Origin
Introduced as a shadowy figure among the ranks of fellow Valkyrior, Gruenhilda was educated on the life and actions of Eric Masterson, otherwise known as the hero Thunderstrike by the Lady Sif. She explained in great detail Eric Masterson’s trials and tribulations and, ultimately, his heroic death. Sif’s detailed summary helped to better explain to Gruenhilda the task necessary for a valkyrie. A task being that they owed a debt to Eric Masterson for all his noble actions. One of them would be sent to Midgard with an important task and duty, that of advising and offering consul to the newly-appointed Thunderstrike, Eric Masterson’s son Kevin. Gruenhilda, now familiar with the noble deeds and actions of Eric Masterson, heads to Earth. Stoic but determined at upholding the task appointed to her.
Character Creation
Gruenhilda was created by Tom Defalco and Ron Frenz in 2011, for the Thunderstrike mini series of the same year.
Major Story Arcs
Thunderstrike
Gruenhilda meets Kevin Masterson for the first time in the midst of an altercation, with several Spartan high tech strike-force soldiers, their goal, retrieving the Thunderstrike. Gruenhilda manages to keep Kevin and his stepfather, Bobby Steele, safe but the Thunderstrike Mace was stolen by the attacking men during the battle. Gruenhilda had displayed many notable actions of power and skill during the melee, disposing and defeating many of the Spartan soldiers, who had access to high-end, advanced technology and had strength in numbers.
She was somewhat impatient and condescending towards Kevin and his lack of ability and skill generally and with using the Thunderstrike weapon, but also attempted to encourage him on ways he could use the mystic weapon, Kevin taking heed and finding himself realizing the versatility of his fathers weapon. Showing yet more condescension, she tends to call Kevin “Mort” (short for mortal), and never misses an opportunity to point out his frailty and inexperience. In an attempt to get back Kevin’s mace, Gruenhilda teaches him by demonstrating on herself, her swords ability to transform her appearance from armor, to something more casual and typical of Earth wear. She elaborates on her role to Kevin, who is still coming to grips about what he had experienced the past couple of hours.
Using her ability to teleport in conjunction with Kevin’s mental attachment to the Thunderstrike Mace, Gruenhilda homes in on its location. Along the way, also somewhat learning more about Kevin and displaying a nicer, friendly attitude towards him. After locating the thieves of the mace, a battle is initiated with one Adam Mann, the evil mastermind behind the theft of the Thunderstrike weapon. A part of Mann’s research into Asgardian mysticism however had had the dire effect of transporting the Thor villain known as Mangog to the battle scene. A much bigger and more devastating threat than Adam Mann, the mighty Mangog is able to brush aside the would-be hero and Valkyrie and head off to find his true target, the mighty Thor. Heading towards the city and finding the giant Mangog, Gruenhilda joins both Kevin and the Avengers in attempting to subdue Mangog. It takes a combined effort of all heroes present to stop the ravaging beast and yet Mangog did not fall. After a quick pep talk to Kevin and a heroic declaration by the teen, both Gruenhilda and Kevin charge the beast to challenge him again, with full awareness that their lives were at risk. Their aid was instrumental in helping the Thunder God, Thor, end the threat of Mangog. After the ordeal was over and Kevin coming to terms with his new powers and his responsibilities to properly use them, Gruenhilda assists Kevin in finding the villain Rhino for some much needed payback.
Powers
Like most other Valkyrior, Gruenhilda possess class 40 superhuman strength, superhuman stamina, agility, speed, durability and a resistance to injury and disease. Also as a Valkyrie, Gruenhilda has an undefined but special association with death given her duties ferrying dead warriors. She was able to tell Kevin his father would recover from his injuries and cited her unique perception of death being the reason.
Like all Valkyrie, Gruenhilda is especially skilled in the art of combat, unarmed and armed, and she has demonstrated this ability many times already, despite her relative newness and youth. She’s quite capable of defending herself against multiple attackers and attacking multiple enemies at once. She can climb a vertical rock incline whilst supporting a teenage male on her back, with casual ease.
She has a sword that she can use to alter her appearance, changing her armor into casual wear, and the sword itself into a guitar, and she can also use the sword to teleport. She also wears battle armor that she has implied grants her additional durability and protection. She had the strength and skill with the sword to cleave though thick concrete and even thick metal.