Karnilla Invades Asgardia

 ...my time is at hand!
~  quoted from The Mighty Thor (2012)

From Fear Itself, we lost the Son of Odin to the Serpent. He was burned in a funeral pyre and then...suddenly, Tanarus appeared!

Well, it's all unraveling right now in The Mighty Thor series, part of the Shattered Heroes event. Tanarus is not who we (or they) thought. He's a pawn of Karnilla, the Norn Queen, posing as one of the Crones. She's been using a subtle mix of illusion and sorcery to keep all of the nine realms in confusion. Her plan made them forget Thor existed.

And now, Karnilla's plan is at climax; she's revealed herself and is in the midst of unleashing a goblin army onto the newly risen Asgardia and All-Mother.

Villainous Moments is a column from of The Superheroes List, updated weekly (usually Tuesday). What are the bad guys doing this week? Macabre and unthinkable, grotesque and unbearable; here's your answer! Look for #VillainousMoments on Twitter.

Osborn: "We Have A Man On The Inside"

If you've been following The New Avengers since the Fear Itself event, then you learned about Norman Osborn's escape from The Raft. Luke Cage and team were transferring the former Director of HAMMER when loyalists secured him away.

Yes, it was an unfortunate situation, but more importantly, it didn't make sense. Everything was in place and they even used Dr. Strange as a decoy. As the reader continues through the series, we then learned there's a mole within the team. Norman Osborn, in New Avengers #19 (2012) said so himself when he stated "We have a man on the inside."

Now lets be honest, the natural inclination is to join with Spidey in his suspicion of Victoria Hand. If you think she's the one Stormin' Norman is referring to, you can't be blamed; she was working for him back in the days of his Dark Reign.

But here's something you may have missed. Observe the following panels:

In New Avengers #16.1 (2011), Ms. Marvel cuts off  the Southwest Loading Dock, but is then, surprisingly, seen...with nothing.

In New Avengers #17 (2011), a miniaturized rocket carrying a sample of Wolverine's DNA flies off and Ms. Marvel is called on to go after it. She fails. Once again, Norman's plans succeed with a little luck.

Or was it luck at all?

This is obviously for a little entertainment and hyperbole, but Ms. Marvel seems to be the consistent weak link. Do you think Osborn could have turned her? Or is it her at all? Victoria Hand may be the obvious scapegoat or could just as easily be Dr. Washingon; I'm just telling you to keep an eye on the blonde in the skimpy outfit.


This information is currently be cataloged in the Shattered Heroes event. Head on over if you need a Reading Order or some new material.

Spoiler: The Mighty Thor #8

In the November 23rd release of The Mighty Thor #8, it was revealed that Tanarus, God of Thunder, is none other than Ulik the Rock Troll, a long reoccurring enemy in Marvel's Asgardian stories. After Thor dies in Fear Itself #7, Karnilla, Queen of Norns and Geirrodur, the Rock Troll King, use the moment to create a charm, causing everyone to forget that Thor ever existed.

Everyone except Loki, that is...Now embodied in the form of a young boy, it will be up to the God of Mischief to reveal the secret of Tanarus and the plot of the Trolls.

This spoiler is tied to the Shattered Heroes event from Marvel Comics.

If You Can't Kill Bucky, Then Who Can You?

Well...Bucky's back. No. Seriously. Just saw him hanging out with Steve and Fury. Right over there before his wake.

Have you read Fear Itself 7.1? Thumbed through the issue and learned that Bucky Barnes is alive? Revealed plans from Marvel Comics are to put him back in his own issue, Winter Soldier, which will be appearing in 2012. Most of you probably got wind of the spoiler before the release, but rest assured, it was fully explained and embraced in the issue.

If you missed it, Bucky Barnes had been filling the role and uniform of Captain America and took on Skadi, Herald of The Serpent, in Fear Itself #3. He threw his shield, hit her in the face, and then she ripped off his mechanical arm and shove the butt end of her Dark Asgardian Hammer through his chest. Big hole, take a look.

Not going to criticize the storyline; it's actually well-written and makes complete sense; Bucky was about to undergo a criminal trial and Nick Fury used the moment to fake his death. What I'm developing, though, is a theory; and it boils down to a slow-bubbling cauldron of concern.

I don't have problems with Bucky Barnes, not even if he returns as the Winter Soldier; I liked his character. Just not sure about the mentality and this type of hype; it isn't just with Marvel; DC has done it's share of killing great superheroes and villains during explosive events and then bringing them back. (Batman, Flash, Green Lantern and Superman, for example.)

So here's my question: who can I write off? Scarlet Witch? Johnny Storm? Janet Van Dyne? Both Bucky and Steve Rogers have been killed twice (at least). The first time was in the 1940s after Baron Zemo's drone rocket explosion. Rogers returned in Avengers #4 (Vol 1, March 1964) because he landed in icy waters in suspended animation; Bucky, it turns out, was recovered by the Russians and programmed as their Winter Soldier assassin. Their second deaths are more recent: Rogers' was at the hands of a sniper attack after Civil War, but it turns out he was never dead. Bucky, as we see, was just killed in the Fear Itself event.

(I remember reading Secret Avengers #15; man, I should've paid more attention. I thought Black Widow was mad at those reporters; she was just covering up the truth!)

Alright, I should take bets. How long before Thor returns? What about The Serpent; I know that's long odds, but I think it'll pay off.

Marvel Reconciles with Shattered Heroes

Midgard, Earth. As an eye toward hopelessness scans the horizon, it is time to reconcile the wrongs:

It is for the Shattered Heroes to make amends.

In October 2011, as the Fear Itself event concludes, comic book readers have learned there will be another breathtaking saga unfolding in the Marvel Universe. Called Shattered Heroes, there is no true indication to the level of density and overall crossover of the events.

In this article, we'll be following the Shattered Heroes Marvel event with news updates and information. As it begins and progresses, you'll be able to follow along with a chronological Shattered Heroes Reading List.  Read More and Follow Along...

Shattered Heroes is an event being introduced by Marvel Comics and will be watched by The Superheroes List.