History
Volstagg is one of the most celebrated heroes of Asgard. In his prime, he was a muscular and accomplished warrior, war chieftain of Thrudheim and renowned for conquering the Utgard Boar at a young age. Once, while guarding a bridge that led to Asgard's capital, Volstagg met the young Asgardian adventurer Fandral, who barred his path. Volstagg battled Fandral with quarterstaves and knocked him into the river, defeating him; in their next bout, Fandral bested Volstagg. Volstagg befriended Fandral, but tired of his ally's incessant boasting; the duo bet they could touch the monstrous Fenris Wolf and brought the youthful Hogun with them as a witness of their contest. The foolhardy duo nearly got Hogun killed when the Fenris Wolf proved too cunning and the trio promised when the end of Asgard (Ragnarok) transpired, they would not oppose him. Thereafter, the trio became the Warriors Three. However, over time Volstagg became enamored of eating and quickly lost his trim figure, becoming grotesquely obese. Although he remained a powerful fighter and boasted proudly of his courage, Volstagg also became wary of fighting, even exhibiting cowardice when facing superior foes. Although he dubbed himself "Volstagg the Valiant" and "the Lion of Asgard," to most Asgardians he became "Volstagg the Voluminous" or "Volstagg the Enormous." Volstagg took Gudrun as his wife, and they soon bore a multitude of children. Although Volstagg often claimed he went on adventures with the Warriors Three to escape his wife and children, he was deeply in love with Gudrun and protective of his children.
Volstagg joined the Warriors Three and Thor on many adventures, including their quest to learn the secrets of Ragnarok, a voyage that led to battles with the Utgard Dragon and Flying Trolls of Thryheim. Learning Odin's adopted son Loki Laufeyson would be the instigator of Ragnarok, they returned to Asgard to imprison him, then defended the realm from the barbarian hordes of the invader Harokin. They also clashed with the dragon king Fafnir of Nastrond and journeyed to Zanadu, home base of Mogul of the Mystic Mountain. During the latter adventure, Volstagg proved pivotal to the group's efforts when he stumbled across the Enchanted Rod of Wondrous Wizard Power, one of Mogul's most dangerous artifacts; wielding it, Volstagg saved Thor, Fandral and Hogun from Mogul's Demon-Riders, and Hogun ultimately vanquished Mogul. Volstagg was later duped by Amora the Enchantress into helping her steal a mystical jewel which had empowered a barrier sealing Jotunheim's giants from Earth. The giants nearly invaded Earth when the jewel was stolen but with Thor's help the jewel was replaced and the barrier restored. When the Warriors Three inadvertently murdered the giant Holth, his father Gnives, demanded satisfaction, forcing them on an extremely difficult quest to obtain exotic items with Thor's aid, hoping to use their failure as an excuse to declare war on Asgard. Charged with obtaining apples from the world-ash tree Yggdrasil, Volstagg proved invaluable, challenging the apples' guardian Lerad the eagle to a drinking contest, then tricking the giant drunken bird into flapping his wings so the apples fell to his companions. Although Gnives himself tried to thwart the Warriors' mission, they succeeded in retrieving all of the items.
When Odin held the Tournament of Titans for the greatest warriors of all, the Warriors Three and Thor faced off against the Warriors of the Thousand Galaxies; Volstagg chose the diminutive Drom the Spirit-Waver as his competitor, but the contest was disrupted by the enchanted Destroyer automaton, who was beaten by the assembled warriors. The Warriors Three also helped defend Asgardians from outsiders such as the Hulk (Bruce Banner), Mangog and the Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd). While Odin was in his Odinsleep, a habitual period of rest required to maintain his powers, Loki usurped the throne. The Warriors Three refused to obey Loki and resisted him until the fire demon Surtur's arrival made Loki flee the realm. They then helped defend Asgard from Surtur before Odin revived and drove the demon away. When Odin was corrupted by a sliver of power from the cosmic being Infinity, he dominated the Warrior's wills, but Karnilla and Loki released them, and they aided Thor in awakening Odin from Infinity's influence.
The Warriors Three joined Thor, Balder, Sif and bodyguard Hildegarde against Ego-Prime, but when they learned both they and the creature had been pawns in Odin's scheme to awaken the power of three of the Young Gods (being selected to demonstrate humanity's worth to the cosmic Celestials), Thor fell out with his father, and all seven Asgardians were exiled to Earth. They temporarily lived at Avengers Mansion and aided Thor against the Hell-lord Mephisto and others. When Balder began suffering from madness, Volstagg stood watch over him while the others returned to Asgard; Volstagg and Balder soon joined them there, helping to overthrow the usurping wizard Igron. With Igron's defeat, Odin resumed the throne and lifted their banishment. The Warriors Three soon joined Thor alongside his foe Zarrko the Tomorrow Man against the reality-destroying Time-Twisters, then briefly stayed in New York, during which they fought a gang of diamond thieves and helped unite lovers Mary Miller and Arnold Slackmyster in marriage.
