Queen of Nornheim
Nornheim is an Asgardian province where the Three Norns, the goddesses of destiny dwell. Though Nornheim is located in Asgardian land mass within Asgard’s dimension, Nornheim is an independent country. Apparently, Karmilla does not consider herself to be subject to Asgardian rule even though she is Asgardian herself.
Karnilla lives lavishly in the ancient fastness of Nornkeep, attended by her servant, the aged minor sorceress Haag, and troops of guardian demons. Although there are many demons among her subjects, Karnilla’s realm is populated by humanoid immortals, just as is Asgard proper. Karnilla’s relationship to the goddesses of destiny is unknown, although they are clearly beyond her jurisdiction.
History
Karnilla has at many times allied herself with Loki in his plans against his siblings but she first appeared to stop her future love’s, Balder, assassination by Loki. Loki retaliated by “convincing” her to give him some magic from the Norns but she accidentally used it on Wrecker from the Wrecking Crew. Loki’s next plan involved animating the Destroyer using Sif. During the time Karnilla started to fall in love with Balder and took no time to make it clear. Balder however wanted nothing to do with her because of her alliance with Loki. Heartbroken, she tried to make Balder’s life a living hell including sending many mythical monsters at him and manipulating events so that Balder would leave Odin and Asgard. But she couldn’t hide her love when Balder and the Warriors Three were attacked by Thermal Man and she saved them.
When Infinity was on a warpath, she used her magic to awaken Odin to battle it. She used it as leverage to force Balder to leave Odin’s command. His resentment was clear (especially because she helped to create Durok to destroy Thor) and Karnilla let him leave. When Balder went missing, she was got help from a very unlikely person, Sif. However they were captured by Xorr, who trapped them inside himself and started to train their life energy. Combined efforts by Thor and Odin saved them from death.
To redeem herself she helped Thor against monsters like Igron and Mangog, defended Asgard from animated suits of armor and battled Enchantress and Executioner (who were responsible for the attack) with Balder. They were successful until Korda arrived and defeated them. After these events she started to secretly protect Balder form Loki but didn’t hesitate to join him to destroy Thor.
After Balder’s “trip” in the Underworld, he stopped being a warrior and fell in love with Nanna. Karnilla retaliated by kidnapping them and forcing Balder to marry her to save Nanna’s life. Nanna was forced to leave. During that time Loki asked her to release a Snow Giant to destroy Thor and Balder took the opportunity to manipulate Karnilla into helping his brother and she did. When Karnilla and Balder herd of Nanna’s death, she felt responsible.
After helping Enchantress, Loki and Tyr, Balder invited her to join an alliance against Surtur. She took this as forgiveness and started to plan how to win Balder’s heart. Frost Giants and their leader Utgard-Loki, made their attempt to weaken Asgard by kidnapping Karnilla, thinking that she is in alliance with Asgard. They beat her, cut her hair and humiliated her to the extreme also during her people into stone. Balder also started to feel strong emotions towards Karnilla and with Agnar rescued her from her captors. She however returned to her home.
Karnilla, now good, help against Seth which somehow awakened her people but making them stay in stone form. She also battled against Hela and her forces with Asgard and the New Mutants.
Like all Asgardians she died during Ragnarok.
Following the events of Fear Itself, Karnilla resurfaced as an enemy of Asgard, planning its destruction in alliance with the troll king Geirrodur. After Thor’s death at the hands of the Serpent, she manipulated the Norns into helping cast a spell that replaced all memories of Thor with those of a false thunder god, Tanarus (who is actually Ulik the Troll hidden by a powerful magical glamour).
Death at the Nornkeep
Karnilla is summoned by Thor Odinson alongside a plethora of Asgardian and Midgardian women to battle The Destroyer armor, which is being possessed by Cul Borson in an effort to kill The Mighty Thor. As Malekith’s War of the Realms continues, Karnilla summons Odinson to the Nornkeep to help defend against the Dark Elf’s forces. As Thor Odinson wages war on the roots of the World Tree Karnilla stands guard at the Well of Wyrd, but as the tide turns she commands her soldiers escort each of the Norns to safety within the realms. Karnilla takes charge of the threads of fate, using them to cut short some of the forces overwhelming Odinson. She is shown visions of the coming battles that will face Midgard’s heroes, and this distraction allows the Trolls to cut through the roots that stabilize the Nornkeep. Without them, the entire fortress crashes apart with Karnilla inside. Crushed by the keep, Odinson holds Karnilla as she offers him one last warning before dying in his arms.
