The Executioner is the name of different fictional characters 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 ...

. Skurge, an Asgardian, is originally depicted as a

supervillain A supervillain, supervillainess or supercriminal is a major antagonist and variant of the villainous stock character who possesses Superpower (ability), superpowers. The character type is sometimes found in comic books and is often the primary ...

who wields a magic double-bladed battle axe. Skurge falls in love with the Enchantress and is frequently used in schemes by her and the trickster god

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 ...

. He is a long-time antagonist 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 other heroes of the Marvel universe and is a member of the original

Masters of Evil The Masters of Evil is a supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in '' The Avengers'' #6 (July 1964), with the lineup continually changing over the years. Publication ...

. Eventually, he joins the heroes of Asgard in a mission to Hel, where he sacrifices his axe to destroy

Naglfar In Norse mythology, ''Naglfar'' or ''Naglfari'' (Old Norse " nail farer") is a boat made entirely from the fingernails and toenails of the dead. During the events of Ragnarök, ''Naglfar'' is foretold to sail to Vígríðr, ferrying hordes of ...

, the ship of the dead, and delays Ragnarok, sacrificing his life to hold the bridge at

Gjallarbrú In Norse mythology, Gjallarbrú ( lit. "bridge of Gjöll") is a bridge that crosses the river Gjöll, serving as the passage to reach Hel.''Norse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs'' (John Lindow, author. Oxford University P ...

so the heroes can escape Hel. After a time trapped in Hel, he joins the honored dead in

Valhalla In Norse mythology, Valhalla ( , ; , )Orchard (1997:171–172) is described as a majestic hall located in Asgard and presided over by the god Odin. There were five possible realms the soul could travel to after death. The first was Fólkvang ...

. The name was later used by two other characters: an axe-wielding android member of the Crazy Gang and a vigilante named Daniel DuBois, the son of Princess Python. Skurge has made several appearances in media, such as animated television series, video games, and 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 ...

film '' Thor: Ragnarok'' (2017), in which he was portrayed by

Karl Urban Karl-Heinz Urban (born 7 June 1972) is a New Zealand actor. His career began with appearances in New Zealand films and television series such as '' Xena: Warrior Princess''. His first Hollywood role was in the 2002 horror film ''Ghost Ship''. ...

Publication history

The Executioner first appeared in ''

Journey into Mystery ''Journey into Mystery'' is an American comic book series initially published by Atlas Comics, then by its successor, Marvel Comics. Initially a horror comics anthology, it changed to giant-monster and science fiction stories in the late 1950s ...

'' #103 (April 1964), and was created by

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 ...

Fictional character biography

Skurge

Skurge was born in Jotunheim; he is the son of an unnamed Storm Giant and an unnamed Skornheim goddess, making him a

half-giant Half-giants are fictional beings that have one parent that is a giant and another parent that is a different species. Description In most cases, a half-giant is the result of a union between a human and a giant. Often they are of normal size or sl ...

. He later becomes a warrior, gaining the name Executioner after fighting in a war against the Storm Giants. Skurge has always had feelings for Amora, the Enchantress, and regularly aids her in various evil schemes to gain control of Asgard. However, the Enchantress only manipulates him, using her charms to keep Skurge under her thrall.

, the trickster god, also has used Skurge many times. In his first appearance, the Executioner teams with the Enchantress to battle

at the behest of Loki. He exiles

Jane Foster Jane Foster is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writers Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in ''Journey into Mystery'' #84 (September 1962). Jane Foster ...

to another dimension and tries to get Thor to surrender his hammer to him in exchange for Jane. Thor agrees to this, but when the Enchantress turns Skurge to a tree for bringing Foster back he releases Thor from the bargain, whereupon Thor returns the two to Asgard.''Journey into Mystery'' #103. Marvel Comics. The Executioner and the Enchantress are exiled to Earth by

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 ...

, where they learn of Zemo from a newspaper. They become members of Baron Heinrich Zemo's original

and fight the

Avengers Avenger(s) or The Avenger(s) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of "The Infinity Sag ...

