LAUFEY
Real Name: Laufey
Identity/Class: Frost Giant (Jotunheim)
Occupation: King of the Frost Giants
Group Membership: Frost Giants (Skrymir, Stonesnow, many others), Dark Council (Enchantress/Amora, Loki, Malekith, Minotaur/Dario Agger, Queen of Angels, Sindr, Ulik)
Affiliations: Angels of Heven, Dark Elves (Bat Riders, War Witches, Wild Hunt, others), Fire Demons of Muspelheim, Hyve, Kurse (Lady Waziria), Loki, Roxxon, Spider of Hel, Swamp Mammoths, Trolls, War Angels, undead warriors and many others;
Laufey fascimile: Mother, Ms. America's mothers
Enemies: Asgardians (Balder, Freyja, Hildegarde, Odin, Sif, Thor, Valkyrie/Brunnihlde, Valkyrior, many others), Avengers 1,000,000 B.C. (Agamotto, Black Panther/Mosi, Iron Fist/Fan Fei, Lady Phoenix, Odin, Rider, Starbrand/Vnn), Avengers (Black Panther/T'Challa, Blade/Eric Brooks, Captain America/Steve Rogers, Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers, Ghost Rider/Robbie Reyes, Hulk/Jennifer Walters, Iron Man/Tony Stark), Daredevil (Matt Murdock), Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange), Fantastic Four (Human Torch/Johnny Storm, Invisible Woman/Susan Richards, Mister Fantastic/Reed Richards, Thing/Ben Grimm), Light Elves Brigade (Sir Ivory Honeyshot, Queen Aelsa Featherwine of the Fay, others), Loki, Danielle Moonstar, Mountain Giants, Okoye, Punisher (Frank Castle), Sleipnir, Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Thor (Dr. Jane Foster), Thori, War Machine Dwarves (Screwbeard, Stonefoot, others), Wolverine (James "Logan" Howlett);
Laufey fascimile: Hulkling (Teddy Altman), Loki, Ms. America (America Chavez), Wiccan (Billy Kaplan)
Known Relatives: Loki (son), Farbauti (wife), Hyve (mate), Fenris Wolf, Midgard Serpent (grandsons), Tess Black, Hela (granddaughters), Sigyn (daughter-in-law), billions of unidentified offspring (with Hyve)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Citadel of Utgard, Jotunheim
First Appearance: Journey into Mystery I#112/2 (January, 1965)
Powers/Abilities: Laufey possesses superhuman strength (Class 100), durability, endurance and longevity. Like all Frost Giants Laufey needs the cold temperatures to keep his size and strength. Exposure to heat reduced his size and evenentually could reduce him to liquid. He used a giant-size axe, sword and spiked club in combat. (Pre-retcon Laufey wielded a giant-sized war club.)
After swallowing the Casket of the Ancient Winters he gained the power of the flash-freezing blizzard breath.
Height: Unrevealed (45' (pre-retcon 20') (variable))
Weight: Unrevealed (2.8 tons (pre-retcon 1.8 tons))
Eyes: White (possibly sometimes red)
Hair: None (pre-retcon brown)
History:
(Avengers: 1,000,000 B.C.#1 (fb)) - Over a million years ago Laufey met Hyve, the Mother of Infestation, from the Negative Zone. They consummated their love on Earth were their offspring began feasting on all life. The Avengers from 1,000,000 B.C. slaughtered billions of their offspring and ultimately Hyve herself in a battle that lasted for seventy days and nights. Enraged Laufey returned to Utgard, but swore to one day return and lay waste to Earth.
Laufey, accompanied by two giants, attacked Odin, Rider and Starbrand while Gaea gave birth to Thor. The Phoenix came to the newborn Thor's aid and successfully defended the child from the giants.
(War of the Realms#1 (fb) - BTS) - At some point in his life Laufey passed a kidney stone the size of a boulder.
(Journey into Mystery I#112/2) - A long time ago Laufey was king of the giants of Jotunheim, who were at war with Asgard.
(Thor III#12 (fb)) - Young Loki, who had been approached by his time-travelling older self, told his father, according to his older self's plan, that he had seen Asgardians scouting the woods for the battle with the Frost Giants the next day. He then asked if Laufey would really kill Odin if he could catch him unaware. Laufey's reply was that Odin was always too well guarded. When Loki called him a coward Laufey hit him and asked him where Odin would be leading the attack. Loki told him and wanted to know if his father would personally slay Odin. Laufey promised Odin would be found with his ax in his throat.
