Thor #299
Passions and Potions
Thor continues to witness his own long forgotten past. He has just witness his younger self — in the mortal form of Siegfried — free the deposed Valkyrie Brunnhilda from an eternal slumber. Witnessing this now, Thor wonders what the purpose Odin had in casting them as mortals in order to fall in love when it would have been simpler if they were gods. The eye of Odin, who has been imparting these visions, tells the thunder god to be patient as all shall be explained eventually.[1]
After consummating their love, Siegfried uses the last of her godly power to make her love invincible unless he is attacked from behind. As a symbol of their love, Siegfried then has Brunnhilda wear the Ring of Nibelung that he liberated from Fafnir the Storm Giant. He then departs to find a quest to prove himself worthy of their love, promising to return to Brunnhilda when he has succeed. She wishes him luck and tells him how to ride her horse, Grane, to help him on his quest.
Meanwhile, there are forces that continue to conspire against Sigfried and obtain the ring. This comes in the form of a dwarf named Hagen, the son of Albrich the ring’s creator. He has returned to the kingdom of the Gibichung Clan where he meets with the king and his half-brother Gunther and his sister Gunthra. He tells them that he can bring them both the ideal mates for them to wed and tells them about both Sigfried and Brunnhilda — omitting the fact that the couple are betrothed to one another. When they ask how they can get Sigfried to fall in love with Gunthra, Hagen provides them with a potion that will make him fall in love with the first woman he sees.
Later, when Siegfried arrives in the Gibichung kingdom his is attacked by the castle soldiers until Hagen orders them to stand down. Apologizing for the unwarranted attack, Hagen invites Siegfried to meet with the king. Here, the valiant warrior is duped into proposing a toast and he drinks the drugged wine and instantly falls in love with Gunthra — all memory of his love for Brunnhilda now gone. He agrees to marry Gunthra, but must first find a bride to her brother so he might be married first. Gunther then convinces Siegfried to retrieve Brunnhilda from the mountain top and bring her to him so they can be married and the pair enter into a blood oath, vowing death to whom should beak the pact.
Meanwhile, Brunnhilda waits for Siegfried’s return, unaware of the situation that has unfolded down below. She is then visited by Valtrauta, one of her former allies in the Valkyrie. Valtrauta has overheard Odin speaking of how the Ring of Nibelung is cursed and that she should get rid of it before some tragedy befalls her. Like everyone else who has possessed the ring, Brunnhilda refuses and Valtrauta — knowing she cannot remove the ring by force — departs, hoping that no bad fortune befalls her former ally.
Soon, Siegfried climbs to the top of the burning mountain but before he greets Brunnhilda he uses the Tarnhelm to change his appearnce to that of Gunther. Posing as the king, Siegfried tells Brunnhilda that she is to taken to Gibichung and wed to Gunther. Brunnhilda refuses this offer, telling him that she is betrothed to another. She is shocked when “Gunther” is able to remove the ring from her finger and she faints, leaving Siegfried confused. Resuming his normal form, the warrior then carried Brunnhilda down from the mountain.
Back in the kingdom, Hagen is visited by the spirit of Alberich, his father, who is pleased that his son will finally reclaim the ring and conquer both man and god and restore the family honor. Soon, Siegfried returns and Brunnhilda is spirited off to be readied for the wedding while the others celebrate. Soon, Hagen presides over a double wedding between Gunther and Brunnhilda and Siegfried and Gunthra. Regaining her senses, Brunnhilda refuses to marry Gunthar, telling all gathered that she is in love with Siegfried and that they have already consummated their love. Believing that Siegfried defiled his would be bride while bringing her to his kingdom, Gunther assumes he has been betrayed and orders his guards to kill him.
However, Brunnhilda’s enchantment keeps Siegfried safe as long as nobody attacks him from behind. She says as much as she, Gunther, Gunthra, and Hagen watch from the sidelines. Eventually, reason prevails when Gunthra realizes that they have no right to question Siegfried’s honor when they used trickery to force him to fall in love with her. Gunther orders his guards to stand down and tells Siegfried that he will allow him to marry his sister and live if he agrees to leave the kingdom and never return. Happy to do so, Siegfried leaves with his new bride. As they depart, Brunnhilda vows to get revenge against Gunthra for taking away her beloved and Hagen intends to make that threat good by exploiting the warrior’s secret and killing him and reclaiming the Ring of Nibelung.
Watching this from the present, Thor can tell that the story is nearing its end and tells the eye to wrap things up quickly as he still has to deal with the Celestials that threaten the Earth.
Recurring Characters
Thor, Valkyrie, Odin’s eye, Alberich
Continuity Notes
Odin removed his eye and fed it to Mimi to stave off Ragnarok in issue #274 it has terrorized another dimension until Thor found it in issue #292. The thunder god sought it out to learn Odin’s claim that he slew his own son centuries ago in the forgotten past.
