Ulik
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Ulik is a
fictional Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying character (arts), individuals, events, or setting (narrative), places that are imagination, imaginary or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent ...
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 ...
. He usually appears as an adversary 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 ...
. Ulik 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 ...
, and first appears in ''
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 ...
'' #137 (February 1967). Debuting in the
Silver Age of Comic Books The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and widespread commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those featuring the superhero archetype. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books, the Silver A ...
, Ulik has appeared in over four decades of Marvel continuity, principally as a member of Thor's rogues' gallery. The character has also appeared in other Marvel-related products including
animated Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby image, still images are manipulated to create Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on cel, transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and e ...
television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...
,
toy A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include toy blocks, board games, and dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and p ...
s, and
trading cards A trading card (or collectible card) is a small card, usually made out of paperboard or thick paper, which usually contains an image of a certain person, place or thing (fictional or real) and a short description of the picture, along with other t ...
.


Publication history

Writer Mike Conroy commented on Ulik's debut in ''
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 ...
'' #137 (Feb. 1967): "In a strip as steeped in Norse mythology as Marvel's ''Thor'', it was no surprise to come across a troll as big and mean as Ulik." Created as a physical equal for the Thunder God, the Asgardian
troll A troll is a being in Nordic folklore, including Norse mythology. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated areas of rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human bei ...
Ulik became a perennial villain for the hero.


Fictional character biography

Ulik belongs to a race of Rock Trolls who live in the dimension 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 ...
in Nornheim. Like all trolls, Ulik has an innate hatred of the Asgardians, as they were driven underground by King
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 ...
and forbidden to live on the surface. Being the strongest of his kind, Ulik is commanded by Troll King
Geirrodur This is a list of Thor (Marvel Comics), Thor's enemies. A * Absorbing Man - Carl 'Crusher' Creel was given the power to take the form of any material he touched, "absorbing" the property of the material itself. The Absorbing Man was given his pow ...
to steal Thor's enchanted hammer Mjolnir, leading to an extended series of battles with him. Ulik proves to be a match for Thor, enhancing his already formidable strength with knuckle dusters made of the metal uru (the same metal of which Mjolnir is composed). He nearly defeats Thor after going into the berserker state of mind but is mystically returned to his realm by Geirrodur when the Asgardians threaten to intervene. He then manages to trap Thor in his Don Blake form; after failing to summon Mjolnir, Blake tells him to strike his cane again. When Ulik does so, Blake suddenly grabs it, transforms into Thor, and defeats him. Ulik returns on a regular basis: in one instance, he was bested by Thor and thrown into a deep hole before accidentally waking Odin's former foe
Mangog Mangog is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Publication history The character first appeared in ''Thor (Marvel Comics), Thor'' #154 (July 1968) and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Creation The char ...
, mistakenly believing that Mangog will help him destroy Asgard after reading an inscription on the prison door left by Odin; aiding Geirrodur once again; kidnapping Thor's mortal love Jane Foster; and battling Thor for possession of a mystic artifact called the Ruby Eye. The character has also travelled to Earth and battled both Thor and Olympian ally
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 ...
. For a time, Ulik fought on the side of several Asgardians who had taken the forms of various humans on Earth. This group included Thor's companions the
Warriors Three The Warriors Three are a group of fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters served as supporting cast members in ''Thor (Marvel Comics), Thor''. The Warriors Three are the Asgard (comics), As ...
, Balder, and Sif. He battled a version of Thor called Red Norvell and worked with his temporary allies to escape a Midgard-based technological conspiracy against lost Asgardians. Much later, maddened and feral, Ulik is given weapons made from the same forge which created Mjolnir. He becomes the lead in Loki's attack on Asgard; this snowballs into the true Ragnarok. During this time, he is killed after
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 ...
throws an iron hammer into his mouth. During the " World War Hulks" storyline, Ulik is resurrected and is shown to have gone on a multi-state drinking binge. He ends up destroying a train bridge with the disaster being averted by A-Bomb and Marlo Chandler's Harpy form. When Ulik starts choking Marlo, he is defeated by A-Bomb. After Thor dies during the " Fear Itself" storyline, Ulik replaces him as Tanarus, the new Thunder God, endorsed by the All-Mothers of the Vanir (
Freyja In Norse mythology, Freyja (Old Norse "(the) Lady") is a goddess associated with love, beauty, fertility, sex, war, gold, and seiðr (magic for seeing and influencing the future). Freyja is the owner of the necklace Brísingamen, rides a char ...
, Gaea, and Idunn). Exploiting a glamour charm given by Karnilla the Norn Queen and the circumstances of Thor's death, Ulik is able to retroactively place himself in Thor's place, rewriting history in the process. Only a few individuals like Karnilla and the current juvenile incarnation of Loki are aware of the deception. Tanarus' blunt nature in contrast to the honor of the true Thor allows Heimdall and Sif to realize that something is wrong relatively quickly, culminating in the returned Thor defeating "Tanarus" after his resurrection with relative ease. Ulik later shows up as a consultant to the
Minotaur In Greek mythology, the Minotaur (, ''Mīnṓtauros''), also known as Asterion, is a mythical creature portrayed during classical antiquity with the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, a being "par ...
of Roxxon. First, he helps Roxxon destroy Broxton, Oklahoma, right below Asgard, then he offers advice and battle against the Frost Giants of Jotunheim. This failed as the Frost Giants take over the Roxxon facility. As part of the " All-New, All-Different Marvel," Ulik appears as a member of the Dark Council alongside Malekith, the Minotaur,
Laufey Laufey may refer to: Mythology and fictional characters * Laufey (mythology) Laufey or Nál is a figure in Norse mythology and the mother of Loki. The latter is frequently mentioned by the matronymic ''Loki Laufeyjarson'' (Old Norse 'Loki Laufey' ...
, and the Fire Demons. Ulik and some of his trolls later appear on the Moon where they are found and encountered by Thor. After an intense battle, Ulik and the trolls escape. ''The Mighty Thor'' #12 reveals a legend stating that Mjolnir was created during a confrontation with Ulik. During the " War of the Realms" storyline, Ulik was present with Malekith as he invades Midgard.
She-Hulk She-Hulk (Jennifer Susan Walters) is a Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she First appearance, first appeared in ''The Savage She-Hulk ...
later fights Ulik and his fellow Rock Trolls. In Spider-Boy's solo series, Ulik is revealed to have a pet giant spider named Klöpp who was transported to Midgard after falling through a portal. After learning of this, Thor and Spider-Boy reunite the two.