(Journey into Mystery I#112/2) - Laufey challenged Asgard's king Odin to single combat for the right to rule Asgard. The fight between the two kings was witnessed by their armies and Laufey tried to use his knowledge of the land to his advantage by luring Odin to a fatal pothole which poured forth cosmic flame. Ultimately Odin destroyed Laufey's weapon using Mjolnir and their respective armies joined the battle. One of the giants handed Laufey a sword so he could continue to fight. The Frost Giants eventually chose to retreat, but Odin and his army followed them to end Laufey's reign over Jotunheim once and for all. He courageously chose death at the hands of his enemies rather than to surrender to them.
(Thor II#80 (fb)) - Odin crushed Laufey with Mjolnir in combat.
(Journey into Mystery I#112/2) - Laufey's army came to his aid and he was handed a sword by one of them. The Frost Giants battled the Asgardians, but eventually chose to retreat. Odin and his army followed them to end Laufey's reign over Jotunheim once and for all. Laufey ultimately chose death at the hands of his enemies rather than to surrender to them.
(Thor III#8, 12 (fb)) - Odin felled Laufey in battle during the fight between the Asgardians and the Frost Giants. After the Frost Giants were defeated Loki, as instructed by his older self, ran toward his fallen father in blind rage.
(Mighty Thor I#18 (fb)) - Loki knelt at his father's side for a moment.
(Thor III#8, 12 (fb)) - Loki took Laufey's sword to attack Odin. Like his older self predicted Odin decided to take Loki to Asgard and raise him as his own son. Nobody took young Loki's threats seriously.
(Thor III#12 (fb)) - Laufey was still alive when the Asgardians were gone, but the time-travelling older Loki hacked him to pieces with Laufey's own sword while screaming at him that Laufey would never hit him again.
(Thor: God of Thunder#25 (fb)) - A group of Frost Giants went to Earth to slaughter humans to fuel a ritual to steal Laufey's soul from Hel and resurrect him. They slaughtered whole Viking villages alongside the coast while their wizards waited with Laufey's skull for their ritual to actually work. When Laufey's soul finally returned to his skull Thor and a group of Viking warriors attacked and thwarted the ritual the last minute. They slaughtered the Frost Giants and dropped their remains into the ocean alongside Laufey's skull.
(Thor: God of Thunder#15 - BTS) - Malekith forged an alliance with the Frost Giants.
(Thor: God of Thunder#16 (fb) - BTS) - Malekith made promises to the Frost Giants to deliver something to them (Laufey's skull, but that was only told to the readers in the next Thor title)
(Thor: God of Thunder#25) - A Roxxon submarine, following unexplained energy readings, discovered Laufey's skull in the depths of the sea.
(Thor IV#3 (fb) - BTS) - Malekith met with Skrymir in the citadel of Utgard to inform him that Laufey's skull had been found. Skrymir got really angry when Malekith told him that though the skull was found Malekith didn't have it, but the company Roxxon. Skrymir didn't want to invade Earth because he feared Thor would slay them, but his wore off when Malekith told him that Thor couldn't wield Mjolnir anymore.
(Thor IV#1 - BTS) - Aided by Malekith the Frost Giants went to the bottom of the ocean to retrieve the long-missing skull of Laufey from Roxxon. Unfortunately for them Roxxon had taken Laufey's skull away. Malekith learned the skull's whereabouts from a Roxxon employee while the Frost Giants fought Thor Odinson.
(Thor IV#2 - BTS) - Despite opposition from heroes of Earth and Asgard the Frost Giants invaded the floating Roxxon Island in search for Laufey's skull. On the island they faced more opposition when Roxxon CEO Dario Agger sent Ulik against them. Thor (Jane Foster) also fought them when Malekith and some Frost Giants caught up to Agger.
(Thor IV#3 - BTS) - Malekith found Laufey's skull, but Agger didn't want to hand it over because he considered it his possession because Roxxon had found it on the ocean floor. Before their argument could be settled or the Frost Giants could come to claim the skull Thor (Foster) entered Agger's vault and smashed Laufey's skull. Malekith promised Thor that the Frost Giants would go to war with Earth for the destruction of Laufey's skull.
(Thor IV#4) - Later on Roxxon Island, after Thor and the Frost Giants had left, Agger met with Malekith again to show him the real skull of Laufey. Agger revealed the other skull was just a decoy, which the Frost Giants were supposed to steal from him. Agger then discussed the skull's price with Malekith. Agger wanted whole realms as payment.