Karnilla awakes washed up on the shores of Nastrond in the realm of Niffleheim, where she is greeted by Balder the Brave, now Lord of the Dead. Reunited with her former lover, the two are assaulted by the hoardes of Muspelheim sent by Queen Sindr to scorch the land of the dead.
War in Niffleheim
After many battles in Niffleheim, Karnilla now stands as King Balder’s right hand of Hel. Eventually Thor Odinson and Loki travel to the shores of Nastrond to assist in the war against Sindr. King Balder sends Karnilla alongside Tyr Odinson on a secret mission to determine the location of a secret meeting between Sindr, Nidhogg, Disir leader Brun, and the Draugr. Karnilla is present at the resistance war table where they agree to intercept a great weapon on the Gjallerbru bridge, although Karnilla voices disgust at working alongside the “traitorous giant-spawn” Loki. At Gjallerbru the weapon is revealed to be Hel and Fenris, returned to reclaim their realm of power. The two sides battle until Loki suggests a marriage of alliance between Balder and Hela, but witnessing the service upsets Karnilla who leaves the wedding. However the wedding ceremony is not completed, being interrupted by Loki “killing” Thor (to grant him access to Valhalla), and the arrival of Hela’s current lover, the Mad Titan Thanos.
As Thanos and Hela reunite, Queen Sindr breaches the Halls of Niffleheim, and Karnilla joins the battle against the forces of Muspelheim. When all hope seems lost, Thor returns from Valhalla with the Valkyrior and Einherjar ready for war. The alliance fight back Sindr, who calls for the Black Bifrost and retreats and the dispute for the crown of Niffleheim and Helheim resumes. Before Balder can cement his marriage to Hela, Karnilla steps forth and places the thorn ring of Hel on her finger, binding herself with Hela and the throne so that Balder may be returned to life. With the ceremony completed, Karnilla now stands alongside Hela as the Queens of Hel.
Queens of Hel
Personal Data (from Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe)
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 475 lbs
Eyes: Purple
Hair: Black
Powers
Karnilla possesses the conventional attributes of an Asgardian woman (“goddess”) as well as mastery of the mystical arts of Asgard. Like all Asgardians she is extremely long-lived (though not immortal like the Olympians), superhumanly strong (able to lift at least 25 tons), immune to all diseases, and resistant to conventional injury (Asgardian flesh and bone is about 3 times denser than Earthly flesh and bone, accounting for Asgardians’ greater strength and weight). Her Asgardian metabolism gives her far greater immunity than human endurance at all physical activities, though she seldom deigns to indulge in unnecessary exercise.
Karmilla is one of the most accomplished practitioners of sorcery, acquiring a natural ability to manipulate magical energies. She also has vast knowledge of Asgardian enchantments and spells. Through sorcery she has gained many abilities: the enhancement of physical and sensory abilities, the power to assume different forms and attributes, and the ability to deploy mystical energy for offensive and defensive purposes, in the form of magical power bolts and shields.
Karnilla’s vast knowledge of arcane lore enables her to cast spells with a variety of specific effects. The many spells she has utilized include illusion casting, temporary paralysis or sleep, deflection of oncoming matter and energy, inter-dimensional teleportation, and elemental conversion. These spells derive their potency from the ambient mystical energy of Asgard’s dimension or power-objects found therein but is able to use this magic in Earth’s dimension with no limits. Karnilla is capable of casting inter-dimensional spells, and casting spells that have permanent effects. For example, once while she was physically in Nornheim, she cast a spell upon Oswald Garth, the human criminal calling himself the Wrecker, which permanently gave him and his weapon extraordinary properties.