Frost Giants (Marvel)

The new Thor battles a Frost Giant in Thor v4 #2.

The Frost Giants are a species that feature in Marvel Comics.

History

Frost Giants were one of the races of giants that inhabited the Nine Realms who were native to the realm of Jotunheim. (Journey into Mystery v1 #112) Long ago, beneath the endless wastes of ice resided the Well of Life from which all rivers flowed. After centuries, a new strange form of life erupted from the ice that magically appeared and took form with this becoming the first of the Frost Giants named Ymir. (Journey into Mystery v1 #97) From his form came many of his children and continued to melt with the cow Audumla that was the wet-nurse for the giants. When the cow licked the ice, the first of the gods emerged who was named Buri that the giants allowed to live as they were intrigued by him. From these gods, the race of the Asgardian Aesir emerging with Buri having a son named Bor who married a giantess and having his own children including Odin, Ve and Vili. Odin came to hate the race of his mother and waged war against them by first striking against Ymir himself. Ymir was slain and from his blue blood emerged a great flood that filled the world drowning the giants except for Bergelmir who survived on a boat with his wife allowing their kind to survive. (Thor Annual v1 #5) Among the direct offspring of Ymir were the primal Ice Giants and it was from them that the race of Frost Giants was born. (Giant-Man v1 #3) For eons, the ways of the Jotnar remained unchanged since the time they first arose from the rime. (Thor v4 #3) Long ago, the first of the Valkyrior descended into madness where they became the blighted host of the Doom Maidens that cut a path of destruction across the cosmos. Among those that stood as a bulwark against them were the Frost Giant Jarls of Jotunheim but they fell before these warriors. (Fearless Defenders v1 #3)

Many years ago, the Asgardians were engaged in a bloody nine-month conflict with the Frost Giants on the Plains of Vanaheim. (Thor: Trial of Thor v1 #1) In an effort to destroy Asgard, the warrior-chief Bjorn the White awakened the ice giant Ymir from Niffleheim and formed an alliance with the Storm Giants. Together, they made their way to the god-city in order to lay siege to it but were defeated despite their plan to use Vidar Odinson's mother the giantess Grid as a hostage. (Marvel Super-Heroes v2 #5)

The Nazis awoke a sleeping Frost Giant when they were searching for the Hammer of Skirn. (Fear Itself: The Fearless v1 #5)

The Frost Giant wizard Bellos sought to begin the Endless Cycle of Ragnarok and to do so he killed seven giant children whose blood he collected. He made his way to the fabled Crack of Doom whilst being pursued by a war party set to avenge the deaths of the children. A spear was sent that killed Bellos but not before he deposited the blood within the Crack of Doom. (Thor v1 #419) This led to the awakening of Ymir who broke forth and killed the Frost Giants before him as he sought to march towards Asgard and destroy the city of the gods. (Thor v1 #421) Such was his power that he effortlessly broke the line of the defenders which was when Surtur emerged having been disguised as All-Father Odin with the two elemental demons battling one another as per the prophecy of the Ragnarok. (Thor v1 #424)

Odin summoned Thor to fight an invasion of Frost Giants, but Thor ignored this to help Midgard. The Thermal Man from Midgard was sent to fight the Frost Giants and send them back to Jotunheim. (Marvel Super-Heroes v2 #9)

Thor went to the Three Norns and destroyed the Loom of the Fates, thus cutting off Those Who Sit Above in Shadow, possibly destroying them. (Thor v2 #82) This also destroyed Yggdrasil and ended all lives of those who dwelt in Asgard and all the other Nine Worlds including Jotunheim, except for Midgard. (Thor v2 #85)

When united with Wolfsbane they were attacked by three of the Frost Giants who slaughtered Hrimhari's pack. At first, they fled but then Hrimhari and Wolfsbane decided they could no longer run and turn to face their attackers. After narrowly defeating the Frost Giants, the seemingly uninjured Rahne fainted due to unknown causes. (X-Force v3 #19)

