Ymir (Marvel)
Ymir is male comic supervillain who features in Marvel Comics.
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Biography
Ymir was an ancient giant that was born long ago where he emerged from the Well of Life as the first of the evil race of Frost Giants. Following his emergence, the gigantic magical cow whose milk managed to nurture the monstrous giant who wandered the frozen wastes. (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. The cow continued to lick the ice and from it emerged a new being named Buri who was the first of the gods. These gods intrigued the giants and they allowed them to with Buri having in turn a son named Bor who married a giantess who in turn had three sons that became the first of the Aesir with these being Odin, Ve and Vili. Odin grew to hate his mothers race and eventually led a war against his ancestors with the first giant they attacked being Ymir himself. (Thor Annual v1 #5) As the first giant, he became the king of the ice giants and led them to war against Asgard back when the world was young. Chief among his foes in the Asgardians was the All-Father Odin who battled the ice giants. A number of his kind were defeated before Ymir managed to battle Odin where he pursued the All-Father. However, Odin had led him into a trap by releasing the fiery flames from below to engulf the ice giant making him a prisoner there for eternity. (Journey into Mystery v1 #98) After Ymir fell, his sea of blue blood coursed through the abyss as a great flood drowning the other giants except for the giant Bergelmir and his wife who survived on a boat allowing their race to live on. (Thor Annual v1 #5) According to myth, Odin along with his brothers Vali and Vi slew the giant where they birthed the universe from his body. In the realm of Nidavellir, the first forms of life took the shape of Dwarves that dwelled beneath the mountain of Ymir-Krul. (Thor v2 #80)
Whilst asleep, a group of Vanir sought him out in order to turn the world to ice so that they could rule it. To achieve that end, they had an Ice Troll capture the Mutant Iceman where he was used to awaken Ymir. The Vanir then attempted to petition his aid but the primordial Frost Giant refused to serve anyone and turned his wrath on all those before him. It was only the combination of the young original five X-Men and Thor Odinson were they able to defeat Ymir. (X-Men First Class v1 #5)
He remained in his slumber where he resided beneath the fabled Crack of Doom in Jotunheim. At this point, a Frost Giant wizard named Bellos sought to awaken Ymir in order to continue the Endless Cycle of the Ragnarok. Thus, he killed seven Frost Giant children and collected their blood as part of the sacrifice leading to him being pursued by a war party of giants set to avenge their death. They killed Bellos but not before he deposited the blood in the Crack of Doom thus awakening Ymir from his long slumber. (Thor v1 #419) After awakening, he killed all the members of the Frost Giant war party who were frozen to death which was when he was confronted by the Asgardians. (Thor v1 #421) Ymir then made his way to Asgard where he effortlessly broke through the defensive lines arranged against him. As he reached the city, he was confronted by the Fire Demon Surtur who had disguised himself as All-Father Odin and intended to fulfil the prophecy of the Ragnarok whereby the confrontation between the two elemental creatures would bring about the destruction of the gods. (Thor v1 #424)
The Frost Giant warrior-chief Bjorn the White came to call upon the primordial Ymir to serve as a champion in a plot to destroy Asgard. He showcased the mighty creature to the Storm Giant leader Grim Graybeard who was convinced to join in an alliance against the Asgardians. (Marvel Super-Heroes v2 #5)
Ymir decided on a new plot to conquer Midgard whereby he forged the Casket of Future Winters. He then created a shell which led a group of Frost Giants to Earth to attack the mortals. This saw him being confronted by Thor and Iceman where Ymir seemingly had the upper hand as he opened the Casket thus encasing the land in cold. However, Iceman tapped into the cold to fuel his own abilities where he created titanic ice copies of himself that helped defeat the Frost Giants. Ymir’s shell was destroyed but he himself remained safe back within his realm. (A + X v1 #7)
