Odin Borson, the All-Father is a fictional character appearing in

American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...

s published by

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

. First mentioned in '' Journey into Mystery'' #85 (Oct. 1962), the character first appears in ''Journey into Mystery'' #86 (Nov. 1962), and was adapted from the

Odin Odin (; from ) is a widely revered god in Norse mythology and Germanic paganism. Most surviving information on Odin comes from Norse mythology, but he figures prominently in the recorded history of Northern Europe. This includes the Roman Em ...

Norse mythology Norse, Nordic, or Scandinavian mythology, is the body of myths belonging to the North Germanic peoples, stemming from Old Norse religion and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia as the Nordic folklore of the modern period. The ...

Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book author, writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Comics which later bec ...

and

Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (; born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comics artist, comic book artist, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He grew ...

. The character is depicted as the father of

Thor Thor (from ) is a prominent list of thunder gods, god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred g ...

and, traditionally, as the king of Asgard. Sir

Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor. Considered one of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for List of Anthony Hopkins performances, his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins ha ...

portrayed the character in the

Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...

(MCU) films ''

'' (2011), '' Thor: The Dark World'' (2013), and '' Thor: Ragnarok'' (2017).

Publication history

left, 175px, Odin featured on the cover of ''Thor'' #294
(April 1980). Art by Keith Pollard. Although Odin was first mentioned in '' Journey into Mystery'' #85 (Oct. 1962), his first actual appearance was in '' Journey into Mystery'' #86 (November 1962). He was created for

and

Fictional character biography

Odin is the son of Bor (father, one of the first Asgardians) and Bestla (mother, a frost giantess), and the full brother of Vili and Ve. With the aid of his brothers, a young Odin defeats the fire demon Surtur;''Journey Into Mystery'' #99 (December 1963). Marvel Comics. later, Odin reveals that his brothers were killed by Surtur, but gave their power to Odin. Later Surtur was imprisoned inside the Earth.''Thor'' #349 (November 1984). Marvel Comics. Odin thereafter became ruler of Asgard, where he received the

epithet An epithet (, ), also a byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) commonly accompanying or occurring in place of the name of a real or fictitious person, place, or thing. It is usually literally descriptive, as in Alfred the Great, Suleima ...

of ''All-Father'', and eventually fell in love with the elder goddess, Gaea, by whom he is the father of

. After Thor's birth, Odin returns to Asgard, where his wife, Frigga, acts as Thor's mother. Odin is also the adoptive father of

Loki Loki is a Æsir, god in Norse mythology. He is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mythology), Laufey (a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to the goddess Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi (son of Lo ...

, a child of Giant ancestry whose father Laufey is killed by Odin in battle:''Journey into Mystery'' #112 (January 1965). Marvel Comics. adopted in a deal with Bor's spirit, unaware of Bor's intention that the child would bring about Odin's downfall.''Thor'' vol. 3 #7–8 (May–June 2008). Marvel Comics. Despite Odin's intentions, Thor and Loki become bitter enemies. Odin also was the father of Balder from Frigga.''Thor'' vol. 3 #9 (July 2008). Marvel Comics. Thor's preoccupation with Midgard (Earth) is a constant annoyance to Odin who, as punishment, has deprived Thor of his powers on at least three occasions. Each time, Thor's willingness to atone for his transgressions, his continued noble intentions, and his bravery, eventually convince Odin to restore his original powers and identity.''Journey Into Mystery'' #101–102 (February – March 1964). Marvel Comics.''Thor'' #126–127 (March–April 1966). Marvel Comics.''Thor'' #145–151 (October 1967–April 1968). Marvel Comics. As ruler and protector of the Asgardian people, Odin has been involved in a number of crises that have threatened Asgard and, on occasion, Earth. Notable examples included stopping Loki, the Storm Giant Skagg, and Surtur (with the aid of Thor and Balder);''Journey Into Mystery'' #104 (May 1964). Marvel Comics. defeating Absorbing Man after he absorbs almost all of Asgard;''Journey Into Mystery'' #122–123 (November–December 1965). Marvel Comics. banishing the monster Mangog;''Thor'' #157 (October 1968). Marvel Comics. sacrificing his right eye to Mimir for the wisdom to stop

Ragnarök In Norse mythology, (also Ragnarok; or ; ) is a foretold series of impending events, including a great battle in which numerous great Norse mythological figures will perish (including the Æsir, gods Odin, Thor, Týr, Freyr, Heimdall, a ...