The Dark Elf Malekith the Accursed managed to gain the alliance of the Frost Giants who had been leaderless since the death of Laufey at the hands of the Asgardians. This was achieved by find the lost skull of King Laufey in Midgard that was in the possession of the Roxxon Energy Corporation with it being located at one of their floating islands. Malekith informed the Jotnar that their fear of Thor was misplaced as he had lost his hammer which led to the Frost Giants to Midgard to recover the skull where they were confronted by the new female Thor who now wielded Mjolnir separate from the Odinson. (Thor v4 #3) During the War of the Realms, the giants of Jotunheim waged war against one another with the Frost Giants under King Laufey fighting against the Mountain and Storm Giants. (Mighty Thor v1 #702)

The height of the war saw them alongside the Dark Council in the attack against Midgard itself. (War of the Realms v1 #1) They began to terrorise the Earth as they sought to freeze North America in order to turn the continent into New Jotunheim. (War of the Realms v1 #3) As part of their war effort, they had captured their ancient progenitor Ymir and had enslaved him where they chipped pieces of his flesh that grew into primal Ice Giants who were fielded in Laufey's army. Karla Sofen formed an alliance with Laufey where she managed the mining operation in exchange for her and a few humans to survive the conquest of the lands. A team of four size-shifting heroes discovered the operation where they freed Ymir thus depleting the Frost Giant's a valuable resource. (Giant-Man v1 #3) The Frost Giants efforts in claiming San Francisco was stalled when the Superior Spider-Man used a satellite to increase the temperature in the area to make it unpleasant for the invaders. (Superior Spider-Man v2 #7)

With the death of Laufey, his son Loki came to inherit the throne of the Jotnar and became the new ruler of the Frost Giants that were dissatisfied under his reign. (War of the Realms Omega v1 #1)

Overview

Thor Odinson vs. Frost Giants in Marvel Adventures Super Heroes v2 #13.

In appearance, Frost Giants were gigantic humanoids that towered over humans and even Asgardians. (Journey into Mystery v1 #112) Normal members of their kind were about 65 feet fall whilst the primal Frost Giants could reach twice that height. (Giant-Man v1 #1)

They were noted for being resistant to injuries from mortal weapons with them able to use their cold breath to cover any wounds on their bodies. It was this reason that it was said that ordinary humans were not a match for a Frost Giant. Their large were also capable of detecting individuals that were invisible and using stealth technology. (Thor v5 #9)

Their lives were said to be brief as a candle with the Frost Giants being born into storm with them warring against wind, rain and gods. As a result, few of their kind ever reached into old age. (Thor v3 #12)

Only a single holiday was celebrated by their kind in Jotunheim that heralded the arrival of the Mother Storm. This was a blizzard emerging from the void that was the size of a galaxy that could freeze stars. When the storm encompassed Jotunheim at its fiercest, the Frost Giants hurled their young into the wilderness. Those that survived the storm and returned home were greeted as warriors that were given their first warcicle and those that did not were never spoken of again. The reason the Mother Storm was celebrated was because not only did it life-giving ice to the Jotnar but also scoured them of any weakness. (Thor v4 #3)

High ranking figures within their society held the title of Jarls. (Fearless Defenders v1 #3)

Some of their kind were known to be skilled in illusion magic and could disguise themselves as mortals with ease. (Indestructible Hulk v1 #7)

One race of creatures known as Frostlings were subservient to the Frost Giants. (Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme v1 #35) Frost Giants had also domesticated canine-like beasts called Ice Hounds who responded to their kind and could sense an intruder disguised as their masters. (Giant-Man v1 #1)

The home of the Frost Giants was a winter domain that endured forever with spring being a forgotten word in this land. (Balder the Brave v1 #3) It was said that the Giants and their world were bound together as one being by bonds of ice and hatred. (Balder the Brave v1 #4) Their realm of Jotunheim was home to a mythical liquid called Eiderdurm that could only exist in sub-zero temperatures. (Indestructible Hulk v1 #6) It was the source of the life giving chill of their dimension. (Indestructible Hulk v1 #7) Handling of Eiderurm was dangerous as contact with the liquid could leave a person frozen. (Indestructible Hulk v1 #8)

