Volstagg

"Do not mistake my appetite for apathy!"

- Volstagg

Volstagg was an Asgardian and a member of the Warriors Three. He was a good friend of Thor, Sif, and fellow members Hogun and Fandral. Alongside all his fellow warriors, he played a key role in stopping Loki from stealing the throne of Asgard. He later joined the War against the Dark Elf Malekith. However, Volstagg's long service to Asgard came to it's end upon Hela's arrival through the Bifrost Bridge, where she brutally slaughtered both Fandral and Volstagg before attempting to rule over all of Asgard.

Following Thor
"Volstagg, who introduced you to delicacies so succulent you thought you'd died and gone to Valhalla?" "You did."

- Thor and Volstagg

Volstagg is a seasoned and highly respected Asgardian adventurer and a good friend of the Asgardian princes, Thor and Loki. Thor eventually got Volstagg to meet his other two friends, Hogun and Fandral. The three soon became good friends and formed the Warriors Three, protecting the people of Asgard from whatever threat came their way. Volstagg also became good friends with fellow warrior Lady Sif, who would often join them on their adventures.

War with the Frost Giants
"Thor this is madness." "Madness? What sort of madness?"

- Loki and Volstagg

Volstagg, Hogun, Fandral and Sif attended the ceremony of Thor's coronation to support their friend, along with most of Asgard's citizens. During the ceremony, two Frost Giants broke into Odin's Vault attempting to steal the Casket of Ancient Winters. They were stopped and killed by The Destroyer but not before killing several guards, as a result of the attack, Odin decided not to retaliate against King Laufey or make Thor King of Asgard yet. Thor became so enraged by the interruption and his failure to become king that he stormed into the dinning hall and overthrew a table. The Warriors Three and Sif came in to discover the destruction and found Loki trying to comfort his brother. Thor recommended that they attack the Frost Giants in revenge for the their invasion and discover how they had gotten into Asgard, reminding each of his friends of their many adventures together. Volstagg was the first of Thor's friends who readily agreed to accompany him to Jotunheim to exact retribution for the Jotuns' aggression.

Attack on Jotunheim
"If your return threatens the safety of Asgard, my gate will remain shut and you will be left to perish on the cold waste of Jotunheim." "Couldn't you just keep the bridge open for us?"

- Heimdall and Volstagg

The Warriors Three, together with Thor, Sif, and Loki, decided to journey to Jotunheim where Thor intended to challenge Laufey, the Jotuns' ruler, over the incident in Asgard. The team went to see Asgard's Gate-Keeper Heimdall, although Loki attempted to fool Heimdall, the wise gate-keeper told them he knew of their plan and would allow them to go so they could discover how the Frost Giants had made their way in Asgard. Shortly after arriving in Jotunheim, they found and confronted Laufey, who, revealing that he had strength in numbers and mindful of an ancient truce between the two peoples, dismissed the Asgardian group from his realm. As they turned to leave, Thor was baited by the heckling of a nearby Jotun, plunging them all into mortal combat. Fandral was grievously injured in the fight and Volstagg had to help carry him clear. The Asgardians were saved by the timely arrival of Odin on Sleipnir, who intervened and quickly drew them back to Asgard.

Thor's Banishment
"Shame on you! Don't you care?" "Do not mistake my appetite for apathy!"

- Fandral and Volstagg

They used the Bifrost Bridge to return home and Volstagg carried Fandral to the healing room. As punishment for causing a second war between Asgard and Jotunheim, Odin banished Thor to Earth without his powers or hammer. While Volstagg and Fandral had their injuries treated, they discussed how Odin could have discovered their plans, Loki revealed it was he who had informed a guard of their scheme, resulting in Thor's banishment. Once Loki had left, Sif and the Warriors Three discussed whether or not he was a spy for Laufey. Seeking to return Thor to Asgard, the Warriors Three and Lady Sif went to speak to Odin, however when they arrived they discovered that Loki had taken the throne as his father had fallen into the Odinsleep. Accepting their new king with suspicion, they requested that he end Thor's banishment which Loki refused as he claimed to be unable to contradict his father's final order as King. When Volstagg tried to get Loki to reconsider, Loki ordered them to leave.

Disobeying the King
"If I may, beg the indulgence of your Majesty, to perhaps reconsider..." "We're done!"

- Volstagg and Loki

Concerned over Loki claiming the throne of Asgard, the Warriors Three and Lady Sif discussed what they should do next, with Fandral accusing Volstagg of not caring enough and having more of a focus on food. Hogun suggested that their next step had to be to disobey Loki and bring Thor find Thor on Earth. As they discussed this, Heimdall demanding to see them, Heimdall allowed them to use the Bifrost Bridge to go to Earth. They arrived at Thor's last known location in Puente Antiguo and searched for their friend. As they walked through the town they attracted many strange looks from the locals due to their armor and weapons. Eventually they found Thor with his new friends Jane Foster, Darcy Lewis and Erik Selvig, delighted to see one another again, the friends hugged and laughed together. When Volstagg informed Thor that they were there to take him home, Thor told him that Loki had claimed that Odin was dead. They revealed that Loki had lied and Thor agreed to come home.

