Kurse is the name of two
fictional character
In fiction, a character is a person or being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, in which case the distinction o ...
s 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 ...
. Created by writer/artist
Walter Simonson
Walter Simonson (born September 2, 1946) is an American comic book writer and artist, best known for a run on Marvel Comics' ''Thor'' from 1983 to 1987, during which he created the character Beta Ray Bill. He is also known for the creator-owned w ...
, the Algrim version of Kurse first appears as the
Dark Elf Algrim the Strong 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 ...
'' #347 (Sep. 1984). He is later transformed into Kurse in ''
Secret Wars II
''Secret Wars II'' is a nine-issue comic book limited series and crossover published from 1985 to 1986 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Marvel's then editor-in-chief Jim Shooter and primarily pencilled by Al Milgrom.
The series wa ...
'' #4 (Oct. 1985).
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (; ; born 22 August 1967) is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Simon Adebisi in '' Oz'', Mr. Eko in '' Lost'', Lock-Nah in '' The Mummy Returns'', Nykwana Wombosi in '' The Bourne Identity'', Heavy Duty ...
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 ...
film ''
Thor: The Dark World'' (2013).
Publication history
The
Dark Elf Algrim the Strong was created by
Walter Simonson
Walter Simonson (born September 2, 1946) is an American comic book writer and artist, best known for a run on Marvel Comics' ''Thor'' from 1983 to 1987, during which he created the character Beta Ray Bill. He is also known for the creator-owned w ...
and first appeared 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 ...
'' #347 (Sep. 1984).
He is introduced initially as an ally to
Malekith, tasked with guarding the kidnapped
Lorelei
The Lorelei ( ; or , or ; also found as ''Loreleï'', ''Lore Lay'', ''Lore-Ley'', ''Lurley'', ''Lurelei'' and ''Lurlei'' throughout history) is a , steep slate rock on the right bank of the River Rhine in the Rhine Gorge (or Middle Rhine) at ...
.
The character was later healed and transformed into Kurse in ''
Secret Wars II
''Secret Wars II'' is a nine-issue comic book limited series and crossover published from 1985 to 1986 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Marvel's then editor-in-chief Jim Shooter and primarily pencilled by Al Milgrom.
The series wa ...
'' #4 (Oct. 1985) by the
Beyonder
The Beyonder () is a fictional cosmic entity appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Jim Shooter and artist Mike Zeck, the Beyonder first appeared in ''Secret Wars'' #1 (May 1984) as an unseen, nigh-omnipote ...
.
In 2015's Mighty Thor issue #14 by
Jason Aaron
Jason Aaron (born January 28, 1973) is an American comic book writer, known for his creator-owned series '' Scalped'' and '' Southern Bastards'', as well as his work on Marvel series '' Ghost Rider'', ''Wolverine'', '' PunisherMAX'', ''Thor'', a ...
and
Steve Epting
Stephen "Steve" Epting is an Americans, American comics artist. He is best known for his work on ''The Avengers (comic book), The Avengers'' and ''Captain America (comic book), Captain America'' for Marvel Comics.
Early life
Epting's influences ...
, the mantle and the powers of "Kurse" were passed on to a new host, a dark elf called Lady Waziria.
She reappeared in 2019's
War of the Realms
War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...
as a subordinate of Malekith.
Fictional character biography
Algrim
Kurse was originally the most powerful of a race of Dark Elves and was known as Algrim the Strong. He is coerced by the Dark Elf ruler
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 ...
to fight the Asgardian God of Thunder and
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...
,
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 ...
. Malekith, however, betrays Algrim while he is fighting Thor, and in a bid to destroy the Thunder God orders that a pitfall beneath the two be opened. Thor saves himself courtesy of his mystical hammer
Mjolnir, while Algrim falls into lava. Algrim's enchanted armor saves his life, but he is still critically injured and develops
amnesia
Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or brain diseases,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be temporarily caused by t ...
from the shock.
Algrim is completely amnesic, except for his obsessive desire to gain revenge upon Thor. Algrim is later healed by the cosmic entity the
Beyonder
The Beyonder () is a fictional cosmic entity appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Jim Shooter and artist Mike Zeck, the Beyonder first appeared in ''Secret Wars'' #1 (May 1984) as an unseen, nigh-omnipote ...
, who transforms him into the much more powerful being called Kurse, who is apparently twice as strong as Thor. The Beyonder transports Kurse to Earth to battle Thor, however Kurse mistakes Thor's ally
Beta Ray Bill
Beta Ray Bill is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Debuting in the Bronze Age of Comic Books, the character was initially intended to be a surprise; an apparent monster who unexpectedly turns out ...
for Thor and battles him. Kurse then battles the juvenile superhero team,
Power Pack
Power Pack is a superhero team consisting of four young siblings appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Louise Simonson and artist June Brigman, they first appeared in their own series in 1984, which las ...
. Thor dons his magical belt of strength to double his strength and confronts Kurse, however the Beyonder doubles Kurse's strength as well.
Despite overpowering Thor, Kurse is made to realize that it was Malekith, not Thor, who is to blame for his suffering. The Beyonder then transports Kurse to
Hel at Thor's suggestion, to frustrate
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 ...
, the goddess of death. Kurse confronts and severely beats Loki, who had been disguised as Malekith. Drawing off, he leaves Loki injured and finds what he thinks is
Balder the Brave
Balder the Brave is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is based on the deity Baldr from Norse mythology.
Publication history
Created by editor-plotter Stan Lee and penciller Jack Ki ...
, surrounded by legions of
Asgardians. He barrels through them and slays his target, who turns out to be the true Malekith. After repenting, he is granted citizenship among the
Asgardians.