Members

• Ymir :
• Laufey : King of Jotunheim who once ruled the Frost Giants and had a son named Loki but the monarch was slain in battle against Odin. (Journey into Mystery v1 #112)
• Utgard-Loki : a male Frost Giant who ruled Jotunheim with him being able to craft powerful illusions with him known to sometimes take the guise of Skrymir. (Thor v1 #272) He ruled as guardian of Utgard when the Frost Giants were leaderless and allied with the Dark Elf Malekith to recover the skull of the deceased Laufey in order to resurrect him. (Thor v4 #3)
• Alistro : a male giant sorcerer, Alistro of the Northern Glaciers conjured a spell sending Pyllar and Mroht to Amora's location. (Journey into Mystery v1 #508)
• Klorodor : (Thor v1 #381)
• Kundrig : (Marvel Super-Heroes v3 #9)
• Thrym :
• Bjorn the White : a white bearded warrior chief of the Frost Giants who sought to awaken Ymir as part of a plot to destroy Asgard. (Marvel Super-Heroes v2 #5)
• Bellos : an aged male giant wizard who killed seven Frost Giant children and drained their blood for a mystical rite with him being hunted by a war party of their kind. (Thor v1 #419)
• Utand : a male Frost Giant that was part of the war party to hunt down Bellos. (Thor v1 #419)
• Tuurgid : known as Tuurgid the Unbeatable who was a Frost Giant champion that was taken by the Promoter for a match against the Champion only to lose and become infected by the Brood. (Thor vs. Hulk: Champions of the Universe v1 #1)
• Skadi : a white haired female Frost Giantess who was the Mistress of the Mountain Lodges with her aiding X-Force against Malekith. (X-Force and Cable Annual v1 #'97)
• Hagen : a black-haired male diminutive Frost Giant that hailed from Tronndgard and who wielded the long lost Sword of Frey that fought under its own power making the wielder nearly an invincible swordsman. (Balder the Brave v1 #3)

Notes

• The Frost Giants within the Marvel Universe were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby where they made their first appearance in Journey into Mystery v1 #112 (January, 1965).

Alternate Versions

• In Marvel Adventures: Super Heroes v1 #11 (2009), Frost Giants were shown to exist in the alternate universe that was designated as Earth-20051. One of their number was the small giant named Bragmir who was taunted by his kin and his own father for his diminutive size. He was manipulated by Loki into confronting the Fire Demon Raskk where the pair came on Midgard. Bragmar then battled Thor in an effort to prove himself to his fellow Frost Giants but decided to ally with the thunder god against the dangerous Fire Demon. After their foes defeat, Thor took Bragmir back to his realm where he extolled the achievements of the young Frost Giant to his kin thus earning him being respected by his people.
• In Ultimate Comics: Thor (2011), Frost Giants were shown to exist in the Ultimate Marvel universe that was designated as Earth-1610. Loki made use of them as his allies and henchmen with his half-brother Mammoth standing among their number.
• In Thor: Season One v1 (2013), the Frost Giants were shown to exist in an alternate universe that was designated as Earth-TRN563. These ice-covered giants stood taller than Asgardians and were natives of Jotunheim in one of the Nine Realms with them being enemies of Asgard. Eons ago, their King Laufey was slain and his son Loki was taken by the Aesir King Odin to be raised as his own child whose heritage was kept from him. In the aftermath, the Jotuns were ruled by Laufey's brother Farbauti who ruled as Regent and cared for his nephews Byleister and Helbindi. One day, Castle Gastropnir suffered from an incursion from Asgardians and it was then that Farbauti learnt that his nephew Loki lived and intended for the heir to unite the Frost Giants against Asgard. Loki eventually joined in a hidden alliance with his uncle alongside the Asgardians other enemies who intended to slay Odin.
• In What If? Thor v1 #1 (2018), an alternate version of history was shown in a What If where Laufey had killed Odin long ago. This was shown that Asgard was devastated by the Frost Giants who kidnapped Thor to be raised by their King as a Prince of Jotunheim. Thor became an adopted son of Laufey who became proud of his child to the point that he was considered worthy of wielding the King's hammer Ice Crusher that contained the power of all the Frost Giant chiefs power.