After the return of Laufey, he had Ymir captured and intended to use the godly progenitor of the Frost Giants as a tool in the War of the Realms. After invading Midgard, the Frost Giants lay claim to North America where they imprisoned Ymir and used a slave detail of humans under the command of Karla Sofen to chip away at the giant. The pieces eventually grew into primal Ice Giants that were used to bolster the armies of Laufey. Thus, Ymir was trapped and he wished for death as his flesh regenerated whereupon it was harvested once again for more offspring to be born as part of the army. The four Giant-Man heroes were dispatched by Freyja to eliminate Ymir with them being unaware of the giant's fate but upon learning of it Raz Malhotra decided to break the container chaining him. As a result, Ymir was freed and he simply departed the scene in order to escape from the war that had come to Midgard. (Giant-Man v1 #3)
Overview
Personality and attributes
One of the names he was known by included Aurgelmir. (Heroic Age: Villains v1 #1)
He was regarded as the mightiest and most savage of all the ice giants. (Journey into Mystery v1 #98)
Powers and abilities
Legend had said that at one point Ymir was human until power consumed him and turned him into an elemental. It was said that Ymir did not control nature but was rather nature itself and was the living winter. (X-Men First Class v1 #5) He could create a shell of his body that he could remotely control which he could send into battle without risking himself. Such husks could even operate across realms whilst Ymir remained in his lair. (A + X v1 #7)
Pieces of his body that were cut off simply grew into primal Ice Giants that were his direct spawn. It was from these powerful offspring that the race of Frost Giants emerged in Jotunheim. (Giant-Man v1 #3)
His greatest weakness was that to powerful flames with this being used to make him a prisoner by Odin long ago. (Journey into Mystery v1 #98)
A relic tied to the first of the ice colossi was the Blood of Ymir that was a frozen jewel that could be consumed by another person. Those exposed to its power were capable of growing to giants and gifted incredible strength but only for a short amount of time. (Avengers v8 #4)
Notes
- Ymir was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby where he made his first appearance in Journey Into Mystery v1 #97 (October, 1963).
- In Avengers Assemble v1 #1 (2010), Ymir received an entry in the handbook where among his aliases included Aurgelmir and the Living Winter.
- The character received an entry in Heroic Age: Villains v1 #1 (November, 2010).
In other media
Television
- In The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Ymir appeared in the setting of the animated television series in the episode "The Fall of Asgard" where he was voiced by actor Rick D. Wasserman.
- In Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H, Ymir made an appearance as an antagonist in the animated television series episode "Hulks on Ice" where he had no speaking lines but instead roared. He was noted as the Asgardian keeper of winter who long ago Odin defeated whereupon he imprisoned him as a mountain on Midgard with his mouth being a portal to Jotunheim. Laufey sought out his power bringing him into conflict against the Frost Giant. Though Laufey was defeated, the heroes had accidentally awoken He Who Slumbers with the mountain collapsing as Ymir awakened. For his freedom, Ymir served Laufey who intended to use his power to freeze all of Midgard. The heroes struggle in piercing Ymirs icy shell but the use of Red Hulks power managed to defeat their foe whose armor was broken. As a result, he was destroyed with a strike from Thor's hammer and his maw dragged Laufey back to Jotunheim as the cold around the Earth ended.
Video games
- In Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, Ymir appeared as a boss level antagonist in the Asgard section of the story mode in the video game where he was voiced by actor Paul Eiding.
- In Marvel: Avengers Alliance, Ymir appeared as an antagonist in the video game. He was stated to be the progenitor of the Jotuns of Niffleheim who considered all life, save for his kin, to be abominations that must be destroyed. Ymir was one of many Asgardian related threats that emerged on Midgard following the disappearance of Thor.
- In Marvel Future Fight, Ymir appeared as a non-playable boss antagonist in the setting of the mobile video game.
Appearances
- Journey into Mystery v1: (1963)
- Thor v1:
- Marvel Super-Heroes v2: (1991)
- X-Men: First Class v1:
- Giant-Man v1:
External Links
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