. The Executioner disguises himself as a former aide of Zemo, and lures

Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...

to Zemo's kingdom, while the Enchantress uses her powers to turn Thor against the Avengers. Later the Executioner helps Zemo escape from Captain America by knocking out Cap. Skurge remained with Baron Zemo's Masters of Evil for some time. The Masters of Evil created

Wonder Man Wonder Man (Simon Williams) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in '' The Avengers'' #9 (October 1964). The character, wh ...

, who was meant to trick and destroy the Avengers. When the Executioner was defeated by Wonder Man testing his power, he worried about controlling him, though Zemo revealed Wonder Man would die within a week unless given an antidote. The gloating Skurge was derided by Wonder Man, who did not like the need for trickery and deceit. The group's plan to kill the Avengers was thwarted by Wonder Man, and Skurge and his allies were defeated. The Executioner menaced Jane Foster, and fought

Balder Baldr (Old Norse also Balder, Baldur) is a god in Germanic mythology. In Norse mythology, he is a son of the god Odin and the goddess Frigg, and has numerous brothers, such as Thor and Váli. In wider Germanic mythology, the god was known in ...

as any ally of Loki. He was later among the villains assembled by

Doctor Doom Doctor Doom is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in '' The Fantastic Four'' #5 in April 1962, and has since endured as the arch ...

to destroy the

Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four, often abbreviated as FF, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover-dated November 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism i ...

using a mind-control machine, but due to Mister Fantastic the villains all had their memory of this event erased. Apart from the Enchantress, Skurge attempted to establish an empire by the conquest of an alternate future Earth. He battled the

Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk ...

after he was accidentally transported there. He was reunited with the Enchantress, and joined the

Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

's attempted world conquest with four other villains after being taken to his base by teleportation technology. He attacked the Asian sub-continent with an army of trolls due to the valuable diamonds that were there, and fought

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...

in another dimension he had transported them to with his axe, but was beaten and thrown at a giant the Enchantress had created to defeat the

Scarlet Witch The Scarlet Witch is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The X-Men #4 in March 1964, in the Silver Age of Comic Boo ...

, destroying it. He next led a Troll invasion of

Asgard In Nordic mythology, Asgard (Old Norse: ''Ásgarðr''; "Garden of the Æsir") is a location associated with the gods. It appears in several Old Norse sagas and mythological texts, including the Eddas, however it has also been suggested to be refe ...

. Odin banished him to the realm of Casiolena. Skurge abandoned the Enchantress to become Casiolena's co-ruler. He led Casiolena's forces against the

Defenders Defender(s) or The Defender(s) may refer to: * Defense (military) * Defense (sports) ** Defender (association football) Arts and entertainment Film, television, and theatre Film * ''The Defender'' (1989 film), a Canadian documentary * ''The D ...

, and resumed his alliance with the Enchantress. Skurge attacked Doctor Strange alongside Enchantress, but they were defeated. He later battled the Defenders and the

Thing Thing or The Thing may refer to: Philosophy * An object * Broadly, an entity * Thing-in-itself (or ''noumenon''), the reality that underlies perceptions, a term coined by Immanuel Kant * Thing theory, a branch of critical theory that focuses ...

as the Enchantress's ally. Skurge led an assault on Asgard, and fought Balder again. With the Enchantress, he serves as Loki's lieutenant during his brief rule of Asgard. With the Enchantress, he joined with the forces of Asgard against Surtur. Once Amora the Enchantress set her sights on

Heimdall In Norse mythology, Heimdall (from Old Norse Heimdallr; modern Icelandic language, Icelandic Heimdallur) is a Æsir, god. He is the son of Odin and nine mothers. Heimdall keeps watch for invaders and the onset of Ragnarök from his dwelling Himi ...

as a potential lover, Skurge sought to ease the wounds of his heart in battle, joining Thor, Balder, and the

Einherjar In Norse mythology, the einherjar (singular einheri; literally "army of one", "those who fight alone")Simek, Rudolf (1993). ''Dictionary of Northern Mythology''. Translated by Angela Hall. p. 71.Orchard (1997:36) and Lindow (2001:104). are those ...

on a rescue mission in Hel. A group of souls belonging to living humans had been trapped there by

Malekith the Accursed Malekith the Accursed () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the ruler of the Elves (Marvel Comics), Dark Elves of Svartálfar, Svartalfheim, and has come into conflict with Thor (Marvel Co ...