In other media

Television

• In Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, there was a race of Ice Giants that populated the land of Asgard in the episode "The Vengeance of Loki". These Ice Giants were ruled by Queen Zerona until she was overthrown by Ymir and fled only to encounter the Mutant Iceman who was trapped in her world by the machinations of Loki. She would save him from the Fire Demon Surtur in the Sea of Flames and spirit Iceman away where she thought he was a dwarf ice god. He would ask her aid in finding Thor who was similarly imprisoned in the Desert of Despair but she would request his aid to regain her throne from Ymir. Iceman would manage to defeat Ymir and was heralded as a hero among the Ice Giants with Zero in love with him whereupon she took him as his consort. However, Iceman would be opposed to this and met an Ice Giant who was in love with Queen Zerona. Bobby Drake would fashion an ice ring for him to gift to Queen Zerona who acknowledged his love. Despite the Ice Giants wanting Iceman as their king, she would allow him to escape to free Thor whilst she fell in love with the Ice Giant that proposed to her.
• In Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, the Frost Giants make an appearance in the episode "Thor the Mighty". They were convinced by Loki to launch a pre-emptive strike against Asgard in the fear that the Asgardians would attack them. The giant's onslaught began during the Odinsleep though they were defeated by the intervention of Thor. During World War II, the Red Skull discovered the means to summon creatures from the Nine Realms with a Frost Giant emerging from the portal when Captain America and Bucky arrive at the scene. In the episode "The Fall of Asgard", they were shown to had allied with Loki once more when he took Asgard's throne and were dispatched to fight Hank Pym until Lady Sif arrived to save them.
• In Ultimate Spider-Man, the Frost Giants appeared as antagonists in the episode "Field Trip". One emerged from a runestone at an exhibit within a museum that battled Spider-Man, White Tiger, Nova, Power Man and Iron Fist. It was defeated by Thor who investigated his defeated foe to see a strange amulet that turned him into a frog. The bewitchment was actually made by Loki as part of his scheme against his brother Thor Odinson. When the heroes went to Asgard, they found it frozen by the Frost Giants that allied with Loki where together they had subdued the Asgardians.
• In Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H, the Frost Giants made an appearance as antagonists in the episode "Hulks on Ice". It was shown that their progenitor Ymir was long ago defeated by Odin who imprisoned him as a mountain on Midgard. The Frost Giants were shown as being eternal enemies of Asgard with Laufey leading them. From Jotunheim, he travelled to Earth with Thor in pursuit where he drew a freeze around the world. Thor battled him with the Hulks where Laufey summoned numerous creatures from the ice such as an Ice Serpent. Though his forces were defeated, it was shown that the battle had freed Ymir who served Laufey. Ultimately, Ymir was defeated with Laufey drawn back through the portal to Jotunheim but swore revenge.
• In Spider-Man, the Frost Giants made a brief appearance in the 2017 animated television series in the episode "School of Hard Knocks". They were shown in a news report by the Daily Bugle who covered a battle between them and the Avengers in New York City.
• In What If...?, Frost Giants appeared in the setting of the CGI television series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Films

Frost Giants of Jotunheim in Thor.

