Karnilla the Norn Queen is a sorceress and the Queen of Nornheim (one of the Asgardian provinces). She has proved to be an enemy of Asgard, allying with Loki, though she is deeply in love with Balder the Brave.
When she first appeared, Karnilla saved Balder the Brave from assassination by Loki. She says the reason was that like everything that existed in Asgard, with the exception of mistletoe, she promised to protect Balder.[1] She then lent Loki some magic from the Norn stones.[2]
Later, she was accidentally responsible for granting the Wrecker supernatural power that was intended for Loki.[3] She then allied with Loki, and tricked Sif into animating the Destroyer.[4] However, during this plan she became romantically attracted to Balder.[5] She declared her love for Balder, but was spurned.[6] Heartbroken, she pitted Balder against the Legion of the Lost.[7] Later, she tried to tempt Balder to renounce his service to Odin,[8] and then tried to capture Balder.[9] She then saved Balder and the Warriors Three from the Thermal Man.[10]
Karnilla later cast a spell waking Odin in time to defeat Infinity.[11] She finally forced Balder to renounce Odin and serve her.[12] With Loki, she created Durok the Demolisher to battle Thor.[13] Before too long, she released Balder from her service.[14]
Later, she allied with Thor against Mangog and Igron.[15] She and Balder then defended Asgard against an assault by animated suits of armor. They then battled the Enchantress and Executioner, but were defeated by Kroda the Duelist.[16] She then battled Loki to save Balder.[17]
After a while, she was spurned again by Balder, who had given up his career as a warrior on returning from the dead.[18] Undaunted, she abducted Balder and his new beloved, Nanna. Karnilla forced Balder to agree to marry her to save Nanna's life.[19] With Loki, she then released a Snow Giant to battle Thor, but betrayed Loki and was defeated by him.[20] She later sought Balder's forgiveness for Nanna's death.[21]
Karnilla revealed the location of the Rose of Purity to the Enchantress.[22] She then joined in an alliance of Loki and Tyr against Odin.[23] Later, she was petitioned by Balder to join forces with Asgard against Surtur.[24]
Karnilla then schemed to keep Balder with her in Nornheim.[25] However, she eventually came to regret her actions as she had truly fallen in love with him.[volume&issueneeded] She was then captured by Utgard-Loki and the Frost Giants, who tormented and humiliated her by cutting her long black hair down to a flat top and forcing her to be their slave.[26] She was rescued by Balder and Agnar and returned to Nornheim.[27]
She later saved Balder from the forces of Seth.[28] Some of her subjects which had been turned to stone were then returned to life, although still stone.[29] Karnilla joined with a resistance force against the death-goddess Hela. Her allies included the Warriors Three, the wolf-prince Hrimhari, various troll races and the mortal New Mutants. The goal of saving Odin from death at the hands of Hela was accomplished.[30]
Following the Fear Itself storyline, Karnilla began to prepare an attack on the now-Earthbound Asgard. Her first assault was to replace Thor (killed by the Serpent with a wound that created a rift in time and space) with a new thunder god Taranus (really a disguised Ulik), with all of Thor's allies memories being altered so that they remember Taranus rather than Thor, save for Loki.[31]
Karnilla came to the defense of Asgard when Hela's armies of the dead threatened it.[32]
Powers and abilities
Karnilla is a member of the race of superhumans known as Asgardians, giving her superhuman strength, speed, stamina, durability, agility, and reflexes. She also possesses additional powers through her manipulation of the forces of magic, including the enchantment of physical and sensory abilities, physical malleability, temporary paralysis or sleep, inter-dimensional teleportation, energy projection and deflection, elemental conversion, and illusion-casting. She can even cast permanent spells interdimensionally with no significant preparation or effort.
Karnilla possesses vast knowledge of magical spells and enchantments of Asgardian origin, granting her skills that have been described as equal to those of Loki,[33][34] or surpassed only by Odin among Asgardians.[35]
Alternate versions
In the Ultimate Marvel universe version of Asgard, Karnilla is a central member of the Royal court. Her favor is sought through light-hearted games of wrestling and sparring.[36]
Karnilla appears in the Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers animated motion-comic, voiced by Phoebe Stewart.[37] This was adapted from a four issue series where Karnilla assists Loki in conquering all of Asgard.[38]
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