(Thor IV#6 - BTS) - On Roxxon Island Agger and Malekith came to an agreement. Roxxon would get all the mineral rights to the realms Malekith and his allies conquered as payment for Laufey's skull.
(Thor IV#7) - Malekith and Agger still talked on Roxxon Island with Laufey's skull nearby. Malekith explained that he needed blood to cast the spell upon the skull. Opening a portal to Alfheim Malekith and Agger, who transformed into his Minotaur form, went to Alfheim and slaughtered Light Elves to power the ritual.
(Thor IV#8) - Malekith teleported Laufey's skull to the citadel of Utgard in Jotunheim where Skrymir and other Frost Giants were already waiting with the rest of Laufey's remains. Malekith cast the spell powered by Light Elves blood and Laufey's soul finally escaped from Hel and took possession of his skeleton. Diabolical laughter could be heard from the citadel.
SECRET WARS III HAPPENED
(Mighty Thor II#1) - Laufey participated in a meeting of Malekith's Dark Council in the Yawning Void. After some talk about the war in Alfheim Malekith told the other members that Loki wanted to join their group and put his induction up for vote. Laufey didn't think Loki could be trusted.
(Mighty Thor II#2) - Loki and Laufey walked to the Bloodcicle Canyon in Jotunheim. Laufey confronted Loki about how he had traveled back in time only to kill him out of anger. He was disappointed in Loki because he didn't see him as a force of evil and only saw mischief and trickery in him, which was not the way of the Frost Giants. Laufey challenged Loki to walk the Bloodcicle Canyon to gain his support in joining Malekith's Dark Council. In the canyon some of Laufey's warriors were already waiting for Loki, but he merely talked to them to make them hurt themselves and each other. Laufey was disappointed at how Loki defeated them, but Loki asked Laufey to stop wasting their time and just let Loki show him what he could do to a Thor.
In Alfheim Laufey met with Malekith. Laufey wanted Asgard destroyed and didn't care for Alfheim. He still considered Loki an abomination and not his son, but he had decided to use Loki against Thor. He promised Malekith neither Thor nor Loki would leave Alfheim alive.
(Mighty Thor II#3) - Malekith gave Laufey a last chance to call off the murder of his own son when the Bat Riders descended upon the Light Elves' capital Ljosalfgard with Roxxon's bombs. Laufey wanted the saga of Thor and Loki to end and didn't stop the bombardment.
(Mighty Thor II#4) - Thor saved herself and Loki, but Ljosalfgard was conquered. Laufey joined Malekith's troops when they marched into the city and was welcomed by his son Loki and Thor, who almost couldn't believe it that Laufey was really alive again. Laufey laughed at the female Thor while she told him the Frost Giants had made a mistake to align with the Dark Elves.
(Mighty Thor II#5) - Laufey and the rest of the Dark Council attended the wedding of Malekith and the Light Elves' Queen Aelsa Featherwine to attain peace between their races. After the wedding Malekith asked his allies which realm they should conquer next.
After Loki slew Freyja he returned to Jotunheim. In the Citadel of Utgard Laufey reveled in Loki's story about how Freyja screamed when he stabbed her in the back.
(Mighty Thor I#700 (fb) - BTS) - In Jotunheim Laufey, Loki and some guards met with an envoy of Mountain Giants, who ambushed them. The Mountain Giants slew Laufey's guards and wounded him heavily before Laufey and Loki managed to escape.
(Mighty Thor I#700) - During their escape Loki asked Laufey if it was true his mother killed herself the night she gave birth to Loki. Laufey, who was heavily wounded and angry at the cowardly actions of the Mountain Giants, collapsed before he could answer.
(Mighty Thor I#700 - BTS) - While Laufey was unconscious Loki dealt with the Mountain Giants, who had caught up with them. (I assume Loki mesmerized them to kill each other as he did in the past with other giants)
(Mighty Thor I#700) - When Laufey regained consciousness he was afraid the Mountain Giants would catch up to him and Loki, but they already did and were dealt with by Loki. Laufey was impressed by his son.
(Thor V#12 (fb)) - Laufey was enraged that somebody had left flowers on his doorstep and wanted to know who was behind it. He slew three giants in search of the culprit, unaware that it was his son Loki, who left the ice roses there for Father's Day.
(War of the Realms#6 (fb) - BTS) - Loki stole the Casket of Ancient Winters from Asgard and gave it to Laufey.