, and

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 ...

had refused to permit them to return to

Midgard In Germanic cosmology, Midgard (an anglicised form of Old Norse ; Old English , Old Saxon , Old High German , and Gothic ''Midjun-gards''; "middle yard", "middle enclosure") is the name for Earth (equivalent in meaning to the Greek term : oikou ...

(Earth). Despite initial misgivings, Thor permitted Skurge to accompany the group. Skurge is tempted by Amora, who claims Heimdall had slain her. This was not Amora, but Mordonna, a shapeshifting sorceress in the employ of Hela. The disguise is revealed when Skurge decides to trust Balder more than the desires of his own heart. Hela whisks Mordonna away before Skurge can gain revenge.

, the ship of the dead, is nearing ready to sail, and Hela promises Skurge a place of honor beside her on it at the battle of Ragnarok. Enraged at being manipulated, Skurge destroys the ship with his axe. The group is pursued out of Hel, with Skurge sacrificing himself to protect them from Hela. Skurge has remained dead since, with his spirit residing in Hel. In "

The War of the Realms "The War of the Realms" is a 2019 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics, written by Jason Aaron and drawn by Russell Dauterman. The storyline has been met with positive reviews, with critics praising the storyline and the art. Premise ...

", he helps battle Malekith and is transported to

Brute Benhurst

After Skurge's death, Amora gave his Bloodaxe to a mortal called Brute Benhurst, making him a replacement Executioner. Thor initially thought the new villain might be Skurge returned from the dead, as he wore a mask. Thor tried not to fight him until the Executioner hit Kevin Masterson (son of Eric Masterson). Thor recognized hitting a kid as an ignoble thing which Skurge would never do, and defeated the new Executioner.

Crazy Gang

The Executioner is a silent

android Android most commonly refers to: *Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human * Android (operating system), a mobile operating system primarily developed by Google * Android TV, a operating system developed ...

swathed in a long robe and hood and armed with an axe. It follows the commands of the Red Queen and seems to lack any real intelligence. It was destroyed under unknown circumstances, but it had been destroyed and repaired before.

Daniel DuBois

A character named The Executioner (Daniel DuBois) appears in '' Dark Reign:

Young Avengers The Young Avengers are the names of two superhero teams appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung, the first team appeared in ''Young Avengers'' #1 (April 2005). The Young Avengers tea ...

''. He is described as "a rich and organized urban vigilante who hunts and kills criminal scum. And likes to hurt pets." It is later revealed that this Executioner is the son of Princess Python, and knows Kate Bishop from school, and is aware of her secret identity, knowledge that he uses to try to blackmail his way onto the team.''Dark Reign: Young Avengers'' #3. Marvel Comics. Executioner is not aware of his mother's identity as Princess Python until it is actually pointed out to him. However, it may be that he was simply in denial about this matter, as

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 ...

comments that if his mother was Princess Python, then he would like to think he would know and Kate Bishop immediately realizes who she is upon meeting her.

Powers and abilities

Skurge possessed the

superhuman The term superhuman refers to humans, humanoids or other beings with abilities and other qualities that exceed those naturally found in humans. These qualities may be acquired through natural ability, self-actualization or technological aids. ...

abilities of a typical male Asgardian. Due to his unique hybrid physiology, with a half Storm-Giant and half Skornheimian

pedigree Breeding * Pedigree chart, a document to record ancestry, used by genealogists in study of human family lines, and in selective breeding of other animals ** Pedigree, a human genealogy (ancestry chart) ** Pedigree (animal), a breed registry *** ...

, Skurge's physical strength, stamina and durability were considerably greater than those of the average Asgardian male. He also possessed superhuman visual acuity. Skurge was extremely long-lived, aging at a much slower pace than human beings, though not truly

immortal Immortality is the ability to live forever, or eternal life. Immortal or Immortality may also refer to: Film * ''The Immortals'' (1995 film), an American crime film * ''Immortality'', an alternate title for the 1998 British film '' The Wisdom of ...

. His body was highly resistant to physical damage, and he was immune to terrestrial diseases, toxins, and some magic. In the event of injury, Skurge's godly life force would allow him to recover with a superhuman rate. Skurge had proficiency at hand-to-hand combat, and mastery of most Asgardian weapons. He would often fight wielding his large, enchanted, double-bladed battle axe that allowed him a number of abilities including cutting rifts into other dimensions and control over fire and ice that he could project at his enemies. Skurge also sometimes wore an enchanted impregnable horned helmet that completely covered his head. In his first appearance, Skurge demonstrated a 'super-human falcon hunting vision', that enabled him to find Jane Foster in a crowd. The second Executioner is a vigilante with no super powers.

