Kurse
Encyclopedia
Kurse is a fictional character
that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics
. The character first appears as the Dark Elf
Algrim the Strong in Thor #347 (Sep. 1984), is transformed into Kurse in Secret Wars
#4 (vol. 2, Oct. 1985) and was created by Walter Simonson.
, and was known as Algrim the Strong. He is coerced by the Dark Elf ruler Malekith the Accursed
to fight the Asgardian God of Thunder and superhero
, Thor
. Malekith, however, betrays Algrim while he is fighting Thor, and in a bid to destroy the Thunder God orders that a pitfall beneath the two be opened. Thor saves himself courtesy of his mystical hammer Mjolnir, while Algrim falls into lava. Algrim's enchanted armor saves his life, but he is still critically injured and develops amnesia
from the shock.
Algrim is completely amnesiac, except for his obsessive desire to gain revenge upon Thor. Algrim is later healed by the cosmic entity the Beyonder
, who transforms him into the much more powerful being called Kurse, who is apparently twice as strong as Thor. The Beyonder transports Kurse to Earth to battle Thor, however Kurse mistakes Thor's ally Beta Ray Bill
for Thor and battles him. Kurse then battles the juvenile superhero team, Power Pack
. Thor then confronts Kurse, having donned his magical belt of strength to double his own strength. The Beyonder, however, doubles Kurse's strength yet again to counter this. Despite overpowering Thor, Kurse is made to realize that Malekith, not Thor, is to blame for his suffering. The Beyonder then transports Kurse to Hel at Thor's suggestion, to frustrate Hela, the Goddess of Death. Kurse later kills Malekith, who had been masquerading as Balder the Brave, and after repenting is granted citizenship among the Asgardians. Designated as the guardian of the children of Asgard after he helped protect Volstagg
's daughter and adopted sons during a plague, he loyally serves Asgard until the time of Ragnarok
, when all Asgardians with the exception of Thor apparently perish.
. Kurse also has the ability to sense and track his opponents over distances as great as continents and can see through illusions and disguises. His armor is a living, sentient, and enchanted armor that allows Kurse to see everything around him.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. The character first appears as the Dark Elf
Elves (Marvel Comics)
The Dark Elves of Svartalfheim and the Light Elves of Alfheim in Marvel Comics are fictional races based on the elves of actual Norse legends.-Publication history:...
Algrim the Strong in Thor #347 (Sep. 1984), is transformed into Kurse in Secret Wars
Secret Wars
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars is a twelve-issue comic book crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton...
#4 (vol. 2, Oct. 1985) and was created by Walter Simonson.
Fictional character biography
Kurse was originally the most powerful of a race of Dark ElvesElves (Marvel Comics)
The Dark Elves of Svartalfheim and the Light Elves of Alfheim in Marvel Comics are fictional races based on the elves of actual Norse legends.-Publication history:...
, and was known as Algrim the Strong. He is coerced by the Dark Elf ruler Malekith the Accursed
Malekith the Accursed
Malekith the Accursed is a supervillain in the Marvel Universe. He is ruler of the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim, and has come into conflict with Thor. He once wielded the Casket of Ancient Winters.-Fictional character biography:...
to fight the Asgardian God of Thunder and superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
, Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
. Malekith, however, betrays Algrim while he is fighting Thor, and in a bid to destroy the Thunder God orders that a pitfall beneath the two be opened. Thor saves himself courtesy of his mystical hammer Mjolnir, while Algrim falls into lava. Algrim's enchanted armor saves his life, but he is still critically injured and develops amnesia
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
from the shock.
Algrim is completely amnesiac, except for his obsessive desire to gain revenge upon Thor. Algrim is later healed by the cosmic entity the Beyonder
Beyonder
The Beyonder is a fictional character in . Created by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck, the immensely powerful Beyonder first appeared in Secret Wars vol. 1 #1 as an unseen force. He reappears in Secret Wars II #1 , which was created by Jim Shooter and Al Milgrom.-Publication history:The Beyonder was a...