Powers and abilities

Ulik possesses superhuman strength, stamina and durability, and has the ability to see into the
infrared Infrared (IR; sometimes called infrared light) is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than that of visible light but shorter than microwaves. The infrared spectral band begins with the waves that are just longer than those ...
range of the spectrum, allowing complete night vision. He is also a superior hand-to-hand combatant. In battle, Ulik uses "pounders", metal bands forged from uru and worn over the hands like brass knuckles.


Other versions

* An alternate universe variant of Ulik from Earth-982 appears in ''
A-Next A-Next is a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is the Marvel Comics 2 universe version of the Avengers. The team made its first appearance in '' What If?'' #105, the first comic featuring Spider ...
''. * An alternate universe variant of Ulik from Earth-1610 appears in '' Ultimate Comics: Thor''.


In other media


Television

* Ulik appears in '' The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes'', voiced by Troy Baker. 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. * Ulik appears in '' Avengers Assemble'', voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson. * Ulik appears in the ''
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 ...
'' two-part episode "The Avenging Spider-Man", voiced again by Kevin Michael Richardson.


Video games

* Ulik appears as a miniboss in '' Marvel: Ultimate Alliance'', voiced by Fred Tatasciore. * Ulik appears in '' Thor: God of Thunder'', voiced by
Steve Blum Steven Jay Blum (; born April 29, 1960) is an American voice actor. Known for his distinctively deep voice, his roles include Spike Spiegel from the anime series ''Cowboy Bebop''; Amon from ''The Legend of Korra''; Heatblast, Ghostfreak, and ...
. * Ulik appears as a boss in '' Marvel Future Revolution'', voiced by Isaac C. Singleton Jr.


Merchandise

* An action figure of Ulik was produced as part of Hasbro's Marvel Legends line in 2022.


References


External links

* * {{Jack Kirby Characters created by Jack Kirby Characters created by Stan Lee Comics characters introduced in 1967 Fictional trolls Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength Marvel Comics supervillains Thor (Marvel Comics)