Marvel Announces Jane Foster Becomes Valkyrie

The War of the Realms miniseries is currently having a major impact on the Marvel Comics world, with characters meeting their demise or finding a new status quo with every issue. And as those who have read the latest installment know, that appears to be leading into a major direction for one of the event’s major players.

Spoilers for War of the Realms #2 below! Only look if you want to know!

This week, Marvel announced more details surrounding their mysterious Valkyrie series — namely, which character will be taking on the titular role. As the events of War of the Realms #2 revealed, that will be none other than Jane Foster, who took on the mantle after witnessing the massacre of the Valkyries.

“At the end of WAR OF THE REALMS #2, the Valkyries are dead.” writer Al Ewing explained to Marvel.com. “And Valhalla is gone. Because without at least one warrior taking on the role and the name of Valkyrie, there can be no Valhalla. And, obviously, the fact that we have a new VALKYRIE comic coming out means that someone does take up that mantle… and it’s someone a lot of readers have been waiting to see in action again — Jane Foster!”

“It’s not like the old Valkyrie.” Ewing revealed. “Brunhilde is available for consultation occasionally, but she no longer belongs to the world of the living — so Jane’s mostly on her own. That said, she does have something not seen before in the world of Asgard — UNDRJARN THE ALL-WEAPON, forged in the fires of the Realm-War, that can change its shape and be whatever the wielder needs — including wings! Which doesn’t necessarily mean no more flying horse, but I’m getting ahead of myself…”

“There’s a line in VALKYRIE #1: ‘Thor is a god, Valkyrie is a job.’” Ewing continued. “Jane knows how to be Thor, but the role of Valkyrie — the warrior who fights for the living and the dead, and stands between both — is a very different beast. It’s a sacred task, and brings additional abilities — and responsibilities — of its own. As the first of a new generation of Valkyries, Jane has to decide for herself what that task involves, and that’s a big part of what we’ll be exploring in this series. If you’re reading this, you know who Valkyrie is, but what she is is one of the big philosophical underpinnings of the book.

Are you excited to see Jane Foster take on the role of Valkyrie? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Valkyrie #1 is expected to debut in stores this July.