(Twilight of the Gods);''Thor'' #274 (August 1978). Marvel Comics. attempting to stop the Celestials in the armor of the

Destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...

;''Thor'' #300–301 (October – November 1980). Marvel Comics. engaging inter-dimensional tyrant Dormammu in a "cosmic chess" match as champions of Master Order and Lord Chaos respectively,''Thor Annual'' #9 (November 1981). Marvel Comics. and preventing Surtur from lighting the Sword of Doom, Twilight.''Thor'' #353 (March 1985). Marvel Comics. Odin has also died three times in defense of Asgard. On the first occasion, Odin is killed by Mangog, and later revived by

Hela HeLa () is an immortalized cell line used in scientific research. It is the oldest human cell line and one of the most commonly used. HeLa cells are durable and prolific, allowing for extensive applications in scientific study. The line is ...

.''Thor'' #198–201 (April–July 1972). Marvel Comics. On the second occasion, the Celestials melt the Destroyer, and thus stifle all Asgardians except Thor, who collects a portion of energy from each pantheon and uses it to revive Odin, who in turn resurrects the Asgardians. The final occasion involves a massive battle against Surtur on Earth, with Odin apparently dying once and for all, when the Odin Force—the source of Odin's power—migrates to his son, Thor.''Thor'' vol. 2 #40 (October 2001). Marvel Comics. As Thor eventually destroys the Loom of Fates and stops Asgard from perpetuating Ragnarok—which ends the entire Norse pantheon and Asgard itself—Thor believes Odin may be dead permanently. The Odin Force appears to him in humanoid form and says that this was Odin's plan all along.''Thor'' vol. 2 #85 (December 2004). Marvel Comics. When Thor returns from hibernation in the void,''Thor'' vol. 3 #1 (Sept. 2007). Marvel Comics. he begins to find the lost Asgardians,''Thor'' vol. 3 #3-5 (November 2007–January 2008). Marvel Comics. but does not search for his father. During his Odinsleep, Thor finds Odin in a

limbo The unofficial term Limbo (, or , referring to the edge of Hell) is the afterlife condition in medieval Catholic theology, of those who die in original sin without being assigned to the Hell of the Damned. However, it has become the gene ...

wherein every day he does battle with Surtur. Odin declines Thor's offer of taking his place—noting that just Thor's offer has broken Bor's curse that he would be abandoned as Bor was—and states that Thor must lead the Asgardians, while Odin continues in a state approximating the Asgardian equivalent of

heaven Heaven, or the Heavens, is a common Religious cosmology, religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deity, deities, angels, souls, saints, or Veneration of the dead, venerated ancestors are said to originate, be throne, ...

, to prevent Surtur from reentering the world. Loki assuages Doctor Doom's fears about Odin's potential wrath if the Asgardians move to Latveria, assuring him that "Old One-Eye is yesterday's god" and "a relic".''Dark Reign: The Cabal'' #1 (June 2009). Marvel Comics. Later, Odin's absence from the Nine Worlds leads his revived father Bor to wage battle against Thor after Loki and Hela revive him. When Bor is killed, Loki and Balder have Thor exiled for regicide.''Thor'' #600 (April 2009). Marvel Comics. During the "

Siege A siege () . is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or by well-prepared assault. Siege warfare (also called siegecrafts or poliorcetics) is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict charact ...

