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As revealed in Avengers #61 and Mighty Thor #7, a version of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes had existed in 1047 AD, when Vikings roamed the seas and worshiped the Norse Gods. Although there was an incarnation of the Avengers as far back as 1,000,000 BC, the Viking Age Avengers were the first group to have someone who would remain a member into the modern day, that being Thor. While the Viking Avenger’s exploits may have been lost to time, Thor’s continual role as a core member of the Marvel Comics‘ best superhero team ensures his place as one of the team’s most important heroes and the true First Avenger.
The Viking Avengers Assembled Because of Thor
Marvel first hinted at the existence of the Viking Avengers in 2016 with Mighty Thor #7. Long ago, a young Thor was worshipped by the Vikings for victory in battle. One Viking, Bodolf the Black, prayed to Loki for revenge against Thor after Thor had helped Bodolf’s enemies win a conflict. Loki instructed Bodolf that to have his vengeance he needed to kill a dragon and drink its blood. The completion of this task turned Bodolf into a giant Hulk-like monster. The transformed Bodolf and Thor engaged in a battle that took them across the globe, with Thor emerging as the victor. Their fight was seen by a Ghost Rider and an Atlantean, who were amazed by these god-like beings. The comic ended showing an engraving of ancient superheroes.
Although there would be several teases of the Viking Avengers’ existence since that initial engraving, it wouldn’t be until 2022, with Avengers #61, that the group’s roster would receive their in-depth introduction. When the modern-day Avengers are lost in time and fighting the demon Mephisto, they run into heroes of various other time periods, including the Viking Age. To battle a gigantic dragon version of Mephisto, the greatest heroes of 1047 AD came together to save the Earth. The team consisted of Thor; Princess Gale the Atlantean Iron Fist; Murkfoot, the Sasquatch Sorcerer Supreme; Theodosia Szardos, the witch Phoenix Force host; the Native American Grizzly Rider; Iya Nehanda, the Black Panther; and even Bodolf, who had reformed. Thor is shown to be leading the charge of these ancient Avengers.
Thor’s initial battle with Bodolf was the common thread that connected all of these heroes, as they witnessed beings of incomprehensible power duke it out and shake the Earth. While their first meeting is never shown, what’s clear is that these Viking Avengers would have never assembled if it were not for Thor. This occurrence mirrors how Odin, Thor’s father, was a founding member of the Avengers of 1,000,000 BC. Thor and his family have always been tied to the unification of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
