Partnerships Surtur Place of origin Niffleheim Partnership Surtur | Team affiliations Frost and Storm Giants Notable aliases Aurgelmir Species Giants | |
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Abilities Superhuman strengthSuperhuman durabilityCold and ice manipulationHealing factor First appearance Journey Into Mystery #97 (Oct. 1963) Similar Surtur, Ulik, Tyr, Mangog, Fafnir | ||
Ymir is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is based on the frost giant of the same name from Norse mythology.
Contents
- Publication history
- Fictional character biography
- Powers and abilities
- Free Comic Book Day
- Television
- Video games
- References
Publication history
Ymir first appears in Journey into Mystery #97 (October 1963) and was adapted by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
Fictional character biography
The character Ymir first appears in Journey into Mystery, and considers all other forms of life — with the exception of his kin the Frost Giants of Niffelheim — to be aberrations that must be destroyed. He was among the first Asgardian creatures to be created and spawned the Asgardian gods. The next story depicts an early battle with and subsequent imprisonment by being lured into a trap and imprisoned in a ring of magical fire by Odin, King of the Norse gods while attempting to bring eternal winter to Asgard with the other giants.
Ymir is mentioned in Savage Tales in a story set in the prehistoric Hyborian Age. Barbarian hero Conan encounters his daughter, Atali, and slays two of her brutish brothers.
Ymir reappears in a two-part storyline in Avengers and Doctor Strange being summoned to Earth with the fire demon Surtur by a cult called the Sons of Satannish. The pair are defeated and banished when the heroes trick the two into fighting one another due to Strange. Ymir and Surtur reappear in Thor, and invade the realm of Asgard. Both characters, however, are defeated when God of Thunder Thor uses the Odinpower to banish the pair to the other-dimensional Sea of Eternal Night. Ymir reappears in the publication Marvel Super-Heroes, and with the Frost and Storm Giants launches attack on Asgard. On this occasion the character and his allies are stopped by Thor and his half-brother, Vidar.
Ymir appears in an issue of the limited series X-Men: First Class, which is set during the early days of the modern Marvel universe. The original X-Men encounter a group called the "Sons of the Vanir" who summon Ymir to Earth. After a brief battle, Thor uses his mystic hammer Mjolnir to return Ymir to Niffelheim.
Powers and abilities
Ymir is a huge ice giant over 1,000-foot (300 m) tall and possesses immense strength and durability greater than most other giants. Ymir is one of the few beings whose power makes him capable of battling Surtur and Odin to a standstill. The character can generate intense, deadly cold and regenerate from as little as a particle of ice. Ymir also carries a huge icicle which functions as a club. The character is an ancient being devoted to destruction and little else.
Free Comic Book Day
Ymir is the villain in the giveaway title Free Comic Book Day 2009 Avengers.