" storyline,

Norman Osborn Norman Virgil Osborn is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, he first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #14 (July 1964) as the first and best-known incarnation of th ...

sends the Thunderbolts to steal Odin's spear Gungnir from the Asgardian weaponry.''Thunderbolts'' #141 (April 2010). Marvel Comics. Loki calls on Odin to return the Norn Stones to him so he can empower the heroes to defeat the Void.''Siege'' #4 (June 2010). Marvel Comics. Odin returns from the dead after Asgard is invaded by the World-Eaters.''Thor'' #618 (February 2011). Marvel Comics. During the " Fear Itself" storyline, Odin senses the return of his elder brother, the fear god Cul. After a brief monologue with Uatu the Watcher, Odin commands his people to return to the Asgardian plane against the protests of

, and Asgard rebuilds into a war engine with which he intends to raze Earth completely, to destroy the Serpent. Thor convinces Odin to send him back to Earth instead, and Iron Man travels to Asgard-space for an audience with Odin, wherein Iron Man asks Odin if he can use one of Asgard's workshops to make weapons, and Odin allows him to use the Workshops of Svartalfheim, to stop the Serpent before his shadow falls on the World Tree. Captain America and the Avengers bring an unconscious Thor to Broxton so that Odin can heal Thor. As he tends to his son, Odin confesses that he has always tried to prevent Thor's prophesied death by the Serpent, not to prevent Ragnarok, but because he loves his son and does not want to see him perish. Odin prepares Thor by giving him the armor and helmet that he himself wore the last time he cast out the Serpent and gives Thor the Odinsword, named Ragnarok (which was forged to end all things). While Thor kills the Serpent at the cost of his own life, Odin frees those affected by the Hammers of the Worthy, and returns to Asgard with the corpse of the Serpent sealing off Asgard from Hermod and a number of other Asgardians left on Earth. In the "

Original Sin Original sin () in Christian theology refers to the condition of sinfulness that all humans share, which is inherited from Adam and Eve due to the Fall of man, Fall, involving the loss of original righteousness and the distortion of the Image ...

" storyline, it is revealed to Thor that Angela is the daughter of Odin and Frigga; "killed" as an infant during Asgard's war with the Angels of the Tenth Realm, whereupon Odin severed the tenth realm from the other nine as "punishment". Odin was later freed from his self-exile by Loki as he is set to return to Asgard. The fight between Thor and Angela is interrupted when Odin recognizes Angela as his daughter and reveals Angela's true history, wherein an Angel raised her as one of the Angels under the name of Angela. Due to her services for the Angels, the Queen pardoned Angela her life, but exiled her from Heaven for her lineage. After leaving Heaven, Odin tells Thor, Loki, and Angela that he still loves his children. Angered that someone else is wielding Mjolnir, Odin sends the

after the new female Thor, appointing Cul Borson as his new 'Minister of Justice' to enforce his new decrees and operate the Destroyer, but Odinson and Freyja assemble an army of female superheroes to aid her, forcing Odin to stand down. In '' Secret Wars'', Odin dreams of the end of all existence in an event greater than Ragnarok. He additionally battles King Loki, an evil alternate timeline variant of Loki who threatens to destroy Asgard. In '' All-New, All-Different Marvel'', Odin has become a tyrant ruling Asgard with an iron fist ever since Thor's disappearance. He makes use of the Thunder Guard and the Destroyer Armor to protect his kingdom and even went so far as to imprison Frigga and anyone who gets in his way. His reason for imprisoning Frigga is because she assisted the female Thor against the Destroyer. Odin fought the female Thor when she interrupted Frigga's trial. After the battle is halted when Loki used a poisoned dagger on Frigga, Odin took Frigga's body to his Odinsleep chamber where he placed some of his powers into her. In '' Generations'', Odin reminisces with the Phoenix Force about their previous love affair. He is revealed to have been part of a past incarnation of the Avengers in 1,000,000 BC alongside Agamotto,

Black Panther A black panther is the Melanism, melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical Rosette (zoology), rosettes are al ...