He is designated as the guardian of the children of Asgard after he helped protect
Volstagg
Volstagg the Voluminous is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a charter member of the Warriors Three, a trio of Asgard (comics), Asgardian adventurers and supporting cast of Thor (Marvel Comi ...
's daughter and adopted sons during a plague, and loyally serves Asgard until
Ragnarok. At the time of Ragnarok, all the Asgardians apparently perish, with the exception of Thor.
Kurse is later captured by Malekith, who strips him of the armor. Algrim is sent to Nastrond Prison where he is forced to serve out the rest of the sentence of Waziria, a former member of the League of Realms. Malekith forces Waziria to don the armor, transforming her into the new Kurse. Before he is imprisoned, Algrim encourages his successor to kill herself the first chance she gets.
[''The Mighty Thor'' (vol. 2) #14. Marvel Comics.]
Waziria
Waziria is a Dark Elf witch of the Dove Gut Tribe in Svartalfheim.
[''Thor: God of Thunder'' #16. Marvel Comics.]
When Malekith escaped from his imprisonment and attacked his village, he cut off Waziria's left arm when using her as a hostage when Thor and his fellow Asgardians arrived. After recuperating, Waziria joined up with the League of Realms to hunt down Malekith.
When the League of Realms split, only Waziria remained with Thor. During a meeting with the Dark Elf ruling council called the Council of the Unhallowed, Thor accused Waziria of being the traitor and that she gave Malekith the information to stay one step ahead of him, only for both to learn that it was Thor himself who had been bugged. Malekith then makes himself known.
Before Malekith can kill Thor, the League of Realms showed up to help fight Malekith. The Council of the Unhallowed made the decision to side with Malekith. When the Congress of the Worlds planned to have Malekith rule Svartalfheim after he is done with his life sentence in Nastrond Prison, Malekith made Waziria his proxy while Malekith named Scumtongue his senator for the Congress of the Worlds.
After stripping Algrim of his armor, Malekith transformed Waziria into the new Kurse while Algrim takes Waziria's place in Nastrond Prison.
During the "
War of the Realms
War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...
" storyline, Kurse was present with Malekith as he begins his invasion of Midgard. She and Enchantress fight
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 ...
and
Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider is the name of multiple superheroes or antiheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel had previously used the name for a Western character whose name was later changed to Phantom Rider.
The first s ...
until
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 ...
slams
Skidbladnir into Enchantress. After the Queen of Angels has no knowledge on why her soldier Fernande sided with
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...
and the League of Realms, Malekith states that he is leaving Kurse to assist her. In London, Volstagg controls the Destroyer Armor to defeat Kurse.
Powers and abilities
Kurse possesses a number of superhuman attributes because he is a dark elf and has been mystically augmented. Kurse's main advantage is his strength - which originally was a close match to Thor's, but since then his strength was quadrupled in comparison to Thor's. He also has enchanted armor that has been fused to his skin by the Beyonder. Kurse is now almost totally invulnerable, except to
iron
Iron is a chemical element; it has symbol Fe () and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, forming much of Earth's o ...
, like all dark elves. Kurse can also track his opponents over thousands of miles and can see past illusions and disguises. His enchanted armor is living and sentient and allows Kurse to see everything around him.
Waziria can perform magic spells. She also possesses Algrim's abilities when she dons the Kurse armor.
In other media
Film
* Algrim appears in ''
Thor: Tales of Asgard'', voiced by Ron Halder.
This version was forced to ally with
Surtur after Frost Giants devastated Svartalfheim and Odin refused to help the Dark Elves. After Odin defeated Surtur, he brings Algrim to his realm to serve the Asgardians as punishment. In the present, Algrim steals Surtur's sword and attempts to take revenge on Asgard, only to be killed by Loki.
* Algrim appears in ''
Thor: The Dark World'', portrayed by
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (; ; born 22 August 1967) is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Simon Adebisi in '' Oz'', Mr. Eko in '' Lost'', Lock-Nah in '' The Mummy Returns'', Nykwana Wombosi in '' The Bourne Identity'', Heavy Duty ...
.
This version is one of Malekith's Kursed soldiers, which greatly increases his strength and durability. During a battle with Thor in Svartálfaheim, Algrim is killed by Loki with a Dark Elf grenade.
Video games
* Kurse appears as a miniboss in ''
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance'', voiced by
Tom Kane
Tom Kane (born 1962) is an American former voice actor. He is known for his work in animation and video games, most notably the ''Star Wars'' franchise.
Career
Kane began his voice acting career in 1977 when he was just 14 years old. Some of his ...
.
* Kurse appears as a boss in ''
Marvel: Avengers Alliance''.
* Kurse appears in ''
Marvel Heroes''.
* Kurse appears as a playable character in ''
Lego Marvel Super Heroes
''Lego Marvel Super Heroes'' is a 2013 Lego-themed action-adventure game, action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PlayStation 4, Xb ...
'',
voiced by
Andrew Kishino
Andrew Kishino (born March 20, 1970), also known as Big Kish (formerly Kish), is a Canadian voice actor.
Life and career
As a musician, Kishino is best known for his 1991 single "I Rhyme the World in 80 Days". The song was featured on his de ...
.
* Kurse appears in the iOS tie-in game ''Thor: The Dark World'', voiced by Dennis Carnegie.
References
External links
Kurseat Marvel.com
*
{{Thor
Characters created by Walt Simonson
Comics characters introduced in 1984
Fictional elves
Male characters in film
Marvel Comics characters who can move at superhuman speeds
Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength
Marvel Comics supervillains
Thor (Marvel Comics)