• In Hulk Vs. Thor, the Frost Giants made a brief appearance in the animated film. They were shown as being among the attackers of Asgard that assaulted the city during the Odinsleep. When the Hulk was on a rampage, Loki dispatched a number of Frost Giants to aid the Asgardians to stop the gamma irradiated monster but they were easily defeated.
• In Thor: Tales of Asgard, they were the inhabitants of Jotunheim were enemies of the people of Asgard. At some point in the past, they attacked and exterminated the Dark Elf race leaving Algrim as their only survivor. Among their number included King Thrym and his warmongering son Geirmarr. The Asgardians had a delicate peace with the Frost Giants with this being threatened when young Prince Thor went out to Jotunheim in search for the Lost Sword of Surtur known as Elderstahl. After finding it, he would attempt to return with it to Asgard where he was tracked by Geirmarr who awakened the Northern Sentries that guarded the portal to the next realm. During the attempt to capture the Asgardians, Thor unleashed the power of Elderstahl which killed two of the Frost Giants. After reporting this finding to his father, King Thrym declared war against Asgard and assembled his army where Allfather Odin attempted to maintain the peace by sending out Algrim and his Einherjar to recover Elderstahl. However, Algrim would betray Asgard and use the weapon to get revenge against Odin whilst the Frost Giants invaded. Hostilities only ended when Algrim was killed and Thor relinquished the blade to King Thrym who ended the conflict despite the counsel of his son who wanted to destroy the Asgardians.
• In Thor, the Frost Giants were shown in the live-action film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe where they were inhabitants of Jotunheim who were taller than humans with an blue skin and red eyes with a natural ice touch that they could used to grow weapons limbs such as frost blades. Eons ago, they attempted to conquer the realms through the use of the Casket of Ancient Winters and began an invasion of Midgard. Their invasion was foiled by the intervention of the Asgardians where Odin defeated King Laufey and confiscated the relic. Afterwards, the king of Asgard would take the malformed Frost Giant son of Laufey as his own who was called Loki and led to believe he was an Asgardian. Loki would later trick Thor into invading Jotunheim and saw King Laufey declaring war against them. The Frost Giants would later arrive at the palace at Asgard in a seeming plot to assassinate Odin but the Frost Giants were betrayed by Loki. He would later attempt to destroy Jotunheim with the Bifrost Bridge until Thor destroyed it thus saving the realm of the Frost Giants but at the cost of cutting off Asgard from the other worlds.

Video games

• In Thor: God of Thunder, the Frost Giants featured as antagonists in the video game tie-in to the movie Thor. They were shown to had invaded Asgard where they seemingly killed Lady Sif leading to Thor embarking on a plan to destroy their kind. To achieve that end, he was led to believe a weapon capable of defeating Ymir resided in the Cave of Ages that was actually Mangog. One type of Frost Giants shown included the Frost Goliaths that were armored in ice. Jotunheim was shown to be home to the Storm Spire that Ymir used to generate storms.
• In Marvel: Avengers Alliance, the Jotuns appeared as antagonists in the video game with various kinds of giants. A dossier was present that detailed an account of the Jotuns from Bloodstone’s Taxonomy of Daemons (13th ed., 1617) that mentioned an encounter with one of these creatures centuries ago. It was said that they were referred to as Frost Giants, Jotuns or Eitins who were of towering stature and craft weapons of ice in their hands. These creatures from the Nine Realms had sworn enmity against Asgard as they intended to bring the icy touch of death to all the realms.
• In Marvel Heroes, the Frost Giants appeared as antagonists in the MMORPG video game where they allied with Loki to conquer the realms.
• In Marvel: Future Fight, denizens of Jotunnheim appeared as antagonists in the iOS video game.
• In Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, the Frost Giants were referenced in the setting of the Wii video game. It was said that Loki had instituted an uprising in Jotunheim to distract his father to the realm with this being a trap set to ambush him. However, he managed to defeat the Frost Giants and returned to Asgard just in time to defeat the Destroyer after it was animated with the soul of the Red Skull by Hela.
• In Marvel Future Revolution, the Frost Giants appeared in the setting of the mobile video game. They were led by Laufey who served as the King of the Frost Giants and whose son Loki had delivered him the Casket of Ancient Winters. He intended to unleash its deadly cold upon Midgardia, freezing a large portion of it solid to prepare for the assault of the Frost Giants. Thor thogh arrived to stop him where Laufey easily fought him off up until Loki had a change of heart and inspired him brother to become worthy of Mjolnir again. With his hammer at his side, Thor was able to subdue Laufey, while Loki seemingly sacrificed himself to close the Casket of Ancient Winters and stop the spread of the deadly cold.

Appearances

• Journey into Mystery v1:
• Thor v1:
• Balder the Brave v1:
• Thor: Trial of Thor v1:
• Indestructible Hulk v1:
• Mighty Thor v2:
• Thor v5:
• War of the Realms v1:
• Avengers v5:
• Giant-Man v1:
• Superior Spider-Man v1:
• War of the Realms Omega v1:

External Links

• Marvel Database Entry

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