, Ghost Rider, Iron Fist, Phoenix, and Star Brand. During the "Death of Thor" arc, Odin faces the return of Mangog and is unable to defeat it. Jane Foster sacrifices herself to stop Mangog before Odin and Thor resurrect her. In '' The War of the Realms'', Malekith attempts to kill Odin. However, he survives and appoints Thor as his successor. In ''

'' (vol. 6), Odin sacrifices himself to give Thor his power and help him defeat Mangog.

Powers and abilities

As King of the Norse Gods, Odin possesses vast strength, stamina and durability far greater than that of a normal Asgardian, along with resistance to all Earthly diseases and toxins, incredible resistance to magic and, as a courtesy of the Golden Apples of Idunn, a greatly extended lifespan. Odin has all the abilities of his son Thor, but to a much greater degree. Odin is capable of manipulating the Odinforce—a powerful source of energy—for a number of purposes, including energy projection; creation of

illusion An illusion is a distortion of the senses, which can reveal how the mind normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. Although illusions distort the human perception of reality, they are generally shared by most people. Illusions may ...

s and force fields; levitation; molecular manipulation, communicating telepathically with other Asgardians even if they are on Earth and he is in Asgard,''Journey into Mystery'' #89 (February 1963) hypnotizing humans; channelling lightning to Earth from Asgard, controlling the lifeforces of all Asgardians, and teleportation. The character has also used the Odinforce for greater feats such as transporting the entire human race to an alternate dimension; stopping time; pulling the remains of distant planets down from outer space to crush his foes, compressing the population of an entire planet into a single being, the Mangog and then recreating the race''Thor'' #154-157 (July–October 1968). Marvel Comics. and taking a soul away from the arch-demon Mephisto.''Thunderstrike'' #15 (December 1994). Marvel Comics. The Odinforce makes Odin capable of destroying entire galaxies,''Thor'' #185-186 (February–May 1971). Marvel Comics.''Journey into Mystery'' 513 (October 1997). Marvel Comics. allowing him to engage entities such as

Galactus Galactus () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Formerly a mortal man, he is a cosmic entity who consumes planets to sustain his life force, and serves a functional role in the upkeep of the p ...

on their own terms. In some stories, Odin has been portrayed at a universal or even multiversal scale of power. In battles against opponents of similar power, Odin carries the magical spear Gungnir ("The Spear of Heaven"), an artifact made of the metal uru, that can be used to channel the Odinforce. Even without the Odinforce it can still match Thor's hammer in battle. Once a year, during the Asgardian winter, Odin must undertake the Odinsleep for 24 hours to regenerate (and is closely guarded as he is vulnerable during this period), although he can be weakened by potent spells, such as those of Karnilla.''Journey Into Mystery'' #118 (July 1965). Marvel Comics. Odin is also a master tactician and schemer, and has prevented Ragnarok,''Thor'' #273-278 (July–December 1978). Marvel Comics. and planned for centuries for the coming of the Celestial Fourth Host.''Thor'' Annual #7 (September 1978). Marvel Comics.''Thor'' #283-301 (May 1979–November 1980). Marvel Comics. The character also on occasion uses the eight-legged steed Sleipnir and the enchanted ship ''Skipbladnir'', which can navigate the "sea of space" and shrink to the size of a toy.

Reception

* In 2020, '' CBR.com'' ranked Odin 3rd in their "10 Marvel Gods With The Highest Kill Count" list.

Other versions

Spider-Geddon

Spider-Punk Spider-Punk (Hobart Brown) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is an alternate version of Prowler (Marvel Comics), Hobie Brown and Spider-Man; frequent antagonists are President Norman Osborn, Alternativ ...

's universe, Odin is the source of Eric Masters' powers.

Ultimate Marvel

An alternate universe variant of Odin from Earth-1610 appears in the Ultimate Marvel universe. This version is the embodiment of Asgard and the source of power for Mjolnir and the Norn Stones. He is killed by the Children of Tomorrow, but returns to assist

as a spirit.

Ultimate Universe

In the Ultimate Universe imprint, Odin is dead. His head is on a stave by Loki's throne, and his two Ravens have become Loki's property.