Battle of Puente Antiguo
"Thor's going to fight with us!" "My friends, I am just a man. I'd only get in your way or worse get one of you killed. But you can help me gain time and get everyone to safety."

- Volstagg and Thor

In Puente Antiguo, they faced an unexpected threat when Loki dispatched The Destroyer to kill Thor and his friends. Thor revealed that he was powerless and could only help to get the innocent civilians of the town to safety while Sif and the Warriors Three battled the attacker. Volstagg attacked the Destroyer by having Hogun and Fandral throw him towards it; he was knocked backwards into a car. While it was distracted, preparing to blast Volstagg, the Destroyer was stabbed by Sif with her double-edged sword through its throat. Volstagg was relieved but this barely slowed it down however and the battle continued. They proved to be no match for the construct, and it battered them without much effort, injuring Volstagg. Eventually Thor ordered them to leave, assuring them that he had a plan. Instead Thor allowed the Destroyer to kill him in exchange for it leaving the innocent people alone, Volstagg watched helplessly as his friend died in Jane Foster's arms. However Thor's self-sacrifice restored his power and allowed him to defeat The Destroyer. The team returned to Asgard and discovered Loki had nearly killed Heimdall, while the Warriors took Heimdall to the Healing Room, Thor went to confront his brother.

Return to Asgard
Thor and Loki battled across Asgard, leading to the destruction of the Bifrost Bridge and Loki's apparent death when he fell into a black hole. With Odin having awoken from his Odinsleep and reclaimed the throne of Asgard, the Warriors Three and Lady Sif gathered together at a banquet to celebrate the return of Thor. Volstagg entertained the guests with the tales of his battles with the Frost Giants and the Destroyer.

Battle of Vanaheim
Volstagg, along with Sif and the rest of the Warriors Three, was a member of Odin's retinue when Thor brought Loki back to Asgard after trying to conquer Earth. Volstagg stood with the other members of the Warriors Three and the Einherjar as Thor gave a speech before they went to fight the Marauders. In the final battle against the Marauders in Vanaheim, Volstagg was valiantly fighting with Sif, Hogun and Fandral, until Thor arrived and, with a single blow with Mjølnir, destroyed a Kronan Marauder and ended the battle. With the battle over, the surviving Marauders were captured and taken back to the Asgardian Dungeons by the Warriors Three to await judgement.

Celebration
"With steely courage, intrepid spirit and an axe, victory was ours!"

- Volstagg

Volstagg returned to Asgard to celebrate the victory with his friends and family. Alongside Fandral, Thor and Sif, Volstagg went to a local inn to drink and brought his children along, telling them of their adventure and successful victory. Once Volstagg finished his drink, he threw his glass over his shoulder and demanded another, causing everyone around him to roar with laughter. Seemingly distracted, Thor left the celebrations and said goodnight to his friends.

Return of the Dark Elves
"It's as if they resent being imprisoned." "There's no pleasing some creatures."

- Fandral and Volstagg

Algrim, the lieutenant of Malekith, leader of the Dark Elves, led a prison break from the Asgardian Dungeons while the Dark Elves attacked Asgard, in order to distract the Asgardian forces and kidnap the current host of the Aether, Jane Foster. Volstagg and Fandral fought the escapees alongside the Einherjar until Thor's arrival, not realizing the escape was a distraction. During the chaos of the battle, Odin's beloved wife Frigga was killed by the Dark Elves. Volstagg attended Frigga's funeral to show his respect to his late queen. The following day, Fandral and Volstagg informed Odin that the shields of Asgard were still not repaired and Asgard was defenseless if Malekith attacked again. Thor arrived to discuss his own battle plans with Odin in private, intending to take the battle to Malekith by bringing the Aether to him and killing him there; however, Odin refused to accept this plan and vowed to kill every Dark Elf no matter the cost. Volstagg agreed with Thor's plan to sneak away from Asgard with Loki and Jane Foster to reach Svartalfheim. Alongside Lady Sif and Heimdall, Volstagg attended a meeting to discuss how they could get Foster out of Asgard. When Thor revealed that his attention was to use Loki's knowledge of hidden passages to transport them off Asgard, Volstagg was horrified, assuring Thor that his brother would undoubtedly betray him.

Freeing Loki
"If you even THINK about betraying him..." "You'll kill me? Evidently there will be a line."

- Volstagg and Loki

Thor freed Loki from his cell; Volstagg met the pair and Jane Foster outside the crashed Dark Elf Harrow which Thor intended to use to escape. As they boarded the ship, Volstagg stopped Loki in his tracks and assured him that if he even considered betraying Thor, he would personally kill him, which did not seem to bother Loki too much as Lady Sif had already threatened him. While Thor struggled with the controls of the ship, Volstagg fought the Einherjar in order to give Thor, Loki and Foster some time to escape. Eventually Volstagg became overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of the guards and was pinned to the floor. However he was successful and laughed as Thor escaped with his companions. Although Volstagg and Sif were arrested for their treason, they were released as Thor's plan was successful, leading to the death of Malekith and the capture of the Aether.

