One of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was the All-Father Odin (played by Sam Neill), the ruler of Asgard and the Nine Realms. Although most people view the All-Father as a wise and just ruler, Thor: Ragnarok revealed that his daughter, Hela, aided her father in his bloody conquest of the Nine Realms. However, this revelation was explored on a very surface level, without much subtlety or deep exploration beyond its impact on Hela. Furthermore, the movies portray Odin as if he has moved past his violent past and developed into a benevolent ruler in the modern day. The comics, in contrast, explore how Odin never really changed, and is one of the most successful and brutal tyrants in the Marvel Universe. The comics emphasize Odin’s cruelty, highlighting both his past atrocities and his more recent actions against innocent mortals.
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In 2022, the All-Father sacrificed his life to transfer the all-powerful Odin-Force to Thor so that he could defeat the villainous God Tempest. Since then, Odin has resided in the mystical realm of Valhalla. In many ways, Odin’s death was retribution for the countless atrocities he had committed over his lifetime. With his death, the Nine Realms were freed from one of their most oppressive dictators.
Odin’s ego and lust for power have led to innumerable losses across the Nine Realms. Additionally, many of Odin’s brash actions have led to unintended consequences that have drastically affected the lives of Thor and the people of Asgard.
Odin has the Blood of Billions on His Hands
The All-Father has a long history of resorting to genocide to deal with those who oppose him and his reign. Odin destroyed entire civilizations and countless lives for the actions of only a few. Long before the creation of Midgard, there existed the realm of Aesheim. Odin’s older brother, the tyrant Cul, derived his strength from the fear he inspired in others: the more fear he instilled in people, the stronger he became. With this power, Cul took over Aesheim. To stop Cul’s evil reign, Odin slaughtered his brother’s followers and sealed Cul away in the deepest ocean trench. Odin didn’t stop there. To cut Cul off from his power source of fear-induced subjects, Odin killed every single person on Aesheim. He then razed Aesheim to the ground and renamed it Midgard. Odin believed that, if no one was alive to remember and fear Cul, his evil brother, would never return. Of course, this theory proved to be wrong, since Cul returned during the “Fear Itself” storyline. With Cul’s release, Odin’s planetary genocide, already atrocious in its evil, proved pointless as well.
One of the most infamous examples of Odin’s legacy of mass slaughter involves the villain Mangog. Mangog, a hulking monster, is the physical embodiment of the rage of billions upon billions of aliens slaughtered by Odin. The alien race that manifested Magog was spread out across thousands of worlds before Odin wiped them out. There are two possible explanations given for why Odin committed such an egregious act. The first explanation is that the aliens were invading Asgard, and Odin killed them in self-defense. The second, more despicable possibility is that Odin impulsively destroyed the aliens because they merely said the wrong thing in Odin’s presence. Even if it’s true that the aliens were hostile, there is still no justification for wiping out the entire species, killing not only warriors, but also innocent civilians and children who had nothing to do with the campaign. Mangog is the righteous fury of Odin’s victims brought to life. With his immeasurable strength, Magog has nearly killed Odin on multiple occasions, almost destroying him single-handedly. Although Magog, in his tur,n is clearly wrong to seek to wipe out Asgard and all its people, his anger and desire for vengeance are certainly understandable.
Another notable race that fell victim to Odin’s wrath was the peaceful dream-traveling Mares. When the Mares entered Odin’s mind to communicate with him, the All-Father met their openness with violence. Without a second thought, he butchered numerous Mares for daring to enter his dreams. He then imprisoned the rest of the pacifist species in a deep, dark cave. Instances like these reveal Odin’s bloodthirsty nature and willingness to kill anything that he sees as a threat to his throne.
Odin has No Regard for Human Life
Odin’s cruel nature isn’t limited to the distant past. In the modern age, Odin is still callous towards the suffering of mortals. Despite originally banishing Thor to Earth to teach his son humility, Odin himself has rarely followed his own advice. Since his earliest appearances in comics, Odin has exhibited no self-awareness or remorse for his own actions and only disdain for humanity. He was against Thor dating Jane Foster for many years because of her mortal status. And, although Jane’s heroism eventually earned Odin’s respect, it did little to change his views on other humans.
Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, is one of the most significant victims of Odin’s brazen ego. During the events of “Fear Itself,” Cul returned, wreaking havoc on Earth by arming several supervillains with enchanted Asgardian weapons. In a move typical of Odin’s monomaniacal thinking, his “brilliant” plan to stop Cul was to destroy Earth — the planet his son Thor holds so dear. Tony, in contrast, had a plan to create weapons using Asgardian materials to fight Cul and his followers. Tony needed Odin’s permission to use the mystical Workshops of Svartalfheim to make these weapons, but the All-Father wouldn’t even grant the hero an audience. Odin’s superiority complex was so great that Tony had to make a sacrifice to get the god’s attention. On his knees, Tony sacrificed his dignity and sobriety. Only then did Odin feel that Tony was worthy to even be in his presence.
Even though Tony managed to create the Asgardian weapons and Earth’s heroes defeated Cul, the devastation left by the villain’s attack was horrific. One of Cul’s minions, the Grey Gargoyle, turned every person in Paris into a statue. When Tony called Odin out for not using his godly power to stop the catastrophe, the All-Father effortlessly beat him into the ground. Furthermore, to demonstrate to Tony how insignificant all humans are, Odin gives Tony a brief glimpse of the endless cosmos. After this, Odin restored all the people in Paris to their normal state. Yet, Odin didn’t save Paris out of generosity; he did it to spite Tony and show how weak and powerless mortals are compared to him.
Odin often hides behind the guise of his overwhelming cosmic responsibilities, claiming that he has no time to waste on human affairs. Such a claim, however, falls flat as Thor continues to be Earth’s protector even after assuming Asgard’s throne. In reality, Odin is a cruel, egomaniacal tyrant who wields his divine status to kill and intimidate anyone who dares question his reign.
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Image courtesy of Lucasfilm