(Thor V#10) - Stonesnow approached the throne of King Laufey and complained about Loki transforming his son into a frog. Laufey ordered Loki to end this in the way of the Frost Giants by killing the frog, but Loki didn't want to. Laufey squashed the frog with his foot and angered by Loki's continued disobedience vowed that Loki would never sit on the throne as he wasn't his son anymore because Loki continued following the ways of the Asgardians. He ordered Loki to get out of his sight and then told his generals to double the training because war with Midgard was near.
(War of the Realms#1) - Laufey teleported to Manhattan with the rest of the Dark Council and immediately went after Freyja and grabbed her.
(Unbeatable Squirrel Girl II#43) - Laufey had Freyja in his grasp when Loki decided to come to her aid.
(War of the Realms#1) - Loki cut off Laufey's left hand and it dropped with Freyja still inside to the ground. Laufey then threatened Loki, who was attacked by Malekith until Doctor Strange interfered. Laufey eventually got a hold of Loki and devoured him in front of Freyja, the Avengers and other heroes.
(Thor V#12) - Loki slid down Laufey's gullet and eventually reached the stomach where the digestion process of his body started. Meanwhile Laufey damaged the head of the Statue of Liberty with his spiked club and declared North America to be New Jotunheim. He ordered all the giants to spread the ice throughout their new realm.
(War of the Realms#2) - Laufey knocked Odin and Sleipnir into a building with a crane after the All-Father had just been reunited with Freyja in Manhattan. Freyja brought the wounded Odin to safety through a portal set up by Doctor Strange that brought everyone not part of Malekith's forces (and the Valkyrie, who were all slain) to Avengers Mountain.
(War of the Realms#4) - Laufey single-handedly (literally because he had only one hand) fought off fighter jets at the Statue of Liberty with his club.
(War of the Realms Strikeforce: The War Avengers#1/War of the Realms#5) - The Fantastic Four fought Laufey in New York City near the Statue of Liberty and they had him on the ropes.
(War of the Realms: War Scrolls#3) - Daredevil overheard Captain America that the heroes had their eyes on King Laufey on 51st and ninth. In the distance Captain Marvel was seen blasting Laufey.
(War of the Realms#6) - Laufey swallowed the Casket of Ancient Winters and then used its magic to freeze all the heroes opposing him with his blizzard breath. Many were instantly frozen, but Daredevil, imbued with the powers of Heimdall, resisted the cold and tossed Heimdall's sword Hofund at Laufey, who swallowed it as planned by Daredevil. Laufey continued flash-freezing heroes from Earth and other realms with his blizzard breath until he was hit in the head by Thor (Jane Foster)'s hammer. He lost an eye, but was not down. Angered by it he threatened whoever was responsible for this only get his gut cut open from the inside with Hofund by Loki, who was still alive inside his stomach. Loki then used the Casket of Ancient Winters to blast a massive hole inside Laufey's belly. Laufey's intestines dropped out with Loki holding the sword and casket in his hands. Loki left Hofund stuck in the ice near his father's corpse and declared himself the new king of the Frost Giants.
Comments: Adapted by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby & Vince Colletta.
In mythology Laufey was actually Loki's mother and not father while Farbaut was his father. Marvel switched genders of Loki's parents and there was even a Farbauti seen in reality-94001. Farbauti is presumably also the mother of Loki in reality-616.
There are a few differences between the original story in Journey into Mystery I#112/2 and the retcon in Thor III#12. Though Laufey's skin color, armor and weapons can be considered artistic license (see image on the right), the fact that Loki was not a baby, but a walking, talking child old enough to understand his older self's intricate plan and then pick up Laufey's sword is a huge change. The second big difference is that Laufey was apparently slain by the Asgardians in JIM I#112 and not the older Loki (though it did occur BTS in JIM I#112, so it was easy to change that).
He was also pictured in the Giants of Jotunheim entry (see left) in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89#3 (September, 1989).
Even though the main image doesn't represent what was going on inside the issue, it is probably the best full body shot from the front of Laufey.
Most of the characters in Young Avengers Volume 2 where not actually the real deal (some were creations of Loki, while others were creations of the parasitic, extradimensional entity Mother). Laufey was probably the latter, but despite that he was presumably a perfect physical copy of the original Laufey.
Thanks to Ron Fredricks for the cleaned up version of the main image.
Profile by Markus Raymond.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Laufey has no known connection to:
(Young Avengers II#2) - When Hulkling and Wiccan brought Loki to Asgardia Laufey jumped from the Worldtree and thanked the two young heroes for delivering his son to him. Wiccan was surprised that the dead Laufey was suddenly so alive again.