Transfer of the Aether
"But if I may ask, why not keep it secure, in your own vault?" "The Tesseract is already on Asgard. It is not wise to keep two Infinity Stones so close together."

- The Collector and Volstagg

After the events of the Convergence, Sif and Volstagg traveled to Knowhere to give the Aether to The Collector for safekeeping. Volstagg explained that since the Tesseract was already on Asgard, it was unwise to keep two Infinity Stones in the same place. Once they were assured that the Aether would be kept as safe as possible, they left the Collector's Museum and returned to Asgard.

Return of Hela
"Who are you? What have you done with Thor?"

- Volstagg to Hela

Following the war with the Dark Elves, Loki began impersonating Odin. One of his orders banished Heimdall from his role as guardian of the Bifrost Bridge, and Skurge was appointed to the position. After Skurge proved less than reliable, and Loki's deceit was revealed, Volstagg was appointed the new guardian.

When the Goddess of Death, Hela, returned to Asgard, she arrived at the Bifrost. Volstagg and Fandral were supervising Skurge's clean-up of the observatory. When Volstagg refused to submit to her, Hela killed him and Fandral.

Personality
Volstagg has a very bright and carefree personality, he's a loyal friend to Thor. He loves eating, drinking and celebrating. But when it comes to fighting, he can be very serious, ready to sacrifice himself at all time.

Powers and Abilities
As an Asgardian, Volstagg possesses superhuman physical attributes such as strength, stamina, speed and reflexes, and he is one of Asgard's greatest warriors.

Volstagg possesses all of the various superhuman attributes common among the Asgardians. Volstagg possesses superhuman strength, speed, agility, reflexes, durability, and is extremely long-lived.

Powers
Volstagg possessed all of the various superhuman attributes common among the Asgardians, including superhuman strength, speed, agility, reflexes, durability, and is extremely long-lived.
 * Asgardian Physiology: As an Asgardian, Volstagg has superhuman abilities.
 * Superhuman Strength: Like all Asgardians, Volstagg has immense superhuman strength, more so than the average Asgardian male, but not quite on par with that of Thor. He is able to swing a heavy battleaxe with minimal effort, and hold his own against Frost Giants and Marauders, in addition to easily lifting a car.
 * Superhuman Speed: Volstagg can move at high speeds. He managed to outrun a Jotunheim Beast while carrying an injured Fandral on his back.
 * Superhuman Durability: Volstagg's body is much more resistant to physical harm than the body of a human being. He is capable of sustaining a punch from a Frost Giant and being smacked into a car by the Destroyer without any signs of injury. However, he was injured by a Frost Giant's freezing touch.
 * Regenerative Healing Factor: Despite his body's resistance, Volstagg can be injured like any other Asgardian. However, his metabolism enables him to rapidly regenerate damaged bodily tissue with greater speed and efficiency than a human being is capable of. He was able to heal from a frostbite caused by a Frost Giant within days.
 * Longevity: Like all Asgardians, Volstagg ages at a rate that is much slower than that of a human being. Even though he is over one thousand years old, he still looks like a middle-aged man by Earth standards.

Abilities
Volstagg is one of Asgard's finest warriors. He is also a highly skilled axeman.
 * Expert Combatant: Volstagg is one of Asgard's finest warriors with centuries of hand-to-hand combat knowledge and experience. He has fought in multiple battles against highly trained combatants such as Frost Giants, Marauders, and Einherjar with relative ease.
 * Axe Mastery: Volstagg is highly skilled at using his axe in battle. He used it to kill multiple Frost Giants with relativ ease.

Equipment

 * Axe: In combat, Volstagg usually used a battle axe, applying his brute strength in battle.
 * Armor
 * First Set: Volstagg’s first armor was made of a brown and gold tunic and pants. Over his chest he wore a two part metal vest. The top part had various swirling designs and the bottom was made of overlapping gold plates that made room for Volstagg’s considerable stomach. He wore simple brown boots.
 * Second Set: Volstagg’s second armor was made of overlapping, bronze, plates. He wears black side-shoulder pads with gold accents. His sleeves are chainmail with leather arm-bracers at the end. He wears a chainmail and leather skirt over brown leather pants and boots.

Family

 * Hildegund - Wife
 * Children

Allies

 * Warriors Three - Teammates
 * Fandral †
 * Hogun †
 * Sif
 * Thor
 * Odin † - King
 * Frigga † - Queen
 * Heimdall
 * Jane Foster
 * Erik Selvig
 * Darcy Lewis
 * Taneleer Tivan

Enemies

 * Frost Giants
 * Laufey †
 * Loki - Former Ally and King turned Enemy
 * Hailstrum †
 * Raze †
 * Grundroth †
 * Marauders
 * Kronan Marauder †
 * Horned Marauder † - Victim
 * Dark Elves
 * Skurge †
 * Hela † - Killer

Trivia

 * In Thor: The Dark World, Volstagg celebrates with his family after returning home from a battle in Vanaheim. One of the children present resembles his daughter Gunnhild.

Behind the Scenes

 * Rob Mars was a stunt double for Ray Stevenson in the role of Volstagg.
 * Dan D.W. McCann was a body double for Ray Stevenson in the role of Volstagg.