After the god Bragi took the form of an eagle to gain perspective on his poetry, the Warriors set out to find him to provide a poem for Odin's midsummer celebration, and when he learned of their exploits on the quest he was inspired to write a poem for Odin about their adventures. As the forces of Surtur amassed against Asgard, the Warriors Three joined Asgard's forces fighting Surtur's army on Earth alongside human soldiers and heroes such as the Fantastic Four and Avengers. During this stay on Earth, the Warriors Three befriended the young heroes of Power Pack. Returning to Asgard, the Warriors Three met the New Mutants' Sunspot, who won their favor through a feat of strength: lifting Volstagg off the ground. When the human children Kevin and Mick Mortensen were orphaned by Thor's foe Zaniac, Thor brought the boys to Volstagg, who adopted them into his family. Volstagg was one of the only Asgardians who overcame a mystical plague Loki placed on the ream and helped defend the city from an invasion by the Frost Giants, rejoicing he had found enemies less intelligent and courageous than himself.
When the Ennead (Heliopolitan/Egyptian) death-god Seth waged war with Asgard, Volstagg boldly led Asgardians into battle to defend his family. Joining Fandral and Heimdall, Volstagg served as the last line of defense when Seth tried to conquer Asgard's throne room. Seth was ultimately defeated by Hogun. Soon after, the Warriors Three were tricked by Loki into a fruitless quest to restore the Asgardian Mord to normal after he was transformed into a goat. Although Loki sent each man in search of a different mystical cure, they eventually compared notes and turned on Loki; with Thor's help, Loki was beaten and Mord restored to normal.
When Odin entered another Odinsleep, he transferred his power to Heimdall, and the Warriors Three assumed Heimdall's role as guardian of the Rainbow Bridge. When Odin revived, he was controlled by Loki's spirit, and the young guardsman Arko alerted the Warriors Three. The Warriors Three were declared enemies of the state by "Odin," but wit the help of temporary replacement Thor (Eric Masterson), Loki's plot was revealed, and Odin's soul was restored to his body. When Odin allowed a false Ragnarok to occur in hopes of sparing Asgard from the effects of the true event, the Asgardians were all cast into roles as normal humans with no memory of their godly identities. Volstagg became television host Vincent Starwit, "the Gargantuan Gourmet." Although the Asgardians finally regained their true identities, they were quickly conquered by the Dark Gods of Narcisson and imprisoned; held in the Dark Gods' prison, Volstagg lost weight rapidly. Finally, Thor mounted a rescue, defeating the Dark Gods and returning the Asgardians home. In Asgard, Volstagg quickly regained his lost girth. After Odin perished battling Surtur, the Warriors remained faithful to Thor as their new ruler. Finally, Loki caused the true Ragnarok to be set into motion and, while defending the badly injured Sif, Hogun and Fandral were slain by archers from Loki's ship Naglfar. Volstagg was left alone in the wild for months, losing much of his mass and taking up remains of Hogun and Fandral's clothes to cover himself. As the final battle with Surtur's forces began, Volstagg found his courage in battle and died heroically at war with the fire demons.
Although Asgard was ravaged, this was not the end; Thor survived and used Odin's power to restore Asgard. All the slain Asgardians were revived, but were again cast into mortal forms bereft of their memories. Thor sough tht Warriors Three out in Dahran, Africa, where they had become security guards, with Volstagg as Rolf Mueller, a German. Thor restored them to normal, and they took up residence in the restored Asgard, now hovering near Broxton, Oklahoma. As Balder grew into the role of Asgard's ruler under Loki's counsel, Thor was eventually exiled from Asgard for slaying his grandfather Bor. The Warriors Three chose to join Thor in exile and made Broxton their home, working in the local diner. However, Norman Osborn, commander of the US superhuman forces, justified laying siege to Asgard by using Volstagg as a pawn. When Volstagg visited Chicago, Osborn dispatched the villainous U-Foes against him, and the force of their assault killed several thousand bystanders at Soldier Field. Although Volstagg survived, Osborn twisted the event to make him appear the aggressor and began his invasion of Asgard. Volstagg made haste back to Broxton, aided by journalists Ben Urich and Will Stern, arriving just as the Avengers and Secret Warriors had helped vanquish Osborn's armies. Although Osborn himself fled, Volstagg caught and pummeled him, then turned him over to the heroes for imprisonment.Attributes
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Abilities
Strength
Weaknesses
Paraphernalia
Weapons
Transportation
See Also
- 397 appearance(s) of Volstagg (Earth-616)
- 7 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Volstagg (Earth-616)
- 40 minor appearance(s) of Volstagg (Earth-616)
- 2 mention(s) of Volstagg (Earth-616)
- 3 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Volstagg (Earth-616)
- 114 image(s) of Volstagg (Earth-616)
- 15 quotation(s) by or about Volstagg (Earth-616)
- 2 item(s) used/owned by Volstagg (Earth-616)
Links and References
References
- ↑ Thor Vol 3 #4
- ↑ Journey Into Mystery #504
- ↑ Journey into Mystery #504
- ↑ Thor: Asgard's Avenger Vol 1 1