(Young Avengers II#3) - Laufey fought Wiccan and Hulkling ferociously. He caught Hulkling's foot in a bear trap when he tried to take Loki to Asgardia. Wiccan's attempt to use magic to teleport Laufey away failed and made him vomit. Ms. America then arrived and smashed Laufey's skull, which splattered like a balloon. Ms. America's parents, who were also dead, then joined Laufey, who quickly regenerated from his lethal injury, but before they could assault the young heroes again Ms. America allowed Loki to teleport them to safety.
--Young Avengers II#2 (Young Avengers II#2-3
images (without ads)
Thor V#12, Cover (main)
Thor III#12, p15, pan6 (head shot)
Thor IV#7, p13, pan4, (Laufey's skull)
Mighty Thor II#4, p7, pan1 (main image)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89#3, p23 (Laufey head shot)
Journey into Mystery I#112/2 (actual scan from the reprint in Thor I#600), p1 (classic appearance)
Young Avengers II#2, p20, pan1 (Mother's agent)
Appearances:
Journey into Mystery I#112 (January, 1965) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Jack Kirby (pencils), Vince Colletta (inks)
Thor II#80 (August, 2004) - Michael Avon Oeming & Daniel Berman (writer), Andrea Divito (artist), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Thor III#8 (June, 2008) - J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Marko Djurdjevic (pencils), Danny Miki & Crimelab Studios (inks), Warren Simons (editor)
Thor III#12 (January, 2009) - J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Olivier Coipel (pencils), Mark Morales (inks), Warren Simons (editor)
Mighty Thor#18 (October, 2012) - Matt Fraction (writer), Kieron Gillen (co-plot), Alan Davis (pencils), Mark Farmer (inks), Lauren Sankovitch (editor)
Young Avengers II#2-3 (April-May, 2013) - Kieron Gillen (writer), Jamie McKelvie (figures/inks), Mike Norton (backgrounds/inks), Lauren Sankovitch (editor)
Thor: God of Thunder#25 (November, 2014) - Jason Aaron (writer), Simon Bisley (artist), Wil Moss (editor)
Thor IV#1-4 (December, 2014 - March, 2015) - Jason Aaron (writer), Russell Dauterman (artist), Will Moss (editor)
Thor IV#6-8 (April-July, 2015) - Jason Aaron (writer), Russell Dauterman (artist), Will Moss (editor)
Mighty Thor II#1-5 (January-May, 2016) - Jason Aaron (writer), Russel Dauterman (artist), Wil Moss (editor)
Mighty Thor I#700 (December, 2017) - Jason Aaron (writer), Walter Simonson, Russel Dautermann, Daniel Acuña, James Harren, Becky Cloonan, Das Pastoras, Chris Burnham, Andrew MacLean, Jill Thompson, Mike Del Mundo & Olivier Coipel (artists), Wil Moss (editor)
Thor V#10 (April, 2019) - Jason Aaron (writer), Mike Del Mundo (artist), Wil Moss (editor)
War of the Realms#1 (June, 2019) - Jason Aaron (writer), Russell Dauterman (artist), Wil Moss (editor)
Unbeatable Squirrel Girl II#43 (June, 2019) - Ryan North (writer), Derek Charm (artist), Wil Moss (editor)
Thor V#12 (June, 2019) - Jason Aaron (writer), Mike Del Mundo (artist), Wil Moss (editor)
War of the Realms#2 (June, 2019) - Jason Aaron (writer), Russell Dauterman (artist), Wil Moss (editor)
War of the Realms Strikeforce: The War Avengers#1 (July, 2019) - Dennis "Hopeless" Hallum (writer), Kim Jacinto & Ario Anindito (artists), Wil Moss (editor)
War of the Realms#4 (July, 2019) - Jason Aaron (writer), Russell Dauterman (artist), Wil Moss (editor)
War of the Realms#5 (August, 2019) - Jason Aaron (writer), Russell Dauterman (artist), Wil Moss (editor)
War of the Realms: War Scrolls#3/1 (August, 2019) - Jason Aaron (writer), Andrea Sorrentino (artist), Wil Moss (editor)
War of the Realms#6 (August, 2019) - Jason Aaron (writer), Russell Dauterman (artist), Wil Moss (editor)
Avengers: 1,000,000 B.C.#1 (October, 2022) - Jason Aaron (writer), Kev Walker (artist), Tom Brevoort (editor)
First Posted: 09/31/2015
Last updated: 03/09/2023
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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