Other versions

* An alternate universe variant of the Executioner from Earth-238 appears in ''Marvel Super-Heroes'' #377 as a servant of

Mad Jim Jaspers M-11 M-11 is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Originally known as the Human Robot, the character was named "M-11" in the 2006 to 2007 ''Agents of Atlas'' miniseries as an allusion to its first ...

. * The Executioner appears in ''

JLA/Avengers ''JLA/Avengers'' (issues #2 and 4 are titled ''Avengers/JLA'') is a comic book limited series and crossover published in prestige format by DC Comics and Marvel Comics from September 2003 to March 2004. The series was written by Kurt Busiek, wi ...

'' as a brainwashed minion of Krona.

In other media

Television

* Skurge the Executioner appears in ''

The Marvel Super Heroes ''The Marvel Super Heroes'' is an American animated television series starring five comic book superheroes from Marvel Comics. The first TV series based on Marvel Comics, Marvel characters, it debuted in broadcast syndication, syndication on Amer ...

'', voiced by Henry Comor. * Skurge 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 ...

'' episode "Mental Organism Designed Only for Kisses!", voiced by

Travis Willingham Travis Willingham is an American voice actor known for his character portrayals in video games and English anime Dubbing, dubs. His notable roles include Roy Mustang in the ''Fullmetal Alchemist'' franchise, Cleo in ''Glass Fleet'', Ginko in ''L ...

. * Skurge the Executioner makes non-speaking appearances in '' The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes'' as a member of the

. * Skurge the Executioner appears in ''

Ultimate Spider-Man ''Ultimate Spider-Man'' is a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2011. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of the company's Ultimate Ma ...

'', voiced again by Travis Willingham. * Skurge the Executioner appears in '' Avengers Assemble'', voiced again by Travis Willingham. This version is a member of the

Cabal A cabal is a group of people who are united in some close design, usually to promote their private views or interests in an ideology, a state (polity), state, or another community, often by Wiktionary:intrigue, intrigue and usually without the kn ...

Film

Skurge the Executioner appears in ''

Hulk vs. Thor ''Marvel Animated Features'' (''MAF'') is a series of eight American direct-to-video animated superhero films made by MLG Productions, a joint venture between Marvel Studios (later Marvel Animation) and Lions Gate Entertainment. History In 200 ...

''.

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Skurge appears in media set in the

, portrayed by

. * First appearing in '' Thor: Ragnarok'', this version replaced

as the guardian of the Bifrost and wields two

M16 rifle The M16 (officially Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of assault rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States Armed Forces, United States military. The original M16 was a 5.56×45mm NATO, 5.56×45mm automatic ...

s that he acquired from

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. Following

's takeover of

, she recruits Skurge and dubs him her Executioner. However, he eventually reconsiders his actions and sacrifices himself to protect Asgard. * An alternate universe variant of Skurge makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the '' What If...?'' episode " What If... Thor Were an Only Child?".

Video games

* The Executioner appears as a boss in '' Marvel: Ultimate Alliance'', voiced by

Peter Lurie Peter Lurie is an American voice actor, sports anchor and television personality who has worked in television shows, movies, and dubbed anime, since the mid-1990s. He is most well known for his role as the voice of Vulcan Raven in the ''Metal ...

. This version is a member of

's Masters of Evil. * The Executioner appears as a boss in ''

Marvel Avengers Alliance ''Marvel Avengers Alliance'' was a 2012 turn-based social-network game developed by American studio Offbeat Creations and published by Playdom. It is based on characters and storylines published by Marvel Comics. The game was available as an Adob ...

''. * The Executioner appears as a playable character in '' Marvel: Future Fight''.

References

External links

Executioner
at Marvel.com {{Jack Kirby Characters created by Jack Kirby Characters created by Stan Lee Comics characters introduced in 1964 Fictional axefighters Marvel Comics Asgardians 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 giants Marvel Comics hybrids Marvel Comics male supervillains