, who transforms him into the much more powerful being called Kurse, who is apparently twice as strong as Thor. The Beyonder transports Kurse to Earth to battle Thor, however Kurse mistakes Thor's ally Beta Ray Bill
Beta Ray Bill
Beta Ray Bill is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Thor #337 and was created by writer-artist Walt Simonson....
for Thor and battles him. Kurse then battles the juvenile superhero team, Power Pack
Power Pack
Power Pack is a fictional team of comic book superheroes consisting of four young siblings who appear in books published by Marvel Comics. They were created by writer Louise Simonson and artist June Brigman and first appeared in their own series in 1984. The series lasted 62 issues...
. Thor then confronts Kurse, having donned his magical belt of strength to double his own strength. The Beyonder, however, doubles Kurse's strength yet again to counter this. Despite overpowering Thor, Kurse is made to realize that Malekith, not Thor, is to blame for his suffering. The Beyonder then transports Kurse to Hel at Thor's suggestion, to frustrate Hela, the Goddess of Death. Kurse later kills Malekith, who had been masquerading as Balder the Brave, and after repenting is granted citizenship among the Asgardians. Designated as the guardian of the children of Asgard after he helped protect Volstagg
Volstagg
Volstagg is a fictional character, a charter member of the Warriors Three, a trio of Asgardian adventurers and supporting cast of Thor in the . He is not taken from mythology but an original creation, modeled on Shakespeare's Falstaff in character and name....
's daughter and adopted sons during a plague, he loyally serves Asgard until the time of Ragnarok
Ragnarök
In Norse mythology, Ragnarök is a series of future events, including a great battle foretold to ultimately result in the death of a number of major figures , the occurrence of various natural disasters, and the subsequent submersion of the world in water...
, when all Asgardians with the exception of Thor apparently perish.
Powers and abilities
Kurse possesses a number of superhuman attributes as a result of his natural dark elf physiology and mystical augmentation. Kurse's main advantage against foes is his strength - while initially a close match for Thor, his strength was first increased to twice, and then four times, that of Thor. Courtesy of enchanted armor that was fused to his skin by the Beyonder, Kurse is now almost totally invulnerable but like all Dark Elves is vulnerable to the element ironIron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
. Kurse also has the ability to sense and track his opponents over distances as great as continents and can see through illusions and disguises. His armor is a living, sentient, and enchanted armor that allows Kurse to see everything around him.
Film
- Algrim appears in the animated film Thor: Tales of AsgardThor: Tales of AsgardThor: Tales of Asgard is a 2011 direct-to-video animated film based on the Marvel Comics character, Thor. It is eighth in a series of animated films produced by Marvel Animation and distributed by Lionsgate Entertainment...
, voiced by Ron HalderRon Halder- Biography :He has performed extensively in theatres across Canada from Victoria, BC to St. John's, Newfoundland. He has played key roles as Malcolm Lowry in the Vancouver Playhouse production of Goodnight Disgrace, James Tyrone Jr. in the Neptune Theatre production of Moon for the Misbegotten and...
. He is depicted as an advisor to Odin, whom he bore a grudge against for defeating Surtur and unintentionally causing the death of his people at the hands of the Frost Giants. Though he masked his hate, Algrim becomes the film's antagonist upon gaining the Sword of Surtur and attempts to use it for vengeance on Asgard. Though defeated by Thor, who disarmed the elf and spared his life, Algrim is mercilessly incinerated by a rage-filled Loki using the sword on him.
Video games
- Kurse appears as a villain in the video game, Marvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate Alliance is an action role-playing game developed for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox and Xbox 360 by Raven Software and published by Activision. The game was simultaneously ported to the PlayStation Portable and Wii by Vicarious Visions, and to Microsoft Windows by Beenox...
voiced by Tom KaneTom KaneTom Kane is a prominent American voice actor with over 25 years of experience. He is most widely known for his animation work...
. He and UlikUlikUlik is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Ulik was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and first appears in Thor #137 ....
steal a chest containing Volla's ring and the heroes had to fight them to get it back. A simulation disk has Thor fighting Kurse in Asgard, where the player must use an iron hammer to weaken him so that other attacks will be effective.