In other media

Television

* Odin appears in ''The Mighty Thor'' segment of '' The Marvel Super Heroes'', voiced by Len Carlson. 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. * Odin appears in the '' Robot Chicken'' episode "Dear Consumer", voiced by Greg Grunberg. * Odin appears in ''

The Super Hero Squad Show ''The Super Hero Squad Show'' is an American superhero animated series produced by Marvel Animation that aired from 2009 to 2011. It is based on the Hasbro toyline " Marvel Super Hero Squad", which portrays the Avengers, the X-Men, and various ...

'', voiced by Jess Harnell. * Odin appears in '' The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes'', voiced by

Clancy Brown Clarence James Brown III (born January 5, 1959) is an American actor. Prolific in film and television since the 1980s, Brown is often cast in villainous and authoritative roles. His film roles include Rawhide in ''The Adventures of Buckaroo Ban ...

. * Odin makes a non-speaking appearance in the '' Ultimate Spider-Man'' episode "Field Trip". * Odin appears in '' Avengers Assemble'', voiced by Frank Welker. * Odin appears in the '' Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.'' episode "Days of Future Smash: Smashgard", voiced again by Frank Welker. * Odin appears in '' Guardians of the Galaxy'', voiced again by Frank Welker. * Odin appears in the '' Marvel Future Avengers'' episode "Can You Believe in Loki", voiced by Bin Sasaki in Japanese and Fred Tatasciore in the English dub.

Film

* Odin, based on the Ultimate Marvel incarnation, appears in '' Ultimate Avengers 2'', voiced by Dwight Schultz. * Odin appears in '' Hulk vs. Thor'', voiced by French Tickner. * Odin appears in '' Thor: Tales of Asgard'', voiced by Christopher Britton. * Odin, based on the MCU incarnation (see below), appears in '' The Good, the Bart, and the Loki'', voiced by Maurice LaMarche.

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Odin appears in media set in the

(MCU), portrayed by

. He first appears in the live-action film ''

'' before making further appearances in the live-action films '' Thor: The Dark World'' and '' Thor: Ragnarok''. Additionally, alternate timeline variants of Odin appear in the

Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

animated series '' What If...?'', voiced by Jeff Bergman.

Video games

* Odin appears in '' Marvel: Ultimate Alliance'', voiced by Peter Renaday. * Odin, based on the MCU incarnation, appears in '' Thor: God of Thunder'', voiced by Tom Kane. * Odin appears as a DLC character in '' Lego Marvel Super Heroes'', voiced by John DiMaggio. * Odin appears as a playable character in '' Lego Marvel's Avengers'', voiced again by Frank Welker. * Odin appears as a non-playable character in '' Marvel: Avengers Alliance''. * The MCU incarnation of Odin appears in the ''Thor: The Dark World'' tie-in game, voiced by Scottie Ray. * Odin appears as a playable character in '' Marvel Future Fight''. * Odin appears as a playable character in '' Marvel Puzzle Quest''. * Odin appears as an unlockable character in '' Marvel Avengers Academy'', voiced again by Fred Tatasciore. * Odin appears as a non-playable character (NPC) in '' Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order'', voiced again by Dwight Schultz. * Odin appears in '' Marvel Snap''.

Miscellaneous

Odin appears in '' Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers'', voiced by Joe Teiger.

References

External links

Odin
at Marvel.com {{Larry Lieber Characters created by Jack Kirby Characters created by Stan Lee Comics characters introduced in 1962 Fictional characters missing an eye Fictional characters who can manipulate time Fictional characters with dimensional travel abilities Fictional characters with electric or magnetic abilities Fictional characters with elemental transmutation abilities Fictional characters with energy-manipulation abilities Fictional gods Fictional hypnotists Fictional kings Fictional polearm and spearfighters Male characters in film Marvel Comics Asgardians Marvel Comics characters who can move at superhuman speeds Marvel Comics characters who can teleport Marvel Comics characters who use magic Marvel Comics characters with accelerated healing Marvel Comics characters with superhuman durability or invulnerability Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength Marvel Comics male characters Marvel Comics telepaths Odin