thor– Ragnarok: Alexis Wajsbrot, Kyle McCulloch & Jonathan Fawkner – VFX Supervisors – Framestore". Art of VFX.
12. "Fenris Voice - The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (TV Show) - Behind The Voice Actors". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved November 4, 2023. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.

External links

• Fenris Wolf at The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe