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Jane Foster Is Becoming an Asgardian Valkyrie in Her New Marvel Series

Jane Foster letting know Odinson that her time as Thor has come to an end.
Jane Foster letting know Odinson that her time as Thor has come to an end.
Image: Russell Dauterman, Matthew Wilson (Marvel)

During Jane Foster’s time as Thor, Asgardian goddess of thunder, she accomplished a number of things the Odinson never could and proved to the universe that her inherent heroism made her every bit as worthy as anyone who’d ever wielded Mjölnir before. In the time since Jane hung up her cape and helmet, she’s been living a mortal life and recovering from cancer, but it won’t be long before she’s back in the sky thanks to Asgardian magic.

In the wake of Marvel’s ongoing War of the Realms in which all of Asgard’s Valkyries have been destroyed, Jane Foster is being called upon to to replace them as the Valkyrie in the aptly named Valkyrie, from writer co-writers Al Ewing and Jason Aaron and artist Cafu. Like Thor, Valkyrie is a kind of title that serves a specific function within the lore of Marvel’s Asgard, and the fighters’ existences were closely tied with that of Valhalla. Because all of the Valkyries were murdered, Valhalla no longer exists, but Jane’s prepared to step up to the plate and do what she does best: maintain the balance against impossible odds.

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In an interview with Marvel, co-writer Al Ewing explained that while Jane’s past as Thor will obviously make her return to Asgardian heroics somewhat easier, becoming Valkyrie is something different for her:

It’s a sacred task, and brings additional abilities — and responsibilities — of its own. As the first of a new generation of Valkyries, Jane has to decide for herself what that task involves, and that’s a big part of what we’ll be exploring in this series. If you’re reading this, you know who Valkyrie is, but what she is is one of the big philosophical underpinnings of the book.

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Valkyrie #1
Valkyrie #1
Image: Mahmud Asrar and Matthew Wilson (Marvel)

Instead of wielding the legendary hammer she’s become so familiar with lately, Jane will race into battle with Undrjarn, the All-Weapon, which can be transformed into any battle weapon she can think of—and she’ll also have former Valkyrie Brunhilde to provide advice for the new phase of her life.

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Valkyrie hits stores this July.


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